Example
For an example project description click here.
Shine! Shine! Project Ideas
Growing in Faith: Education, Formation, Worship, and Community Building
- Needs Audit - Conduct an education audit. Identify key segments of parish population (seniors, parents, teens etc.) and determine what their formational status and needs really are.
- Adult Education – Orthodoxy 101 class at the church, bible study in neighborhoods where parishioners live
- Orthodox Book reading list – Create a reading list of books about the Orthodox faith.
- Orthodox discussion group – Create a book club and invite non-Orthodox
- Parish Book reading challenge – Conduct a book reading contest
- Liturgical music – make a commitment to improved liturgical music.
- Congregational singing – Teach the congregation to sing liturgical music
- Services – Liturgical services other than Sunday Divine Liturgy (vespers, feast day Divine Liturgies, Lenten services)
- Attendance – Obtain a pledge from a core group to expand attendance at vespers and feast day services.
- Feast day sponsors – Have families or parish organizations sponsor particular feast days: decorate; special meal.
- Parish Stories Project – Interview and save the stories of older parishioners
- Commit to regular coffee hour – fellowship every Sunday!
- Break up seemingly impenetrable groups during coffee hour; Re-form new social relationships.
- Parish Photo Contest – Invite each parish group; persons to capture their Life in Christ – expressing your parish’s vibrant personality.
- Create an updated "membership" responsibilities document/manual. What does it mean to be a member of the Body of Christ? What is expected of us? Discuss it with parish groups.
- Monastery pilgrimages – Plan a series of visits to monasteries.
- Eliminate dues – Decide now to eliminate dues as your parish stewardship approach.
- Stewardship Class – explore the full meaning of stewardship and generosity as a key value of Christians.
- Build a parish mail and email list, and use it regularly.
Sharing Our Faith: Proclaiming Christ in our life, words, and service
- Hold classes of interest to neighbors, such as a financial or budgeting class.
- Commit to give a sizable percentage of fundraising dollars to charity.
- Participate in regular charitable efforts, such as working once a month at a local soup kitchen.
- Hold event series (e.g., lectures or films) aimed toward inquirers of Orthodoxy.
- Hold a parish speaker's bureau.
- Public relations efforts with local newspapers and radio.
- Commit to achieve a certain percentage donation to charity.
- Implement a decent parish website, new or improved.
- Ministry to parishioners in need.
- Neighborhood Block Party – Plan a Saturday of games/fun for neighborhood Youth.
- Buy Orthodox books for local library with parish name inside.
- Parish yard signs and/or bumper stickers (“Honk forty times if you’re Orthodox”)
- Update Orthodox Church listings at nearby hotels to identify your parish.
- Rent a kiosk at a local mall. Offer Orthodox Books and crosses, recordings at reasonable prices. Provide free literature. Preface with an effort to prep for questions about the Gospel, the Orthodox faith.
- Survey parish neighbors. "Who are we?" “What do you know about us?”
- Undertake a serious effort to invite friends, relatives, and neighbors (“FRAN”) to church or a church function.
Welcoming Others: Showing hospitality to guests and strangers. Being open to new ideas of parishioners with different needs and attitudes.
- Greeter's ministry, including following up with them later.
- Liturgical aids - Divine Liturgy and Vespers books.
- Mystery Worshipper – Engage 2-3 persons unknown to parishioners to attend your parish for 3-4 weeks. Summarize and share their reactions. Make necessary changes.
- "What not to do when guests arrive" video – create a humorous video identifying the wrong ways to welcome people to our parish.
- Conduct a light-hearted yet serious training about showing hospitality to parish visitors and strangers.
- Create a new member integration ministry – Help them find friends/find a role.
- Help people on the margins of the parish to participate in a key ministry. Actively identify their gifts and interests. Help them connect.