The Ministry of the Deacon: IntroductionA survey of Reformed Church in America deacons conducted in 1989 was very revealing. Few deacons (6 percent) felt "very prepared" for their duties; 55 percent felt "prepared"; and a large portion (39 percent) responded that they were "not very prepared." When asked to rank in order of importance sixteen actions they might perform as deacons, the five items ranked highest all pertained to ministries of management and maintenance within their local congregations while the five actions ranked lowest dealt with ministries of mercy, service, and outreach. This booklet is intended to help deacons become better prepared for their responsibilities within their local congregations as leaders in ministries of mercy, service, and outreach. We hope this booklet will also help prompt a transformation in the image of a deacon from one who only collects, counts, and maintains to one who also leads the congregation to joyfully serve the Lord in a variety of ways. Betty Voskuil
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