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Have you ever left your church feeling disappointed? Maybe the service was no longer speaking to you. You might feel there needs to be more worship. Do you leave feeling inspired or do you feel you still haven't found the True Faith; worshipping the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit?
If you have felt any of these feelings or are just curious about the Orthodox way of worship, we have special invitation for you.
We cordially invite you to come and participate with us in our Divine Liturgy. Our services are always open to those seeking the High Liturgical Services of a faith that has come to us directly from Christ through the Apostles and has remained unchanged for 2000 years!
Also, please join us at the end of Services for refreshments at our Coffee Hour.
All of our services are in English.
Below is a few paragraphs, especially for first-time visitors to our Church, that explains briefly what to expect as we worship God. Also on this page, is a brief Timeline of Church History.
The Orthodox Christian Church is:
- The Universal Church established by Jesus Christ, Unchanged and Unchanging!
- World - wide 2nd Largest Church in the World!
- Teaches the Holy Bible as the True Word of God!
- WELCOME You and Your Family in the Name of Jesus Christ!
We are very glad to have you with us for this time of worship, prayer, and sharing. It is our desire that this experience will deepen your understanding and love for God, and for fellowship with other Christians. If this will be your first visit to an Orthodox Christian Church, there are some things we would like to share with you about our Church and our worship that may be new to you...
There are approximately 225 million Orthodox Christians around the world, and about six million in the United States. Still, Orthodoxy is relatively unfamiliar to many people. Orthodox beliefs and practices are rooted in the richness and fullness of the Bible and Christian Tradition.
The primary emphasis of our service is the worship of God. A major part of our worship is the " Eucharist," which is a Biblical word that means "Thanksgiving." As we receive the Body and Blood of Christ with thankful hearts, we believe our communion with God and with one another is nourished and we receive life. (John 6:47-58)
The first thing you'll notice as you enter are the icons. These are pictures of Christ, of Mary - His mother with Him, and other heroic Christians and holy angels. You will also see pictures of the events in the Lord's life. Icons serve as visual images that represent real people and important events in salvation history. We of course do not worship icons, because we worship God alone. But we do honor those whom the icons depict. These pictures were used by the Church very early as a kind of visual theology, to help teach the truths of God's Kingdom. Icons have been called "theology in color," and "windows to Heaven."
You may also notice other things as being different from what you are accustomed to. Incense has been used continually, since the days of Israel's worship in the tabernacle, as a symbol of prayer and to honor the presence of God. Its use is seen in the Biblical books of Isaiah and Revelation as a part of heavenly worship.
Vestments adorned with the Cross are worn by those leading the service. They remind us of the ministry of Christ in our midst. They also remind us how we are clothed by faith in Christ with the "robe of righteousness" and given "garments of salvation." (Isaiah 61:10) Psalm 96:9 tells us we are to "worship the Lord in holy array."
Honoring the saints of the Old and New Testaments, as well as from the more recent history of the Church, whose lives serve as examples of virtue and devotion, receives special mention during our services. Worship is for God alone. Yet the Church throughout the ages has honored those whom God has honored, and who were faithful to God to the end of their lives. For example, because of Mary's unique role in the Incarnation, and in fulfillment of Luke 1:28, 42, and 48, it is appropriate for us to give special honor to the mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.
The sign of the Cross is used as part of our worship of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christians commonly display the Cross on pulpits, in their homes, on Bibles, etc. But few are aware that from the earliest times, Christians have made the sign of the Cross upon themselves. This is done as a physical expression of worship to the Lord Jesus , along with other expressions, such as standing, bowing, singing, and raising hands. We recognize the importance of Christ and His crucifixion on a cross to our salvation.
Processions, honoring the Gospel book, lighting candles, kneeling and prostrating, and much more are all part of the faith and practice of the Orthodox Christian Church. Indeed, we have found them to be like valuable old treasures, which a wise householder brings out along with the new (Matthew 13:52). They involve the whole of our being in an active participation in worship. They also remind us that there is more to the reality of God's Kingdom than what we are able to see at the present.
We sincerly hope these explanations will help you feel more welcome and at ease as you worship with us!
If you have any questions, or you would like to come to one of our services, please feel free to contact Father Basil Stoyka at
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It is not necessary, however, to contact Father Basil to attend a service. Everyone is welcome at any time and you will not be asked to participate in anything that you do not want to do. Communion, however, is only for Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves to receive Communion.
Here are some prayers and the Nicene Creed of our Orthodox Faith.
How Old Is The Orthodox Christian Church?
If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex monk of the ROman Catholic Church, in the year 1517.
If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was established by King Henry VIII in the year 1534 because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to remarry.
If you are a Presbyterian, your religion was founded by John Knox in SCotland in the year 1550.
If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion is derived from the Church of England, and founded by Samuel Seabury in the American Colonies in the 17th century.
If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.
If you are a Roman Catholic, your Church shared the same rich apostolic and doctrinal heritage as the Orthodox Church for the first thousand years of its history; since during the first millenium they were one and the same Church. Lamentably, in 1054, the Pope of Rome broke away from the other four Apostolic Patriarchates ( Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem) by tampering with the original Creed of the Church and considering himself to be the universal head of the Church. Thus, your Church is slightly over 900 years old.
If you are a Methodist, your religion was founded by John and Charles Wesley, ministers of the Church of England, in England in 1774.
If you are a Unitarian, Theopolis Lindley founded your church in London in 1774.
If you are a Morman (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, New York, in 1829.
If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1606.
If you are of the Dutch Reformed Church, you recognize Michelis Jones as founder, because he originated your religion in New York in 1628.
If you worship with the Salvation Army, your denomination began with William Booth in London in 1865.
If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.
If you belong to one of the religious organizations know as "Church of the Nazarene", "Pentecostal Gospel", "Holiness Church", or "Jehova's Witness", your religion is one of hundreds of new denominations founded by men within the past hundred years.
If you are an ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN, your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It has not changed since that time. That Church is now nearly 2000 years old.
The Holy Orthodox Church, with her history that dates back to the very origin of Christianity, is rich in the tradition and beauty of her ritual. But even more important than these outward expressions is her strict adherence to the teachings of Our Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of GOd, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. The Orthodox Church alone has preserved the True Faith of the early Church.
During the fifth century, Christians began to call themselves Orthodox. This description is derived from two Greek words, "orthos" (right or correct) and "doxa" (belief/worship).
In maintaining the true Christian Faith, the Orthodox Church blesses, praises and glorifies God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Christian Gospel that is read in our Churches has the same power and meaning as the preaching of Christ Himself; and in the Divine Liturgy, Orthodox Christians fully participate in the Lord's Supper and enter into Communion with God.
The Orthodox Christian Church opens wide her doors and welcomes all who come there in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Back to the Top
A Word About Church History
Scholars estimate there are over 2600 groups today who lay claim to being the Church, or at least the direct descendants of the Church described in the New Testament. Repeat: 2600!
But for the first thousand years of her history the Church was essentially one. Five historic patriarchal centers - Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople - formed a cohesive whole and were in full communion with one another. There were occasional heretical or schismatic groups going their own way, to be sure, but the Church was unified until the 11th century. Then, in events culminating in A.D. 1054, the Roman Patriarch pulled away from the other four, pursuing his long-developing claim of universal headship of the Church.
Today, nearly a thousand years later, the other four Patriarchates remain intact, in full communion, maintaining that Orthodox Apostolic Faith of the inspired New Testament record. The history of the Orthodox Church is described below, from Pentecost to the present day.
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