Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania

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Evangelism and Church Growth At the 2007 Diocesan Assembly, His Grace, Bishop Tikhon appointed a Task Force on Missions for the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania. The first meeting of this Task Force met at St. John the Baptist Church in Edwardsville on January 24, 2008. A second meeting was held at Holy Apostles Mission in Mechanicsburg on Thursday, February 21. At both meetings, His Grace offered a vision for the Diocese in terms of both establishing new missions and revitalizing older parishes that have seen decline in recent years. He emphasized that the purpose of the Task Force was to encourage the involvement of the entire diocese: deaneries, parishes and individuals, both clergy and faithful, in the work of spreading the Gospel of Christ. Since any spiritual growth in the Church must begin with self-examination, it was decided to send a short Parish Life Survey to all the parishes of the Diocese in order to lay the groundwork for further work in the areas of mission and evangelism. The Survey was a simple one, looking at the basic demographics and finances of our parishes. The following article is offered as a preliminary evaluation of the results of the Parish Life Survey. It is both an honest look at the present state of our diocesan parishes as a whole, and a call for all of us to re-evaluate our approach to missions, evangelization and stewardship. The Church is the whole of our life, not simply a part of it, and we must be prepared to offer ourselves to Christ with our whole being. CHURCH GROWTH AND HEALTH: A CHALLENGE TO OUR DIOCESE LET’S TALK DOLLARS! Consider two figures: $63.46 and $13.57. What’s special about these numbers? The first — $63.46—represents an average weekly tithe (10%) based on the median annual income for Pennsylvania residents: $33,000 according to census figures. The second — $13.57 – represents the average weekly offering of parishioners to our diocesan parishes, based on responses to our 2008 parish life survey. The difference between these two figures – the average weekly tithe less the average weekly offering – is $49.89. This represents the vast difference between the ideal of Christian financial stewardship that assumes tithing, and the current reality of our diocesan parishes. Now imagine if you and every other parishioner in your parish increased your offering by $49.89 a week! In a parish of 70 adults, this could potentially generate nearly $182,000 in added income to your parish! If this would happen, would your parish be lacking for 8 Alive in Christ www.doepa.org Missions Taskforce Members V. Rev. Daniel Kovalak V. Rev. Michael Hatrak V. Rev. Vladimir Fetcho V. Rev. John Udics V. Rev. Dionysius Swencki V. Rev. David Mahaffey Rev. David Cowan Rev. Nicholas Solak Rev. Timothy Hasenecz Rev. Timothy Hojnicki Rev. Stephen Vernak A man can be harmed by another only through the causes of the passions which lie within himself. It is for this reason that God, the Creator of all and Doctor of men’s souls, who alone has accurate knowledge of the soul’s wounds, does not tell us to forsake the company of men; He tells us to root out the causes of evil within us and to recognize that the soul’s health is achieved not by a man’s separating himself from his fellows, but by his living the ascetic life in the company of holy men. St. John Cassian
anything? Wouldn’t it be able not only to pay the bills but also be equipped to extend its mission and ministry beyond the walls of the church? Would your parish leadership and volunteers have to spend countless hours in endless meetings and fund-raising activities just to make ends meet? Granted, averages don’t tell the whole story. Our diocese includes parishes located in economicallydepressed areas facing unusually difficult circumstances, and parishes whose membership includes a largely elderly population on fixed incomes. There are a number of variables and factors, economic and otherwise, that will tend to skew averages. But consider this one fact: The healthiest, most active and vibrant parishes in our diocese (in any diocese!) are those with the highest average weekly offering of their parishioners. It’s that simple. YOU have the ability to empower your parish to thrive by striving toward the ideal of Christian stewardship through your regular, weekly financial offerings. On the other hand, if you and your fellow parishioners are content to maintain your current level of financial support – the diocesan average of $13.57 a week – not only will the health of your parish not change, it will continue to spiral downward, unable to keep pace with everincreasing operating costs. Further, the important work, witness, mission and ministry of our diocese and national church will correspondingly suffer at current levels of support. Just as your parish can only be as healthy as its members empower it to be, our diocese can only be as healthy as its parishes empower it to be. NOW FOR SOME TEACHING Most Orthodox publications on financial stewardship begin with sermons, pithy stories, illustrations, and biblical quotations to lay a foundation upon which to build their case. We’ve intentionally put the dollar figures up front here to emphasize the urgency of the desperate financial condition of an unfortunate majority of our diocesan parishes. Chances are if these figures don’t sound an alarm to you, you’ll YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO EMPOWER YOUR PARISH TO THRIVE BY STRIVING TOWARD THE IDEAL OF CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP. stop reading now. The averages, amounts and realities initially presented here would be sufficient to incite a lackluster response – “that’s interesting” – but little more. If, however you boldly desire to keep reading, prepare to be challenged! “COME TO OUR SERVICES!!” Many parish bulletins often include some variation on this innocuous phrase: “Please come to our services” Let’s think about this. The hallmark of our Orthodox faith is our “services.” Everything we need to learn, know and do as Orthodox Christians, is revealed, announced, manifested, taught, applied and “lived” in our Evangelism and Church Growth divine worship. Therefore, attending “the services” should be for us, not optional but essential actions of faith! It indicates our personal desire and commitment to learn, know and do what, as Orthodox Christians, we’re supposed to learn, know and do. Frankly, the invitation for parishioners to “come to our services” should be an unnecessary one! Though parishes vary in their particular schedules of worship, every “service” to be offered assumes the gathering of the parish community. There are no “secret” or “private” services in the church. Even the occasional memorial services (panahida) requested by and at the convenience of parishioners for departed family members are in fact “services” of corporate worship, where, amidst the “great cloud of witnesses” of angels and saints, God is blessed and glorified in the fellowship of His Church. In the Creed we profess our belief in “one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” Our church buildings exist for the purpose of manifesting this faith in corporate worship, ministry and fellowship. Did you ever ask what “services” such invitations refer to, who is in fact offering them and/or benefitting from them? These days, the American economy is based primarily on the “service” industry. Every company, merchant, store and internet website promotes products and services to supply a demand: to help meet needs. So what does “service” mean in the Church? Service means ministry. In the Bible, the word for service is “diakonia,” usually translated “ministry.” It means meeting needs www.doepa.org Alive in Christ 9
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