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Altar
Servers - Young boys and teens between the
ages of 7 and 18, are invited to serve in the Altar each
Sunday and at all liturgical services. They are trained by
the clergy.
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Church
School -
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is
old, he will not depart from it." This quote from the Holy
Scripture describes our philosophy on religious education.
Church School classes are held every Sunday from September
to June, preceding Divine Liturgy. Our director and
teachers are devoted to their task of sound education in
the Orthodox Faith. The parents and the teachers come
together when necessary to plan and execute the social
gatherings and spiritual activities of the children.
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Fellowship
of St. John the Divine - We are currently
re-activating this ministry.
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| Bread Baking Team
- These hardworking women gather weekly to bake
Syrian bread to sell to the community at large. They are
renown for baking the BEST bread in the area. In addition,
their efforts help the parish financially. They are truly
great ministers of St. Elias Parish. |
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Theotokos
Society - This is an organization in our parish for
our devoted and energetic women. Theirs is a service of
love for church and community since 1913. They concentrate
on religious, cultural and humanitarian efforts in their
activities as defined by their parent organization of the
Archdiocese - the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Women of
North America, Eastern Region (AOCWNA). Our women have
always been the heart of the parish.
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Parish
Council - The
Parish Council is composed of dedicated men and women
elected or appointed to administer the affairs of St.
Elias Parish in accordance with its Constitution and
by-laws. In addition, representatives of all the adult
church organizations are members of the Parish Council.
Structured by Robert's Rules of Order, it is very similar
to the workings of the American Congress. However there is
one vast difference: our Congress is governed by
Democracy; our Parish Council is governed by Theocracy.
Our governing head is Jesus Christ, represented in the
person of the Primate of the Archdiocese. That is why we
have certain criteria in the selection of people to serve
on the Parish Council. Under our constitution, our Parish
Council administrates! You, the Body of Christ, legislate.
They advise - you consent! We are very fortunate to have
men and women to serve on our Parish Council who are
dedicated Orthodox Christians and who sacrifice their
time, talents, and resources for the Church.
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SOYO
(Society of Orthodox Youth Organizations) - This
organization is for teenagers but also encourages
pre-teens to get involved in preparation for their teen
years. Their activities include an annual retreat and
camping at the Antiochian Village. Their biggest fund
raisers to support their programs are the annual Christmas
projects and bake sales. They are encouraged to
participate in the annual Regional Parish Life Conference
and the two delegates' meetings of the Eastern Region. Our
chapter recently hosted the very successful 2004 Fall
Delegates Meeting!
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St. Elias
Liturgical Choir, Chanters and Readers
- "A church without a choir is like a body
without a soul." Our Liturgical Choir is the
soul of our church. They sing at most liturgical services
the traditional Byzantine music of the Orthodox
Church.
They are also committed to participate in other
sacramental services (such as weddings), Choir festivals and the Sunday of
Orthodoxy Vespers. Our choir director and members are most
faithful in their love and devotion to the Church and for
that we are grateful.
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