Ministries and Missions

Music Team Ministry

Prepared by Alice Ladomirak – Music Director 

In February, 2021, we welcomed Mariano Garcia IV as the new Director of Music Ministry at Living Faith Church. Mariano has brought a new dynamic to the music ministry at Living Faith and we had the opportunity to discover his talent in person, prior to March 15th. Once we moved to virtual worship, Mariano was quick to adapt and provide virtual recordings for our worship service and has worked with our musicians to bring new and creative expressions to enhance the virtual service. Once we were able to gather together again, Mariano and the music team supplement the vocal recorded music with instrumental live renditions of worship hymns and songs.

The team has brought back some of our favorite pieces as well as new song choices. Once again this year, Liz Chiolan has composed new songs for worship. Some of our new song choices are actually ones that have never been sung or heard before.

We are incredibly blessed to have such a talented team of musicians who are up for the challenge each and every week to enhance our worship experience. Many thanks to Liz Chiolan, Mary Foley, Mariano Garcia IV, and Denise Walker for being so incredibly flexible and not “missing a beat” when the pandemic changed the way in which we would experience music in our worship services.

Setup/Takedown Team

Prepared by Pastor Maryanne Kehlenbach

It had started out to be another busy year for the Setup/Takedown Team at Living Faith. Since we rent space each Sunday to hold worship services, every Sunday of the year (as well as mid-week holy days), the space must be re-designed for worship. However, that quickly came to a halt on March 15th when Living Faith had to move from in-person worship to virtual worship due to COVID-19. Up until that point, numerous members served on various teams to prepare the welcome, information and refreshment tables inclusive of making the coffee. Other team members assisted with assembling the sound system for our musicians. There was also a team who focused on the altar which included preparing the Lord’s Table with appropriate seasonal paraments as well as the communion elements and candles. And still others had set out the cross, hang banners, put out prayer bears, prepare the seating area, arrange/bring flowers and make sure that the outdoor signs are in position. Once we came back to worship in October, this setup team became limited to 2 people for health safety purposes.

When worship is completed – teams come together to take everything down, clean the areas up and place everything back into bins and move them into the onsite storage closet. Thank you to all the volunteers who are dedicated to this ministry every week! If you are interested in serving on this team, please speak with Carl Kehlenbach.

Communion Assistant Team

Prepared by Pastor Maryanne Kehlenbach

For the first 2 1/2 months of 2020, 3 members of the congregation had assisted Pastor Maryanne with the distribution of the Lord’s Supper. Many thanks to Liz Travers for coordinating the schedule for this team. Once we began to gather again in October, the distribution of communion has changed to ensure the health safety of the congregation.

Usher Team

Prepared by Pastor Maryanne Kehlenbach

For the first 2 1/2 months of 2020, 2 members of the congregation served as ushers during worship service. Many thanks to Larry Walker for coordinating the schedule for this team and for those who took the courageous step forward to volunteer for this important ministry team. At this time, the scheduling of ushers has been put on hold and those who have been trained will be invited to assist as needed.

Greeter Team

Prepared by Pastor Maryanne Kehlenbach

For the first 2 1/2 months of 2020, 1-2 members of the congregation serve as greeters, welcoming people to worship and helping them if it is their first time worshiping at Living Faith. Many thanks to Denise Walker for coordinating the schedule for this team and to those of you who said yes to God’s call on their hearts to graciously welcome people into our worship space. At this time, the scheduling of greeters has been put on hold and those who have been trained will be invited to assist if needed.

KIDS 4 CHRIST

Prepared by Sharon Corcoran 

For the first 2 1/2 months of 2020, KIDS 4 CHRIST met on Sunday mornings during the Adult Sermon. When COVID-19 kept us from worshiping together for 6+ months, Mrs. Sharon became a “video” star. Each week Mrs. Sharon shared a children’t bible story (sermon) which was distributed to our families via email and which was posted to the Living Faith YouTube Channel as well as our website and FaceBook page. Once it is safe to do so, the KIDS 4 CHRIST Sunday meeting time with begin again. Stay posted for when this group will be able to safely gather together again.

Bible Study

Prepared by Maryanne Kehlenbach

In-person Bible Study was held the first three Wednesday evenings from 7PM-8PM at the Brennity in Tradition in January and February. Once it was no longer safe to gather together again, we moved to a virtual gathering via ZOOM. The name of our time together became – “Coffee with the Pastor” and the time moved to every Wednesday morning from 10AM-11AM. We have had a steady group that has joined in for fellowship, prayer and study together. Everyone is welcome to attend and you are encouraged to invite friends near and far to join in on our time together. We have had participants from many states as well as our snow birds who could participate when they were back up north. In the midst of chaos, the Holy Spirit has opened an entire new way for us to study scripture together, and this new way is no longer new at all.

Confirmation Study

Prepared by Pastor Maryanne Kehlenbach 

Last January, our two Confirmation Candidates (Derek and Jacoby Smith Nautel) attended the LutherSprings Confirmation Retreat which focused on The New Testament. They both had completed their course of study and were set to Affirm their Baptism in April. However, due to COVID-19, the Affirmation was placed on hold. We are prayerful that this special service will be rescheduled in 2021.

In addition, four new students began their 3 year confirmation study (Emma Dooley; Noah Kehres,; Meredith Prince; Taegan Powell). The Confirmation Retreats scheduled for March and October, 2020 as well as January and March, 2021 were canceled due to the pandemic. The students currently meet twice a month on Wednesday evenings via Zoom. The focus for their first year of study is the Old Testament.

LAHIA

Living Faith Church provides 2.5% of weekly offerings gathered to support the Love and Hope in Action (LAHIA) ministry. 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 come through our doors. 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. Living Faith Church provided $3,090 to this critical ministry in 2020.

HIBISCUS

Living Faith Church provides 2.5% of weekly offerings gathered to support the Hibiscus Children’s Center (HCC) ministry. HCC is a 501c3 non-profit organization which serves children and families 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. Living Faith Church provided $3,090 to this critical ministry in 2020.

Diaper Aid Ministry

Prepared by Denise Walker 

The Diaper Aid Ministry provides diapers and baby wipes as well as feminine hygiene items to families who are unable to afford these much needed necessities. A new Diaper Aid program commenced in February 2020 with distributions occurring twice a month at the Jensen Beach Christian Church in Jensen Beach. In 2020, over 30,000 diapers were distributed!
The Diaper Aid program is part of the “Happy Baby Diaper Pantry of Southeast Florida” – a program run by the Treasure Coast Food Bank. Opportunities exist for volunteers to help with this much needed ministry. If you are interested please contact either Denise Walker or Carl Kehlenbach.

Loving Hands Ministry

Prepared by Pat Waker (2) 

The Loving Hands Ministry continued to flourish while we were in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we use our creative and loving hearts and hands to spread God’s love in the community by meeting virtually via ZOOM. This wonderful group of talented and inspired hearts and hands have been able to create 37 blankets for the Linus Project in 2020. Most of these blankets were full sized afghans which take twice as long to create. The Linus Project provides baby blankets and afghans for children from newborn to high school age, who are troubled, in foster care, or ill. In addition, Loving Hands created 12 full length blankets for the Hope Bags that are created and given to those patients undergoing chemotherapy. Infusion rooms are very cool, so this ministry provides a uniquely created afghan for patients to use during their treatments to keep them warm. The afghan is placed into a soft canvas bag along with a bottle of water and a special note of love and prayer. The Bags are then given to the treatment center and each new patient selects their very own Hope Bag based on the afghan that appeals to them the most. The patients are invited use this bag containing their personal afghan each time they have treatment and replenish it with any additional items they may need. In 2020, Hospice suspended the receipt of lapghans due to the pandemic. In the first month of this new year (2021) Loving Hands donated 21 blankets to the Linus Project and 6 gratefulness scarves to US military personnel serving overseas. We meet on the first and third Monday evening of each month via ZOOM from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

We would like to give a special thank you to those who have generously supported us with both yarn and monetary gifts.

Prayer Bear Ministry

Prepared by Jeannie Boyle 

 Living Faith’s Prayer Bear Ministry blesses not only Living Faith parishioners, but others who receive Prayer Bears from us. This ministry has been put on hold since March 15, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This ministry began on September 28, 2014 under the oversight of Jeannie Boyle. Over 650 bears have been distributed, both locally, within the U.S., and even internationally. There are so many stories from Prayer Bear givers about the wonderful blessings the Prayer Bears have been to the receivers and equally felt by the givers. If you are in need of a Prayer Bear while they are “in hibernation”, please speak with Pastor Maryanne. Once we are able to begin this ministry again we seek a volunteer who can coordinate the oversight and continued support of this ministry that was so dear to Jeannie Boyle.

Men@Work

 This past year, our Men at Work continued to grow in numbers, and in our amount of giving back to our community. We continue the ADOPT-A-STREET program with our partners at the City of Port St. Lucie. We currently clean up 5.2 miles of road each month adding Tradition Parkway, where our new church will be located. Over the past year, our group has logged in approximately 40 miles of clean up while bagging 60 plus bags of trash. We now have 5 golf carts moving people around and proudly displaying our “LIVING FAITH CHURCH proudly serving our community” signs on the windshields. We also have been given 2 additional signs (4 in all) by the City of PSL, located on the roadside telling our community that this area is cleaned by LIVING FAITH CHURCH. We now have 17 men from the church fellowshipping together and making a difference. This year, all the men of our church are invited to step out of their comfort zone and join us. Together we are truly reaching out to our community while fellowshipping together.

We are Gods Hands and Feet!

Saint Lucie County Fire Department Christmas4Kids:

Thanks to the leadership of Lindsey Demetres, Living Faith Church participated again this year in the SLCFD Christmas4Kids initiative and purchased items for children that could be placed into Christmas stockings for distribution. Christmas4Kids is a non profit organization that provides 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. Christmas4Kids and Santa deliver gifts and stockings to the children on Christmas morning on St Lucie County fire trucks. Once all the items were sorted and blessed, volunteers gathered to participate in a Christmas Stocking Stuffing Party. Over 280 stockings were filled and then brought to the SLCFD Administration Office for further distribution on Christmas morning. A portion of these stockings were brought to St. Lucie Elementary School in Fort Pierce for distribution to children in need.

Hibiscus Children’s Center:

In addition to the monthly financial support (2.5% of weekly offerings), a special collection of food was gathered and blessed in January for the food shelf at the Hibiscus Children’s Center Administration Offices for those who are in the Supporting Families in Crisis Program. This program provides assistance to families who seek help in times of an immediate crisis. A Family Advocate is assigned to work with the family seeking assistance and provide a plan to help alleviate the immediate crisis and minimize the chance of it being repeated in the future. Bringing food to a family in crisis alleviates the hunger that many of these families experience.