One problem that plagues many Orthodox parishes is "insularity". The parish/church is located in a community--but the parish, for whatever reason, is not really part of that community.

One parish, St Mary Magdalene in Fenton MI, works hard to reach out and be a part of their local community. Among the actions taken is to host first responders and their families for a blessing of fire engines and a fellowship cookout.

Read more here.

How many items can your parish leadership list as ways to be more a part of the place that your parish lives? What are we called upon in this time and in this place to do to fulfill our mission in the place our parish is located?

A start...

Other suggestions? Let us know?

What should be your parish's next step on "breaking insularity"?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

We once read a quote from a Bishop of another denomination to the effect: 'I have found the essence of good stewardship and it is gratitude. I wish I had understood that earlier in my life.'

Gratitude is a two way street. When we offer our pledge for the coming year we say "thank you" to God for the many blessings we've received. Our pledges and offerings help to establish a relationship with God by uniting the Giver, the gift, and the grateful recipients. Every Eucharist is a service of Thanksgiving.

In addition parishes --priests and lay leaders -- need to acknowledge and thank parishioners collectively and personally for their presence, their prayers, their commitments and the ministries they perform. Do servers, singers, council members, bakers, greeters, teachers, webmasters, decorators, donors, cleaners, ministry workers et al sense their time, talents, gifts and experience are appreciated? Let them know.

Say "Thank You!" often. Parishes should model gratitude.

 Some years ago we noted the uneven quality of written parish communications --particularly many parish bulletins. In response we wrote two articles –one about bulletin formatting and another about content. We think the articles are still useful.

Recently a retired priest, after studying bulletins from more than a few parishes also lamented the state of parish communication. We asked for his thoughts.

In brief: Clergy laity collaboration+ Tell Stories + Personal reflection+ Vernacular + Avoiding boiler plate + Make it readable and interesting. Not merely informational.+ Broaden distribution.+ Build connections.

His reflection...

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The Sunday Bulletin: An Opportunity for Real Outreach

A bishop, much loved by me, once told me "Father__ , do something about your bulletins. They're boring!" Thus motivated I tried to make improvements, and, frankly I was not always successful.

Read More.

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Your Challenge...

Can you identify and implement at least one thing about communication in your parish that can be improved?

We've all heard that the most potent method of church growth is to simply invite people (FRAN: Friends Relatives, Associates, Neighbors) to church. Nonetheless doing so is not always easy.

A Basic Approach

Discussing a potentially uncomfortable topic like "church" with a non-church going person --even a friend --usually requires, among other things, taking it slowly.

Read more ... concerning: 1)basic approach; 2)key practices; 3)tips for conversations; 4) conversation starters.

Action Question

When inviting becomes a part of parish life it becomes easier to invite.

How can your parish begin to help parishioners to feel confident and comfortabe in inviting others to church?

Photo from the Babylon Bee.

Jan 27 2018.

Go to a Diocesan or Jurisdiction listing of Parish websites. See how long it takes you to find a similar out of date item.

Note to Webmasters

It is now (past) time for Nativity Services Schedule headlines (for whatever year) to be replaced with something more timely!

As the Orthodox Church in America transitions to a proportional giving model for funding the work of Dioceses and the National Church many parishes are rethinking stewardship on a local level.

One question/topic that often arises concerns the issue of maintaining confidentiality of parish donation records. We find that a good deal of confusion on this topic exists even among clergy.

The following insights may be helpful...

The book " Good and Faithful Servant - Stewardship in the Orthodox Church" contains a compilation of many fine practical and theoretical articles about Orthodox views on Stewardship.In the book's final article, editor Anthony Scott offers valuable insight on parish practices associated with confidentiality of donor information.

"In many parishes a conspiracy of silence tyrannizes the entire process of giving. Never discuss money. Never reveal what one's self is giving. Never speak to anyone else about giving. Never sensitively and diplomatically announce a major gift publicly. Do not allow to those responsible for the stewardship ministry the necessary access to parishioner giving on a need to know basis . Some clergy proudly announce they do not know or wish to know what anyone is giving lest it create a bias in clergy care. If this is the case perhaps they should not know how often people volunteer or attend church either for fear of favoritism. One parish assigns numbers to families like anonymous Swiss bank accounts so as to preserve absolute secrecy . Other parishes mandate by General Assembly that the parish financial secretary be a non parishioner and that he or she alone is to know what people give. All of this reveals a profound confusion between confidentiality, which is necessary in a fallen world and secrecy which does not exist in the kingdom of God. The Holy Trinity, the Angelic Powers and the communion of the Saints are all witnesses to the most 'private' thoughts of each person. All that we think and do is done in community."

A View from Scripture

Continuing on the "confidentiality vs.secrecy" topic, we recommend the online article Should Giving Always Be Kept Secret? in which the author offers sound scriptural views on the topic.

A few:

Neither author advocates publishing donation lists, embarrassing or pressuring those who are lesser participants in stewardship opportunities, or honoring donors for the purpose of stroking large egos. (As we once long ago uncomfortably witnessed as a hierarch gushed torrents of praise upon a deep pockets donor.) And, we can all agree that the line between good and poor practice may require some discernment.

Nonetheless any good development professional knows that estimates of future giving need to be built from an understanding of past giving. As a result occasions arise which, for practical purposes, selected leaders need to know who has supported the parish in the past and how current efforts are progressing. Averages, statistical breakdowns, aggregates and anonymous info are often not enough.

A few such instances might include:

Be sensitive and diplomatic -- and mindful of the line between appropriate confidentiality and unnecessary secrecy.

Thank you for taking the time to review this issue of Parish Pulse.

Your feedback is welcome. As always let us know about future topics of importance.

In Christ,

Joseph Kormos, Parish Development Ministry