Shenandoah Ministerial Association, below are the services that are offered through this mission.
Baccalaureate Services -
The SMA each year in May hosts the Baccalaureate services for our graduating senior class. The Wednesday evening two weeks before graduation we hold services in the High School Auditorium. Students from the graduating class get to choose their involvement with the services, including things such as music, reading poems, words of encouragement, prayer, etc. A minister from one of the churches actively involved in the SMA will give the message and all parents and family members as well as community members are invited to attend. This is a time of encouragement for our seniors as they prepare to head into this new phase in life.
Along with the service, a graduating senior(s) is chosen to receive the Christian Leadership Award. This is an award given to the student(s) that strives to live out their faith in all aspects of their life. They are voted on by their classmates and approved by the ministers.
KMA -
Each Sunday morning you can tune in to KMA at 7:15 a.m. to hear a message given by one of the ministers involved in the SMA. Every year a rotation schedule is made for the participating ministers. They go in the week prior to the day their message is to be aired on KMA and record it in the studio.
Hospital Chaplain -
Each of the ministers in the SMA involved in this area of ministry for our community is placed on a rotating schedule and will be on call for the hospital. They are on call for one week at a time and are available to the hospital during times of crisis.
Nursing Home Worship -
The ministers, along with any members of their congregation who wish to attend, go to each of our nursing homes on Sunday afternoon to worship with our elderly community members who are unable to go out and attend worship at church. They offer a message and singing each week. Our three nursing homes are Homestead for a 1:30 p.m. service, Accura for a 2:15 p.m. service and Garden View for a 3:00 p.m. service. We are blessed to have so many of our SMA churches involved that we do an eight week rotation.
Crisis Fund -
The SMA also ministers to our community through what they call a crisis fund. This is a fund set up to help those in the community who are in need. The need may include things such as help with a utility bill, rent, groceries, gas, etc. They also help people passing through town who may be in need of a night’s stay, food, gas, or car repairs. Each need is prayerfully considered and given as needed when funds are available.
There are different ways that money is added to the crisis fund. The churches of the SMA may give monthly contributions, members of the congregations or community offer donations, or different churches in the SMA host “Night of Worship” and the offering taken at that time goes to the crisis fund. They have also hosted some community activities to raise funds. Many people have been helped through this ministry.