Hello
For those of you who have just begun to explore Orthodox Christianity, we hope that this basic orientation to our church and how it operates inspires you to visit.
Let’s start with a short video featuring our priest, Father Stavros Akrotirianakis, introducing our community. Though the website’s address has changed since the video was produced, in the ways that truly matter it still faithfully represents us.
Come and See
If you’re feeling a bit nervous about your first visit, don’t. You would be blessing us with the opportunity to share our faith.
With regard to the Greek origin of our church: If you’re Greek, that’s great! If you’re not, that’s wonderful! Rest assured that we welcome everyone seeking the true light of Jesus Christ.
Therefore consider yourself warmly invited to any of the services on our calendar.
To experience Orthodox worship with a full house and an amazing choir, join us on Sunday morning for the Divine Liturgy. For a more intimate experience with a much smaller crowd and no choir, join us instead for a weekday service.
You could also start with an Orthodox Bible study. We have two of them. On Tuesday mornings, Fr. Stavros leads a women’s Bible study. On Tuesday evenings, Father John Stefero (our associate priest) leads a Bible study that’s open to everyone, which many inquirers and recent converts attend. After the evening study, it’s not uncommon for attendees to linger for a long chat or gather at a nearby eatery. The Bible studies are occasionally rescheduled, so please confirm the event with the online calendar before making the trip.
We have several groups that meet monthly, providing more opportunities for learning and fellowship. There’s the Men’s Fellowship (on a Sunday evening), Young Adults (roughly 21 to 40), and Young at Heart (55 and over). The meeting dates are in (you guessed it) the online calendar and new, non-Orthodox faces are always welcome. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding when to visit or what to attend, don’t hesitate to reach out.
The Divine Liturgy
The Divine Liturgy is the service we celebrate most often. Don’t worry about not knowing what to do. Newcomers (to whatever degree they are physically able) usually just stand when others stand and sit when others sit.
In the pews there are two different books that cover the service. Most people find the spiral-bound version (pdf) easier to follow. Even so, expect to get lost for a while at the Small Entrance. It’s a tricky section whose hymns vary with the season, feast, and church.
On Sundays, the Small Entrance’s hymns are printed on the second page of the bulletin, which you’ll find stacked near the church’s main entrance (the doors facing Swann Ave). On other days, there is no bulletin, but in its stead there’s a small sign posted near the candles with the name of the feast day and a page number. That’s the page in the spiral-bound Liturgy where you’ll find the hymns.
In the Orthodox Church, Holy Communion is reserved for Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared to receive the Holy Gifts. So please do not present yourself for Holy Communion. However, at the end of the Liturgy, everyone is invited to partake of the blessed bread.
After the Service
After the service, please do introduce yourself to our greeters, our priests, and to whomever is nearby. If you don’t know what to say, try this: “Hello. My name is <your name>. This is my first time in an Orthodox church. I have no idea what just happened here, but it was awesome!”
If it’s Sunday morning, go next door to the fellowship hall, called the Kourmoulis Center. There you’ll find coffee hour in full swing. After loading up on caffeine and pastries and meeting a few more people, consider visiting our bookstore. If you’re interested in an introduction to Orthodoxy, we usually have several highly-regarded options in stock. There are also many beautiful icons to admire.
Connecting
Besides the calendar, we publish a weekly Bulletin and a monthly Messenger. The Bulletin is a weekly pamphlet focusing on the coming week’s events and services. The Messenger is a magazine featuring a message from our priest, recaps of recent community events, announcements from our ministries, and more. The current issues are linked from our front page.
To stay connected, subscribe to the general mailing list. While you can learn most of what’s happening from the calendar and our publications, some things are only announced through the mailing list. If you change your mind later, you can always unsubscribe at any time.
For a bit of practical Orthodoxy delivered to your inbox every morning, subscribe to the PrayerTeam, a daily reflection written by Fr. Stavros.
Fr. Stavros also teaches Orthodoxy 101 twice a year. This introductory course is offered free of charge to everyone, but it is only required of those who wish to convert at St. John.
Our primary fundraising event is our annual Greek festival. You can volunteer without being a member of the church and it’s a great way to get to know each other.
We also have many ministries. Look over the list. If you’re interested in getting involved with any of them, check the calendar or Messenger for its next event, or contact the ministry head (their phone number should be listed on the last page of the weekly bulletin).
Finally, most importantly, when you need spiritual guidance, please call the office to make an appointment to speak with Fr. Stavros or Fr. John.
May God Bless You.