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What Christ’s Church is Really About

Posted on December 4, 2012 by in Chapel of the Holy Spirit

by Fr. Basil Biberdorf

Every time that we gather as church, we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, the Holy Eucharist, it’s always essentially the same… [St. John Chrysostom elaborates] ‘no Liturgy is less holy or more holy than any other.’

Fr. Thomas Hopko began his homily at the recent extraordinary All-American Council with these words. In the context of our worship life in Beavertown, they ring particularly true.

Our vision of “Church” is often conditioned on what can, at best, be described as the “trappings” of church. We like thinking of “Church” in terms of our buildings: the icons, the iconostasis, the smell of the incense, the tables and stands, and even the location and purpose of the parish hall. We also like thinking of the kinds of music we sing, and the way we sing it. We often have opinions about which groups a proper parish needs: choir, altar guild, church school, etc. We consider our fasts, and the way people should dress when coming to services. We look forward to holy suppers, home blessings, Paschal baskets, and the like. But, as I said, these things are all trappings of the Faith. They express and reflect our belief, but do not, in themselves, constitute the Faith. If they do for us, we have it all wrong.

All of which brings us to Fr. Thomas’s words. We gather in order to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, which exists for us to join our thanksgiving (eucharistia) to the Body and Blood of Christ in His Eucharist. Everything we do at Church is in preparation for that: for the acquisition of the One who is Himself Life. Since God does not change, and His holiness does not increase or decrease, there is no way to say that one Liturgy is more or less holy than any other. Christ’s gifts to us are as unchanging as He is. They come to us in our holiness and our unholiness, in our dignity and in our abasement.

This is vitally important for our Chapel. We cannot look to our lack of building and say, “We’re not really Church yet,” as though our “churchhood” is dependent on a structure. The Church is built on Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:18), not upon bricks or timbers. The foundation of our chapel is the same as that of any parish church, any monastery, and any cathedral anywhere: Christ Himself, who redeems the world, feeding and sanctifying those who believe in Him with His own precious Body and Blood.

Nope. We are Christ’s Church, and we have the blessing of sojourning as our earliest brethren did, praying and gathering in a home, giving witness to our God to those whom we encounter, giving of ourselves to those in spiritual and material need, studying the Scriptures, caring for each other, both in and out of the Church. We have the same opportunities to live and pray as Christians as the faithful in a large parish do. Indeed, we even have the opportunity to become targets of ridicule and ostracism by seeking to be in Christ’s Church.

These facts must dominate our thoughts especially in seasons like this one. It’s easy to become distracted by all the Christmas “stuff” (both in and out of the Church) and, in the case of the Chapel, distracted by our pursuit of a building that enables us to do even more. Regardless of those things, we are Church because we possess Christ and He possesses us. No liturgy is less holy or more holy than any other. May this reflection shape us in these holy weeks, and guide our efforts as we continue building in Snyder County.

December Opportunities for Parishioners

Posted on December 1, 2012 by in Opportunities

Check out these opportunities to further the work of your salvation (cf. Philippians 2:12-13)   through involvement in the life of Holy Trinity:

  • Holy Trinity’s annual St. Nicholas Gift Tree to bring joy to struggling families in our area.
  • St. Nicholas Vespers and Liturgy (December 5 and 6) to celebrate his transcending love of Christ (with a special surprise for the children).
  • Daily Worship with Confessions begin December 17 at 5:30 to prepare for the Nativity. A diocesan “40-day” liturgy will also be served December 21 at 9 a.m..
  • Holy Supper and Vigil will take place at an earlier time (4:30 and 6 p.m., respectively) to allow families with smaller children to attend.
  • Synaxis Divine Liturgy (December 26, 10 a.m.) to continue our festal celebration of Christ’s birth.

For the Record: November 2012

Posted on December 1, 2012 by in For the Record

Emergency Kits for Sandy Victims.

Emergency Kits for Sandy Victims.

Your Generosity

  • Supplies for 135 health kits were donated to Matthew 25, assembled by OCF, and sent to IOCC on November 4 for Sandy victims. Thank you.
  • 336 lbs. of turkeys and hundreds of food items were donated to Matthew 25 and assembled by volunteers from Strawberry Fields to feed 28 area families this Thanksgiving. Thank you.

Baptism

  • Catherine Troyan, daughter of Brian and Nina Troyan, baptized November 3, sponsored by Shane and Maria Stevens. Many years!
Volunteers pack bags of food to serve 28 families Thanksgiving meals.

Volunteers pack bags of food to serve 28 families Thanksgiving dinners.

Births

  • Stavros Dimitrios Diamantis, son of Fr. John and Mka. Andrea Diamantis, born November 9 measuring 8 lbs. 10 oz., 20.5 in. long. Many years!
  • Erika Mae Nelson, fourth grandchild of Judy Fryncko, born November 27 measuring 6 lbs. 4 oz., 21 in. long. Many years!

Election

  • Abp. Tikhon (Mollard) was elected Primate of the Orthodox Church of America at the 17th All American Council on November 13. Axios!

 

Making Time for Action this Christmas

Posted on December 1, 2012 by in Sunday School Scoop

Copyright: orthodoxwayoflife.blogspot.com (Chora Monastery)by Dn. Mark Oleynik

We now are in the midst of preparing for the great feast of the Nativity of Christ. This is an especially busy time of the year—a time of much activity but not always action.

Activity is necessary, looks outwardly good, and is usually rooted with good intentions, but can often overwhelm our day and eventually get in the way of what really needs to be done. Action, on the other hand, means taking control of something which can move one closer or result in achieving one’s ultimate goals and dreams. When contemplating how to act during this season we can look upon Jesus’ mother Mary. Let’s remember what she did during the events of Jesus’ birth—the most momentous happening to have come to pass on the face of the earth at the time. Even though our Lord’s Advent involved eternal and infintessimal consequences, St. Luke writes that “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (2:19). Here we have a model of action that we can emulate.

Picture the relative simplicity of Palestine in Mary’s day. Compare that with our life, our mode of living, and our environments. Perhaps the comparison represents two extremes, neither one of which might seem ideal, but between the two, so far as taking time to live, we are left to ponder in our hearts no other choice than that of the ancient life. To the people of the modern world, it would seem that Mary was demonstrating a mode of inaction. This is because we tend to live in a world that is purely sensory. We hear and see and smell and feel. We hardly ever stop to reflect, and if we do, it is only because we have been forced to, and thus reflection, as a means of salvation, comes too late.

We haven’t time to think deeply. We have gone so long without exercise in that direction that countless of us have never been able to think seriously and will never feel any inclination to do so. Everything is in motion. The day is of speed, of rush, of hurry. The only one who knows rest and quiet is the one in the grave. Our countless sacrifices laid on the altar of speed have denied us the real joy of life. We haven’t time to live, say nothing of experiencing its joys.

Let us strive to cultivate the peculiar grace which shone in the Theotokos. This is not something that only parents need—it is vital that we teach our children to take time to meditate upon God as well. We must become families of this action.

If we read little, let us keep it well. If we hear little, let us keep that which is worth pondering upon. Let us practice keeping and pondering, especially in those things pertaining to the health of the soul. One moment of solemn contemplation with the windows of the heart wide open towards God can be so full of hope, so full of promise, so full of blessing, that it may lead us to realize that the Lord is indeed in this place.

Extra Scoops

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
The Sunday School will present a Christmas play following the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, December 23. Everyone is invited to stay and join in the retelling of the Nativity story and sing along with the students.  (Children will practice on December 22 at 4 p.m.)

NEW BANNERS for Nativity were created by our Sunday School and are now hanging in the Narthex.  Many thanks to Patty Doty for leading the students.

A Message in Response to Recent News Coverage

Posted on November 29, 2012 by in Announcements

Late last night (November 28) the Centre Daily Times (CDT) ran an article with an unfortunate headline, “Man charged with stealing $1.50 from church,” which was later picked up by foxnews.com and other news outlets. While the CDT article paints a more complete picture of what transpired than what ran elsewhere, important details were also omitted. Holy Trinity reported each of the four break-ins to police and has cooperated with authorities who in turn decided to prosecute for the benefit of the accused.

Interested parties may contact me directly at frjohn@holytrinity-oca.org. Thank you.

– Fr. John Reeves

Another Salvation Opportunity

Posted on November 25, 2012 by in Orthodox Spirituality

Holy Trinity parishioners spread the joy of the season by caroling to area shut-ins.

by Fr. John Bakas

It seems like yesterday when the summer heat was upon us. [Now we have entered] the transformative period called Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a marvelous and sacred time in our church calendar. Advent is a forgotten 40 days of invitation to renew our commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is forty days to inventory the quality and direction of our lives. It is forty days to avail ourselves of the opportunity of saving our souls. By the Grace of God it is a time to bring balance, holiness, peace and purpose to our lives.

Thanksgiving and Christmas become meaningless and devoid of joy if we only see it as a time of just feasting. Indeed, we ought to also fast, according to our church guidelines. We ought to learn self-denial and bodily self-discipline. But if we only center the Holy season on our stomachs, eating or not eating we miss the whole spiritual purpose.

A saying attributed to the Holy Fathers of the church says: “The devil does not eat, he does not drink and he does not marry and this great ascetic formally is not less a devil”. We must put this into the proper context. Fasting should be a means to draw us closer to God by focusing on Him. In addition to food considerations, the holidays should be a time of spiritual growth and personal life changes.

Let us pray for positive attitude adjustments and habit rehabilitation that brings out the good in all of us and reconciles us to God and to one another. Do you want to make your holidays really count? Do you want to greet Jesus the new born babe with a joyous “Christ is born, Glorify Him”? Consider the following ten “unofficial” Commandments as part of personal renewal. Put them on your refrig-erator door, read them frequently and practice them with conviction and prayer:

  1. Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice. How you say it, often counts more than what you say.
  2. Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.
  3. Never let any opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
  4. Be interested in others, their pursuits, their work, their homes and families. Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn. Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard them as a person of importance.
  5. Be cheerful. Don’t burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Remember, everyone is carrying his own cross.
  6. Keep an open mind. Discuss, but don’t argue. It is a mark of a superior heart to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
  7. Let your virtues speak for themselves. Refuse to talk of another’s vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of valuable time and is extremely destructive.
  8. Be careful of another’s feelings. Wit and humor at the other person’s expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.
  9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world. Simply live so that nobody will believe them.
  10. Don’t be anxious about the credit due you. Do your best and be patient. Forget about yourself, and let others remember. Practice forgiveness and charity.

Happy Advent!

Editor’s Note: The Rev. John Bakas is Dean of St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Los Angeles, CA.  The article appears courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco.

State of the Parish: Celebrations and Opportunities

Posted on November 18, 2012 by in Parish Council

Brethren: Holy Trinity has much to celebrate over the year past and has several opportunities in 2013 to further our mission of building up the Church beyond our parish.

First, let me highlight a number of unqualified successes. [Sections with asterisks (*) have their own reports and I refer you to them for greater details.] 

Celebration

A prime example of building up the Church beyond our parish is the Penn State Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF)* which actively ministers to students who participate on campus and in our parish in activities led by Deacon Alex Cadman. Over the years by means of campus ministry, Holy Trinity has been formative in the vocations of priests, deacons and monastics who now serve the Church. In addition to our own Dn. Alex, these are Fr. Hector Firoglanis, Fr. Gheevarghees John, Fr. John Diamantis, Sister Helene (Krenitsky) and Sister Margarete (Roeber).

Additionally, Alexey Petrides and Ryan Stingle are now completing Master of Divinity degrees at Holy Cross Seminary in anticipation of future church service, and Jabra Tannous has begun studies at St. Vladimir’s. Maria Roeber is finishing her two year appointment as a missionary to Tanzania. This is not to mention the numerous Penn State alumni now serving as lay leaders and simply good Orthodox Christians in so many parishes and careers in various parts of the country who credit OCF with providing them with a spiritual base and formation during their university years.

Sunday School/VBS* have seen consistent growth and excellence under the capable direction of Deacon Mark Oleynik. With five classes now in session on Sunday mornings, we now face the joyous challenge to find more room to accommodate more students. (Don’t forget that in Deacon Mark’s previous assignment at St. Mark’s, Bethesda, the Sunday School tripled in size and the parish was “forced” to build a Christian Education wing to accommodate the growth. It’s easy to see why.) 

Matthew 25* provides all of us with regular opportunities to impact the lives of Christ in the poor and the homeless in our community through its considerable work and partnership with Strawberry Fields and Housing Transitions. 

Men’s Fellowship sent a team of ten on a short-term construction mission to Marshall, Alaska. This marks the first time that a group of adults from Holy Trinity have done mission work, although we have helped to send many students on short-term missions throughout the world over the years. Upon return, the men have decided to support an Alaskan seminarian, Deacon Jason Isaac, in his studies at St. Herman’s Seminary, Kodiak. Dn. Jason is from Marshall. We appreciate the support which others have committed to this effort as well.

Opportunity

Our Strategic Growth Team (SGT) is actively engaged with charting our course over the next several years. As I noted at last year’s meeting, we have a five-year window to do the following:

  1. Build a chapel for our parochial mission, Chapel of the Holy Spirit (CHS)*, Beavertown.
  2. Come to a decision about our own building/expansion/relocation options in State College.
  3. Continue to expand and develop ministry at Holy Trinity in the meanwhile.

This year, it is a joy to refer you to Fr. Basil’s report and the considerable progress which is being made to build that chapel in Beavertown. Barring unforeseen complications, it is anticipated, and quite possible, to clear all the hurdles, dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s and break ground for CHS in 2013.

SGT has been at work over the past six months trouble-hooting several options for the parish to consider for addressing our need for more space for future ministry. As these are further refined by staff and council, the parish as a whole will have ample opportunity over several months to assess these options, comment upon them, and help us reach consensus on a prudent way forward which is faithful to our mission—to build up the Church beyond the parish—and our core values of worship, discipleship, fellowship, ministry and stewardship.

These options include, but are not limited to, the following: purchasing additional property in the neighborhood, specifically the American Cancer Society next door; purchasing property elsewhere in State College to build a larger, new temple and facilities; remaining on-site with no additional capital expansion, but the possible addition of two liturgies on Sundays; developing a second mission in this area to accommodate growth; or perhaps some combination of the options above. God will guide and God will provide both the direction and the means to do his will.

Seminarian Internship—Fr. Basil and I are exploring the possibility of a seminarian internship at Holy Trinity/Holy Spirit for this coming summer to develop the choirs and singers for both State College and Beavertown. Much technical knowledge is needed to conduct and sing Orthodox services well. This is something we have come to expect in our liturgical experience in our parish. The intern would possess considerable seminary and musical training in order to expand upon the dedicated work of Dr. Bob Roberts, Karen Cattell and our many church singers. It is envisioned that the intern would spend most Sundays in Beaver Town, while workshopping and developing voice and conducting techniques in State College during the week.

The proposed cost noted in the two budgets (HTOC and CHS: $4,000) would be raised apart from general offerings through grants and appeals. Besides providing a seminarian with parish experience in anticipation of future ministry in the church, it would also offset a portion of his or her educational expenses for the ensuing school year.

Seminary faculty from St. Vladimir’s Seminary is involved in developing criteria for participation as well as vetting possible candidates for this program. The term would last 8-10 weeks.

Everything outlined above is faithful to our mission and based upon our core values, building up the Church beyond our parish by means of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry.

Now for the stewardship: When I first cast vision for my pastorate in State College (1995!), I told mission leaders at that time that under my leadership it would be a pastorate whose ministry was based upon sacrificial, proportionate giving for the work of the Church. The mission community was already in agreement that Holy Trinity would never charge “dues” because it never wanted to become a religious club but a church in the fullest sense of that term.

I promised that God would bless us if we honored him with a tithe, something which Scripture indicates and which I practice. I also promised to lead them and the future parish in scripturally based financial support (cf. Malachi 3:8ff).

Over the years our financial stewardship has grown and our blessings have been multiplied. Currently our sixty families and supporting units provide not only the bulk of the parish budget through weekly offerings but mission and outreach appeals above budget, as well. Total giving as noted in the financial reports from both State College and Beavertown is now approximately $250,000 per year. That’s an average of more than $3,500 per family. And that is a blessing! But now, we called to be blessed more by increasing support sacrificially to meet the opportunities God has in store for us in 2013.

Chiefly, the majority of the increase is to provide adequate compensation in terms of pension and health care for Deacon Alexander. In addition to being on campus, he serves as parish ministry coordinator. As a full-time church worker, he is entitled to the benefits which most of the rest of us already enjoy. The Pastoral Care Committee is to be commended for its diligence in applying the Clergy Compensation Guidelines of the OCA in order to propose the increase in Deacon’s Alex total support.

It might be tempting to say, “let’s just have every family increase giving” by 1/60th of the total increase needed. In other words, a $12,000 increase divided by 60 families: that would work out to approximately $200 per family, or $17 per month, or $4 per week. And that certainly would be one way to do it, if everyone responded equally. But would it be the right way?

Have we ever noticed that things we are tempted to do are never really God’s way to do anything? Now, I’m not saying that everyone increasing his pledge by $4 per week is an evil thing to do! But what I am saying is that Scripture teaches us to give in proportion to how God has blessed us. For some, $17 per month might be the cost of a latte a week at Starbucks. For others, it might be the cost of a medical prescription. So while leveling the field might sound good, it actually might hurt some of our brethren.

In other words, to those to whom much has been given, is much more required. So, I lay this before you as an opportunity to increase your giving and then increase your joy in proportion to God’s blessings, in your lives personally and in our parish’s life corporately. Take a fixed percentage of your income blessing and thank God for it by returning it to him, weekly or monthly, and put him to test, as he indicates to us:

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 8:10-12)

Then let’s see what God will give us to celebrate next year, and how many more opportunities he will give us to continue building up the Church beyond the parish through worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and stewardship.

— Fr. John

Missionary Maria Roeber: 18-Month Update

Posted on November 15, 2012 by in Features

Copyright: facebook.comFuraha na amani! Joy and Peace!

I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by. Back in June, I wrote to you and promised to update you on our first month with a fully functioning health centre. Here, it is November already! Where does the time go? Please forgive me.

I’d like to give you a brief summary of what’s been going on the past several months, and then I will write a couple of other more detailed updates about specific ministries we’re engaged in right now.

First, on July 1, we opened the health centre with our newly hired staff. Our team includes physicians, nurses, a pharmacist, a lab technician, administrative/accounting staff, as well as security and housekeeping personnel. The medical work we do is primary care, and exclusively on an outpatient basis. However, the health centre also ends up treating emergent cases when people come to us.  There is no such thing as an “appointment” here—people are seen on a “first come, first served” basis, unless of course there’s a case that needs to take priority. The most frequent complaints are respiratory—coughs, colds, flu, etc., and then malaria, gastrointestinal complaints like diarrhea and worms, and skin problems ranging from fungal infections to allergic reactions. Urinary tract infections are also common. We do a fair amount of wound care, especially foot and leg wounds that people from the surrounding villages don’t get treated as quickly as they should.

We’re working toward improving our diagnostic capabilities; there’s an x-ray department, ultrasound equipment, and an EKG machine in the health centre but so far, just the EKG machine is being used. One of the things I am learning to appreciate is just how much work goes into maintaining equipment and supplies in order to use technology in medicine. We also need to provide continuing education and training to our current staff so they can utilize the donated equipment we have. Right now we’re seeing about 15-20 patients per day, five days a week.

One of the challenges we face is that the health centre was built in a rural location, up on a hill about a 15-minute drive away from the center of town. There’s no public transportation available, so patients have to hire a motorcycle or a taxi to reach us, and the cost of private transportation is prohibitive. What we find is that many of our patients come from the surrounding local village, or are patients who have sought care elsewhere first and are willing to spend the money to reach us and seek additional help. It’s rewarding to be able to help those people, even though our patient volume isn’t high. We are optimistic that, as our diagnostic capabilities improve and word gets out that we are providing good care, more patients will seek us out.

In addition to my work with the health centre, the last several months have been really busy with short-term volunteer teams from the US and Greece.  OCMC sent a teaching team in July and a healthcare team in October. A medical team from a parish in the United States was here in September and, as I write this update, we have a medical team here from Greece. In early December we will receive another teaching team from OCMC.

The local Church relies heavily on missionaries to help prepare for and care for short-term teams. Hosting a team involves everything from organizing schedules and purchasing supplies, to handling and accounting of all of the finances for a team. That doesn’t sound too demanding when you’re in the US, but in Tanzania, going shopping doesn’t mean going to a grocery store. It takes me four hours to shop for five days’ worth of food for 8 people. Our teams have ranged in size from 6 people to 17 people at a time. While it is a lot of work, I have also been very grateful for the eagerness of these team members to come here and support the Church, and to share their gifts and talents and knowledge with their brothers and sisters. Personally, I also really benefit from having visitors here.

Probably the most difficult thing for me in the past year-and-half has been the lack of social support here—so, I really treasure the time I get to chat with people from home and to speak my own language. It’s also wonderful to be able to pray and worship with people in English, and I’ve been grateful for the presence of American Orthodox priests who have participated in the teams. They are a huge comfort to missionaries in the field!

Another thing I have been working toward is getting my Tanzanian nursing license. When I arrived in Tanzania, I couldn’t apply for a license right away because the health centre wasn’t registered yet, and as a foreign nurse I have to be associated with a specific medical facility in order to practice. Then, once we received registration for the health centre in March, I realized that it would be risky to apply for a license in Tanzania before my license from the US was renewed. My concern was that I would pay the $250 fee to get a Tanzanian license and that the Ministry of Health would issue a Tanzanian license that would only be valid until my US license expired—which would have been in June. So, I decided to wait until I got that straightened out.

Renewing my license in the US was complicated this year, since the process requires the submission of fingerprints for a background check. I ended up being able to get official fingerprinting done  while visiting Germany and sent the paperwork home to the US via my folks. Once I got my US license renewed, I submitted my paperwork here in Tanzania. A very good friend who is a nurse in the US graciously offered to help me get the verification of my license from the nursing board in DC, and a former nursing professor from Penn State helped me secure verification of my educational training. One unexpected delay has been that the paperwork from the US has to be mailed to Tanzania, and can’t be sent by email. Mail from the US generally takes about three weeks to get here, so I am eager to call the Tanzanian Nursing Board this week to check on my status. Once I have a Tanzanian license, I will be ready to start working directly with patients in the health centre, and I have even been invited to do some volunteer work at the local government hospital in their maternity ward. I’m extremely excited about that, and have really missed taking care of patients.

Finally, as odd as it sounds, I now have just four-and-a-half months left in my term of service here. I’ve been doing a lot of soulsearching about what is next for me, and have been praying for guidance and discernment. In the next several weeks, I will be making decisions about whether I will return to the US to continue my education or will consider extending my service here in Tanzania for another year or two. It’s not an easy decision, and I would really appreciate your prayers as I consider the next steps in my life.

For many missionaries it takes about 18 months to start to settle into their role in a foreign country, and I believe that has happened for me. I am not an expert in Kiswahili or in Tanzanian culture, but I am no longer a tourist. I have bonded with people and am invested in the work going on here, so contemplating going back to the US is really difficult. On the other hand, I feel a definite calling to become a nurse-midwife, and possibly a family nurse-practitioner. It has become clear to me that what people really need here, especially in rural areas, is a primary care practitioner who can care for people throughout their lifespan. As a labor and delivery nurse, my skill set is extremely specialized and I can see that I need to broaden my knowledge base in order to effectively care for the people who ask for my help. Right now I am looking into different options for continuing my education, and I will be talking with the missionary department at OCMC to see what options I have so that I can continue to work as a missionary but also get the education I feel I need. Please keep me in your prayers, and I will be updating you in the coming months about my plans for the future.

Thank you so much for your interest in the mission work here in Tanzania. So many of you have contacted me privately to ask how things are going, and I am really sorry that it has taken me so long to update you as a group. At various times as a missionary, we become overwhelmed; it’s not just that things are busy, but that it can be daunting to try to communicate what life is like. I appreciate your patience with me and I want you to know that I really do want to keep you informed.

As I said, now that I’ve given you a summary of the past few months I will write again about some of the specific teams we’ve hosted. Until then, thank you as always for your prayers and support. I couldn’t do this work without you, and I am so grateful that God has provided me with such a faithful and enthusiastic group of people to join in this ministry with me! God bless you!

Love in Christ,
Maria

A Look Ahead to the Annual Meeting

Posted on November 5, 2012 by in Features, Parish Council

Jump to: Annual Meeting Information | 2013 Proposed Budget
Download the 2012 Annual Report

by Fr. John Reeves

Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 18 following the Divine Liturgy. Holy Trinity’s approach to this yearly event is simple. Reports are sent in ahead of time. Resolutions to be voted on are submitted to Council in writing, prior. Comments are kept on topic and within the competence of the assembly. We vote on a budget. Officers are selected. Then we go home. It usually takes 45 minutes, though we have done it in less time. Rarely do we need more.

Of course, this is the easy part. That is, it is easy to attend a meeting, receive reports, authorize expenditures and then adjourn. The real work of parish life goes on continuously. Council meets monthly, and ministries function year around. Hardly a day goes by where a ministry, a service, a meeting is not going on, either at the building or in the parish at large. This constant working together, day by day, by so many people reminds us that the Church truly is not an organization, as much as an organism. Bulgakov, the Russian theologian, made this observation in the last century.

An organism functions, and if healthy, it functions rather naturally. One action complements the other. The Church mutually edifies itself in love. (cf. Ephesians 4). It is not without guidance, but it functions rather harmoniously and above all, it grows. Only when an organism takes on decay, begins to rot, or lacks direction is growth impeded. Its natural function, its mutual edification, can cease altogether. In the case of parishes, if this happens, they can become more like worldly institutions seeking to justify their own existence, and focusing merely on themselves.

Above all, I think this is why our meetings are the way they are. They are not contentious. They reflect the mutual edification and harmony of parish life. And they look to the future, not to the past, because growth always leads us somewhere new. The Church organism constantly takes us forward. Christ guides and leads us onward. Our life together is one of organic movement forward in the Kingdom.

This year, we will be asked to look ahead financially to a budget increase, reflecting our continued growth. It is reasonable and one well within our means to attain (about 7%). The majority of the expense is because of our need to pay our first deacon an adequate salary for his full time work. Until now, we have not provided him retirement or health benefits. The proposed budget addresses this: a five percent raise to Deacon Alex’s base pay, plus allowances for his pension and health insurance. This will put our commitment to him in conformity with the OCA’s Clergy Salary Guidelines. The Budget and Pastoral Care Committees are to be commended for their work and their due diligence this year, making sure that we spend wisely on ministry and meet the moral obligations we have to full time clergy on our staff.

I look forward to your participation at the Annual Meeting. More importantly, I look forward to your participation in parish life beyond the meeting. Passing a budget is only one step. Supporting the budget with tithes and offerings makes that budget a real indicator of where our hearts are in our parish. It is further proof that we are truly an organism, not an organization. For, we seek to build up one another in love, so that Christ is the center of life together at Holy Trinity, in deed and not merely in word.

As with any other call for increased stewardship, my pledge will be raised first. Please pray and consider your commitment as well, as I pray for you to follow my lead.

2012 Annual Meeting Information

Holy Trinity will hold its Annual Meeting on Sunday, November 18 at noon following the Divine Liturgy. Nominations are open for Council President, Vice President—Grounds, and Assistant Treasurer. Resolutions must be submitted in writing to the Parish Council for review by November 7. Nothing will be considered from the floor.

Parishioners in good standing who were registered with the parish as members at the end of the previous calendar year and who have fulfilled their Lenten obligations of Confession and Communion may and should attend.

Agenda

  1. Opening Prayer: “O Heavenly King…”
  2. Minutes of the 2011 Meeting
  3. Priest’s Report
  4. Treasurer’s Report
  5. Review and Approval of 2013 Budget
  6. Election of Officers vii. Closing Prayer: “It is truly meet…”

2013 Proposed Budget

Holy Trinity Income

Category

2012
 YTD*

2012
Budget

2013
  Budget

%
Chg.
Stewardship Offerings

$135,454

$182,064

$191,682

5.3%
Deacon Support

3,755

5,000

5,000

0.0%
Parking

2,642

2,000

3,500

75.0%
Missions Appeal

1,260

2,000

3,000

50.0%
Candles/Flowers

2,429

2,600

2,600

0.0%
OCF Funding Appeal

1,200

2,000

2,000

0.0%
Choir Internship

—

—

2,000

—
Discretionary Fund

—

500

500

0.0%
Interest

320

500

361

-27.8%
Other

198

700

—

-100.0%
Total Income

$147,258

$197,364

$210,643

6.7%

Holy Trinity Expenses

Category

2012
 YTD*

2012
Budget

2013
  Budget

%
Chg.
Personnel

$91,264

$120,004

$129,720

8.1%
Archdiocese

12,859

17,891

20,856

16.6%
Mortgage

15,116

19,444

17,315

-10.9%
Outreach & Fellowship

6,012

7,250

8,250

13.8%
Liturgical

3,924

4,675

6,675

42.8%
Utilities

4,947

6,485

6,535

0.8%
Physical Plant

2,509

4,050

4,050

0.0%
Office Administration

2,871

3,350

3,850

14.9%
Christian Education

1,914

3,900

3,200

-17.9%
Missionary/Seminaries

2,250

3,000

3,000

0.0%
Coffee Hour

1,502

2,000

2,000

0.0%
Insurance

1,611

1,815

1,692

-6.8%
Discretionary Fund

2,147

1,500

1,500

0.0%
All-American Council

1,000

1,000

1,000

0.0%
Refurnishings

891

750

750

0.0%
Miscellaneous

568

250

250

0.0%
Total Expenses

$151,385

$197,364

$210,643

6.7%

Chapel of the Holy Spirit Income

Category

2012
  YTD*

2012
Budget

2013
  Budget

%
Chg.
Total Income

$25,173

$28,200

$32,510

15.3%

Chapel of the Holy Spirit Expenses

Category

2012
 YTD*

2012
Budget

2013
  Budget

%
Chg.
Personnel

$11,424

$15,700

$15,400

-1.9%
Outreach & Fellowship

782

1,325

1,625

22.6%
Property

484

580

820

41.4%
Office Administration

55

345

295

-14.5%
Liturgical

906

240

280

16.7%
Refurnishings

—

510

250

-51.9%
Christian Education

114

200

200

0.0%
Utilities

—

100

100

14.9%
(Transfer to Savings)

—

9,200

13,540

47.1%
Total Expenses

$13,765

$28,200

$32,510

15.3%

* as of September 30, 2012

OCF Invites Two Prominent Speakers to Area this Month

Posted on November 2, 2012 by in Orthodox Christian Fellowship

Maria Khoury and Bob SimonThe Penn State Orthodox Christian Fellowship will host two nationally recognized speakers this month. On Thursday, November 8 at their weekly 6 p.m. meeting on campus (212 Pasquerilla), Fr. Michael Ellis, OCF North American Chaplain, will speak to the group on “Coping with Scandal,” addressing the tumultuous events that have taken place at Penn State over the past year.

Later that week, on Sunday, November 11, OCF will host renowned Palestinian activist Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D.  Dr. Khoury—a human rights champion and author of several books and articles bringing international awareness to the dwindling Christian population on the West Bank—will speak to the entire State College community at 7 p.m. in 104 Thomas Building.

A prolific speaker, Dr. Khoury is the wife of the mayor of Taybeh, the last remaining all-Christian village in Palestinian-occupied Israel. She was recently featured on a 60 Minutes episode highlighting her cause of improving living cond-itions for all those living behind a 430-mile long Israeli “security” wall, which critics have denounced as being akin to apartheid. Q&A will follow her presentation, which is open to the public.

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