March 2014

tion credits! I hope that many of you will partici-pate.

Once we catch our breath from that event we will get into full swing with the final preparations for the Eu-charistic Congress on June 20-21!

My prayer for each of you and for your families is that this Lent and Easter bring peace and joy into your lives. At the Transfiguration Pe-ter, James and John, saw Jesus in a new light. It prepared them for the trials they would soon experience. May you all be blessed with the Light and Love of Christ at this most sacred and pre-cious time of year.

Know that I am here to serve you and that you are in my prayers. Please keep our entire commu-nity in prayer!

Sincerely in Christ,

Deacon Dennis

My Dear Broth-ers,

Here we are in the first full week of Lent. I

look forward to this sea-son of the Church every year with great anticipa-tion. Perhaps it’s a hope for that deep spiritual renewal that I believe all of us are seeking. It might, however, be sim-ply a reminder that Spring cannot be far off. Some of the early flow-ers are beginning to sprout and bloom, those brave early birds who defy nature to inflict one more blast of Winter. Most especially, I also know that a big part of my anticipation has to do with the hope of an amazing Easter after a time of reflection, pen-ance, and sacrifice.

This year has been a busy one so far. Our In-stitution for Reader and

Acolyte was a beautiful celebration. The antici-pation on the faces of the men accepted into Candidacy was also evi-dent.

In the past week the Rite of Election was held at the Atlanta Civic Center. How encouraging it is to see nearly 2000 hopeful Candidates and Catechu-mens gathered into one place to become part of the Elect who will enter the Church on Easter.

In a few short weeks, right after Easter, we are hosting the National As-sociation of Diaconate Directors annual Con-vention here in Atlanta. You all will be receiving information on the event very soon. Several of the workshops and talks are open to our local deacons, at no cost, and will provide an opportunity for meeting with other Diaconate Directors from around the country as well as picking up some valu-able continuing educa-

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Formation 2

Case

Sponsor

3

CRS in

Kenya

6

RCIA 9

Just

Thinking

10

Pray for Us 11

Diaconal

Ministry

12

Crisis Inter-

vention

13

FYI 14

Wives Sur-

vey

15

Come Alive 16

Gifts for Deacons

Deacons

17

M A R C H 2 0 1 4

Published quarterly by the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Office of the Permanent Diaconate 2401 Lake Park Drive Smyrna, GA 30080

O 404-920-7325 F 404.920.7326 http://www.archatl.com/vocations/deacons/

mailto:ddorner@archatl.comhttp://www.archatl.com/vocations/deacons

2 March 2014

P A G E 2

For m a t ion Forum

This has been a season of celebrations in the Diaconate

Formation Community.

Our good God is always preparing us for the next place

where we will work to serve the people of God, and we

celebrate that.

It is only when we look back that we can see how what we

learned twenty years ago helped us

with our ministry ten years ago, and

the ministry we did ten years ago has

formed us into the servants we are

today. Ever wonder what God is pre-

paring you for with the work you are

doing today?

We celebrate all the times when we

know God’s guiding presence in our lives.

On February 27, at Transfiguration Catholic Church we celebrated with

the men in formation for Permanent Diaconate those steps where they

are experiencing God on the path to Ordination.

Twelve men celebrated Admission into Candidacy. Bishop Zarama

cautioned though that all ministry, and preparation for that ministry, be-

gins in our homes. First priority -- You and Your God, Second priority

is always your spouse and your family, then your ministry in the

Church.

B E A C O N W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

3 March 2014

P A G E 3 P U B L I S H E D Q U A R T E R L Y

Fifteen men celebrated the Institution as Lector and heard the Bishop’s commis-

sion, “Take this book of Holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the Word of

God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of God’s people.” This is a strong

commission to proclaim God in your words and actions. Eight men celebrated

the Institution as Acolyte, hearing: “Take this vessel for the celebration of the

Eucharist. Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of

his Church.”

Deacon Jose and the men who

were ordained with him in 2009

met again at our Diaconate For-

mation Day on March 8 to cele-

brate five years as deacons.

They were good to share with

the men in formation at a Mass

celebrated by Bishop Zarama the joy that their diaconate ordination has brought

to them.

Our goal then might be to look at the gifts that we have been given, claim them

as our own, and listen to how our God is inviting us into further and deeper union

through the ministry and service we are called to.

When we remember how much our God loves us, we cannot help but celebrate.

Each of us is called to be servant. And, each of us is being prepared by God for

the service that we will be called to next. We need only to give God the freedom to work

with our hearts.

Peace,

Penny Simmons

4 March 2014

A training for mentor (sponsor) couples to be trained in the Prepare and Enrich Mentor Couple Program. The training will be held at the Chancery on May 3rd, 2014 from 9:00am – 3:00pm. The cost of the training is $45 a couple.

The Prepare and Enrich Inventory offers a seamless inventory to mentor couple program approach that is comprehensive and customizable to the needs of the individual couple.

If you are a trained to facilitate the Prepare and Enrich Inventory it may be a great option for you to have mentor couples available in your parish to mentor your engaged cou-ples. Once they have given the couple the inventory, facilitators are able to hand them over to a mentor couple who will then lead them through the inventory and Catholic workbook which provides essential skills and information.

Benefits of a Mentor Couple Program:

1.Creates a connection for the engaged couple at your parish.

2.Provides the couple with a firsthand look of a Catholic marriage.

3.Provides an opportunity to keep the couple engaged in parish life after marriage by providing follow-up with the mentor couple.

4.It is a cost effective way of providing in depth and beneficial marriage preparation at your parish.

The selection of mentor couples is critical to the success of this program. Consequently, pastor approval is prerequisite for couples seeking to be trained as facilitators. Pastors should only approve couples in a valid Catholic marriage of at least 5 years and who are supportive of Catholic teaching on marriage.

If you have questions about this program or the approach mentioned above please feel free to contact: Patrick Metts, LPC at 404-920-7643.

404-920-7643, pmetts@archatl.com

Marriage Resources

http://www.marriageuniqueforareason.org/

The Office of Formation and Discipleship

mailto:pmetts@archatl.com

5 March 2014

CASE SPONSOR CLASSES

The Archdiocese of Atlanta Metropolitan Tribunal is looking forward to hosting the Case Sponsor Workshops for New and Existing Case Sponsors on Saturday, April 5, May 3, June 7, and August 2, 2014. All of the sessions will be held at the Chan-cery building from 8:30 AM until 11:30AM. Breakfast and material will be provided. Our address is as follow:

Archdiocese of Atlanta 2401 Lake Park Drive SE Smyrna, GA 30080

These workshops are for all active Case Sponsors. In order to keep serving as a Case Sponsor, we recommend attending at least one session of the workshops.

The topic that we will be covering on the first session is “Lack of Form, new and old aspects” with Msgr. Stephen Churchwell and Karren DeBow. The topic for the second session to be held on April 5, 2014 will be “Jurisdictions under Canon 1673”.

Please let us know if there is any specific topic that you would like us to cover in the future sessions.

Please confirm your attendance for the session to be held in March 8, 2014 by completing the form attached no later than March 6, 2014

In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding any of the workshops, please do not hesitate to call my Executive Assistant, Geraldine Dew, at 404-920-7507 or e-mail her at gdew@archatl.com.

We look forward to meeting you at the workshops.

Geraldine Dew

Executive Assistant to the Judicial Vicar

Metropolitan Tribunal

Archdiocese of Atlanta

mailto:gdew@archatl.com

6 March 2014

Our Catholic Relief Services Global Fellows Visit to the Republic of Kenya

Who is Catholic Relief Services (CRS)?

CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. The services provided by CRS are done so in the name of the Catholic Church in the United States.

The CRS Mission is:

As a part of the universal Catholic Church CRS works with local, national and interna-tional Catholic institutions and structures as well as other organizations to assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race, or nationality. CRS promotes human develop-ment by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty and nurturing peaceful and just societies as a way of fulfilling the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

CRS Kenya:

CRS has been in Kenya since 1965. Over the years, the agency’s focus has shifted from di-rect relief and food distribution to a comprehensive development program that works through partners and embraces local capacity. CRS Kenya programs now support children orphaned by AIDS and people living with HIV, and community based efforts to increase household in-come, improve family health and sanitation and enhance agriculture.

CRS along with its in-country partners work to uphold the basic rights of children, in particular those who are orphans. Orphans are often abandoned and deprived of adequate care. They are often without any family or caretaker and exposed to maltreatment and violations of their human rights. Therefore, CRS seeks to meet the basic needs of orphans by giving them food, education, protection, shelter and LOVE. For orphans that are HIV positive, CRS seeks to im-prove the quality of their lives and increase their possibility of surviving AIDS, so that they can become active productive members of society.

This is accomplished by providing:

Nutritional assessment and counseling

Nutrition education

Agricultural promotion

Improvements in the areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Links to other food and nutritional support in the community

Protection

Health care i.e. immunization, health education, environmental sanitation

Psychosocial support, life skills, rehabilitation of children that have been abused

Education and vocational training

Economic strengthening

All of these activities are aimed at making the recipients self-sufficient.

7 March 2014

Our Visit to Kenya

One of the programs that we visited that works with orphans is called “The Children Be-

hind” (TCB) program. The goal of TCB is to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS among orphans and

other vulnerable children (OVC), their caregivers and the communities living in the Homa Bay

and other regions of Kenya. This project does this by supporting orphans / OVC and their fami-

lies to live better lives through a comprehensive approach that builds on family and community

support structures. The program currently supports 15,000 OVC and their families. According

to statistics nearly 5 million Kenyan children have lost one or both of their parents. It is pro-

jected that this number will go even higher in the future.

The Story of Debra

One of the families that we met while in Kenya was that of a woman named Debra. Debra is a strong and determined woman. One could see in her face her determination and hope for her-self and her four children. Debra is a subsistence farmer, i.e. she raises enough food to live on and has a small scale business selling tomatoes and mangoes on the side of the road. In order to get these items she walks a few miles each way to another village purchases the fruit and vegetables than returns to her village to sell them at a small profit.

Debra is a 35 year old widow who following a series of ailments in 2007 decided to go for medi-cal testing. At this time her third child was found to have tuberculosis and was later found to be HIV positive. While at the hospital Debra began losing her eye sight and was found to be HIV positive. It was during the same year that she and her family were enrolled in the Mercy Orphan Support group. Debra was able to enroll due to the fact that she, her late husband and child were all suffering from AIDS related illnesses. The family received counseling and psychosocial support to help deal with the stigma of being HIV positive. Debra and her child were both put on antiretroviral medication. They also received food and agricultural support to make them food secure. In addition Debra became a part of one of the Savings and Internal Lending Communi-ties (SILC) groups. (This concept was pioneered by CRS and is a part of Microfinance.)

Because the assistance that Debra has received from CRS and their partners Debra has hope for herself and her children.

Microfinance

CRS Kenya has implemented a savings and lending microfinance model known as Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC). The goal of this program is to improve the quality of life of community groups through economic empowerment and microenterprise development.

One SILC group that we visited was Rumo Kitam. The group has a management committee that organizes meetings and activities. The way that the group works is as follows: They meet weekly and at each meeting they put money into a savings fund and into a social fund. The so-cial fund is to cover emergencies that members of the group may have. The savings fund is for loans to the members. Any member may make a loan up to three time the amount of money that they have in savings with the approval of the members of the SILC. There is a 10% interest charged on the loan and it must be repaid within a set time. (Usually 30 days).

8 March 2014

At the end of the year members of the group share the profits in proportion to the amount that each has in savings. The members have used loans to pay school fees, for buying clothes (school uniforms), and for businesses. Most members are involved in businesses like fishing, farming and the sale of things that they make (for example one woman we met was able to borrow money to purchase more material for her clothing business). The group has 27 members and at the end of the last year they shared the equivalent of $1635.30 dollars. This is a huge amount of money for people that usually subsist on less than $2 per day. This SILC group has been so successful that they were able to start a nursery school where their children attend and they are able to pay a teacher through the group’s savings.

St. Camillus Dala Kiye Forster Home

The mission of the St. Camillus Dala Kiye Foster Home is to meet the basic needs of children orphaned due to AIDS by giving them love, food, education, protection and shel-ter. This is both to improve their quality of life and their possibility of surviving AIDS.

The home houses 60 AIDS/HIV infected children. They live with foster mothers in six separate houses. They attend B.L. Tezza Primary School which in inside of the complex. The children also have the opportunity to stay in contact with the surrounding community and their families of origin (where available).

This program also supports other HIV positive children who live in the community by pro-viding them with caretakers, health care, food support and social psychological assis-tance.

Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Church

Another of the highlights of this trip foe me was spending time at one of the Diocese of Homa Bay local churches. I had the pleasure of being at Our Lady of Fatima Church, whose pastor is Father Richard. I assisted at mass at his main church, as a deacon. This mass was very vibrant and the, more than 1000 people, were spirit filled from beginning to end. They prayed, they sang and they danced throughout the 3 hour service. After this mass was ended I accompanied Farther Richard to one of his 72 mission churches for another mass. Once more I was supervised: first that the people waited patiently for us although we were more than an hour late and second because there were approximately 600 to 700 people present. This also was a very vibrant service with singing, dancing and praise.

As I experienced worship at these services I was transformed by the people, the music and the presence of GOD that I felt, which increased my faith.

In closing I ask for your prayers for the work that CRS does throughout the world and es-pecially in the Republic of Kenya.

Deacons Frederick M. Toca and Steve Swope

9 March 2014

10 March 2014

Just Thinking

I was working on something earlier today and was thinking of using the oft heard line “Preach the Gospel always….use words if necessary” I have seen this attrib-uted to St. Francis who clearly lived a gospel lifestyle. However, I found this inter-esting article when going on line to confirm the statement.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/11/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/

It comes from The Gospel Coalition, “a fellowship of evangelical churches deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ”

It takes nothing away from the sentiment that we should practice what we preach but there is one quote that I particularly liked. They quoted from St. Francis’ Rule of 1221 “No brother should preach contrary to the form and regulations of the holy Church nor unless he has been permitted by his minister . . . All the Friars . .

. should preach by their deeds.” (my emphasis)

Clearly we are all called to do this ….not just Franciscan Friars.

And we can learn lessons everywhere…including from our evangelical brothers.

Peace!

DDD

Is RCIA for everybody?

Click here

Helping you form Christians for life

Team RCIA.com

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/11/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/07/11/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/http://www.teamrcia.com/

11 March 2014

Your prayers for healing and comfort are kindly requested for

Deacon John Paul McGuire. He just finished undergoing another heart catheterization

April Regular, a family friend of Deacon Earl Jackson

Deacon Jose T. Merlo-Quintero who is in the hospital

Joy Strachan, wife of Deacon John Strachan

Deacon Don Kelsey who is home recovering

Mary Mead wife of Deacon Stewart Mead

For the Souls of the Faithful

Please Pray For Us

Former Deacon Norman E. Vigue 3/3/14

Ana Nerio, Mother of Deacon Jesús A. Nerio 1/20/2014

12 March 2014

Taking the Diaconal Ministry of Teaching to the Next Level

Shortly after ordination in 2007, I was asked to serve as the coordinator of the Christian Initiation and Adult Faith Formation ministries at my parish, Saint John Neumann, in Lilburn, GA. These are ministries with which I had been involved for over 10 years. Since then I’ve been asked to lead retreats, parish missions, catechetical workshops, and seminars for various organizations and other parishes. These are things that I have felt called to offer to the Church within the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Several years ago I began to feel that a formal degree in Roman Catho-lic Theology would be something which would serve to enhance my work in these areas. There is a real crisis in adult catechesis today, so I believe that this is one of the most vital ministries in the Church.

I searched for an on-line theology program that would be flexible enough to accommodate my

busy schedule, that was true to the teachings of the Magisterium, and that was also affordable.

After much research and comparative analysis, I landed at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine,

and it has been one of the most uplifting, enjoyable and fulfilling experiences of my life. I’ve

been a student there since 2009. Since then I have earned a second Bachelor’s Degree in

Theological Studies, and I’m just finishing my Master’s Degree in Theology. (My original un-

dergraduate degree is in Electronics Engineering.) I was even able to take graduate-level

courses that were fully credited toward the Master’s Degree while I was in the process of com-

pleting my undergraduate studies (“fast track”).

The facility and staff at the school have been an absolute pleasure to deal with and the work is

thrilling, with courses like Theology of the Body, Medical Ethics, Family Ministry and Christian

Leadership, to name just a few. The online Theology programs, rooted in Roman Catholic doc-

trine and life, and fully in accord with the magisterium, are designed to serve Catholic deacons

and lay ecclesial ministers. The graduate theology program offers three tracks: the Advanced

Diaconal Track, as well as a track in Sacred Theology and Pastoral Theology. Needless to

say, I’m on the Advanced Diaconal Track which is complete with only 30 total credits and does

not require the writing of a thesis. The deacon is given credit for his formation and experience.

Though it is not required, I have the opportunity to visit their beautiful campus just outside of

Portland, Maine (on the shores of Lake Sebago) every July. There I spend three weeks taking

three “immersion” courses – 9 credits in three weeks! This will be my fifth summer up there. I

meet many other deacons there from around the country who have felt the same call as I did to

take their teaching ministry to the next level. I also get to work with world-class Catholic theolo-

gians who teach on-line but love to come visit the campus during the summer, teach a course or

two, and enjoy a free vacation in Maine. I consider these three weeks on campus in July a real

blessing!

I’ve been able to design my studies at SJCME so that each and every course has direct rele-vance to my every-day ministry. I must say that I now feel a profound sense of mission and a confidence that makes all the difference. So if you are answering the same call to a teaching and preaching ministry and feel that a formal education in Theology is right for you, please feel free to contact me with any questions, or visit the Saint Joseph’s College of Maine website, www.sjcme.edu.

Deacon Greg Ollick greg.ollick@sjnlilburn.com cell: (404) 918-7472

http://www.sjcme.edumailto:greg.ollick@sjnlilburn.com

13 March 2014

A CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM IS BORN

In February a memo from Archbishop Gregory that the Diaconate community was

in need of a pastoral crisis response team and ask for prayerful consideration vol-

unteers. The response was excellent and provisions for training where many to

begin February 28 through March 1 2014. The following are members of the crisis

response team for the diocese of Atlanta. Deacons Bob Grimaldi, Robert Brunton,

Hilliard Lee, Thomas Badger, Joseph Roberte, Norman Keller, Gegg Smilski, Tom

Walter, Dominic Saulino, Charles Carigan, Stuart Mead, Earl Jackson, Ray Egan.

The training consisted of a 13 hour course conducted by certified trainers of the

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Incorporated. The course itself

was established by John Hopkins University and Loyola College in Maryland.

The team will be available to assist any pastor in which there is a disaster or crisis.

14 March 2014

This is just a quick reminder about our deacon transfer process. You will be re-ceiving our annual questionnaire regarding several issues including your assign-ments. If at any time you are thinking about a change in your current status or as-signment you should first contact this office, preferably in writing. All assignment changes are ultimately up to the Archbishop. Once your request is received by the Office of the Permanent Diaconate it is considered by the Deacon Personnel Board. The Board is aware of the current staffing as well as the needs of the en-tire Archdiocese. Based on their recommendation we then contact the pastors to determine their position on the suggested transfer. Only then do we make the rec-ommendation to the Archbishop.

If you have any questions about this please refer to the Deacon Personnel Board section of our Policies and Procedures Directory which is posted on line. You may also contact me directly.

Thanks for your assistance in this matter.

DDD

FYI

March 2014

“Did you/do you attend the formation classes with your hus-band?

Yes, all or most 45.3%

Some 24.2%

A few 15.8%

None 14.7%

If we held Days of Reflection for wives of Deacons, would you consider attending?

Absolutely 48.4%

Maybe 38.9%

Probably not 9.5%

No 3.2%

If we held a breakfast or luncheon for wives of Deacons, would you consider attending?

Absolutely 25.3%

Maybe 47.4%

Probably not 20.0%

No 7.3%

If there was an annual retreat for wives of Deacons and wives of men in formation, would you consider attending?

Absolutely 44.2%

Maybe 37.9%

Probably not 14.7%

No 3.2%

If there was a couples retreat for Deacons and their wives (or men in formation and their wives) would you consider attend-ing?

Absolutely 50.5%

Maybe 35.8%

Probably not 10.5%

No 3.2%

If functions were scheduled and arranged for Deacons (or can-didates) and their families, would you consider attending?

Absolutely 32.6%

Maybe 47.4%

Probably not 16.8%

No 3.2%

Some wives have suggested that more should be done to pre-pare wives whose husbands are going through formation. Should there be some sessions strictly for wives during the formation Saturdays?

Absolutely 48.4%

Maybe 37.9%

Probably not 8.4%

No 5.3%

Is it a good idea for us to hold a retreat for the wives of men soon to be ordained, while the men are on their pre-ordination retreat?

Absolutely 41.1%

Maybe 30.5%

Probably not 14.7%

No 13.7%

If there were small faith community gatherings for the wives of Deacons (or candidates), would you consider attending?

Absolutely 21.1%

Maybe 50.5%

Probably not 25.3%

No 3.1%

Deacon Tom Walter from the Deacon’s Council will be follow-ing up with these wives on these ideas and serving as liaison with both the Deacon’s Council and Deacon Dennis Dorner, Director of the Permanent Diaconate. Please stay tuned for more on these ideas. Wives who wish to help with one of these projects should contact Deacon Tom at: tgwal-ter5817@gmail.com.

Deacon Wives Survey

Last Fall, a survey was administered online for all the wives of Deacons and the men in formation for whom the Permanent Diaconate Office had an email address. The purpose of the survey was find out how the Archdiocese can better serve the needs of the wives of Deacons and the men in formation. It was developed through the Deacon’s Council and conducted online (thanks to Deacon Steve Swope). There were 95 respondents and the results follow:

mailto:tgwalter5817@gmail.commailto:tgwalter5817@gmail.com

16 March 2014

Go And Do What Makes You Come Alive

You’ve heard this story before…

A man has a plan for his own life, all the details figured out, and sets about to make it happen. And then God happens. So it has been with me.

My story of entering into diaconal service was this story. I imagine that every deacon has a similar story of how God interrupted his plans with a call to serve Him. Recently God changed my plans again. A few months ago I left my corporate sales position with a large technology company and went to work for Amigos for Christ, a non-profit working to make Christ more visible through service to the poor in Nica-ragua. Prior to that, I had been a donor and volunteer with Amigos for at least 12 years. I had even served on the Board of Directors for 4 years. God was leading me towards full time service and I was doing my best to ignore Him.

It’s not that I don’t want to serve Him. It’s just back to that same scenario where I had a plan to serve God full time, once I got everything in order. You can guess; get the house paid off and the kids through school, get the 401k in good order for retirement, take one (or two) more great trips with your wife, etc. I was looking forward to the transition – as soon as I was ready. This was to be done according to my timeline. I would go serve God when I was good and ready. Hah!

Looking back there were a great many little pushes along the way, most of which I ignored and only rec-ognized after making the decision to follow His lead. I can’t detail all of them in a short article, but I would love to over a cup of coffee if any brother deacon is trying to discern a similar change. I can say that a career I loved and was excited about everyday turned into a job that I liked a lot and then into a job which simply had no appeal at all. Finally God gave me a financial trial which in turn gave me the courage to try and survive on one third of my salary. And then, out of the blue, a clear message.

I was at a trade show for the water industry last spring. No matter what the industry, if you’ve ever been to a big trade show, you know that you see the latest, greatest, coolest stuff for that industry. I walked around the world’s largest water industry show in a huge convention center, marveling at the inventions and ideas and thinking how cool some of it was. And then I thought to myself, “This is really cool, and I don’t care one bit.” I knew then that God was giving me the final incentive, or permission, or warning, or command to follow Him. Every day since has been more fulfilling. Like so many things in life I now look back and ask myself why I waited so long.

For about ten Amigos has years put a quote from Howard Thurman on the back of our missionary’s tee-shirts: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive and go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

My brothers I can’t encourage you enough to do what makes you come alive. If I can help in any way please reach out to me.

Deacon Nicholas Johnson was ordained in 2004 and served at St. Lawrence Parish in Lawrenceville until 2008. He currently serves at Prince of Peace Parish in Flowery Branch, GA. You can reach him at Dea-conNick@AmigosForChrist.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DeaconNick, or at www.DeaconNick.org.

Amigos for Christ is a 501c3 non-profit founded by members of Prince of Peace Parish in response to the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. Amigos employs about 80 Nicaraguans and 20 Americans in our Chinandega facilities. Headquartered in Buford, GA, the US staff consists of 3 full-time, 2 part-time em-ployees, and dozens of volunteers. Our work in Nicaragua provides water and sanitation, healthcare, education, and economic development to the poor in rural Chinandega. Each year mission groups from about 100 different church, school, and civic groups join us for a week of fun, fellowship, and service. If you are interested in learning more visit www.amigosforchrist.org or contact Deacon-Nick@AmigosForChrist.org.

mailto:DeaconNick@AmigosForChrist.orgmailto:DeaconNick@AmigosForChrist.orghttp://www.facebook.com/DeaconNickhttp://www.DeaconNick.orghttp://www.amigosforchrist.orgmailto:DeaconNick@AmigosForChrist.orgmailto:DeaconNick@AmigosForChrist.org

17 March 2014

18 March 2014