Ministries and Missions

Music Team Ministry

We are happy to lift our voices in song and create a beautiful space for worship. Music speaks to the heart just like our Lord. This year has been one of the most heartfelt. We have used our offerings in music to truly connect with the congregation and our God. We take notes and requests from members of the congregation and add songs they would like to hear. Songs that really speak to that individual and in part speak to the entire congregation. Usually, the piano provides most of our accompaniment. A few times we have used custom tracks to elevated our offertory solos. These tracks are professionally arranged and customized to the singers in our team. Also,
these accompaniments are professional in quality. This brings the worship to a new level when live musicians are unavailable. This year we plan on bringing in new instrumentalists to add another layer of depth to our worship team. We will be inviting guest instrumentalists to help provide our operatory anthems.
We continue to hold our annual fundraising concert “ Songs I Love to Sing”! Our very talented guests put on a show that spoke to the heart and soul.They get us out of our seats dancing! What fun!
The music ministry is planning more outreach and more music related fellowship events such as (with the help of our congregation) Christmas caroling through Advent! This will help spread awareness of our love and presence in the community.
Our current music ministry is happy to have Mariano Garcia, IV as Music Directory and on the keyboard and singing. He is joined by Jen Ball, Elizabeth Chiolan, and Denise Walker, who sing their blessings every Sunday. Special thanks to Sandy Ramos for her offerings and to our Assistant MD Elizabeth Chiolan for keeping everything organized and running smoothly.
With the recent passing of Mary Foley, a beloved member of our Music Team, our hearts have been heavy. Through the joy of her memory, we will continue to provide music week after week. Beautiful music. Smart music. Thought provoking music. Heartwarming music. Nostalgic music. All to assist with our love and worship of our God and to spread our love. We are all truly the hands and feet of God.

Setup/Takedown Team

Prepared by Richard Valone

In that Living Faith Church rents space each Sunday to hold worship services as well as midweek holy days, our space at St. Lucie Trails must be re-designed for worship each time. Team members help prepare the welcome space and refreshment table each Sunday morning. The team members also assist with assembling the sound system for our musicians, preparing the altar which includes preparing the Lord’s Table with appropriate seasonal paraments as well as the communion elements and candles. And still others set out the cross, hang banners, prepare the seating area, and make sure that the outdoor signs are in position. When worship is over, the team takes everything down, cleans the surrounding areas and places everything back into storage containers and moves them into the onsite storage closet. We are thankful to all the volunteers who are dedicated to this ministry every week! If you are interested in serving on this team, please speak with Richard Valone or Patti Zeppieri, who is the person that schedules the lead and assistant team members each week.

Communion Assistant Team

Leanne Borner serves as the Communion Assistant Coordinator. Each Sunday she asks different members of the congregation to serve that morning as Communion Assistants. If you are interested in learning more about how you can serve as a Communion Assistant, please speak with Leanne. Once you are trained, you will be asked to assist on any given Sunday. Thank you very much for those who assist in the distribution of this most life-giving sacrament.

Usher Team

The ushers assist during the communion service as well as dealing with any other issues, as requested, that may arise on a given Sunday. The lead of the setup team ensures that there are 2 ushers for the service.

Greeter Team

Who is a Greeter? You are a greeter. The “Greeting Ministry” is the loving, affirming and welcoming arm of Living Faith Church. Our ministry goal is to make sure that everyone knows that they are welcomed into this space “just as they are”. We are a “judgement free zone”. We currently do not have a formal “assignment” of a greeter and since we are a welcoming congregation and everyone jumps in to greet those who come in to worship.
Each one of us has our own unique way of making others feel loved, totally comfortable and part of God’s family and so every one of us are indeed a part of this ministry. We make sure to introduce ourselves when we see a new face and then introduce them to someone else. All of us are called to share God’s love and worship is the perfect place to begin.

Audio/Visual Team

The Living Faith Audio/Visual team has continued to work behind the scenes to ensure all runs smoothly with the slide presentation for Worship as well as setting up the Livestream feed of the Worship Services via Zoom and Facebook. We recently made some upgrades in how the audio is transmitted to the livestreams as well as a new improved speaker system, which is easier to move and store. Our present team members are Ken Bauer, Paula Caracappa, Maureen Pinnix, Sandy Ramos and Patti Zeppieri. We welcome more volunteers to support this team. If you are interested in being a part of this ministry, please see Patti Zeppieri. She will arrange for training and get you into the rotation.

KIDS 4 CHRIST

Each week the K4C students studied the various stories about Jesus from Matthew’s gospel. Many thanks to our Kids4Christ teachers – Emilie Luddy and Brooklyn Borner. The curriculum follows the lectionary for the day and so the students dive deeper into the message for the day. If you are interested in teaching, please speak with Emilie Luddy.

Book Study

There is always a myriad of books selected by the study members. Books selected included the non-fiction When Life Gives You Pears written by Jeannie Gaffigan who shared her experience from diagnosis to treatment of a pear-shaped brain tumor. We also read The Measure by Nikki Erlick which challenged each of us as to whether we would want to know how long we will live and if so, what would we do with that knowledge. We discovered how each character chose to answer that question and how their choices affected their families, friendships, hopes and destinies.And we recently read Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and the Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters and The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb.

Adult Study

We recently gathered to review the new draft Social Statement that had been released for comment by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Social Statement on Civic Life and Faith was reviewed in detail with comments noted and lively discussion held. This draft provided wonderful language for us to help guide our conversations when discussing how our faith and civic life do indeed co-exist. Each section of the social statement was included in the weekly bulletin to allow those who were unable to participate in the earlier study to understand the breadth of this important social statement.

Faith & Fitness

Each Monday morning at 8:30 am for eleven years, members of Living Faith Church have been gathering at the gazebo in Tradition for a devotion and one mile walk around the lake. While we started with only two of us, we continue to grow each year. Many folks just walking in the community have stopped by to listen to the devotion and/or joined us on our walk. It has been a wonderful way to begin the week together.

Monthly Evening Prayer

Living Faith along with their guests and friends in the community gather on the third Wednesday of the month for Evening Prayer at our church property in Tradition. The service lasts 30 minutes and is a wonderful way to spend intentional time together as we close the day. During the Season of Lent, we gather together for Ash Wednesday Service and then each Wednesday evening for Lenten Evening Service wrapping up the season with our Maundy Thursday Service.
All of these services were held on the LFC property located at 12777 SW Tradition Parkway in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Diaper Aid Ministry

Proverbs 11:25 says “A generous person will prosper, whoever refreshes others will be refreshed”
The Diaper Aid Ministry has succeeded in giving their support to Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents and caregivers in need for over eight years. This could not be accomplished without the generosity of the congregation of Living Faith. Living Faith Church volunteers give their time to order diapers, pick up diapers, and sort diapers, as well as hand out diapers for children and adults every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month. Without their efforts and generosity of everyone’s financial donations, this ministry would not survive.
Our thanks to the Jensen Beach Community Church that provides outdoor space for Diaper Aid to distribute approximately 24,000 diapers each year. In addition to our distribution at Jensen Beach Community Church, full cases of diapers of all sizes are provided to Hibiscus Children’s Shelter in Jensen Beach.
We are thankful for the Treasure Coast Food Bank and for having the opportunity to be part of their Happy Baby Diaper Pantry of Southeast Florida where we obtain all of the products we give away at a substantial discount, making money spent go a long way. Anyone interested in helping out can contact Denise Walker, Diaper Aid Ministry lead. Denise and the Diaper Aid team sincerely appreciate everyone’s support.

Loving Hands Ministry

Living Faith Church’s Loving Hands Ministry, inspired by the Holy Spirit, continues to use their talent and creativity to make blankets for those at-risk children from ages from newborn through middle school and even high school, by donating our finished blankets to the Linus Project.
In addition, we create and provide blankets for patients undergoing chemotherapy. A blanket filled with love, prayer and hope is given in a soft bag, along with a bottle of water, a prayer bear and a special note. Each patient can select their special “hope bags” and bring it to every infusion treatment The blankets will help keep them work in what is often a very cold room.
The animal shelters are a perfect place for the Loving Hands Ministry team to use “leftover” yarn to create special blankets for the animals housed at the shelter.
Our church family is never overlooked when recognizing the need to feel the love and support for those in our personal families or extended families. Please let any member in our Loving Hands group know if you need a blanket, lapghan, or prayer shawl to give to a loved one, neighbor or friend. Throughout the year when surgeries, emergencies, or treatments are needed, we can be a wonderful source for you to give comfort.
The newest group to receive blankets and quilts are the residents living at the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans Nursing Home in Tradition. This has been a wonderful way to let our veterans know they are loved and appreciated for their service to our country.
Our Loving Hands group meets on the first and third Monday of every month at the Bedford Park Clubhouse. The first Monday times are 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The third Monday times are 12:00pm to 2:00pm. All are welcome to join us! It is not necessary to only crochet or knit. Patchwork quilts are a wonderful option! Bring any project you are working on or just come to visit. The yarn for our projects is available and has been generously donated!

Prayer Bear Ministry

 Living Faith’s Prayer Bear Ministry blesses not only Living Faith parishioners, but others who receive Prayer Bears from us. These bears now have a customized shirt that speaks to the ministry the bear brings to the recipient. Each Sunday morning one of our Kids4Christ students makes sure that the bears are taken out of their “den” and placed on a chair just waiting to be adopted and given to someone who needs to be reminded that they are loved and cherished. Many thanks to Ryan and Marissa for helping the bears reach the chairs each week. Please just take a bear and share this symbol of love and prayer to that special person that the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart. Be sure to share your story about how your bear made a difference in the life of the recipient.

LFC@Work

As we continue the ADOPT-A-STREET program with our partners at the City of Port St. Lucie, we welcome all members and friends to the street cleanup. On the 3rd Saturday of the month, we meet at the church property on Tradition Parkway to pick up trash starting from Community Blvd towards the end of Tradition Parkway. The route/miles covered depends on how many volunteers show up as well as if there are any golf carts available for the cleanup. The group generally picks up trash on a little over 2 miles of roadway. Afterwards we sometimes meet at Panera or local establishment for fellowship and of course some storytelling and laughter. Please contact Richard Valone if you are interested in participating in this stewardship of the earth ministry.

We are Gods Hands and Feet!

LAHIA

Founded in 2007, Love and Hope in Action (LAHIA) is a faith-based 501c3 non-profit organization located in Stuart, Florida. Their mission is to reach the hungry, homeless and hurting through their ministry which provides the basic human needs to all those who come through their doors. They provide a full-service daytime safe haven for those who are homeless. Their goal is to help transition those out of homelessness and provide a path and opportunity for self-sufficiency, while meeting their basic physical and spiritual needs. LAHIA offers a comprehensive array of programs and services to meet their clients’ basic needs and assist them with a plan to achieve self-sufficiency. LAHIA provides 2 hot nutritious meals a day, hot showers, laundry facilities, clothing pantry, transportation, haircuts, bikes for employed individuals, eyeglasses, birth certificates, Florida ID cards, housing referrals, assistance with cost of prescribed non-narcotic medications and mental, dental, vision and healthcare referrals. Living Faith provides financial support to LAHIA and other local missions.

HIBISCUS

Hibiscus Children’s Center (HCC) is a 501c3 non-profit organization which serves children and youth throughout the 19th Circuit District – Martin, Indian River, St. Lucie and Okeechobee Counties in Florida. The mission of HCC is to maintain a safe shelter for children who are abused, abandoned and neglected by providing prevention, early intervention, and advocacy in quality residential, assessment and recovery programs. HCC provides residential and emergency services for children and youth. The Shelter has 36-beds that provide housing for children ages birth to 12 years old who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect and/or abandonment. The children are placed at the Shelter for a few days, months or sometimes even years. The Village is a 40-bed group home facility and houses youth ages 12-17 who have been removed from their homes for the same reasons and can also remain for years until they turn 18. The Village provides for a Career Pathways Center featuring Graphic Design and Culinary components, as well as an Academic Achievement Center. Both the Shelter and Village provide trauma-informed care mental health services. Living Faith provides financial support to Hibiscus and other local critical missions.

Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC)

July 2024 marked the two-year anniversary of the opening of the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) located in Port St. Lucie. The CAC serves as a safe place for kids who may have been
abused in Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit which covers Indian River, Okeechobee, Martin and St Lucie Counties. Since the center opened over 1400 children have been served by the
CAC. The center brings together a team of specially trained professionals (Victim’s Advocates; Forensic Interviewers; Child Protection Investigators; Law Enforcement Officers; States Attorney Prosecutors; Medical Examiners) who evaluate and investigate cases of child abuse and help children and their families. The center has been designed to help parents and
children feel comfortable, safe and minimize trauma. Living Faith provides financial support to the Children’s Advocation Center and other local critical missions.

Hospice Lakeside Stroll

Living Faith Church participates in the Treasure Coast Hospice Lakeside Stroll which is held in Tradition early each year. We sponsor the water station located halfway around Tradition Lake. We enjoy being out does and supporting those who walk in memory of a loved one. Water is distributed along with hugs and prayers. Each of these walkers touched the lives of all of us who are involved in the event each year.

Treasure Coast PrideFest

Living Faith participates in the Treasure Coast PrideFest. The celebration is typically held in the late spring at the MidFlorida Event Center in Port St. Lucie. Living Faith members go out in force to affirm that all are made in the image of God and that all are beloved children of God. Our booth greets everyone as they pass buy, and we hand out things like buttons, stickers, crocheted “fidgets” and flowers that spoke of God’s love for all. Many of the festival attendees remember us from the prior years and are thrilled to see our presence once again each year. As we “pin” buttons on the attendees we share that the buttons are to remind others that they are God’s Beloved. Together we listen to stories shared about courage, acceptance and love and we pray for those who had been victims of emotional and physical violence. It is always a day filled with joy, pure love and acceptance. The Holy Spirit was clearly present and visible to all who attended.

Holiday Meals

Each year Living Faith helps feed families in our community that are in crisis through the Holiday Meal appeal. Thanks to your generous offerings to the Holiday Meals initiative, Living Faith makes generous donations to various local organizations on the Treasure Coast ensuring that hundreds of families are provided meals for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• Love and Hope in Action (LAHIA) was founded in 2007 and is located in Stuart, Florida. In addition to all the services listed above, LAHIA provides breakfast and dinner meals Monday through Friday; breakfast and lunch on Saturday and take-out nonperishable bag lunches on Sunday. Thanksgiving and Christmas.
• The Treasure Coast Food Bank (TCFB) provides nutritious food to individuals and families throughout the Treasure Coast (Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties in Florida). TCFB is committed to alleviating hunger and its lasting effects in our region. This gift gives them the funding they need to provide for the additional families they service.
• Family Meals furnishes families with the means to generate positive changes through shared meals, respecting dignity by delivering uncooked shared food directly to the homes of those who are food insecure. Family Meals aims to serve families who fall outside the scope of traditional social services, focusing on those who are confronting financial hardships.
• Mustard Seed Ministries hosts two food pantries on the Treasure Coast where clients may receive food once a month. The organization also hosts the Thanksgiving Community Feast which includes home delivery of Thanksgiving meals. In addition, through Mustard Seed Ministries, Sarah’s Kitchen provides nutritious meals served at three locations and a mobile van to serve the homeless and hungry.

Christmas Stocking Event

Each year Living Faith supports local organizations that provide gifts and Christmas stockings to children in the St Lucie County area who are impoverished and do not have the means to have a typical Christmas experience. Last year donations from Living Faith along with Walgreens Corporate office employees, Bessey Creek Elementary families, and many members of the community allowed the Living Christmas tradition to continue to thrive again. We helped stuff over 200 stockings for elementary and middle school students in the St. Lucie County School District and at the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Christmas Party. Our donations have provided stockings for the children enrolled in the GAL program across Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Indian River counties. The exciting news is that Living Faith is well positioned to provide even more resources this year.

ELCA Disaster Response

So many disasters continue to impact the world, and the members of Living Faith Church step up and provide support to those affected by the various devastating events. Through generous contributions from the congregation, we are able to make donations to organizations such as ELCA Disaster Response/Relief and the Florida-Bahamas Synod Hurricane Relief.

Fellowship Ministry

Each Sunday morning as you walk through the door, you can hear the chatter and laughter as everyone engages with friends and new faces while enjoying coffee and baked treats provided by volunteers. The warmth and loving sense of our diverse community surrounds us as we enjoy catching up with everyone before our 10am worship service.
Not only does the Fellowship Ministry organize events and gatherings that foster fun, support, and spiritual growth within our church community, they also bring us together to support various Outreach events in our community throughout the year. Our various gatherings include a wide variety of things, from Dine to Donate dinners, our annual Pet blessing where we also bring donations of food and supplies for the local Cats and Dogs Forever shelter, and a water station at the Lakeside Stroll to benefit Treasure Coast Hospice, to at Berry Fresh to wedding vowel renewal for all interested couples on our church property.
In addition, our Annual “Songs I Love to Sing” concert continues to provide an amazing evening of entertainment with local vocalists sharing their amazing talents that get members of Living Faith and the community dancing in the aisles.
We also get together in the summer to support Pride Fest and enjoyed a fun Faith night at Clover Field. As the snowbirds return in the fall, we hold an annual Great Chili Cookoff and Cornbread competition which is always a great time and fun gathering after church. Judy Bauer won for best chili and Phil Long’s cornbread took home the trophy for his delicious cornbread last year!
The success of these gatherings is made possible thanks to Judy Bauer, Rachel Gonsalves, Maureen Pinnix, Pat Walker, and Patti Zeppieri

Building Committee

2025 is an exciting year for Living Faith and the Building Committee is very busy. With the recent formalization of a Union Congregation between the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) and the Presbyterian Church (USA) (PC(USA) … we are ramping up again! We are grateful for the strong support that the PC(USA) is bringing to Living Faith and excited to be moving forward with building our church! Stay tuned in as more updates will be available through our weekly bulletin and announcements before Sunday worship service! Our Building Committee Chairperson is Richard Valone, and he is supported by fellow team members Ken Bauer, Ken Taylor and Patti Zeppieri.

Stewardship Committee

Last year was one of growth, engagement, and impact for the Stewardship for All Seasons Committee. Our 2024/2025 theme “Grace, Generosity, and Gratitude” is inspired by the biblical reference 2 Corinthians 4:15, “As grace increases to benefit more and more people, it will cause gratitude to increase, which results in God’s glory.” The campaign focus shifts us towards maintaining and growing ministries, guided by the results of the congregational survey, rather than emphasizing a church building or minister. Our church community continues to share Generosity Stories, Temple Talks, and Impact Statements that are inspiring and impactful. While our contributions remain strong, we have a renewed understanding and appreciation that each one of us makes a significant difference. We depend on the support of every individual to achieve our goals and create meaningful impact.

Call Committee

With Pastor Maryanne retiring in January 2025, we began a new chapter in the life of Living Faith Church. As we journey through this season of transition, we are reminded of God’s promise to provide a shepherd for our congregation – a leader who will guide us with wisdom and love in fulfilling His ministry. The Living Faith Call Committee was established to prayerfully seek and identify the pastor God is calling to lead our church. This work involves discerning the spiritual and practical needs of our congregation, aligning those needs with our mission and vision, and ensuring the chosen candidate demonstrates a strong commitment to spiritual leadership and community ministry. The Living Faith Call Committee was officially installed in October 2024: Richard Bourgelas, Carmen Riedel, Ken Taylor, Jill Tilney (Chairperson), Denise Walker, and Tom Welsh.
Our first major task was to create Living Faith’s Ministry Site Profile (MSP) for the ELCA, a comprehensive document that reflects who we are as a congregation—our mission, ministry, core values, and goals. In preparing the MSP, our committee engaged in prayer, scripture reflection, and discernment, guided by the question, “Where is God leading us”. We collaborated to share ideas and incorporated input from the congregation, leadership, and feedback gathered through the LFC Congregation Questionnaire. The completed MSP was approved by the Council, submitted to the ELCA on November 2024, and is currently posted by the ELCA for pastoral candidates to review.
After the forming of a Union Congregation with the Presbyterian Church (USA) (PC(USA)), we gained the opportunity to post a Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP) on the PC(USA) site. Similar to the ELCA MSP, the PC(USA) MDP is a comprehensive document that also includes our response to the importance of various descriptors/criteria. Our MDP was approved and released on-line by the PC(USA) in May 2025. We are prayerfully awaiting the receipt of potential candidates.