St Ambrose  Parish Pulse
    A Newsletter for Parish Leaders
      Diocese of the Midwest, Orthodox Church in America
August 2010; 2010 # 4
spacer
Past Parish Development Ministry Articles
St Ambrose

Facebook Parish Development Ministry Fan Page
Facebook logoBecome a "fan" of the Diocese' Parish Health and Development Ministry Facebook page by clicking here. We'll keep you up to date on new topics and news.
St Ambrose

Diocese Project Mexico Trip to Include 105 Missionaries
Archbishop JOB Memorial Trip July 12-18 2011
Registration has closed for the Diocesan Project Mexico trip. A group of 105 Missionaries, from from OH, MI, IL, KS, MO, NY, WA, WI and Canada have signed up for the  trip dedicated to the memory of Archbishop JOB.

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Glory Forever!
Greetings,

Welcome to the August 2010 issue of Parish Pulse. After much, much procrastination we've finally pulled together what we hope will be a useful issue.

From this issue you can:
  • Register for our next Webinar - September 9 7PM CDT
  • Read about Diocesan Assembly
  • Access materials from the OCA Parish Ministries Conference
  • Receive an update on Parish Development Grants
  • Learn about important parish events and projects
  • Obtain useful information on stewardship practices and preparing for clergy transitions.
We apologize if you receive duplicates of this newsletter. Follow the link at bottom to remove one of the addresses in our data base.

Joseph Kormos
Parish Life and Development Ministry
Diocese of the Midwest

Webinar Series Continues

Improving Parish Stewardship
September 9 7:00 PM CDT 8 PM EDT

This session will feature Fr. Gregory Jensen's highly rated presentation from the recent OCA parish Ministries conference.
More info and registration

More info on this session can be in subsequent articles.

Intervening to Keep the Group on Track
Tuesday September 217PM CDT 8 PM EDT

This will be the final session in our Facilitation Series of webinars. Professional Facilitator Kenneth Kovach will return to discuss the processes and approaches for dealing with difficult situations in meetings and keeping the group on track.
More info and registration

More Info
Key points about webinars:
  • Free!
  • Easy --slides & audio are delivered to your desktop
  • You can ask questions
  • No limit on attendees. Orthodox or not. Midwest or other. OCA or other. Few. Many.
  • You have to register or you can't get in.
Archive of Past Sessions
Go here (right column) for an archive (slides and recordings) of all previous webinar sessions.

Customized Webinars
If your parish has a particular topical need for assistance in some area, a special, "private" webinar may be helpful. We have a number of subject matter experts that can offer useful insight and tailored assistance.

The key is -- you need to be willing to ask for assistance.
spacer

49th Diocesan Assembly
October 4-6 2010
The 49th Midwest Diocesan Assembly will be held in Minneapolis MN from October 4-6.

In addition to conducting normal diocesan business associated with worship, reports, budgets, elections and the like a Special Assembly will be held for the purpose of selecting a single nominee for Diocesan Bishop whose name will then be forwarded to the Holy Synod for canonical election.
St. Mary's Cathedral Minn MN
St Mary Exterior

Monday Evening Start

The normal assembly sessions will begin on Monday October 4 at 6:30 PM at the Holiday Inn and Suites Bloomington MN and continue through Tuesday October 5. The Special Assembly will be held on Wednesday October 6 after Divine Liturgy. This session will be held at St. Mary's Cathedral.

Candidates for Bishop
Three candidates were selected by the Diocesan Council at its June meeting. The candidates (in alphabetical order) include: 
  • Very Rev. Paul Gassios, currently serving as rector of the OCA Bulgarian Diocese's Saint George Cathedral, Rossford [Toledo], OH;
  •  Very Rev. David Mahaffey, a widowed priest currently serving as rector of Saint Nicholas Church, Bethlehem, PA;
  • Very Rev. Hieromonk Matthias [Moriak], a widowed priest of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Archdiocese, currently serving as rector of Saint Gregory of Nyssa Church, Seaford, Long Island, NY.
More information on the election process can be found here.
Delegate Eligibility
The composition of delegates from each parish is made up of the assigned clergy and an equal number of lay delegates. One lay delegate is allowed from each parish not having an assigned priest.
Registration materials for the Assembly can be found here.
spacer

Parish Ministries Conference Draws Over 170 Attendees
Cleveland Area Session Draws Attendees for Learning, Worship & Fellowship
The OCA Parish Ministries Conference Drew Over 170 Attendees to Baldwin-Wallace College near Cleveland in late June
PMC Group Photo

Alexa Geeza and other speakers, combined humor enthusiasm and solid ideas. And audiences responded. 
Alexa Geeza
When the 170 participants at the OCA's Parish Ministries Conference were asked why they decided to attend, many checked boxes for fellowship, worship, and making new friends -- but nine out of ten made it clear that a key reason for participating was to learn something. And learn they did.In four tracks for four days the agenda was packed with great speakers and great topics, beautiful worship, plenty of memories and new friends and -- what was noticed by so many in attendance -- lots of laughter -- which began in earnest with Father John Matusiak's keynote address on Sunday evening.

OCA Chancellor Fr. Alexander Garklavs introduced keynote speaker Fr John Matusiak
Keynote
All of the approximately 30 sessions and 25 speakers and facilitators received extremely high marks from audiences with Metropolitan JONAH and Father John Behr among the most popular speakers.
 


Materials Available
If you were unable to attend you should:
  1. Make a resolution to put this on your calendar for next time. (Date/location as yet unknown!)
  2.  Go here to download handouts and view photos.
Session Highlights
Metropolitan JONAH explored discerning and using spiritual gifts
+ Jonah at PMC
We'll offer highlights from a few sessions in articles below.

What's that? Can't wait?
We found one of the more intriguing items of the conference Anna Strelka's summary of her role as Lay Catechist at Holy Resurrection parish in Palatine IL. As a supplement to her session Anna offered a list of 87 terms that are included in her catechesis classes/sessions. With how many of these terms are you reasonably comfortable?

If you are looking to rethink education for youth and young adults, you'll find many helpful ideas in the summary of the session delivered by Alexa Geeza of St Joseph's Church in Wheaton IL.


Chrysostom Gifts quote
spacer

St. Paul Church Dayton OH Hosts Icon Exhibit
"The Gift of Transfiguration" Draws Large Crowds from Surrounding Community
Over 400 non-members viewed the exhibit over three days.
Crowd at Icon Exhibit
In conjunction with the blessing of new frescoes on the church walls by Bishop Melchizedek of Pittsburgh, St. Paul Church in Dayton OH recently hosted an icon exhibit featuring over 40 icons from private collections of parishioners as well as a number of icons written by a prisoner at the London OH Correctional Institute who has converted to the Orthodox faith. 

Titled "The Gift of Transfiguration --Changed Life as Witnessed Through Five Centuries of Orthodox Icons", the three day exhibit drew large crowds from outside the parish.

"We counted the event a great success because we had a huge number of non-members walk through the church and talk to us," said Fr Ted Bobosh parish rector. "Based on the number of exhibit pamphlets and icon cards taken, we estimated that between 400-500 people walked through the exhibit." 

In addition the exhibit highlighted permanent icons on the church's walls. One noteworthy icon, The Protection of the Theotokos over Dayton, was patterned after the familiar Protection of the Theotokos icon (Feast day October 1) but localized to local landmarks from Dayton and nearby Richmond IN.

Icon of the Protection of the Theotokos Over Dayton and Richmond.
Protection of Dayton

spacer

Parish Development Grants
Four Grants Awarded
Recently the Diocesan Parish and Mission Development committee met by conference call to discuss applications for the 2010 Parish Development Grants.
A previous grant assisted in a summer arts program in Milwaukee. This year's grant expands its after school program
painting2

Grants were awarded to four deserving communities. 

Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church in Milwaukee WI received a grant to expand its after school neighborhood arts and training program.

St. John the Baptist Church in Campbell OH received a grant for developing a whole parish stewardship education program. Materials and course outlines may become useful for other parishes.
Sts. Peter and Paul Church Lakewood OH
Lakewood

Once a much larger parish, Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Lakewood OH has endured numerical decline in recent years. As part of a renewal effort the parish will use grant funds as a catalyst to improve worship by providing a modest stipend to a trained choir director. Diocesan grant funds will be matched by funds from the parish.

The Orthodox community in Grand Rapids MN, is in the "pre- mission" stage of its development . A Diocesan Grant will be used for promotion, exploration and external communication to better evaluate prospects for a establishing a mission that has a realistic opportunity to grow into a full functioning parish.

Progress on Past Grants
Progress continues on grants awarded in previous years.

Holy Trinity Cathedral in Chicago has begun capturing interviews with parishioners on video  as a part of an effort to create a parish heritage video which will look backward and forward to express the parish's vision.

A 2009 grant is helping Christ the Savior Church on LaSalle St. in downtown Chicago deliver a set of outreach/educational sessions for September, October and November  under the banner:  "Urban Orthodoxy, Keeping and Growing the Faith in the City".
Holy Resurrection Church Palatine IL adapted the "Sharing the Hope" developed with previous grant funding at St. Mark Church Rochester MI.
Palatine group


The materials from the Sharing the Hope That is in Us educational project developed in 2008 by St Mark Church in Rochester MI were revised and used for a similar, well attended series held at Holy Resurrection Church in Palatine IL.

A grant project at St Innocent Church in Olmsted Falls OH oriented to seeding small groups as a means  to encourage new social, study and service relationships is expecting to continue this fall -expanding from a pilot effort in early 2010.

Pilgrim's Guide mastheadWith the help of a 2009 Grant St Nicholas Church in Mogadore OH expanded publication of "The Pilgrim's Guide" a remarkable publication which provides lay written formational and educational articles aimed at parishioners and inquirers.
Cover from soon to be released book describing youth experience at Project Mexico.
Project Mexico Book Cover
Recent topics included articles on icon corners, Orthodox Monastic Communities, books on the Theotokos, Faith in Action, Test Your Bible Knowledge, Baptism, a profile of Martyr Sophia and Her Three Daughters, Children's page, Family Corner on the Feast of Pentecost.

In 2009 St Mark Church received another grant -- to prepare a book capturing the reflections of parish youth who participated in a trip to project Mexico. The book and coloring book will be available (very) soon. (We're told!)
spacer

Misconduct and Audit Materials Available
Metropolitan JONAH Reminds Parishes of Responsibilities to be Attentive
Metropolitan JONAH recently wrote to all parishes emphasizing the importance of being "attentive in regard to issues surrounding the possibility of sexual misconduct in the Church. "This is the concern and responsibility of everyone," Metropolitan Jonah wrote in reference to his expectation that every parish will soon provide evidence of compliance with the existing "Policies, Standards and Procedures. "Given your respective duties in the life of the parish and in light of potential legal liabilities, rectors and parish council members especially need to encourage each other to be proactive and attentive to these matters."

Helpful information associated with this important aspect of good parish administration can be found on the Diocesan Website. it includes:
  • Frequently Asked Questions - a document to guide parish implementation of the policy .
  • Parish Risk Manual -A template to be used by parishes to create a localized manual/handbook to guide the implementation of the OCA policy in their parish and to adapt it to local circumstances.audit cover
  • Implementation Checklist - a checklist for conducting an evaluation of your parish's compliance with the OCA policy. 
Financial Audit Guide
In addition, a helpful Diocesan document for use in guiding financial audits in your parish can be found here.

Administration Guide
And while we're on the topic of Parish Administration parish leaders might want to become familiar with the Financial Best Practices Guide from Holy Trinity Church in Overland Park KS.
spacer

Parishes Exploring Charitable Outreach Efforts
Lazarus on Our Doorstep: A Model
A few years ago we hosted a workshop in one deanery titled "Breaking Our Insularity" . It focused on welcoming newcomers and reaching out to those in need. During the workshop we asked parishes to list current charitable efforts. While there were certainly pockets of effort there was plenty of room for growth.  In just the past week we've heard of a number of new efforts --and some existing ones.

St. Gregory Columbus
Charles Robbins of St Gregory of Nyssa Church in Columbus outlined fundamental principles in his OCA Parish Ministries Conference session: A Model for Charitable Outreach.  (Click here for a brief movie on the now familiar St Gregory lunch program.)

Saturday LunchRealizing that most parishes don't face the clear imperative for assistance  to others that is found in the Columbus parish's ever changing University neighborhood, Charles exhorted all in attendance to seek first to understand theneeds of their neighborhood with his starter question: "Can we list 12 needs in your church neighborhood?"

St Innocent Church Olmsted Falls
It was just such a question that drove members of St. Innocent Church to explore needs in Olmsted Falls OH after attending the Breaking Our Insularity workshop mentioned above. They found that the seemingly comfortable suburb contains definite pockets of needy persons. The parish now serves a community meal once per month and is looking to expand this to twice monthly in the future.

Needy children work on crafts in an event in which Holy Trinity Church, Parma OH, collaborated with local service organizations
Collaborative Event Parm OH
Holy Trinity Church Parma OH

A June 2009 in-parish  workshop at Parma OH's Holy Trinity Church focused on the Diocese' Parish Health Inventory.  The workshop uncovered parishioner's desire to establish a Charitable Outreach Ministry.  Soon a series of neighborhood pancake breakfasts were planned. The parish then collaborated with local service organizations to host a Christmas season dinner for 40 families of single moms or grandparents who were having trouble giving their children an enjoyable Christmas because of financial issues.  Participants did a craft together, had dinner, watched a movie and went home with a laundry basket full of food from the Parma Kiwanis Club. 'Brown bags for the homeless' was another effort undertaken soon after.

In a recent visit to the parish we heard of building enthusiasm for this ministry among the Outreach team. "Originally we just had a set of random ideas. Now we're getting serious and focusing on a couple of key areas of contribution," mentioned one team member.

Archangel Michael, Broadview Hts
A
Members of Archangel Michael Church's Charitable Outreach Team recently visited St Gregory's Church, Columbus OH, to share ideas.
St Michael's Visits St Gregory
Parish Health Workshop has given rise to a Charitable Outreach group at Archangel Michael parish in Broadview Hts OH. On Saturday August 21, a group of 12 outreach minded parishioners visited St. Gregory's to observe the Saturday lunch program and brainstorm starter activities for their ministry.

No Doubt More Efforts We Missed
What's that? How come we didn't feature efforts at your parish? Perhaps we forgot. Perhaps we were unaware. We're sure that there is much more going on --these stories just came to us in a week of contacts. 

Keep us informed!
spacer

Improving Parish Financial Stewardship
Parish Ministries Workshop to Be Offered as Webinar September 9

REGISTER for WEBINAR
Our most requested topic/area of focus for our Parish Development Ministry-- by a long shot -- is "Stewardship". We've been planning a series of articles on the topic for a long time -- but for some reason they never quite came together. Now we know why. There are many people who are better equipped to deal with the topic. Among them is Fr. Gregory Jensen whose background in psychology, as a transition pastor in parishes dealing with change, as a competent trainer in the area of discerning spiritual gifts and as a professional fund raiser in a University setting provides a tremendous platform to share valuable experiences about what is often referred to as Total Stewardship.

We invited Fr. Gregory to speak on the specifics of "Improving Parish Financial Stewardship" at the recent Parish Ministries Conference. Despite being the last session on the agenda his contribution was highly regarded by the large audience. You can find materials from Fr. Gregory's talk here (PowerPoint), here, (Stewardship letter) and here(Pledge Form).
Fr. Gregory Jensen was informative and convincing as he used his experience as a fund raiser to help attendees to overcome shyness about "asking"
FR Jensen Speaking at Parish Min conference

For those unable to attend the session we've scheduled a webinar for Thursday evening September 9. Click here for info and registration.

Highlights
Here are a few notes we took during the session:
  • Stewardship is not begging! It is about helping people learn to be cheerfully generous - helping people learn to glorify God and be who they are.
  • Money = time and talent. People who have invested time in the parish give money in important, meaningful amounts.
  • When considering changes to your stewardship efforts at your parish (we know of at least four parishes doing this) remember that like most changes: 10% will support the change, 10% will be unhappy and 80% will be neutral. The neutrals follow whoever is loudest --so communicate effectively and often.
  • "Our grounds for gratitude are far greater than our powers for being grateful."
  • Too often parish stewardship efforts are couched in simple "carrot and stick" terms--do this, get that.  So we often say to people "we need to all give more money to keep the lights on and pay  the pastor." The carrot and stick approach may work well for simple tasks but for more complex tasks, like being a steward, it not only doesn't work it will often work backward - as a de-motivator. It will cause people to give less than they would if asked properly.
  • What does "motivate" persons to be generous in their giving of time, talent and treasure? Three items were listed --the most potent of which is "Purpose" -the pursuit of a transcendent goal -yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves 
As for the other two motivators--autonomy and mastery--you'll learn more about them in the September 9 webinar. Register

We've also included links to past sermons on stewardship available on Fr Gregory's blog.
Stewardship & the Human Vocation to Work
How Then Shall We Live? Our Use of Time
To Burn and to Shine is Perfection
Caring For the Community: Stewardship of Our Treasure

Another Reminder
Earlier this year we offered an article titled "Your Parish Budget-- what does it convey about your parish". As budget time approaches perhaps its time to remind ourselves of some of the thoughts in the article.
spacer

Adult Education and Formation
What Makes People Attend?
It is not news that the understanding of the Orthodox Christian faith by Orthodox laity is at times woeful.

Our feeling is that many laity, as they become more serious about their faith, become well aware of this limitation and have the real sense that they need to improve. In our in-parish workshops a standard outcome is a request for 'more adult education sessions'. This is regularly followed shortly after by an often tense, terse reminder from the parish priest of how many past sessions have been scheduled and how few attended.

What is going on here? Many lay persons admit to a deficiency. They have ready access to books articles --and often classes. Yet they seem unmotivated to act.

What Motivates Participation?
In the previous article (on Financial Stewardship) we mentioned that, unlike simple tasks where simple rewards motivate best, three factors are cited by researchers as motivators for serious effort and commitment to complex tasks and goals. The motivators are:
  • Autonomy - Confidence; a desire to be self directed; an urge to direct our own lives. In this case it may be the desire to express/select areas of development relevant to one's life. If people don't participate in and "own" the solution to problems or agree to the decision, implementation will be half-hearted at best, probably misunderstood, and more likely than not, fail.
  • Mastery -A natural drive to become better at something that matters. In this case a desire to explore topics of fluency to help ourselves become excellent Orthodox Christians.
  • Purpose - - Yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.
Recent Examples
We have heard and seen recent examples in the diocese, admittedly a handful, of successful adult formation/education class efforts. What are the characteristics of these above average attendance classes?
Perhaps the most important motivator is food!
Palatine students
 We note a number of similarities:
  • Interaction - The sessions that come to mind  followed a formula of short, multiple speaker presentations --followed by breaking down into discussion groups where attendees explored the topic, interacted and often were asked to create solutions to problems or answer topical questions as a group. Better than death by lecture (or Death By Powerpoint --a specialty of yours truly!) the discussions cause people to engage, build fluency --and come back next week.
We can complain all we want about short attention spans but it is a fact of life. Eight minutes is pushing people's attention span.
  • Lay teaching & facilitating -- In three cases I can think of, laity shared the bulk of teaching  with the rector. Perhaps better attendance in these cases is in response to parishioner's  perceived need to go out of the way to support the efforts of a fellow parishioner -- a celebration of empowerment. Or, perhaps there is a sense that the teaching will be more approachable or understandable or practical.  Likewise when groups break down into smaller groups lay persons often serve as facilitators --to keep the discussion from wandering.
  • Topical Relevance - Often the topics (or books for discussion) were selected by the potential attendees themselves. Sometimes "Father" recommended topic x, and the group urged a study of topic y. Often the result was greater commitment. "I never would have picked that book -- but I'm sure excited by the participation" is a comment we've heard often from clergy. Sometimes an educated laity may have a clear(er), relevant sense of where they need to develop fluency. Think: "autonomy" and "mastery".
  • "Short Semesters" - The evidence seems to show that describing the session as a (e.g.) four week course is more likely to generate commitment than a group that continues in perpetuity.
Perhaps we're over thinking this (again) but in this case these results seem to fit the theory. Can we see examples of autonomy, mastery and purpose in these above average endeavors?

Inquirer coverOr, as appears to be the case in the above photo, perhaps the secret is --"feed 'em"!

Reminder - Intro Class Slides Available On Line
While not exactly "adult education" we remind you that we have a fine slide series useful as a beginning catechesis or, more appropriately, as an introductory class for inquirers. You can find it, and lots of other useful tools on the Parish Development Ministry page of the Midwest Diocese website. The slides are here. PDF here.
spacer

Effective Clergy Transitions
Thoughts about Reducing the Difficulty of Retirement, Illness or Transfer of the Parish Rector
We've had a number of clergy retirements recently within the Diocese. Given the median age of pastors the rate of retirements will likely increase in the next five to ten years.

Recently we discussed this topic with a few senior clergy in the Diocese, from the standpoint of how to enable transitions to happen as gracefully as possible. Our conversation posited a set of "principles" that should guide the behaviors of retiring priests, new priests and parishes. We'll continue to discuss and improve the list - it's not ready for prime time - but we can share a few key thoughts about this topic -- particularly from the standpoint of parish leaders fulfilling their responsibility of oversight and preparedness.

Be Prepared
Nothing can help a parish to handle a clergy transition better than having reasonable advance warning. In the case of retirement this may be possible. However, in the cases of illness, accident, disability and transfer this may not be possible. And remember -- retirements lead to transfers to fill retiree's parish opening -- which leads to another opening --and so on.

The vigilant parish needs to be prepared (keep its lamps trimmed) for a transition - even a sudden transition. Preparedness falls into a number of areas:

Current Priest Preparedness
  • Compensation - Is the compensation for your current priest up to par? Has your parish made a habit of operating at 'the minimum'? A new priest may have new/additional needs. If your current budget is based on pay to the minimum -- be prepared for your newly assigned priest to operate around minimums --effort, competency, urgency. 
  • Benefits - For a variety of reasons the benefits needs and expectations of the next priest may be vastly different than the current priest.
  • Retirement - Is the current priest well prepared for retirement? Many clergy are not financially astute. They have gifts in areas of preaching and teaching the Gospel - but like all of us they may have less competency in other areas. Is it not at least partially lay leaders' responsibility to assure that the priest is properly preparing for the future?
Parish Preparedness
  • Vision -- Establish/articulate a parish vision. This includes your backward looking story. Your shared values. Your key parish priorities. This can help the hierarch to understand what qualities are most important for your next pastor. Your new pastor, if he is effective, will avoid the tendency to "fix" your parish and will, instead, work to help you to be all you can be. Help him to help you.
  • Top Three Reasons - Know your strengths as a parish. Always know what would make you attractive to a top quality priest and be prepared to articulate those when appropriate.
  • Take Responsibility & Initiative  - The more the parish depends on the pastor for most things - or the more he is the center of everything or controls every detail, the tougher the transition will be. Develop and discuss the role of the laity and explicitly explore/discern lay talents and gifts. Learn to share responsibility with the priest for important parish directional decisions. Make sure an active set of ministries being driven by laypersons exists. Develop the ability as a the parish, with minimal guidance by the priest, to discuss difficult issues.
Having a pastor who is beloved is a blessing. Having a pastor who is irreplaceable? Not so good.

Attractive Parish Qualities?
What's that? You don't know the reasons a new pastor might consider your parish attractive?  Back in 2008 we discussed this in an issue of Parish Pulse. Here is the article, "What Do Priests Want", that describes what four senior priests considered to be attractive qualities in a new parish.

Questions Asked
When a new pastor arrives he will have questions. The following is, in our opinion, a solid list of questions provided by a priest who recently made a transition.

It seems like a good idea for a parish to continually work toward solid answers -- whether facing a transition or not.
  • How did your parish start? Why did your parish start?
  • What interaction do you have with other parishes missions (OCA and/ other jurisdictions)?
  • What are your parish's top three goals / priorities?
  • How do you deal with conflict within the community?
  • What do you see as the role of the priest in the community?
  • What is the role of the parish council in the community?
  • What existing ministries do you have? What ministries do you hope to have in the future (Short term / long term)?
  • What is your #1 way of letting your geographic region know you exist?
  • What strategic planning have you done as a community?
  • What evangelistic efforts / programs do you have?
  • What is average attendance at Saturday vespers, (what % of body), midweek services, Sunday Liturgy?
  • What is the role of worship in the community?
  • What are your three most outstanding aspects of the community?
  • What are the three areas of the parish's life that need to continue improving the most in order for the community to reach its goals?
  • Does the community get together outside of services, coffee hour, church school?  If so how often and what do you do?
  • Why do you exist?
  • What makes your parish unique?
spacer

Orthodox Parishes and Neighborhood Identity
What Do We Convey?
Earlier this year we summarized an article (no longer available on line) from the Philadelphia Inquirer about the insular state of Philadelphia's many inner city Orthodox Churches. Our favorite line was from a local person who said he would "love to have a conversation with the Orthodox, but I'm not sure how to start it. That's the missing piece, the engaging piece . . . reaching out to the community, saying what you're about, and the community reaching back."

Alert Parish Pulse readers forwarded a story with a similar theme that recently appeared in the New York Times.  It described a procession marking the Great Feast of the Dormition at a Malankara [Indian] Orthodox parish in suburban Long Island.  [Malankaran Christians trace their origins to the missionary efforts of Saint Thomas.  They are a part of the Oriental Christian Tradition.]Indian Orthodox Procession 2
 
The Neighbors: Fascination & Nonchalance
The article quotes neighbors observing the procession. The comments offer interesting insight into how they perceive the parish, its faithful, and ultimately its mission.
 
"...neighborhood residents say they look forward to the procession because it is practically the only time when the people of the congregation venture outside, not counting getting in and out of their cars."
 
"If you didn't actually see this with your own eyes, and some people around here haven't, you might think I was making it up....  I mean it is so rococo, wonderful, Hindu-esque, with the flower petals, the girls holding the decorative parasols - everything but the elephants."
 
Indian Orthodox Procession 5"...the congregation and its parade have assumed a mysterious, almost mythical status..."
 
"Usually they're very quiet people....  This is the only day we hear anything from them at all."
 
"people watched with a mixture of fascination and neighborly nonchalance as the procession made its way around the block."
 
We certainly intend no disrespect toward the people of this parish. We've known a number of Malankara Indian Christians, and they are consistently pious, knowledgeable, and zealous. The customs described in the article are not many generations removed from those of Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic communities. [Paschal processions in most Orthodox parishes consistently give rise to neighborhood curiosity.]  The neighbors' reactions and descriptions, however, speak volumes with regard to how "open" they perceive the parish and it's involvement in the immediate, broader community.

A Good Question
When, in our own parish life, someone asks the good question, "How do the neighbors perceive our parish and its involvement in and outreach/ministry to the neighborhood", the answer we DO NOT want is, as noted by the Times, "across the street, some people sat on their porches, glancing occasionally over the tops of their newspapers at the passing parade."
 
If we are interested in sharing "what we are about" as the fellow from Philadelphia mentioned, the line between "curiously colorful" and "hospitable, open and inviting" - as perceived by the neighbors-- is important to understand.
spacer

As always we offer a warm thank you to all of you for allowing us to continue our efforts in this ministry. Thank you for reading these newsletters and for your feedback and encouragement.

In Christ,

Joe Kormos
Parish Development Ministry Leader
Diocese of Midwest
513.683.1911

P.S. Don't forget...next webinar in two weeks 9/9 7:00 CDT/8:00 EDT Register.