Our Parish Ministries range from those serving within the church (e.g. Choir, Sisterhood, Youth Group), to helping our local neighborhood (FOCUS Cincinnati, Food Pantry), as well as helping groups such as Woven Oak Initiatives, Lydia's House, and others, to regional (Kairos Prison Ministry and others), and even international (the Hogar Rafael Ayau Monastery and Orphanage in Guatemala, an OCMC Mission Team in Albania, and the St Nicholas mission for children in Uganda).
Parish Ministries are described below; select ministries have their own pages with additional information. You can also explore our Ministries using the links above and in the Ministries drop-down menu in the Main Navigation Bar.
If you're wondering where you might put your God-given talents to work, this is a good place to start!
KOINONIA represents unity, fellowship, participation, sharing, and a common purpose across our parish ministries. That common purpose is based on the unity in the body of Christ described in Ephesians 4:16, “according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love”.
Download and print our Koinonia Ministries Brochure...
Children's Ministry - Create a Christian classroom learning environment for students PreK-HS which will support the teaching of weekly curriculum topics related to the Orthodox faith. Choir - To provide an assembly of adults and children who sing the responses in A cappella harmony. Members of the choir sing at all Orthodox services and lead the congregational singing. Learn more here... Church Cleaning - This quiet, helpful ministry is open to all! Easy online signup with weekly openings. Scroll down for more details... Evangelism - To love God and neighbor. We are called to preach the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ and serve each other in love. It is our mission to humbly and respectfully offer people an open and honest discussion about, let’s say, the meaning of life. Facility Maintenance Management - Provide proper care and protection of our building, grounds and equipment, through the cleaning, maintaining, improving, and beautifying of our house of worship. Feast Day - Decorate the church on major feast days in honor of the designated commemoration. FOCUS Cincinnati - The Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve (FOCUS) is united in faith and joined by a desire to provide solutions to poverty in communities across America. Our parish is helping lead the Cincinnati FOCUS Chapter. See our special FOCUS page to learn more and get connected with this important ministry. Food Pantry - Now integrated with FOCUS Cincinnati as a satellite food pantry, we collect food and financial donations from our parishioners and stock the Parish food pantry, which is used to distribute food to our Norwood neighbors in need. Inreach - To provide help and support to parishioners who are elderly, chronically ill, shut-in, or facing temporary challenges such as welcoming a new baby or recovering from surgery. Library - Provide an in-Parish resource where parishioners can borrow books on Orthodox topics to further their self-education. Livestreaming Ministry— Our dedicated team streams most services live via our YouTube channel. We are in need of additional operators so we can have a "deep bench" to cover for our principles when they are traveling or otherwise not able to be present. Media and Online Services - Our parish website serves a vital role as the online “face” of our parish… This ministry also includes sound amplification, recording media, digital projection and other services. Parish Greeters - Welcome visitors to the Parish, help them feel at home during the worship service, provide information about Orthodoxy and the Parish, and follow-up to thank them for visiting us. |
Prayer - Maintains and shares to parish email list prayer requests from within the parish, and from the website and other sources. Prison Ministry - Provide opportunities to those willing to serve Christ inside area prisons, including 3 half-day weekends, weekly prayer, and share evenings. Prosphora - Parish volunteers bake the Prosphora bread for the Divine Liturgy. Readers - Parish volunteers read the Hours, pre- and post-Communion prayers, and the Epistle each Sunday. Readers at additional services are scheduled as needed based on attendance. Sewing - Care for vestments worn by the Parish altar boys and priest and needed repairs, as well as baptismal garments for non-infants and other sewing needs. St. Katherine's Sisterhood - Supporting spiritual growth and fellowship among the women of the parish and to engage in fundraising to support parish needs and charitable activity as decided by the sisterhood. Retreat Ministry - Coordinate special events for the Parish that contribute to educational and spiritual growth. Parish retreats are guided by visiting speakers known for their expertise on the chosen retreat theme. Youth Group - Provide opportunities for our youth to deepen their faith, fellowship, and stewardship through discussion, service, and outings each month. For teens in grades 6-12. See here for more info. _______
Questions? Want to employ your talents in our ministries? Consider also asking about these general ministry categories: Liturgical, Education, Hospitality, Inreach, Outreach, Stewardship, Administration… Or just ask how you can “get connected!” Please contact our ministries coordinator!
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FOCUS Cincinnati Chapter
Dear Parish Faithful,
It is official! In mid-2023 our local Orthodox parishes created a FOCUS Cincinnati pan-Orthodox group, with Charlene Myers as our City-wide Director.
Please view this presentation on what a FOCUS Chapter in Cincinnati would look like. You can learn more about FOCUS North America on our special FOCUS Page. Please contact me if you would like more info on this initiative or to volunteer.
In Christ,
Fr. Steven
CHURCH CLEANING MINISTRY OPEN TO ALL
"Sanctify those who love the beauty of Thy house…” (The Divine Liturgy, Prayer before the Amvon)
Helping to clean the church is one of the great simple joys open to all the faithful, children included, and is an area at this time that requires more parish support. This is an ideal ministry for everyone — singles, couples, groups, and families — and is a task that is easily joined with prayer, especially The Jesus Prayer.
Cleaning to include:
- Vacuum all areas of the church proper including the nave, back, and center aisle and between pews if possible.
- Vacuum the choir area and choir room.
- Vacuum the vestibule, including under the pew and shelf. Wipe off the pew and shelf as needed.
- Vacuum and tidy the nursery/cry room and the hallway and down the steps to the threshold of the Fellowship Hall.
- Dry or Wet Swiffer the amvon (i.e., the steps in front of the iconostasis)
- Wipe off the base of the Crucifixion Icon and the candle table at the back of the church as needed.
- Vacuums are in the Choir Room and bags are in the cabinet. Other cleaning supplies are in the Fellowship Hall on the serving table.
Recommended days/times to clean include:
- Sundays after Divine Liturgy
- Saturdays before 5:30PM
- Tuesdays/Thursdays 9AM-3PM
- Tuesdays/Thursdays 6PM-8PM
Please contact Elena Drach to get into the cleaning schedule rotation, and for access to the church.
"I was happy when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!'" (Psalm 122:1)
Our thanks to Mary Ellen Mitchell for coming to speak to us recently of Lydia's House.
You can learn more about the ministry and community of Lydia's House through the info on this page, and help support their wonderful work via their website.
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The mission of Lydia’s House is to provide a supportive and stable environment for women and children in crisis. Each guest and her children will be helped to move into long term housing at the end of her stay; however, housing at Lydia’s House is as stable as possible in nature. It is a place of hope and healing as well as a springboard from which guests can seek training, new skills, and work that will provide for their needs. Women live in community, share life and meals with one another, and are encouraged in their personal spiritual journeys.
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER:
Mary Ellen Mitchell, co-founder of Lydia’s House
Mary Ellen Mitchell is a co-founder of Lydia’s House. As a collegiate volunteer, she became interested in the root causes of homelessness at the Open Door Community in Atlanta. Shortly after her graduation from Emory University, she moved back to Cincinnati, her home, and became an on-site volunteer at Grace Place, a provider of transitional housing for women and children. Professional development continued for her in Washington, DC where she worked for Jubilee Housing, a nonprofit provider of housing and supportive services. She returned to Cincinnati in 2006 and went on to hone skills in fundraising and development and complete her MA at Xavier University. Mary Ellen has been married to Ben since 2008, is a member of Bellarmine Chapel and is the mother of three children. She lives in Norwood where she's helped renovate 5 houses, 2 parks and sometimes preaches at local churches.