All Saints of North
America Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church
A Mission of the
Self-Ruled Antiochian 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
is in the Antiochian Archdiocese, 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,
publications, and 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 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 - in
administration and government, management of facilities and
resources, in teaching, pastoral care and outreach, etc.
As we seek to build up our
church, we honor the contributions of those who have preceded us in
the Orthodox Christian faith.
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
