Our Parish Ministries
Chanters—The human voice is the greatest musical instrument ever created. Those who have been gifted with vocal ability are encouraged to join the parish choir, the role of which is to lead the people in their responses during worship. The choir practices the traditional two-part harmony of Byzantine chant as our primary tradition; other musical traditions may also be expressed from time to time.
Altar Servers—Both boys and adult men are invited to assist the priest during worship. This ministry is currently limited to males because the female diaconate is not currently active within the Church.
Fellowship—Our faith teaches that we are made in the image of one God in three persons, the Holy Trinity. We are therefore made for relationship. Beginning with the fellowship gathering that follows the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, we hope to inspire and extend the opportunities for fellowship into our homes and other spaces.
Youth—The Russian Orthodox saint Theophan the Recluse tells us, “Of all holy works, the education of children is the most holy.” With God's help, the parish has developed a vibrant catechetical program for young children, an Orthodox expression of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which facilitates their exploration of a relationship with God in ways appropriate to their ages and stages of development.
Auburn Mission—In 2021, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios, formerly of Atlanta, directed Fr. Paul Lundberg to extend his pastoral care to the faithful in Auburn. Having begun with monthly liturgies and occasional fellowship gatherings, the mission is growing and exploring its next steps. Click here for a link to the webpage of the Auburn mission.
Philoptochos—“Philoptochos” is a Greek word that means “Friend of the Poor”. Jesus Christ affirmed the commandments to care for the poor in the Mosaic law and the prophets who subsequently emphasized these commandments. Although men can also participate in this ministry, it is led by the women of the parish.
AHEPA—An acronym abbreviating “American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association”, AHEPA’s original purpose was the integration of Greek immigrants into the culture of the United States and their social success within that new culture. Today, AHEPA focuses on raising money to provide scholarships for the higher education of young adults from the parish. AHEPA is a ministry of men of the parish.
Food Festivals—Currently, the parish’s food festivals are primarily a way to raise funds for capital improvements to the parish facilities and secondarily a way to share the cultural traditions of the Greek immigrants who founded the parish. Many of these traditions have been shaped or influenced by the Orthodox Christian faith.
Parish Council—The parish council is a group of faithful elected by the parish to assist the presbyter in his administration of the parish. Parish council members’ duties include assisting with the oversight and management of parish affairs and ministries, preparing budgets, collecting revenue, paying expenses, and adhering to the Charter and Uniform Parish Regulations of the Archdiocese.
In addition to these parish ministries, there are ministries operated by the Metropolis of Atlanta and The Liturgical Arts Academy, held at the Diakonia Retreat Center.