Community
The various organizations of the Parish are meant to give all of our Parishioners the opportunity to play a deeper and richer part in the life of our Parish Family. There are many opportunities to sing, serve, learn, pray, and work together . All the organizations are open to any interested Parishioner. Either get in touch with the contact person, or just show up for a meeting!
Saint Basil's Soup Kitchen
Elaine Kostas Smith--May her memory be eternal!
Saint Basil's Kitchen serves a delicious lunch every Monday from 11 am to 12:30 pm. This is a warm and welcoming place if you need a good meal or good company. Anita McMahon and her crew serve up smiles and encouragement along with nutrition. St. Basil's also has a small food pantry for those who need to take some food home.
Total Parish Religious Education Program
The religious and cultural education programs of our parish take many different forms to appeal to as broad a spectrum of our parish family as possible. Check out the programs and see which ones you would like to be a part of. Remember that an educational program is only worthwhile if there are people learning in it!
Sunday School
The primary goal of our Sunday School program is to inspire our young people to love our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Orthodox Faith. The program goes from Pre-School to Seniors in High School, and introduces the children to Scripture, Icons, Hymns, Liturgy and many other expressions of our faith. Under the leadership of Jill Argyrople the Sunday School does not only deal with the theoretical; the children are also expected to take part in practical projects, such as preparing meals for St. Basil's Kitchen, supporting a poor boy from Ethiopia through the Christian Children's Fund, and collecting food and clothing for the poor. One of the highlights of the year is the annual Christmas Pageant on the Sunday before Christmas.
The theme of the 2009-2010 Sunday School curriculum will be "Come and See" and will focus on the Sunday Gospels with related icons and lives of the Saints.
Liturgical Music
Music plays a crucial role in Orthodox worship. Whether it is the congregations singing the responses to the Liturgy or the chanters executing a difficult piece of Byzantine music, or the choir joining their voices to the angels in song, the profound truths of our faith are wrapped in the sounds of beautiful music. As a result, our church musicians are vitally important to our liturgical and spiritual life. If you would like to help sing to the glory of God, check out one of these groups!
Parish Family Night Out
This program provides an opportunity for all the members of our Parish Family to come together for learning and activities as a family. The Parish Family meets the third Sunday of the month, every other month. Meetings begin with a family dinner, and involve family activities around a theme, as well as break out activities in the various age groups. Each family group will also work on a project together. Don't have a family? You will be adopted into a family group. Hopefully some new friendships and relationships will come out of this!
Schedule for 2009-2010 Parish Family Night Out
Theme — The Holy Mysteries
September: Agiasmos (Blessing of Water)
November: Confession
January: Baptism
March: Funeral
May: Wedding
Book and Discussion Club
When you come to the Book Club on the third Tuesday of the month, you will find yourself reading and discussing fundamental topics of Orthodoxy. Under the leadership of Julie Ray, the Book Club has been looking at the lives of contemporary Orthodox Saints and holy men and women, such as St. Nektarios, St. John of San Francisco, Mother Gavrilia, and others. You do not need to have read the book to join in the discussion, since it always ranges far and wide over many topics which are only sparked by the reading.
Annual Lenten Retreat
The Adult Religious Education Committee sponsors a Lenten Retreat each year around the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25). The retreat features speakers on various topics. Our most recent speaker was Frederica Matthewes-Green who presented her soon-to-be-published book on the Jesus Prayer.