Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
Here we are, entering my third month of service to you and the parish and I am still trying to get a handle on everything that goes on in the community. Thanks again for your patience and I apologize if I’ve forgotten anything or anyone in my new role.
It’s a little difficult to write a column for the subsequent newsletter in the first week of the previous month. Hopefully, I can anticipate appropriately what is important for our near future.
First, as you may have noticed, Fr. Panagiotis and I have established a pastoral emergency on-call schedule. Generally, we alternate weeks except for our regular day off (Fr. Rick is Friday; Fr. Panagiotis is Monday). However, parishioners do not need to keep track of this information because we also created a new pastoral emergency phone number 847-282-0137. When you call, it will forward to our cell phone and the priest who is on-call will answer. If he does not answer, please leave a detailed message and he will return your call asap. In relation to this, we also started a sermon schedule of alternating Sundays.
Second, in order to more effectively serve the parishioners, we divided up the ministries that each of us will lead and/or assist as necessary. Fr. Rick will liaison with Parish Council, Agape Preschool, Acolytes (Altar Boys), Athletics, Cancer Support, Choir & Chanters, Divorce Rebuilders, Dynamis, Philoptochos, Welcome & Outreach (inc. Greeters), Stewardship, Capital Campaign, Catechism and Pan-Orthodox/Ecumenical. Fr. Panagiotis will work with Bible Study, Bookstore, Care for Creation, Coffee Connection, Greek School, Philanthropy (formerly Outreach, inc. Habitat), Couples Club, St. Stephen’s Mens’ Group, YAL (Young Adults). Our youth minister, Peter Savas, is directly responsible for Youth Ministries (inc. Hope, Faith-Love-Joy, Jr & Sr GOYA, GOYAlumni) and Church School. Fr. Panagiotis and I will work with and be involved with the youth depending on our schedules. Our administrator, Sandra Glisic, will work with all ministry leaders to ensure optimal communications and calendaring. Now, these assignments are not necessarily permanent and do not preclude either clergy from participating in any ministry and any time.
Third, specifically regarding our youth, the Archdiocese is ready to implement the expansion of the Youth Safety and Protection policy. For several years all staff (both paid and volunteer) of the Metropolis camping ministries are required to submit to and pass a criminal background check as well as complete online training about the safety and protection of youth. This will now include all youth workers (paid and volunteer) in each and every parish. All teachers, staff, coaches, advisors and volunteers in Youth programs, Church school, Greek school, Pre-school, and Athletics must complete these requirements by the end of this year. Sandra Glisic has been designated as our parish administrator for the implementation of this policy. Please look for communications from her and support her in this extremely important effort.
Fourth, in the very near future we will begin our stewardship and capital campaign drives for this Fall into 2020. I cannot go into detail yet because our theme, approach and strategy are not finalized at this moment. But I can say: 1) thank you to everyone for your generous support up to this point, 2) our staff, programs, ministries, temple and facilities are critically important for the vitality of our community, and 3) we will challenge each parishioner to give generously and sacrificially because it is necessary to sustain our parish mission and for our salvation.
Fifth, I am beginning to meet with couples who are seeking to be married in the Church as well as those who wish to have their child baptized. This helps us to get to know each other and helps me impart unto them the essentials of continuing our life in Christ. As I continue to settle into my role, I look forward to meeting more of you to get better acquainted and walk together on the road of salvation. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.
In Christ,
Fr. Rick