St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church
Ministries
Catechism
Catechism is the process, used since the apostle’s time in the early Church, by which those interested in Eastern Orthodox Christianity receive instruction and guidance in the faith. When a visitor to our parish requests catechism or an interest in converting to Orthodoxy, he or she will be invited to make an appointment with our parish priest to develop personalized instruction. Catechism typically includes, in the very least, attending divine services regularly; following an Orthodox daily rule of prayer, Scripture reading, and fasting; and coming to a weekly catechism class (of approximately sixty to ninety minutes in length) taught by the parish priest.
For more information in catechism and what it entails, please contact Fr. Peter DeFonce at pdefonce@yahoo.com.
Adult Education
St. Andrew occasionally provides adult education opportunities to expand and explore the Orthodox Faith. These may include book studies or discussion groups focused on special topics.
For more information about current adult education opportunities available – or to suggest an adult education idea or need – please contact Fr. Peter DeFonce at pdefonce@yahoo.com
St. Anna Philoptochos Society
The mission of the St. Anna Philoptochos Society is to aid and offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the Church. Open to any women in our parish, our society meets regularly and plans a variety of charitable events, including our annual Bake Sale, Holy Week and Paschal events, and other special events throughout the year.
If interested in learning more or joining, please contact Brandi Schreiber at thevisionisyet@gmail.com.
Annual Bake Sale
The annual Bake Sale at St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church, organized by St. Anna Philoptochos and hosted each year in December, is St. Andrew’s largest annual fundraiser and always requires lots of help. Monies from the bake sale are used directly to assist people in need, and many volunteers are needed each year to donate their own baked goods, assist with the hundreds of items the church bakes, and serve by packaging items, assisting on the sale day, and getting the word out! In addition, money donations are always welcome to help defray the costs of baking supplies and materials, allowing us to donate more of our profits to those in need.
If interested in participating in our Annual Bake Sale in any way, please contact Prudence Kouris at pafek48@yahoo.com.
Coffee Hour Teams
At the end of each Divine Liturgy on Sundays, parishioners and visitors enjoy a “coffee hour,” or time of food and refreshment with each other. These times of friendship and conversation are vital to the community and love our parish endeavors to build with each person who visits St. Andrew. On these Sundays, teams of people (usually two people or families) provide food and drinks, as well as assist by cleaning up the parish hall, tidying the kitchen, and taking out the trash at the end of coffee hour. Coffee Hour volunteer teams are assigned in advance for the year so that everyone knows when to prepare (and can switch assignments when necessary), but volunteers are always welcome to be added to the list or especially assist by cleaning the church after coffee hour!
If interested in being on a coffee hour team, please contact Kathi Hovey at kghovey@yahoo.com
Church Building & Facilities Maintenance
As with any small congregation, our church welcomes anyone, including families, who would be willing to help serve our parish by assisting with regular maintenance and updates of our building, as well as with special projects that may arise. This includes volunteering to regularly clean the church, parish hall, bathrooms, and kitchen; assisting with lawn maintenance and gardening; providing money, resources, or skills to keeping our building functioning; and more. In addition, our church is always grateful for the donation of items such as light bulbs, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and other paper products.
If interested, please contact Dn. David Schreiber at davidhschreiber@gmail.com
Fundraising & Stewardship
In addition to all the other ministries listed here, St. Andrew always has a need for individuals and groups to provide opportunities for fundraising and stewardship that not only involve the building of community and financial support in our parish, but also provide outreach to Lubbock and the West Texas area as a whole. Organizing fundraising and stewardship opportunities is a great way to help our current parishioners learn how to better serve Christ and His Church, as well as ensure that St. Andrew can meet the needs of our community for years to come.
For more information about our current needs; to share or host a fundraising or stewardship idea; or learn more about how you can participate individually or as a family, please contact Fr. Peter DeFonce at pdefonce@yahoo.com
Parish Council
The parish council is a group of church members elected by the parish as a whole whose responsibility is to make governing decisions about everything affecting our parish as a whole, including, but not limited to, fiscal wellness, budgetary decisions, maintenance ministries, outreach, and more. Parish council elections are held every year, and terms are typically two years in length. Members must be in good standing, attend church regularly, support the church financially, and have the good of the church as their goal. The parish council always welcomes enthusiastic, committed members with ideas on how to help St. Andrew grow, as well as who are willing to assist with special projects!
For more information about the parish council or to express an interest in joining, please contact Fr. Peter DeFonce at pdefonce@yahoo.com
Prosphora Baking
The holy sacrament of communion in the Eastern Orthodox Church is in part only possible through the bread, called prosphora, which is used in our Holy Eucharist during Divine Liturgies. Prosphora, in Greek, simply means “an offering,” and the volunteers who bake prosphora provide this blessed offering. Baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who are members of St. Andrew Greek Orthodox Church are invited to participate in this ancient tradition by baking the bread that is used in each Divine Liturgy and shared as antidoron, or blessed bread, at the end of these services.
We thank those individuals and families who are already involved in this ministry! If you are interested in learning how to bake and prepare prosphora and serve in this very important ministry, please contact DN. David Schreiber at davidhschreiber@gmail.com.
And to learn more about baking prosphora (with videos!), visit this link:
Prosphoro – How to Make & Bake the Holy Bread Offering
Liturgical Music and Chanting
The music experienced in Eastern Orthodox worship is truly unlike anything else. Deeply rooted in ancient tradition, it is comprised primarily of Byzantine chanting. At St. Andrew, you will experience and be invited to participate in one of the oldest forms of Christian worship music, lead by our lead chanter and reader(s). During our services, all are welcome to follow along and sing, and we always extend the invitation for people to participate more by learning how to chant.
If you are interested in participating or learning more in our liturgical music, please contact Dr. Richard Foundating at richard.fountain@gmail.com
Sunday School & Vacation Bible School
At the present time, St. Andrew only has a young children’s Sunday School, which provides any child visiting St. Andrew a brief lesson on the Gospel reading of the day and a craft. This is an area of ministry in which we are always needing volunteers, both to help create a Sunday School opportunity for older children, as well as to continue providing support and fresh ideas to our current young children’s Sunday School. In addition, St. Andrew also provides a Vacation Bible School at the beginning of August for all children in the church.
Anyone is welcome to come and assist with these ministries.
If interested, please contact Prudence Kouris at pafek48@yahoo.com
Visitation to the Sick and Elderly
The purpose of this ministry is for the entire parish community to participate in the healing and recovery of a member who has fallen ill, been hospitalized, or become elderly and homebound. The parish priest (and deacon, if available and requested) can arrange a time to visit the sick person at home, in the hospital, or at another facility to hear the parishioner’s Confession, anoint and pray over him or her, and administer the Rite of Holy Communion For The Sick. If the parishioner desires, it is also possible for other parish members to visit him or her individually or in small groups, as circumstances allow, for companionship, fellowship, communal prayer, and comfort.
For more information about this ministry or to arrange a visitation, please contact Fr. Peter DeFonce at pdefonce@yahoo.com
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF)
Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is a national collegiate program designed to help college students grow in their Orthodox faith. Chapters are typically created by students and faculty or administrative advisors at each college campus. A Texas Tech University chapter is currently in formation.
If you are interested in participating in OCF at Texas Tech University, please contact Dr. Alex Salter at alex.salter@ttu.edu