New Resource Handbook articles feature ministries to needy neighbors, the imprisoned, women in crisis pregnancies, and parish emergency preparedness
Four new articles in the Orthodox Church in America’s “Resource Handbook” series have been posted on the OCA web site at https://www.oca.org/RHIndex.asp?SID=15.
“There is a saying in Oregon, ‘If you don’t want it to rain, carry an umbrella’” begins author, Elizabeth Lien, in her article on “Parish Emergency Preparedness,” in the “Parish Development” section. Prompted by public health advisories regarding the possible H1N1 influenza epidemic in 2009, her parish, Church of the Annunciation, Milwaukie, OR, formed an Emergency Preparedness team composed of parishioners with expertise in health care, transportation and social services, plus members of the clergy and parish council. They met to formulate a plan whereby, should an epidemic or other such emergency occur, they would be able to meet the needs of members who became ill, as well as continue the work of the parish.
Elizabeth describes the parish plan in detail and points to other civic groups in the community with which a parish can cooperate for further help and/or to become part of a communal neighborhood effort should a disaster of any kind strike.
In “A Mission in Urban America,” posted in the “Community Service” section, Charles Robbins of Saint Gregory of Nyssa Church, Columbus, OH, details the growth of parish outreach to neighborhood needy from its beginning to the present, nine years later. It is a diverse program of help in multiple areas: food pantry, meals, clothing, fellowship, skills training, neighborhood cooperation, corporate relationships, church projects, and religious education, among others. “At the beginning we served sandwiches as the main course,” writes Robbins, and from that was born “the Saint Gregory Sandwich.” The Saint Gregory Outreach Program has not only helped hundreds of neighbors, but also, Robbins concludes, “has built a stronger group of Christians to serve.”
James Blackstock, director of St. Seraphim Fellowship, and Michael Brown enjoy the coffee hour at St. Justin the Martyr Church, Jacksonville, FL. |
“Saint Seraphim Fellowship,” an article also posted in the “Community Service” section, describes a ministry to men and women in Florida prisons. Author James Seraphim Blackstock, an Orthodox Christian who started the fellowship ten years ago, describes the real and difficult challenges he faced in his own life that gave him “the opportunity to look deeply into myself,” “to become aware that I was a taker and not a giver,” and “that I needed to ‘live’ my faith in community.” Thus he started going into the prisons, “and there I discovered the Christ who dwelled with the men I found there.”
James describes the growth of the ministry that he and Priest Michael Byars of Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church, Ormond Beach, FL developed over the years. They presently care for 120 individuals consistently each month and reach approximately 600 men and women in 22 different facilities through their visits; their bi-annual newsletter, “The Examiner - In Bonds;” and monthly correspondence. They are assisted by a team of thirty volunteers.
In 2010, the Saint Seraphim Fellowship received official status as a registered corporation in Florida and plans to grow the ministry as a resource for all Orthodox jurisdictions in the state. In addition to visitation and evangelization, the ministry now will also focus on helping the men and women who have served their time to reenter into society, assisting them with housing, employment, social needs and, if they so desire, spiritual needs.
Finally, in the “Family Life” section, an article by Kathy Kovalak, executive director of “Zoe For Life,” describes this non-profit, Christ-centered organization that provides help for women in crisis pregnancies. [“Zoe” means “life” in Greek.] Based in Cleveland, OH, it is pan-Orthodox organization with a board of directors, led by Paula Kappos, president, and volunteers who are local or living in other areas of the country.
The three major goals of “Zoe for Life” are to help pregnant women in distress who need confidential, emotional and spiritual support that will encourage them to choose life for their unborn child; to assist Orthodox Christians seeking to adopt; and to provide educational seminars on Christian living and other life affirming resources.
“Are we having an impact?” Kathy writes. “Since starting, we’ve had hundreds of calls for help on our helpline.”
Articles in the “Resource Handbook” are presented by the OCA Department of Christian Service and Humanitarian Aid., Donna Karabin, Chairman. New articles, questions, and comments can be addressed to Arlene Kallaur, Handbook Editor, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).