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These are the ways our parish strives to conform to the patterns of Christ's love.

Goodness

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Hospitality & Fellowship Meal

Every Sunday following the Divine Liturgy (and on certain Great Feasts) we host a meal in the parish hall for parishioners and guests, consisting of a light meal and fellowship together. Once a month, there is an open “Ask the Priest” Q&A in the parish classroom, and quarterly updates from the clergy on the goings on in the parish.

Greeters

It’s sometimes foreign and awkward to go to a new church. To facilitate a welcoming and inviting experience, we always have greeters at the front door welcoming people back, and especially looking out for new faces. Questions can always be posed to them, and their role is to help one feel “at home” at St John of the Ladder.

Men's Synaxis

The Men’s Synaxis (“Gathering”) hosts quarterly events, such as guest speakers, whiskey tastings, BBQs, and baseball games, meet monthly for breakfast on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 am, and engage in one annual charity project. The Men’s Synaxis is a place for men to fellowship together, develop lasting bonds, and support one another in the struggle for a full life in Christ.

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Supplication Food Drive

On Great Feasts, there is a Litya (“supplication”) celebrated toward the end of Vespers. At this portion of the service, prayers are offered for the world, and the Church especially remembers the litany of saints down the ages who support us with their prayers. The priest blessed wheat, wine, and oil, together with five loaves of special bread in memory of Jesus’ miracle of the five loaves that fed the 5,000. At this portion of the service, we collect foodstuffs to donate to United Ministries, a local service that provides food to the homeless and those in need, and these foodstuffs are blessed together with the bread. We bless this food so that God might “multiply them in this city and throughout the world.”

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St Photini Burial Society

The Society exists to promote and logistically execute burials that are faithful to the Orthodox tradition: no cremation, no embalming – a true Christian burial. The bodies of the departed are personally prepared for burial by volunteers from our community in imitation of our Lord Jesus Christ: they are washed, perfumed, wrapped in a shroud, put in a humble casket, transferred into the church, and Psalms are read over them in all-night vigil. The funeral service takes place in the church the following day, and then the body is processed to the place of repose where more prayers are said and they are committed to the earth.

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St Elizabeth Ladies' Society

The purpose of the St Elizabeth Society is simple: to create opportunities for women in all stages of life (young adults, mothers, elderly) to gather together and develop relationships and strengthen bonds of community. The Society meets quarterly for events social and formative, as well as undertaking one annual charitable project together. The Society is open to all the women of St John.

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Consignment Project

This ministry was started over 20 years ago to find a way to monetarily help members of the parish by asking the church community to donate their gently used clothing, household items and furniture. The items are collected at church, sorted, and then taken to a Consignment Store, with which the parish has an account. Once a month, a cash payout is made from the items that have been sold. The money is collected each month and accumulates throughout the year. Nativity and Pascha are typically the two times of the year when money is dispersed to folks in need within the parish. But there is also help throughout the calendar year when situations arise and a person or family needs monetary assistance. It has been a wonderful ministry over the years and allows anyone from the parish to purge things they no longer need, and in turn the parish gets a percentage of the sale of these items from the store.

A Sound Mind
Mental Health Ministry

A Sound Mind is a ministry of St John of the Ladder for those suffering with mental health, be it anxiety, depression, addiction (e.g. alcohol or pornography), or simply a difficult stage of life. The ministry has two tracks: to either establish sponsorship relationships for those who may need some healing presence and support, or short-term and transitional therapy by a licensed parishioner for those struggling with diagnosable illness. The hope is that we can provide support and affordable care, in an Orthodox context, to parishioners who need care. If you or someone you know could benefit from care, please speak with one of our clergy.

Muscle Ministry

Sometimes you need a little muscle to get things done. Scaffolding for our iconographer needs to go up and down, and to and from the barn often for special occasions such as Holy Week, Bishop visits and betrothals. Tables and chairs need to be set up outside for Pascha and other events. There are also special projects such as building a Gaga Ball Pit. The Muscle Ministry consists of a team of volunteers who would like to be notified of opportunities to assist the Parish by applying their physical talents. Please contact Chuck Small to learn more.

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