Holy Mother of God Church is not about our campus structures: the Hellenic Center, Patmos Hall—not even our Church building where we worship and celebrate our Holy Sacraments. No. The Church itself is not in wood, stone, concrete or metal; the Church is in the hearts of God’s people. The true Church is the "ekklesia," the gathering of the faithful, those who have been moved by the Spirit to come together and give thanks and praise to their beloved God. In fact, if we were somehow to find ourselves without our beloved Church building tomorrow, we would still be God’s Church. The Gospel, nothing else, is the essential element of our Church and our lives. We would start again from the beginning, with the Word in our hearts, and in doing this we would be just as much of a Church, just as whole and complete, as we are today.

So now we know who we are … but what do we look like? For those who are visiting or new to our community, you may be a bit surprised. No, you certainly do not have to be of Greek descent to visit or join our community. If you look around our Church on any given Sunday, you’ll see people of every background: Greek, Romanian, Russian, English, Irish, German, Jordanian, and every classic "American" combination you can imagine—and the list goes on and on. The title "Greek Orthodox" refers to the venerable origins of our community, which are Hellenistic, connected to the great and ancient Christian See of Constantinople (now Istanbul). The Orthodox Church is not designed and reserved for people of a certain background; it is, however, designed and reserved for those who love God with all their heart, soul and mind.

And what do we do, as a community? This list is too long to cover here (please see the "Ministries" section of our website). But in addition to worship and liturgical thanksgiving to God, which is our first calling as Orthodox Christians, we do our utmost to provide our community with a host of uplifting, inspiring and Christ-centered ministries that bring families and individuals together—and bring us all closer to God. Ours is a vibrant community, filled with people, of all backgrounds and ages, who simply offer their gifts and energy to God each and every day: the result is a rich assortment of programs that, we pray, reflect the spiritual needs, creative powers and essential tenants of a Christian life. So whether you’re interested in Christian education, singing, Bible study, community outreach, folk dancing, retreats, or simply meeting nice people, you’ve come to the right place.

Are you looking for a spiritual home? Come, visit us, worship with us, talk with our beloved parishioners about the timeless glory of the Orthodox faith and the deep fulfillment of being a member of this loving and inspirational community, this spiritual family. Come, visit us soon—we’ll be waiting for you and, most importantly, so will our Lord.

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