The Deacons Handbook is a comprehensive guide that explains the qualities the diocese seeks in candidates for ordination, the discernement process for ordination, and the outward-facing ministries of deacons who serve as a bridge between the church and the world beyond its doors.
This introduction from Bishop John Stephens is found on page 2 of the Deacons Handbook. A downloadable PDF of the handbook is attached below.
It is my great delight to welcome you to this Handbook. Deacons play a vital and important role, bridging between the Church and the world and revealing Jesus’ servant ministry to all people.
Deacons are mostly visible in our liturgies by proclaiming the Gospel, assisting at the Table and dismissing all of us to go back into the world to serve. They are central to our worship and how we live out the calling of Christ. While visible in this way, their own ministries go far beyond what is seen on Sunday morning.
Deacons are involved with many different ministries, but key to all of these is their commitment to loving God and loving their neighbour as themselves. They are the ones who recognize the face of Christ in the hungry, the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the forgotten, the ignored, the rejected, the hated, the unloved. They are the ones who see that our faith is calling us to deeper compassion for all people. They live out evangelism with their actions and not simply words. They encourage all of us to seek greater justice on this planet.
I hope that as you read over this Handbook, your own discernment will be inspired and enlivened. I continue to pray that every parish in our diocese will have a deacon serving liturgically and in the world.
You will find below a web sized PDF of the Handbook .
OTHER RESOURCES FOR DIACONAL MINISTRY
COVENANTS
A deacon, priest and parish leadership work together to create a covenant document that expresses the scope of the deacon's ministry and the means by which the parish will support this ministry. The covenant is renewed each year upon the agreement of all parties, and adjusted as appropriate to circumstances.
Below you will find a February 2017 update of the Covenant of Ministry (in .docx and .pdf form ) for deacons looking for a template upon which to base their covenant. For deacons whose ministry has not changed over the preceding year, a Letter of Extension may be submitted in lieu of a new covenant. This template is also provided below.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Whether it is sharpening a skill or scholarly pursuit for professional development, you can exercise your mind with the help of the diocese’s Continuing Education Plan (CEP). A healthy inquiring mind contributes to your personal well-being and, by extension, to the well-being of your parish and the Church as a whole. All deacons automatically have a CEP account opened on their behalf on their first day of licensing with a parish or ecclesial body. Benefits accumulate in your account at the rate of $75 per month, which your parish contributes on your behalf. The form for reimbursement is below.
RETIREMENT
Upon reaching the age of 65, and with the agreement of the priest and parish, a deacon may continue in their active leadership role. Alternately, they may choose to assume an "honorary assistant deacon" status; while they may remain active in many ways, this is not a licensed parish leadership position and expectations are different. Please see the Diaconal Retirement Info Sheet, attached below, for a detailed description of the options available to deacons after their 65th birthday.
Instead of a covenant, an Honorary Assistant Deacon signs an annual Memo of Understanding with their parish priest and wardens/trustees. A customizable template for this Memo is also attached below.