One of the first questions a new person who comes to church asks is, "What does it mean and how do I become a member?" The prompt answer to this question is: "Believe and be baptized" (cf. Acts II, 38). Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, our Baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity, the seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which we are marked by anointing with the Holy Anointing - in this way we become members of the Church. Most of us were baptized into the Orthodox Church when we were little, by the faith of our parents and godparents, spiritual parents. Some, for some reason, were not baptized when they were little. This was the case in the early Church when adult baptism was very common and is becoming more common today. 

The first sign of our membership is participation in the Holy Mass and the Body and Blood of Christ. 
From the beginning of Christianity, members of the Body of Christ gathered every Sunday to participate in the Holy Mass. Many of us take this for granted. But in places where the Church has been and is persecuted, this simple act could bring danger or even death. In America, although we are free to choose and practice religion, many of us feel the pressures and obligations that society places on us that could prevent us from going to church. We must remember that gathering to celebrate the Holy Mass is a powerful testimony to those around us.

The church carries with it serious responsibilities. God gives us this great grace and we must answer. 
We do this in different ways. We maintain our connection with God through regular prayer and the Holy Sacraments. We feed our spirits by reading the Holy Scriptures and other spiritual readings. We strengthen our character by loving those around us, including our enemies. We show ourselves to be faithful children of Heavenly Father by helping those in need and sharing with others those with whom God has blessed us. In short, we must keep in our hearts the words of the Lord who said to us, "You are the light of the world ... so that your light may shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. . " (Matthew V, 14-16).

At the center of our lives in Christ is the Church itself. 
The church is not a simple organization in society, but a divine-human institution. As a divine institution, the Church is God's gift to the world. In and through the Church we are nourished as Christians. As a human institution, the Church has been preserved by believers for over two thousand years. It is now our responsibility to preserve and strengthen this treasure for ourselves and for future generations. One of the ways we do this is to support the work of the Church. We also do this by volunteering our time, the talents we have as well as through financial gifts. All of these are important. Each person offers as much as possible, according to the possibilities.
We pray that the Good and Loving God will continue to search and take care of this vine that His right hand has planted. (cf. Psalm LXXX, 14-15).

In the good tradition of transparency of our church committee, the status of members and donations will be available and will be published on the church's website.