It is true all year round but especially during Lenten Holidays like Advent and that is to fast is to save to give more alms. The need is great in America to share the hope of the Gospel in these uncertain times. Holy Orthodoxy provides the greatest and most complete hope on planet Earth. Our missional Priests and Church parishes can attest to that – see below.
Here is a message form one of our graduating missionaries Father Mark Hodges which perfectly illustrates the impact your donations to Share the Faith can have:
It has been a privilege to serve the wonderful people of Saint Brendan’s for the past year and a half. As you may have heard, I need to go back to Ohio and address family concerns. With the blessing of my Archbishop, I will be leaving in December.
As I say, it has been a joy to help Saint Brendan’s little mission take a step or two forward. When I first came, there were 16 people now there are 28 members, and one catechumen (eleven member families). And the time I was here, we had seven baptisms. Once we started regular services with a priest, several Orthodox heard about Saint Brendan’s and came to join us. Also, in the time I’ve been here we have had many, many inquirers and visitors. If I had to estimate, I would say we had about 22 inquires about Orthodoxy, who have visited once or who have visited multiple times.
I was honored to serve Saint Brendan’s very first Great Lent and Holy Week and Pascha with a priest (including Pascha picnic after Paschal Vespers). We established the celebration of all the major feast days for the first time in Bullhead city. We also held the first, modest, patronal feast day for Saint Brendan. We hosted an episcopal visit: His Grace Auxiliary Bishop James came to Saint Brendan’s, and led a prayer service, and we hosted a dinner for him.
We also saw various ways to engage with the community: our youth held fundraisers and food bank campaigns for local needy; I was invited and opened prayer for the first session of city council in the new year; and we all participated and shared with folks about orthodoxy in a major local community swap meet.
We regularized our finances, including opening an independent bank account for Saint Brendan’s, out from the umbrella of our founding mother, church, All Saints of North America in Phoenix. Father John Peck is transferring our online giving account currently. We also appointed our officers, treasurer, advice, chair.
Significantly, the people have come to know one another. They have spent time with each other outside of church services, and visited each other’s homes in many cases. The rank-and-file have organized workdays together to beautify Saint Brendan’s little storefront facility. Members of St Brendan’s personally created our large Processional Cross, our Readers’ pulpit, our Gospel Stand, our Lectern, and sewed our curtains, our Altar covers, and donated countless holy items (Aers, Chalice covers, spoon & lance, zeon, Gospel book, etc.).
Also, significantly, the members of Saint Brendan’s have been learning how to share their brief personal testimonies with others, both of Christ and of holy orthodoxy, and each member has been rotating after liturgy to share his or her testimony with all.
Share the Faith is currently supporting 6 mission parishes, but the need is so much greater. We need your help! To reach more with the love and hope of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ through Holy Orthodoxy donate below.
