A Place at the Table

by the Saye family

Our family enjoys participating in ministry activities at PHPC because first and foremost, we believe these activities will serve as a benefit to the recipients of the outreach. However, to be clear, these activities serve as a GIFT to our family - we get more back than we ever give when we participate. We want our children to participate alongside us to realize how 1) we are capable of such outreach and can/should do it and 2) how blessed we are with the opportunity to deliver the outreach.

Our decision to participate in outreach communion grew out of delivering flowers to assisted living homes. On the flower committee, we deliver flowers to church members who have been hospitalized, experienced loss of a family member or recently had a baby. On occasion, when we have extra flowers, we take the flowers to assisted living facilities and nursing homes. 

It was at these stops where Melissa and I noticed our children being very attentive to the stories these members have to share. We could see our children processing how much smaller the world has become for some of these members who live there, members who may not have other family members in Dallas, and may have outlived all of their relatives. Most of their world is in their room, and while some of these members can stream the morning church services, they cannot participate in communion unless someone brings it to them.

Outreach communion allows us to take communion to a member who otherwise would not have a chance to participate in this sacrament. Our members are extremely grateful and with our children participating in the communion service, it tends to make the older members quite happy. We have had members recite the Lord’s prayer with us and had members share in music with our daughter Viv.

I would encourage all to consider outreach communion because it is a vital part of reaching out to our members. It is our experience that you will leave blessed to have been given such an opportunity.

To invest your gifts in Outreach Communion, contact Rev. Mark Brainerd at mbrainerd@phpc.org or 214.368.6348 ext 134.