Time, Talent & Treasure 2012
Stewardship Sunday will be 23 October 2011. The pledges and tithes made will be for the 2012 calendar year. Please have your Time, Talent & Treasure forms filled out and ready to bring forward during the Liturgy on the 23rd. Please sign both the left and right portions of the form, as the form is split and the two sections go to different ministry participants for processing.
As you look through the ministry descriptions , look for the “welcome host/hostess” ministry, an enhancement to our hospitality and prayerfully consider volunteering to host a new member/ family.
If you require additional or replacement forms, you can download another copy via the link in the sidebar.
Letter from Fr. Gregory
Beloved in Christ,
Living the Christian Life is the greatest adventure in the world. It requires commitment, humility, perseverance, patience and most of all love, all of which require self-sacrifice of some sort or another. A major step in the this greatest of adventures happens when we realize that we actually “own” nothing but that all that we have is “loaned” to us by God to be used to His glory. At such a point, we begin to make all our decisions in recognition that He is the center of all and that we are His servants.
This decision-making include sour financial resources and our time/talents/gifts, of course, since nothing “have” is beyond His Lordship. Looking to the Scriptures and to the teaching of the Church, we find that we are bidden to tithe, for the upbuilding of the Kingdom, surely , but also for our own spiritual health. We are also encourages to use our gifts and talents toward the same goals.
Because the Bible also teaches that God loves a giver who is “cheerful”, we encourage you to prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for 2012 as a response to God’s blessings with the joyfulness that marks believers who are under Grace. Do what you can, even stretching yourself, but with trust and gladness in Him.
Also, prayerfully consider sharing your time and talents through the various ministries offered at Holy Cross, particularly those with an asterisk * , indicating a great need. This year we begin a new hospitality ministry, “welcome host/hostess” to people attending our parish for the first time. As a parish, we open our hearts and our lives to one another. Let us also open them to strangers who come to Holy Cross in search of a parish home, whether non-Orthodox seekers or Orthodox worshippers.
Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green
Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green
Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox
Ministry Roll Descriptions
Brief descriptions of what is entailed with these ministries. Areas of great need indicated with *. New ministry indicated with !
Library
- Organization
- Keep the library organized, managing check-out/check-in of books
Bookstore
- Management
- Manage the bookstore
Building & Grounds
- Altar care (cleaning brass, etc.)
- Assist in cleaning the brass (melting off wax), dusting
- Building/Repair skills
- Provide Handyman skills, make repairs around the building when needed
- Flower arranging
- Obtain and arrange flowers for Feast Days and other occasions
- Gardening
- Do weeding, planting, watering, sweeping
- Gardening organizer *
- Organize gardening volunteers, make sure gardens are taken care of
- Kitchen coordinator *
- Make sure the Kitchen (and frig) stays organized and neat
"Green" Parish
- Parish Green Planning
- Help brainstorm/plan other efforts to repurpose/reuse such as “Free-cycle (trading items) etc
- Recycling
- Help raise awareness of Holy Cross with recycling programs e.g., batteries, paper products, light bulbs, etc.
Evangelism
- Lector
- Read the Epistle during Divine Liturgy
- Tract rack
- Keep pamphlets stocked and organized in the track rack
Outreach
- College Ministries
- Refreshments for special events for UMBC OCF and/or Annapolis College Ministry;
- Provide food, or donate money for food, for UMBC and/or Annapolis College Ministry
- Special activity volunteer (Our Daily Bread, Linthicum Fair, etc.)
- Participate as a volunteer, such as going to Our Daily Bread, or volunteering at the Linthicum Fair
Parish Life
- Altar bread baking
- Bake the holy bread, Prosphora, for Divine Liturgy
- Chanting
- Chant and participate in practices
- Choir
- Sing and participate in practices
- Correspondence *
- Send name day cards
- Parish Event Planning
- Pastoral Care
- Visitation of the sick, shut-ins Visit elderly or sick parishioners
- Refreshments on Sundays *
- (On a rotation) For Sunday lunch/coffee hour provide entree for 50 people, or dessert, or salad
Church School
- Church School *
- (On a rotation) Teach/Substitute using prepared curriculum; parties
Welcome/Hospitality
- Greeting
- Greet people before and after services in the Narthex, welcome and talk to new people
Youth Ministries
- Chaperoning events *
- Chaperone at occasional Youth retreats or special outings
- Youth Advisor/Meeting Facilitator
- Participate as a Facilitator for Youth activities
Miscellaneous
- Baby-sitting for events
- Baby-sit children during special events
- Bookkeeping
- Record financial giving, transactions
- Making phone calls
- Make reminder phone calls, i.e. to people on Sunday food rotation
- Transportation
- Provide rides for visitors, special guests