Tree of Life
The Memorial
Ministry began in August of 1991 in response to Mrs. Laura Stanley
informing Rev. Sam Davis that the family and friends of her sister, Mrs.
Bessie Danforth, wanted to give something in her memory. A memorial
program was planned to honor Mrs. Danforth and the monetary
contributions were given in her memory. A plaque bearing her name was
mounted at the front of the Education Building.
Rev. Davis
appointed members to the Memorial ministry and the means for inviting
others to memorialize their loved ones was developed. Donations made to
the Memorial Ministry are used to fund the Bessie Danforth Scholarship.
The scholarship is awarded annually to a college junior or senior who is
in need of financial assistance.
The ministry
wanted to display the plaque in and attractive way. A visit was made to
First Presbyterian Church where a similar plaque was displayed in a
design called “The Tree of Life”. A decision was made to have one
installed in the “new” church. The plaque was to be mounted and leaves
and fruit would be engraved with the name of the deceased loved one.
The Second
Sunday in April was set-aside for the Memorial Program; however, it was
later changed to the Second Sunday in August and became known as the
Tree of Life Program. The ministry continued to grow and develop and
began the following:
In 1995:
·
Annual seminars to help
our church family and community understand the details of funerals,
types of insurances, wills and estate planning and other issues related
to having your business in order.
·
Developed a Hospice
Manual “Coping with Death” which
covers grief, death, recovery methods, etc. The manual is available
upon request.
·
Purchased an engraving
machine.
·
Purchased The Tree of
Life and had it mounted on the wall in the vestibule of the church,
where loved ones are memorialized with a leaf, and apple or a stone.
Future plans were to offer a cloud, bird and a star.
In 1998:
·
Awarded the First Annual
Bessie Dansforth Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.
In 2003:
·
Increased the Bessie
Danforth Scholarship award to $2,000.
In 2007:
·
Was again able to
increase The Bessie Danforth Memorial Scholarship award to $2,000.
The Ministry
started the Easter lily and Christmas Poinsettia Memorials. On Easter
Sunday and The Sunday before Christmas loved ones donate a lily and/or
poinsettia in the deceased loved one’s name. Both the donor and the
deceased’s names are printed in the bulletin and the flowers are placed
around the altar. At the end of the worship, they are given to the
donor or taken to the sick and shut in.
All Proceeds
generated from donations are used to fund the Bessie Danforth
Scholarship.
