Cleveland Workshop Examines Evangelization & Charitable Outreach

 Parishes Discuss "Breaking Our Insularity"

Insular adj. pertaining to an island, or to the inhabitants of an island their customs;etc.; inward; narrow

On Saturday May 5, over 40 clergy and laity from the Cleveland Deanery explored how to let the Light of Orthodoxy shine more brightly in Northern Ohio, and more specifically in the neighborhood of their parish.

To learn more about the workshop content and outcomes ("pruning the parish activites tree", door to doorknob, greeters ministry, more signs, and more -- click here.

To view some of the videos shown in the sesion go here for

• Catacomb Bookstore (4 minutes)
• Fr Arseny group (18 minutes)
  
  

On Line Surveys Need Your Attention - NOW!

Metrical Data, Clergy Compensation and Communications Practices

Three on- line  data collection activites are on going within the Diocese. They need your attention.

• The parish metrical records survey is manadatory and needs to be filled out by Rectors and and priests in charge. Click here to submit data
• The Clergy Compensation survey is the foundation for review of the Diocese's compensation policy. Incomplete response has delayed this efffort. This is for rectors/priests-in-charge only.  click here for compensation survey
• The communications practices survey is optional and available to clergy and laity. The more participants the more useful the data.Click here to access the survey.

Calling All Diocesan Graduates!

Priests or Designeees: Submit Your List of Graduates

His Eminence has requested that we pull together a master list of HS & college graduates from each parish and mission in the Diocese. Priests or their designees are requested to email this information to yours truly to coordinate the creation of this list.

For submission instructions and to view the early form of the list click here

Five Practical Suggestions for Parishes

 At Least One Applies to Your Parish 

In preparation for the launch of the Parish Health Ministry  we were asked to visit numerous parishes in each Deanery. - to explain this new ministry. Here are a few impressions left by the visits.

In short - get a nice sign (like the one shown), cut the lawn, clean the fellowship hall, get a flip chart and then an LCD projector and screen.

Read more

PARISH WEBSITE  OFFER from ORTHODOX WEB SOLUTIONS

Waive Start Up Fee 

We received lots of interest in last month's article on parish websites. (Here it is if you missed it.)  Now an offer of potential interest.

The Diocese and many parishes use web tools from Orthodox Web Solutions. With few exceptions these sites look great. I can attest the website bulding tools work very well -- even for novices!

A standard parish website costs $125 (choose from 12 basic design templates) plus $25 per month hosting costs. Custom sites are $725. If ten Midwest Diocese parishes begin a website with OWS the $125 start up fee waived. Contact Joe Kormos if interested. 513-683-1911

We mentioned the importance of an up todate service schedule in the article. It's a breeze with OWS. No more leaving people waiting in the parking lot for a worship service that was cancelled or moved to another location.

Need Help with Better Meetings?

Meetings are the stuff of parish life. Some are to be relished and others to be avoided. What follows is a menu for changing the latter into the former.

read on...

Thank you for reading these letters and for the many encouraging comments.  

In Christ,
Joe Kormos, Parish Health Facilitator
Diocese of Midwest