Most communities have some kind of ecumenical group. Perhaps it's a fellowship of churches - or a group of pastors who assist each other.

The clergy of the Petroleum Valley are no different. Their group, The Petroleum Valley Ministerium, consists of about a dozen members in and around Chicora and Karns City. Their purpose? To build unity among the local congregations.

The Rev. James Higgins of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicora, a member of the ministerium for 20 years, says he's pleased with how God has directed the group.

"We recognize that there are differences (in our worship styles and beliefs)," he said. "We know that God works through all of us. We're here together to try to do things better together than we can by ourselves."

The Rev. David DeWitt

, pastor

of Mater Dolorosa Roman Catholic Church in Chicora and of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in North Oakland, believes members of the ministerium are called to serve as individuals, as well as in groups.

"We're all called by God to be his servants," he said. "We cannot support holiness if we are not holy by answering God's call."

At the group's September meeting, DeWitt urged the members to continue with their support of ministerium programs. "Make Jesus' face manifest to the world," he said.

The ministerium, and the various denominations represented within it, support a number of projects, including the Petroleum Valley Food Cupboard and the Petroleum Valley Youth Center. The group also hosts

community worship services, including the Karns City High School baccalaureate ceremony.

The following is a quick look at what each of those programs entails.

The Petroleum Valley Food Cupboard is housed in the old Penreco Credit Union in Petrolia. Food is distributed the third Friday of each month.

Children from the

life skills

program at Karns City High School assist with distribution, providing the food cupboard volunteers with much-needed labor and gaining a sense of accomplishment and experience to further their lives in a practical way.

The food cupboard services 55 to 60 families on an appointment basis. About 20 senior citizens are also serviced through this program.

The Petroleum Valley Youth Center - The youth center inhabits a cabin in Chicora donated by a Karns City oil refinery.

During summer months, the center offers activities that include fishing, pingpong, air hockey and volleyball.

Although the PVYC is closed for the season, summer was a huge success.

"It was a good summer," said the Rev. Mark Wallace of the Christian Missionary Alliance in Chicora. "We tried some new things, did some new activities.

"One of our problems before was we really didn't have a strong male presence. This year we did."

The center has grown beyond the ministerium over the past several years. It now has a board of its own and is incorporated. They are in need of people to serve on the board.

Community worship - The ministerium provides the opportunity for different congregations and groups to join in worship by hosting nursing home ministry, Thanksgiving services, Good Friday services, hymn sings and the Karns City High School baccalaureate service.

Higgins feels this particular ministry has been successful in helping the people of the different congregations blend. "There's more trust and more willingness to share and a more willingness to ask," he said. "The people see that there's a collegiality between the pastors. That gives them permission that they can go to community services."

Karns City Area Mentoring Program - This is a program in the works for teens attending the KC Junior-Senior High School. It is designed to build a trust and friendship between trained adult Christians and at-risk students.

Anyone interested in supporting any of the ministries of the PV Ministerium, please contact the Rev. James Higgins of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicora at 724-445-3574.