Vermont church seeks help to support youth minister

Chais and Rachel Dimaggio (Photo via Facebook.com)

Two years ago, I was privileged to travel to New England and see the work that faithful Christians are doing in that part of the country.
I wrote a feature on the region’s place of refuge and fellowship: Gander Brook Christian Camp in Raymond, Maine. In a Page 1 story from Manchester, N.H., I highlighted the difficulties New England’s typically small congregations face in filling pulpits.
In The Christian Chronicle’s latest print edition, we include a special need of the Springfield Church of Christ in Vermont:

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Elders of the Springfield Church of Christ seek help to support youth minister Chais Dimaggio, a graduate of Ohio Valley University.
The 80-member congregation can’t afford to cover Dimaggio’s salary but sees an opportunity to use his talents to serve the Springfield church and other Vermont and New Hampshire congregations, elders Thomas Snow, Ernest “Puggy” Lamphere and Edward Wilkins said.
“These congregations are small, and many lack a full-time preacher,” the elders wrote. “Consequently, Chais and we have developed a clear vision for mission-oriented ministry that will expand his work in several new directions.”
Raised in the Springfield church, Dimaggio began studies at Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tenn., but returned home to care for his seriously ill grandmother.
For more information, write to the church at P.O. Box 106, Springfield, VT 05156 or call (802) 885-3491.

According to the 2009 edition of Churches of Christ in the United States, the 100-member Springfield church is the largest of Vermont’s 10 congregations. In all, Vermont has about 650 men, women and children in the pews each Sunday, out of a total state population of about 622,000, according to the directory published by 21st Century Christian in Nashville, Tenn.

• Feedback
  What a pleasure to see a couple of familiar words in print: Gander Brook Christian Camp and especially Springfield Church of Christ. I am originally from Springfield, Vermont and attended the Springfield Church of Christ from age eleven — when we moved to Vermont from Texas — until I graduated from high school in 1970. Some of my happiest memories go back to Gander Brook, where I attended camp for several years in a row, and of course church attendance at the Springfield Church of Christ. I will keep Chais Diamaggio in my prayers and pray that he can continue working with the youth in Springfield. Where is the future of the Lord’s Church without our youth?

  Adele McMillan

  August, 12 2010

  Dear brother in christ ,
  Thank you for your great help to the youth ,to devolo the lord in 10 congreagations,Greetings to you in the name of holy christ from vuyyuru church of christ from india.
  we are working in the rural area aming the youth, we have conducting youth meeting inevery secin saturday.nearly 100 members youth gathered from local villages,please pray for this work
  we are praying for your work ,
  we love you all
  god bless youall
  your brother in christ.
  D.RAJARAO
  VUYYURU CHURCH OF CHRIST ,
  VUYYURU-521165
  KRISHNA DT
  ANDRA PRADESH
  INDIA

  Bro;RAJA RAO

  August, 16 2010