Bel Air Presbyterian Church

A 'deacon' is, by definition, most appropriately regarded as a servant to the Body of Christ. The deacons of Bel Air Presbyterian Church attempt to fulfill that privilege through a variety of ways and means. One of the most important ways is by meeting the emergency financial needs of our members, regular attenders and even the 'strangers in our midst.' In so doing the deacons who serve on the finance committee strive to be the best possible stewards of the money which has been entrusted to us by you. The deacons make home and hospital visits to those among us who are ill or confined. The deacons have established a prayer cordon which brings before God the needs of any and all who request intervention. The deacons have organized once a month 'Clean Sweep LA' Saturdays in which everyone in the cluster-of the-month can join in beautifying the stretch of Mulholland Drive that runs by the church.

In addition the deacons partner with Bel Air's Urban Ministry outreach on a whole host of events including the annual Turkey Basket Day in which over one thousand baskets filled with turkey and all the trimmings are distributed to the unfortunate. Lastly, the deacons offer many ways in which members of Bel Air can meet their neighbors, as well as the ultimate fellowship, the joining before the Lord's table for communion. In these and other activities the Bel Air Deacon Ministries serve the Body of Christ with praise and thanksgiving.

Crisis Intervention Ministry

The early Church set people apart for an office called "Deacon." The title did not fill those appointed with self-importance - the term literally meant a "table waiter!" But it is filled with significance because Deacons are called to serve Christ and "discharge loving service" in meeting the needs of the members of his church.

The office of Deacon is vital in our life together at Bel Air. Our Deacons' goal is to facilitate a family quality among our widely dispersed congregation through a ministry of sympathy, witness and care-giving.

Bel Air members are placed in a neighborhood cluster ministered to by a Deacon. The Deacon keeps in touch through prayer support, home visits, care-giving in times of illness, assistance with emergency financial needs, and occasional group meetings.

The Bel Air Deacons serve 12 regional clusters. Each Deacon cares for 25 to 35 singles and families. You can help your Deacon by letting him or her know your needs or the needs of others, attending the open house gathering in your area, assisting the Deacon in serving the needs of others in your neighborhood, and participating in the Deacon Offering, which is held three times a year.

The Deacons also provide Thanksgiving baskets and holiday meals to those who otherwise would have nothing.

The Deacon Prayer Cordon, a chain of prayer, can be mobilized either by contacting a neighborhood Deacon or the Church Office. The Deacons want to know your needs so they can respond.

Visitation

Home and hospital visitation to our shut-in, convalescing and congregation who are having surgery or other medical care and concern is offered through our Care Giving Department. If you or someone in our church family you know is ill, or in need of such a visit, please contact the Congregational Care Department by email or at ext. 173 to let us know that information. We seek to have a Deacon, visitation team member or Pastor visit when possible.

Meet Your Deacon Day!

Every member of the Bel Air Family has a Deacon. Come on out to the patio on selected Sundays throughout the year and meet yours in person...or call the church office at (818) 788-4200 for more information. Get a warm handshake, a friendly smile, and maybe even a few "negative-caloried" cookies to go with your coffee.

Deacon Prayer Cordon

The Bel Air Deacons provide prayer and support in times of need. If you find yourself in a difficult situation or know of someone who is, please let us know. We're here to serve. If you need prayer, please e-mail us or call the Church office at (818) 788-4200 and we will put your request on the Deacon Prayer Cordon.

For an indepth article about the importance of intercessory prayer read Gary Kemper's article.

Deacon Clusters

Deacon clusters are designed to give church members in the same residential area an opportunity to meet in a casual setting for fellowship, information and group activities. They also serve a vital role in providing for the needs of those who are sick, lonely or in need of emergency financial resources.

Bel Air divides its members and regular attenders into 'clusters' which are grouped according to zip codes. There are a total of twelve clusters which covers almost all of Los Angeles county running from the Santa Clarita and Simi Valleys to the north, through the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, the Westside, across the basin and down into the South Bay. You can find your cluster in the list below as well as the deacons who serve you.

Cluster Meeting Dates and Times

If you are a BAPC member, you will be receiving information as to the place and time your cluster will meet within two weeks of the scheduled date.

Annual Thanksgiving Basket Program

Each Thanksgiving season for almost thirty years, Bel Air Presbyterian Church, through its deacons and Urban Ministries Department, has provided food baskets for needy Los Angeles families and individuals.

And a Bible in each basket.

“Bless this food to its intended use… and feed our souls on the Bread of Life.”

“I grew up hearing that prayer every night around the supper table,” Dan Vining, one of Bel Air’s deacons said. “It was my father’s prayer, my grandfather’s before him. I kept remembering those words the morning we assembled the baskets on the church parking lot – a frozen turkey, bags of dressing and potatoes and rice and beans, cans of vegetables and fruit – and, right on top, just before we closed the box, a Bible, in English or Spanish. This too, the Word of God, the Bread of Life, was essential for the feeding of the multitudes. What would Thanksgiving be without it?”

The Bel Air Presbyterian program has steadily grown over the years. This past Thanksgiving, two thousand food baskets, each with enough food for a family of five, were assembled and distributed to the hungry through a network of other churches, ministries, agencies and organizations.

The program yearly draws a hundred or more worker volunteers from the Bel Air family who arrive early on the parking lot below the church’s hilltop sanctuary and roll up their sleeves. “We even have little kids coming out to help,” said Deacon Billy Lewis, who coordinated the 2002 event. “It’s become a tradition, the kids putting the Bible in each box just before it’s sealed. This year we also enclosed Thanksgiving cards made by the children in our Sunday School.” Other essential Bel Air congregational involvement comes in the support of a special Deacon Offering taken the Sunday before Thanksgiving and earmarked exclusively for food for the hungry.

As with so many ministries, the Turkey Basket Program pays dividends spiritually to those involved in the physical work. Vonda Reeves, a deacon officer who ran the program previously, said, “I remember a group coming to pick up their baskets. Before they began loading, they gathered around the food in the parking lot, held hands and prayed – for the food, for the Bibles, for those of us who were there helping and for our church. It was just beautiful, looking at them gathered in prayer with the city spread out behind them on a bright blue morning. At the end of that day, I was changed, realizing how much God had given me. I am mindful now to always thank Him for the things of my life and to be careful not to focus on and ask for things that don’t really matter.”

Mary Erickson, former director of Bel Air's Urban Outreach said, "I am often thanked for our love and caring as I meet with people and ministries throughout the city. It always makes me smile. I think Jesus smiles too."

You can be part of this event and help us demonstrate our love and concern for people around us in a very tangible way. You can give a donation during our annual Thanksgiving offering, or you can send your donation at any time to the church office, marked "Thanksgiving Baskets."

If you know a family who needs a basket this Thanksgiving, please contact the church beginning November 1 and make plans to pick up and deliver your basket.

If you have any questions about Thanksgiving baskets or want to get involved, call the church office at (818) 788-4200, ext. 147.