Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (St. Matthew 5:16)

“The Light of Orthodoxy is not lit for a small circle of people. . .it is our obligation to share our spiritual treasures, our truth, our light, and our joy with those who do not have these gifts. This duty lies not only on pastors and missionaries, but also on lay people, for the Church of Christ, in the wise comparison of St. Paul, is a body, and in the life of the body every member takes part.” (St Tikhon)

The Church of the 318 Holy Fathers has many ministries where we serve our church, the local community and wider area. We hope that everyone in our church can find a ministry in which to participate.

The list below gives a brief description of the ministries of the Church of the 318 Holy Fathers. Please look at this list and decide where your talents can be best used. Once you have decided where your talents can be best used, please call Fr Stephen or Fr Panteleimon to volunteer.

The ministries allow us to pledge our talent as our expressions of our faith in God and thanksgiving for all that He has done for us. The ministries also provide us with a way to fulfil our duties to bear fruit, feed the hungry, help the sick, and use our spiritual gifts to edify the Body of Christ.

Liturgical Service

• Altar Servers: serve in the altar assisting the clergy
• Head Chanters: prepare for the Divine Services by finding the correct hymns and readings for the season or day of the year and chant the liturgical hymnody during the church services.
• Chanters: under the direction of the head chanter, chant the Divine Liturgy and the fixed hymnody of the Divine offices.
• Prosphora Bakers: bake the prosphora, the bread used for Holy Communion.
• Readers: read the appointed scriptures and psalms and other readings during Divine Services.
• Flower Decoraters: prepare and arrange flowers in the church for major feasts.
• Cleaners: clean the church before and after Divine Services.

Education and Youth

• Adult Catechism: prepare and teach classes for catechumens – those preparing to join the Orthodox Church.
• Adult Education: teaching of the Faith to adults – ongoing teaching of adults in the church and teaching at the Thyateira Midlands Ecclesiastical Seminary.
• Scripture Study: leading weekly scripture study.
• Sunday School: teaching of children at the monthly Sunday School in Telford.
• Varangian Guard Youth Club: teaching and leading activities at the monthly youth club.
• Lamplighter: tend to lamps and candles in the church, ensure there is sufficient oil and enough votive candles. Tend to the candles during the Divine Services.
• Youth Camp Leader: serving as leaders at the Archdiocese Youth Camp – Camp Saint Sophrony and organising local family camps for the church and other local churches.
• SACRE representative: serve as our church’s representative on the Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Borough Council’s Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education.

Liturgical Art

• Iconography: paint icons and wall paintings for the church and ensure the church is decorated and furnished according to tradition
• Hymnography: write hymnography for local saints according to the traditions and correct order of the Orthodox Church.

Building Maintenance, improvement and general jobs

• Help with regular maintenance and improvement: carpentry, electrics, handyman repairs, painting
• Help with setting and taking down the marquee for events

Landscaping

• Gardeners: plan the landscaping within the Orchard and tend to all of the plants in the church grounds and mowing the lawn

Service to those in need

• Philoptochos: lead the church’s philanthropic ministries by caring for the poor, the sick and the suffering.  Organising regular fund raisers and provides practical and pastoral care.
• Visitation and Care for the Elderly and Infirm: Visit people who are sick, in care homes. provide support and care including transport to appointments, grocery shopping.

Outreach Ministries

• Bookstall and Library: Order stock and care for the bookstall and library.
• Guides: lead visits by local groups to the church and explain the history of the church and introduce the Orthodox Church.
• World Mission: act as liaison with local and international charities such as The Shrewsbury Ark, Street Pastors, Paradise for kids and Severn Hospice
• Visitor Welcoming: Greet new visitors to the Divine Services and make them feel welcome and any provide information about the Orthodox Church.
• Daily Church opening: open the church during the day and be available to welcome visitors.
• Shrewsbury Churches Together: serve as our church’s representative for Shrewsbury Churches Together and Telford Christians Together.

Mission

• Writing: write booklets on the lives of local saints, blogs for the website, content for social media, history of the church etc.
• Media: make films, podcasts, etc about the Orthodox Church and the Church of the 318 Holy Fathers. Take photographs of events for media channels.
• Pilgrimage: Plan and organise pilgrimages to local holy places to make our local saints and sites known to people in Shropshire and the surrounding area.
• Church planting: plan and organise Divine Services in other parts of the county such as Telford and the market towns of Shropshire.

Pilgrimage

• Organise pilgrimages to holy places outside of the UK.

Building Project

• Church Development Project working group: serve on project management team for extending the Church of the 318 Holy Fathers, responsible for liaising with design team and community engagement.
• Shrewsbury Orthodox Church Appeal Foundation: oversee the fundraising and governance for major capital appeal programmes.
• Appeal Committee: raise funds for major capital projects.

Administration

• Fundraising: Participate in fundrasing event, activity planning and management; event leader; event worker.
• Church Board: Be willing to serve on the Church Board. This is an elected position. Members are nominated and the Board members are elected biannually.