What is the "session"?
The session is the governing body of the local church. It is composed of godly men who have been called by God to lead His church together; each member of the session is selected by the congregation. The session includes both teaching elders (pastors) and ruling elders. Specifically, they teach, equip, disciple, nurture, discipline and shepherd the congregation.
Teaching Elder:
Pastor Jim Fredere, Senior Pastor
Jim is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. He has a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) from Georgia College and State University and an M.Div from Reformed Theological Seminary-Charlotte. Jim and his wife Carin, have one son (Nathan) who just recently graduated from Covenant College. You can reach him at jim@astoriachurch.org.
Ruling Elders:
(from left to right in below photo) Sung Lee, Pastor Jim, Joe Kickasola and Raul Rojas
The mission of the Diaconate is to minister to those in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress, and to equip the church to extend mercy and justice to our neighbors in Astoria and other parts of Queens.
A Diaconate is a team of church members set apart for service within their congregation and community. They are nominated, trained, approved by the leadership and then voted in by the congregation. One of the main roles of the Diaconate is to lead the congregation by example in its ministries of mercy.
The Scriptures teach us that God has a special place in his heart for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” In Matthew 25:35-36, we are commanded by Jesus to feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, clothe the naked, invite the stranger in, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner. In 1 Corinthians, the gifts of helps is mentioned as one of many spiritual gifts given to the members of God’s church. In James 1, we are warned to be doers of the word, not just hearers.
There are three arms to the Diaconate: Outreach, Helps, and Mercy Carework.
The mission of the Outreach Ministry of the Diaconate is to equip the church to extend mercy and justice to our neighbors in Astoria and other parts of Queens. We do this by recruiting, training, and mobilizing volunteers to do acts of service in the community. We partner with the Hour Children Food Pantry and run our own weekly ministries of ESL and Bible Club and our annual Vacation Bible Club in a local playground. Our goal is to establish long-term relationships with people of all economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, and to be the love of Christ and share the saving message of Jesus with all of our neighbors.
Email diaconate@astoriachurch.org to volunteer in our outreach ministries.
The mission of the Helps team is to provide and coordinate practical help for those who need it in a way that points them to Christ.
To request assistance from the Helps Ministry team, email helps@astoriachurch.org. If you would like to volunteer in the Helps Ministry, please complete this survey.
The mission of Mercy Carework is to come alongside those in our congregation and connected to our outreach ministries to wholistically care for them in the midst of their financial, emotional and spiritual needs.
ACC has a Mercy Fund that is used to help individuals and families who have financial needs. A team of two Diaconate members will meet with individuals or couples to discuss the specifics of the need(s) and together come up with a plan for assistance. The team takes confidentiality very seriously. Examples of expenses that the Mercy Fund can assist with are food, utilities, phone, transportation, counseling, psychiatric care, medical insurance, and medication.
If you would like to meet with a team of two Diaconate members to discuss any needs you have, please email diaconate@astoriachurch.org or call the church office at 718-721-3440. The email and phone answering machine is confidential.
For resources to help the homeless in NYC, please see Hope For New York's resource page here. Click here to download a Resource Card.
ACC statement on ministry partnerships
Since its founding, ACC has endeavored to be a visible, compassionate, and Christ-like presence in Astoria. In keeping with this mission to serve our neighbors, ACC ministries will often partner with other organizations that have a mutual aim that we agree is loving and helpful to those around us and is not in violation of any core principles we hold. While our motivations for ministry may often differ from those of our partners, our neighbors are served, and that is the central goal.
Such partnerships require prayer, wisdom, and discernment, which the Session and Diaconate seek to exercise with every partnership. We do not believe that mere association with those who differ from us in theological beliefs or other issues should keep us from ministry partnerships. On the contrary, we are told: “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).