The Healthy Orthodox Parish

By Vickie Jones

Parish Council President ,

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church,

Overland Park, KS

During any of the fasts of our Church, it is appropriate to ponder the attributes of vitality. After all, we fast to increase our awareness of the fullness of the Church and the feast to come. Our life in the Church is never more acutely proscribed than in a Lenten period. Several characteristics of the healthy parish come to mind at this time of the Nativity fast. As a thriving, active parish, members of Holy Trinity parish may be too busy to question why we are seemingly a model of healthiness. But several indicators of a robust parish come to mind. Healthy parishes exhibit what might best be called the four “C’s”: communion, compassion, collaboration and communication.

Worship is central to the health of a parish, as is frequent and full Communion in Christ.  I’ve heard parishioners comment on the joy they feel as they view and join in the long lines of parishioners of all ages partaking of the Eucharist. One can see the progress of our parish, watching our children mature, pregnant women developing, those who were on our sick list for prayers regaining vitality, and those gone for long periods of time returning. Every week is a new dynamic of those present for the Eucharist, and the body of Christ is ever expanding and changing. Recently in our monthly bulletin and at an All-Parish education session, we focused on thanksgiving for all we have. We particularly focused on the prayers of Thanksgiving after Communion as an expression of the intense gratitude we feel. With Communion at the center of a healthy parish, one feels a passionate desire to be part of this weekly feast and to express our thanks. 

It follows logically that compassion is also essential for the health of a parish. In a caring parish, no single individual “falls through the cracks.” While this goal is easy to express, it is much more difficult to bring about. In a healthy parish, each member of the Church has a role and an identity. For the very young, we show that we care for them by offering Church school with a consistent and well-planned curriculum. We offer them the opportunity to contribute by serving as altar boys or collectors of offerings. We celebrate with them at St. Nicholas events. Likewise for the older children, we offer an active youth group led by caring and compassionate adults. Our adults also feel that this is a caring community with the lists of those in need and of prayer that are published regularly. We demonstrate our compassion with our flourishing ministries program. Recently at our annual ministries fair, we invited parishioners of all ages to participate in specific groups that serve others. Each talent a parishioner might have is brought to light in our assisting him or her to find a “good fit” in our many ministries. If one’s calling is to serve, we have ministries for beautification of the grounds and temple, or to work in the area Orthodox food kitchen. If one’s gift is teaching, there are numerous opportunities to use this talent, whether for Church School, Catechumens, adult education or All-Parish education. Those who sew are invited to give to the quilt ministry; those who write are part of the communications ministry. Technological wizards give by maintaining our website or in hosting an on-line book club. In a healthy parish, there must be many ways for members to give back with care and compassion.

From this desire to reveal the depth of our compassion comes the opportunity to collaborate. In a healthy parish, members work together willingly and joyfully. People will join activities when they are asked and when ways to get involved are highlighted. There is no greater joy than working together with those with whom we commune and for whom we care deeply. While committees can be the bane of many a priest’s existence, in a healthy parish, committees work together, under the leadership of carefully selected Parish Council members, and, as our wise priest has asserted, no one position on the council is any more important than another. For, in our Council, each individual not only holds a specific office, but also serves as a liaison to the various ministry branches. In this way, the work of the Church progresses without interruption or interference, for the most part. When committees collaborate deliberately, no one committee is more important than any other, and no one has the right to supersede others’ plans and events. It may be difficult at times to cooperate with each other, but possible when there is clarity of mission and purpose. This makes for a complicated ministries “flow-chart” but defining clearly every ministry’s purpose and goal is crucial. 

Last of all, a healthy parish – one that communes often, cares for each individual, and collaborates effectively – must maintain open and frequent lines of communication. So many problems could have been solved if only one had communicated better. Communication through weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters, email distribution lists, an up-to-date website, announcements after Liturgy and phone calls via a well organized phone tree allows a parish to be flexible and effective in facing change. Since there will be miscommunications and crossed wires – it’s a given – a compassionate parish that works well together can also forgive these errors. When a parish is healthy enough to admit its mistakes and strive to learn from our errors, then real growth will occur. When a parish allows for disagreement, but understands through communication the difference between healthy disagreement and strife, then growth will happen. And, when a parish is mature enough to embrace change and to allow for mistakes in a learning curve, then positive change will ensue. We are blessed with a priest who asks our forgiveness often, and establishes a context of allowing for mistakes. We follow suit by asking others’ forgiveness frequently, not delaying until Forgiveness Vespers. Indeed, it is important to acknowledge that a healthy parish is not a perfect parish! But, with a healthy attitude of error and forgiveness, of gratitude and thanksgiving, we have a truly vibrant home in our parish life.