Our Vision

Our community began in 2012, and with God's help we are growing and our specific plans continue to develop. The following broad principles are guiding and energizing us.

Our Vision for Life

As a local unit of the universal Church that spans the whole world throughout all the ages, we as a community have a high calling. We must pray together, grow together, live and serve together.

We envision our community as a safe and welcoming place for all people. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, the church—the temple of God—must be a house of prayer for all nations. (Is. 56:7)

Remembering the words of the great monk of the desert Anthony the Great (+356), "My brother is my salvation." We cannot simply rest on the laurels of our faith; we must serve our brothers and sisters throughout the Holland-Zeeland community as well.

Our Vision for Prayer

Prayer is essential to the life of any Christian. The Orthodox Church has a rich tradition of prayer which, as with our worship, orients our lives towards our heavenly homeland. (Php. 3:20)

As our community grows, we envision a parish life in which we are able to join together often with prayer as our center. Even when we are not gathered, we should strive to learn to pray ceaselessly, which is so essential for Christians. (1 Th. 5:17)

Our Vision for Sacred Space

Closely related to worship, the space we use to worship must also orient us to God in prayer—both for the sake of our human weakness, and because God desires it.

The Bible is full of descriptions of sacred space, from the Tabernacle in the desert, to the Temples of Israel, to God's heavenly throne room. At his will, someday we will build our own temple to serve as a permanent home for our worship and a center for our community.

Until then, we are blessed with temporary space that serves us well in our worship. Wherever we gather, Christ is in our midst and the angels join us in worship.

As we have temples made of wood and brick, we also have temples of flesh. The Lord dwells in each of us, and we must also make our hearts into beautiful temples for him by constantly striving to overcome sin through the gifts of prayer and the sacraments.

Come and See

With God's help, we hope to make this vision into a reality. Please keep our community in your prayers as we begin.

If our community's vision strikes a chord with you, come and see for yourself. Please join us for worship. We are eager to share more information, and to hear what you think as well.