PLANTING GRANT MISSIONS:  Everyone matters in Annapolis!

Annapolis, MD

“In a small, nascent mission—we are in our third year!—everyone matters as we seek to build up our spiritual family and grow our church,” says Priest Robert Miclean, Rector of Holy Archangels Mission here.  “At every divine service, we pray that Christ God will grow us ‘in spirit and in numbers.’  Glory to God, we’ve seen tremendous growth spiritually and some growth in numbers during the past year.”

The mission grew out of Annapolis College Ministry, the Orthodox Christian Fellowship outreach to the US Naval Academy and Saint John’s College that was established in 2004.

“We transitioned successful from a ‘college ministry with a fledgling mission’ to a ‘growing mission with a strong college ministry,’” Father Robert adds. “Our leadership which, in 2011 when the mission was planted was mostly comprised of students, is now completely comprised of non-student adults.  This change has been a stabilizing force for the mission and the OCF ministries our community serves.”

Father Robert is quick to add that the OCA Planting Grant the mission receives “has made this transition possible.

“It’s hard to imagine how we could have made such a transition without it the Grant,” Father Robert says.  ” Now our mission is filled with families and children, people who have journeyed to Christ and His Holy Church through catechesis, and many who have returned to Christ and His Church.  And we continually add to the gifts and talents of our mission family.”

Annapolis, MD

As evidence of this growth, Father Robert cites the missions strong, if small, Church School ministry and the weekly adult education series—“Applied Orthodox Theology”—he conducts.

“Our growth in spirit also was plain to see in our Patronal Feast of the Holy Archangels this year,” he adds.  ” Almost every member—and even some non-members—gave sacrificially of their time and talents to provide our church family and our guests with a meaningful and spiritually enriching Feast that, in addition to the Festal Vigil and Divine Liturgy, included a splendid crab cake dinner, Georgian wine, a folk dancing performance based on the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, and a presentation on iconography.”

The celebration also proved, much to the surprise of mission members, to raise funds for the church.

“Our parishioners are have been stepping up sacrificially to ensure the financial means necessary to grow our ministries,” Father Robert says.  “In November, we concluded a month-long focus on giving a ‘first-fruits’ of our time, talents, and treasures to God as we pray and hope to grow to our ministries in 2015, stepping forward in faith.”

Meanwhile, the mission members continue their dedication to ongoing outreach efforts.

“As our parishioners grow in their own communion with God the Holy Trinity, they continue to grow in their love and concern for others too, as evidenced in our recent outreach in Centreville, MD,” Father Robert concludes.  “We thank God for all who have contributed to the OCA Planting Grant that helps makes this growth ‘in spirit and in numbers’ possible, and we ask everyone to keep our mission in their fervent prayers, that Christ God may continue to grow us to be ‘a living witness of His love, power, healing, and glory.’”