In the latest from the Diocese of the Midwest series of reflections on the 50th anniversary of the Autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in America, Mr. Joseph Kormos looks at the 14th All American Church Sobor of the Russian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church which was convened in October 1970, later to be called the First All American Council of the…
Every parish is distinctive and unique. And while no two communities are alike, experience has shown that growing parishes share a number of “common traits.” Below—in no particular order—are ten traits that surfaced at a recent workshop aimed at discerning the “vital signs” of a healthy, growing parish.
1. Christians first.
Workshop attendees…
Parishes often ask for help with “stewardship.” No surprise. Budgets are tight. The economy is scary. Many parishes are in numerical decline and feel “squeezed.”
Taking action to build stewardship—which in the parlance of most parishes means “increasing income through more and larger donations, offerings and pledges”—is a difficult task. …
In Orthodox Christian circles we talk a lot about “healthy parishes.” And we occasionally hear people making great sport of criticizing definitions and concepts offered on this topic. But what do we really mean by the term “healthy parish?” What do “healthy parishes” look and feel like? What does on therein? And how to we help put every parish…
As a continuation of “Facing Forward” Part 1, we offer twelve “personal considerations” necessary to evangelize.
1. You are sharing good, important news. At a certain point, everyone who would call himself or herself “Christian” must decide how he or she personally relates to Jesus Christ and HIs Gospel, to repentance vs. alienation from God, to…
In light of the theme of the 18th All-American Council—“How to Expand the Mission”—questions have been raised anew with regard to evangelization, mission, and growth. Is evangelization “Orthodox?” When, how and why should we go about sharing “the hope that is in us” with others? What should be our proper motivation in doing so? …