Ministries
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ALTAR BOYS
Altar Boys have a special ministry to serve in the Holy Altar. Like the Angels serving around the Throne of God, Altar Boys assist the priest in the celebration of the Holy Services. Since this is a sacred ministry, Altar Boys must be mature, serious and respectful when serving in the Holy Altar. The criterion for serving in the Holy Altar is to have a deep faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ and a love of His Church. A boy interested in serving in the Holy Altar must be mature enough to take this service seriously and to have a sincere desire to serve the Lord. Maturity is not measured by chronological age. Therefore, the age at which a boy may serve in the Holy Altar is not determined by a specific year or grade in school. A boy may continue to serve in the Holy Altar even after graduating from High School. Each boy seeking to serve in the Holy Altar will do so with the blessing of the priest. Periodically, in keeping with the Holy Tradition of the Church, the Metropolitan tonsures Altar Boys as Readers so that they may canonically serve in the Hoy Altar.
There are many opportunities for others to participate in and assist the ministry of the Altar Boys. Anyone, male or female, may help with various support activities of this ministry. Help is needed in making and circulating an Altar Boy Sunday Serving Schedule. Altar Boy robe cleaning and repair are ongoing needs of the Altar Boys ministry. Adult assistance is needed especially during the many worship services of Holy Week and with the Good Friday retreat. The priest will be happy to assist anyone interested in being involved with this ministry.
BOOK STUDY
This evening ministry aims to deepen our knowledge of the Church through Scripture and other important readings as Orthodox Christians.
BOOKSTORE
Our parish Bookstore makes a wealth of books and other materials available for purchase to enhance the Orthodox Christian Faith of our parishioners. The Parish Bookstore is open periodically during the Coffee Hour following the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. Service in this ministry includes maintaining the bookstore inventory, ordering new books and being responsible for opening and closing the bookstore during Coffee Hour.
CHANTERS
The Divine Liturgy is the “work of the people” and active participation requires reading of the Scripture, chanting of the services and the angelic voices of the choir leading the people in praise of Our Lord.
CHURCH CHOIR
The Divine Liturgy is the “work of the people” and active participation requires reading of the Scripture, chanting of the services and the angelic voices of the choir leading the people in praise of
FLOWER DECORATING
Feast days and special services give us the opportunity to glorify God by decorating His House, the Church. Decorating icons and the Church with flowers requires planning, ordering as well as the actual decorating.
GEEK MINISTRY
No you didn't read that incorrectly, it says Geek, without the “R.” This new discussion based ministry is to engage all those who find themselves caught up in the Geeky side of Pop Culture and how it intertwines with the theology of our faith. Our Geekdom that we will explore include the MCU and Star Wars to start, and so much more. Every age and fan of these Geekdoms are welcome.
HELLENIC DANCERS
Our Hellenic Culture is fully expressed in the lively dancing of our people! Maintaining that heritage, our three Dance Groups regularly entertain the public community, especially at our Church Festival. You can come learn the various dances, assist with the teaching of the youngest groups, become a dancer yourself, or assist on field trips to the yearly Metropolis workshop. The three Dance Groups are: Little Angels (PreK-2nd), Junior Hellenic Dancers (3rd-6th), Senior Hellenic Dancers (7th-12th), and our alumni group. While this is a cultural ministry, Fr. Stephen Freeman, an archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and author of numerous articles on theology and modern culture, said in reference to the beauty of community dancing, "We need to dance. Its inherit in the scriptures that we are people who dance. Our joy should be natural this way."
KOLIVA
This boiled wheat is offered during memorial services (Greek: mnemósynon). The family or friends of the departed will prepare or arrange for koliva to be provided which is placed in front of the Icon of Christ on the memorial table before which the service is chanted. Memorial services are traditionally held on or preceding the fortieth day after the repose of an Orthodox Christian, as well as on the one-year anniversary, and other anniversaries as well. In addition, there are several Saturdays of the Souls during the church year, on each of which general commemorations are made for all the departed. A Trisagion Prayer is offered in memory when there is no koliva and is a shorter portion of the memorial prayers. Most people contact Harriet Sickles for koliva preparation, or others who know how, if they are unable to offer it themselves.
LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS
The Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, Inc., is the duly accredited women’s philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The mission of the Society shall be:
• To help the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the handicapped, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished persons and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the Church through fund raising efforts; and
• To promote the charitable, benevolent, and philanthropic purposes of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, through instructional programs, presentations, lectures, seminars and other educational resources;
• To preserve and perpetuate Orthodox Christian concepts and the Orthodox Christian Family, and through them, to promote the Greek Orthodox Faith and traditions, in accordance with its doctrines, canons, discipline, divine worship, usages and customs;
• To promote participation in the activities of the Greek Orthodox community, with the cooperation of the Parish Priest and the Parish Council. The charitable work of the Society shall be performed with discretion, courtesy and kindness.
LIBRARY
Our parish has established a parish library. The Library contains a wealth of reading materials to enhance our Orthodox Christian Faith. An important part of this library is the Fr. Elias Katras Memorial collection donated in memory of our beloved Fr. Elias. Those who volunteer with this ministry will be involved with maintaining the library, cataloguing new acquisitions, monitoring lending and supervising the library during hours of operation.
PARISH COUNCIL
Parish Council is the administrative body of a parish elected by its stewards for the purpose of working together with the Parish Priest or Proistamenos (Pastor) in fulfilling the mission and goals of the parish.
Historically, clergy and laity have worked together in dealing with matters of the Church’s life. The Parish Council is an example of the synergy of clergy and laity; it is a vehicle for implementing the ongoing mission of the Church and planning the necessary strategies, policies, procedures, and activities that will enable the Parish to move forward in accomplishing God’s work.
The Parish Council is elected to serve a special ministry that requires total love, loyalty, and dedication to Christ and His Church. Parish Council members are official representatives of the Church and thus are expected to exert every effort to exemplify its sacred character and spirit. Members of the Parish Council assumed three basic obligations that will guide this ministry:
1. To understand, live by, and uphold the tenets, teachings, and traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church;
2. To understand and abide by the GOAA Regulations (formerly known as the UPR) as set forth by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America through the Clergy-Laity Congresses.
3. To live by and uphold your oath of office by utilizing your God-given time, talents, and treasures for the spiritual progress and advancement of your parish.
Parish Council members serve as role models for parishioners and must take their ministry very seriously. They should lead by example by attending Church and parish events, and regularly participating in the sacramental life of the Church. By doing so, they will have a powerful effect on the overall life of the community. If Parish Council members treat everyone with love and respect, as Christ loves us, then parishioners will do likewise.
Current Parish Council webpage
PROSPHORA MAKING
In the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, bread and wine are changed, by the Holy Spirit, into the Body and Blood of Christ. The bread is a simple leavened bread made of wheat flour, salt and water. Into the loaf is pressed a seal from which the elements to be consecrated are taken. The bread is called Prosphora (from the Greek Προσφἐρω=I offer) as an offering to God, by the faithful, for use in the Holy Eucharist. Special classes will be held for Prosphora making techniques and is open to all. It is customary to submit the names of Orthodox Christian living and departed for commemoration during the preparation of the Holy Gifts for the Holy Eucharist. (A great website on this topic is http://www.prosphora.org) All of the faithful are called to participate in this ministry.
READERS
In Orthodox Christian worship, readers supply an essential offering for the beautiful conduct of the various worship services. During the Divine Liturgy on Sundays readers are needed to read the Epistle lessons. Readers are especially needed for the services of Holy Week. In our parish, we encourage both men and women to participate as readers.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
This ministry provides a setting for our school-aged children to engage in classes to learn about the faith. Each class is designed to meet their developmental needs and our teachers add their own special flair to each classroom. Our Sunday School classes take place after Holy Communion on Sundays, but our education in the Church starts when the services start. Please see the Sunday School Page for more details.
YOUTH: LOVE (Pre-School Aged)
The Little Orthodox Vital Education (LOVE) is the ministry to children who are attending Pre-School. Since LOVE is a ministry, the orientation and implementation of the program reflects the Orthodox Christian Faith, Tradition and Life.
MISSION AND GOAL OF LOVE MINISTRY
The mission and goal of the LOVE ministry is to lead our children in to experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living church, our children will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation. By laying a foundation of faith at this age, the young people will have something that will guide and strengthen them through life.
YOUTH WORKERS REGISTRATION FORM
YOUTH: HOPE (K-2nd)
The Holy Orthodox Primary Education (HOPE) is the ministry to Kindergarten through 2nd grade children of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Since HOPE is a ministry, the orientation and implementation of the program reflects the Orthodox Christian Faith, Tradition and Life.
MISSION AND GOAL OF HOPE MINISTRY
The mission and goal of the HOPE ministry is to lead our children in to experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living church, our children will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation. By laying a foundation of faith at this age, the young people will have something that will guide and strengthen them through life.
YOUTH WORKERS REGISTRATION FORM
YOUTH: JOY (3rd-6th)
The Junior Orthodox Youth, or JOY, is the ministry to 3rd through 6th grade children of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Since JOY is a ministry, the orientation and implementation of the program reflects the Orthodox Christian Faith, Tradition and Life.
MISSION AND GOAL OF JOY MINISTRY
The mission and goal of the JOY ministry is to lead our young people into experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living church, our young people will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation. By laying a foundation of faith at this age, the young people will have something that will guide and strengthen them as they progress into junior high and high school.
YOUTH WORKERS REGISTRATION FORM
YOUTH: GOYA (7th-12th)
The Greek Orthodox Youth of America, or GOYA, is the ministry to teenagers of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Since GOYA is ministry, the orientation and implementation of the program reflects the Orthodox Christian Faith, Tradition and Life.
GOYA is ministry to junior high and high school grade Orthodox Christian teenagers. Teenagers should be in seventh through twelfth grades to participate. It is recommended that GOYA ministry be divided into two distinct groups, the junior high GOYA ministry and the high school GOYA ministry.
MISSION AND GOAL OF GOYA MINISTRY
The mission and goal of GOYA ministry is to lead our young people into experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith. By developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and becoming active sacramental members of the living Church, our young people will be equipped with tools necessary to assist them in their journey toward salvation.
YOUTH WORKERS REGISTRATION FORM
YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
This ministry provides a context for the connection of young adults with each other as well as with our Holy Orthodox Church. Young Adult Minsitry offers opportunities for fellowship, education, and avenues of outreach. It provides a faith-based gathering for a large population of current and future leaders of our parish.
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