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Together We Serve: Laity Sunday Unfolds Like Our Own Personal Book of Acts

Congregation witnesses to Christ working among us

By Larry Price

Published October 18, 2009

At left, sanctuary on Laity Sunday. At right, Richard Dunne witnesses to his ministry of prayer and presence.

Perhaps, Richard Dunne summed it up best: When we surrender our lives to God, and become servants, we take on ministries we never imagined and witness to Christ working among us. He was offering his witness to his personal ministry of prayer and presence as he told the congregation on Laity Sunday 2009 about the moment in time, several years ago, when he broke down, sobbed uncontrollably into a large towel, and began for the first time to pray to God to change his life. He was reading to his twin sons a children’s book, The Littlest Angel, which tells the story of how a little angel wants to be just like the older angels and keeps trying until she finds something just right for her to do. He couldn’t finish and his wife Nina took over as Richard left to bury his face in that towel and give birth to a life of prayer. From that day on, Richard’s life became centered on prayer, leading him to his personal ministry of prayer and presence, offered to the congregation following every 10 AM worship. He has shared his prayers and presence with families who face serious illness, and sometimes death—Sam Flade’s passing and the death of Kirk MacGregor.

Richard’s story was only one of several ministries witnessed during Laity Sunday 2009, which unfolded like our own personal Book of Acts. Marilyn Moffett and the members of the Green Team witnessed to how the church is working to improve our stewardship of the world which God has entrusted to us by proposing an environmental covenant to be offered at Charge Conference. The plan encompasses many upcoming changes at our church, including the simple act of eliminating Styrofoam coffee cups which take decades to break down in a landfill.

At left, Ruth Sperry and Cibby Gardiner witness to the Sierra Leone Mission. At right, Paula Martasian, Elaine Roffo, Marilyn Moffett and Ellen Jacke from the "Green Team."

Ruth Sperry rose to witness a ministry which has raised several thousand dollars for a health clinic in West Africa by selling articles of clothing made by the women in the poor villages of Sierra Leone. This is the same homeland of Safiatu Bah, who at 12 years of age, was brought to America by the efforts of the Dallas family and our congregation to receive life-saving heart surgeries. Wasn’t it fitting that Safiatu was the acolyte who extinguished the altar candles on this day as her new life in America continues to blossom (see photo at bottom of page)?

Melissa Smith--in her own words: “a basket case,” as she began to cope with the anxiety of her son Matthew joining the Marines--wept and then eloquently explained how she began her ministry of making “gators,” the woolen neck warmers that are sent to our troops to help them endure the cold winters in Afghanistan. As she talked, the arm of Isabel Hayes was wrapped around her, offering a comforting embrace. Isabel and Cibby Gardiner detailed the quilts and prayer shawls that women of our church create for people in need of comfort—many of them perfect strangers. Cibby joked that she was a super model as she put on a prayer shawl to demonstrate its comforting qualities.

At left, Melissa Smith, supported by Isabel Hayes, emotionally talks about her gator project. At right, Cibby Gardiner, 'super model', shows off prayer shawl.

The shepherding group, members of our church who meet once per week and email nearly every day to pray for the concerns of many, joined hands, encircling the worship table at the altar, to pray. For Pastor Lori who is away dealing with an unexpected and frightening illness in her family, her sister’s cancer; For the family of Isaiah Morris who died this week and whose life we celebrate in a memorial service tomorrow; For Ida Green, a remarkable 90-year old charter member of our congregation who fell this week and broke four ribs. The list was lengthy and heartfelt.

At left, shepherding committee offers prayer concerns at the altar on Laity Sunday

Jay Hickey explained how monthly breakfast meetings of the men of the church evolved into a chartered United Methodist Men’s group that still enjoys fellowship each month, but has taken on the important ministries of helping our local food pantry feed the hungry in our community.

Trish Halloran, who has led our Sunday School and many other church projects, but never offered a children’s sermon, took on that role today in Pastor’s Lori’s absence as she helped the children learn how they can serve together by preparing relief kits for disaster victims through UMCOR.  

At left, Trish Halloran talks about helping UMCOR with the young people during children's sermon.

The choir, under the direction of its new music director Paul Mancini, Sr. at the organ, raised the roof with a stirring rendition of Amazing Grace (see photo at bottom of page).

Jeff Dallas, whose family brought that little precious girl from Sierra Leone for heart surgery, testified about his family’s discipleship and what our church family has meant to them.

At right, Jeff Dallas offers a discipleship moment

And there too was Patricia Minacipilli to champion the ministry of domestic violence. Her story was a personal one. She later told me she had recently driven over 2-thousand miles from California back to Rhode Island and she was admittedly tired. But the tears rolled not because she was tired, but because she was thinking of others who endure the horrors of domestic violence. She urged the congregation to work to help break the chain of domestic violence among families in our community.

Laity Sunday was indeed our own church family’s personal Book of Acts, and it only scratched the surface of what this church congregation does each day in meeting our commitment of Together We Serve. The ministries witnessed are only a few of the many that weave the very fabric of the tapestry that is the life of our church. The service went on longer than expected for so many had so much to witness, but no one complained.

At left, Paula Martasian lends support to Pat Minacipilli as she champions the cause of ending domestic violence.

And after the Peace of Christ was passed among the congregation, there was a well deserved smile of satisfaction on the face of lay leader Paula Martasian who organized Laity Sunday for the two services at 8 and 10 AM.

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