All Saints of North America
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church

A Mission of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Rev. Fr. Steven Salaris, M.Div., Ph.D., Parish Priest
2550 Schuetz Road Maryland Heights, Missouri 63043
314-994-0220 - www.allsaints-stl.org

MISSION STATEMENT

In that God Himself came into the world as a man, Jesus Christ, for our salvation, we at All Saints of North America Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church welcome everyone to join us as we strive to become by grace what God is by nature.

We are called by God our Creator to worship and follow Him and to proclaim to the world His message of love, peace, and salvation. We believe in Him, and strive to know Him and abide in Him, so that by grace we might receive an eternal life of salvation from Him. We actively participate in the sacramental and prayer life of the Orthodox Christian Church so that we may become Christ-like persons by His grace.

CORE VALUES

Theological and Scriptural Tradition

All Saints of North America is part of the Orthodox Christian Church, which is historically and dogmatically continuous with the one church founded by Christ through his apostles. We Orthodox Christians confess in our creed that we are the one holy, catholic (universal) and apostolic church. All Saints of North America is a parish of the Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, through which we are connected as members of the universal, apostolic Church. We expect all of our interactions with one another and our community to be in accordance with our Orthodox Christian beliefs.

Therefore, we

·         Submit ourselves to the oversight and governance of our diocesan bishop and his representative, our parish priest 

·         Recognize that the parish priest is our shepherd, our spiritual father, and our father confessor for the church community 

·         Prepare our sermons, publications, educational classes and lectures, as well as our vision statement to accurately reflect our beliefs 

·         Look to our parish priest for review of our publications and teachings

Worship and Sacramental Life

We strive to have an active and full liturgical life, reflecting God's call to us to worship and follow Him. Worship enables us to experience God and prepares us to be citizens of His Kingdom.

Therefore, we

·         Offer a rich and full schedule of services

·         Encourage all of our members to devote themselves to the weekly worship taking place in the community, and to worship in their own homes 

·         Provide the sacraments of Holy Communion, Baptism, Chrismation, Confession, Holy Unction and Marriage with adequate instruction so that the participants are properly prepared to receive them 

·         Provide education, support, and resources to enable participation in all of the divine services of the church 

·         Train the faithful to serve, to read, and to chant 

·         Conduct all our services in English, which is the predominant language of the people 

·         Schedule services well in advance, publish the service schedules so that all may participate 

·         Provide an appropriate environment for worship

Becoming Christ-Like

We are called to be saints and to grow into the likeness of God. Through Baptism and Chrismation we are cleansed, made holy, and given the gift of the Holy Spirit. By cooperating with God, we actively participate in our sanctification, becoming by grace what He is by nature.

Therefore, we

·         Read and study the Holy Scriptures

·         Read and study the lives of the saints, the church fathers, and other Orthodox writings 

·         Encourage growth in Christ-likeness of each person through reception of the sacraments, personal prayer, fasting, almsgiving, repentance, forgiveness, stewardship, acts of compassion, and living the virtuous Christian life 

·         Provide resources to enhance personal growth in faith through our bookstore, our library, visiting speakers, and other spiritual activities 

·         Strive to live lives of humility and integrity, conforming our actions to our beliefs 

·         Remind one another of our shared vision to become like Christ 

·         Encourage everyone to consider how they can serve Christ in His Church, including ordination, mission work, the monastic life, service as readers, altar servers, chanters, religious educators, council members, etc.

Outreach

We proclaim to the world God's message of love, peace, and salvation in the context of the Orthodox Christian Church.

Therefore, we

·         Provide educational opportunities (classes, lectures, one-on-one instruction, website) in which we share Christ's love and His message with those interested in knowing God through the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church 

·         Organize community outreach events

·         Offer hospitality, privately and corporately, to those with whom we come in contact 

·         Warmly welcome visitors to our church and assist them in following the services 

·         Provide resources to assist those interested in learning about the Orthodox Christian faith through our bookstore and library 

·         Show compassion to those in need by engaging in charitable activities 

·         Teach and encourage our members to share their faith with others 

·         Exercise love and compassion to all

·         Assist in the start up of new mission churches 

·         Strive to make our Orthodox Christian faith accessible to all 

·         Support mission efforts of the Orthodox Christian church throughout the world

Our Church Family

The Scriptures speak of the Church as the body of Christ. As the body of Christ, we seek to love one another as Christ loves us.

Therefore, we

·         Pray for one another 

·         Encourage one another's growth in knowledge and faith 

·         Show respect to each person as one created in the image of God. 

·         Recognize and encourage the development of the God-given gifts and talents of each person for the benefit of the community 

·         Welcome visitors and actively participate in Christian fellowship through coffee hours, potluck dinners, community activities, and festal celebrations 

·         Visit those who are ill or shut-in, and help one another through critical life transitions 

·         Strengthen families by integrating all ages and abilities into our worship and church family life, and by providing instruction and guidance in Orthodox Christian family life 

·         Provide Orthodox Christian education for all ages 

·         Emphasize the unity of our Orthodox Christian faith by integrating pan-cultural traditions 

·         Communicate frequently with one another and with the church family concerning matters of community interest and concern 

·         Beautify our community spaces to glorify God, utilizing our own gifts and talents whenever possible and appropriate. 

·         Look for opportunities to serve one another and the world around us 

·         Keep Christ at the center of our church life and all decision-making whether it be in administration and government, management of facilities and resources, in teaching, pastoral care and outreach, etc. 

·         Honor the contributions of those who have preceded us in the Orthodox Christian faith as we seek to build up our church,.

Vision

We seek to bring St. Louis to Jesus Christ in the context of the Orthodox Christian Church.

Therefore, we

·         Commit the time and resources necessary to develop and maintain our mission and vision statements, including a strategic plan 

·         Communicate our vision to our members and others 

·         Conduct all planning and budget allocations with the fulfillment of the vision in mind 

·         Plan to regularly re-evaluate our vision to adapt to our changing environment