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    MINISTRY IN A BIG CITY

By Joe Nicholas, Pastor of Prince of Peace Moravian, Miami

On many occasions, I say to people that Prince of Peace is a gift from God. I suppose that many could say that about many Church communities but to me, it is different here. This congregation of just under four hundred Communicant members and well over five hundred with children, was started in home about 25 years ago with a meeting of four ladies. It was in 1986 that it was recognized as a congregation of the Southern Province of the Moravian Church in America.

Strength of Lay Leadership

            Whether as a fellowship or as a congregation, the Prince of Peace family has had outstanding lay leadership. It is remarkable how God has brought together such a wide variety of gifted people into one place. Yet, their greatest gift is the love that they have for God and their Church. Many of them were brought up in the Moravian Church in Central America and the Caribbean and have not lost their love.

Representation of Membership

          We have members who represent over 20 nationalities including the United Kingdom. We take much pleasure in displaying all these flags in our sanctuary and in the Moravian Center as constant reminders of the beauty of our diversity. On special days we display the large flags in the yard in order to share our joy with the wider community and with the hope of drawing further notice to our ministry and witness.

Growth

            This is most surely a growing congregation and it represents the continued growth of the Church here in Miami and South Florida. This is especially remarkable when we note that several congregations have grown out of Prince of Peace. The New Hope congregation in South West Miami; the Palm Beach congregation in West Palm Beach; along with the King of Kings congregation and the Suriname Fellowship both of which still meet here on the same property but use mainly Miskito and Dutch for worship respectively.

Worship Time

            Our time of worship is surely our special time as a family. The average attendance is about 300. While I am the main leader, the several other Ministers in the congregation along with our special guest speakers from time to time provide a variety of pulpit leadership. Our young people lead the fifth Sunday and they usually bring the word in drama and testimony. While we are very committed to Moravian liturgies and hymns, we also use a number of other hymns and songs from Negro spiritual to contemporary. Our several choirs and band help us to worship God with many instruments.

Our Youth Ministry

            We have a Youth Ministry Committee that coordinates the work of the youth groups. We have three and are about to launch a fourth with our reorganization that will provide the following: the Young Adults, the College Ago Group, the High School Age and the Elementary Club. We are very grateful for the young people whom God has given to us. Friday night is truly our youth night.

            These young people are special to us.  The church family works hard in providing support for them. We celebrate their academic successes in High School, Colleges and Universities with a Baccalaureate Service in June and provide on-going support that enables them to attend conferences, retreats and so forth. We also offer classes in order to prepare them for entry into College.  In conjunction with the wider Florida Moravian Churches, scholarship support is also provided.

Seniors’ Club

            There are several other groups that provide for service and fellowship. However, our two-year-old Seniors Club of men and women is full of energy. It meets twice a month from 8am to 4pm. The coordinating committee of volunteers provides a full day’s program of worship, health checks, exercises, games, craft and so forth along with sumptuous meals. The sale of items from their craft and general handiwork provides an important part of their income. When you see the wonderful fellowship that they share and how productive they are, you know that there is a real future for this ministry.

Outreach

            Our outreach program helps us to place a high value on visitors when they come and as we follow up. We target new residents in our neighborhood. We do bulk mailing from time to time to our friends. We are constantly looking for new ways to reach out community. We do have other kinds of outreach programs where we provide services to the community beyond our membership.

The Van

            Our van is very busy on a Sunday morning making regular pickups as well as responding to requests from others who may be visiting and need help. We are happy to do so because the folks who come add to our weekly joy.

Family Health of the Members

            We are committed to the health of our families and now have annual family enrichment seminars over two days in September. We provide incentives by offering Anniversary  Awards to selected members every year and officers and leaders can expect a special souvenir gift item annually. Our many occasions for eating provide us with the opportunity to share time around the family table.

            Do come and see us if you are in our area at any time. May God bless all of you!