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For Women
Women, as the Church emphasizes, are the backbone of the Church in that they are the backbone in their respective parishes and homes. Bishop Nicholas of Miami and the Southeast The above quote rings true in our community. Our women gather every Saturday morning at 9am to sing and hymn prayers to the Mother of God for all the children they know, keeping a long list of names they pray for. These prayers flow out into not only in our own community, but names are mentioned for other children elsewhere. This kind of prayer, love, and dedication inspires and drives the Orthodox women at St Timothy. In addition to such…
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For Our Children
“Let everything take second place to our care of our children, our bringing them up to the discipline and instruction of the Lord. If from the beginning we teach them to love true wisdom, they will have great wealth and glory than riches can provide” St John Chrysostom The education and involvement of our children in prayer and learning holds high priority within our community. “In children we have a great charge committed to us,” says St John Chrysostom further. In our services you may hear a cry or little voices behind you once in a while, and this is because we allow and encourage our children to fully participate…
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Lompoc Valley Community Kitchen
A late member of our community, Athony, had a dream that those in need in Lompoc would have a hot meal every day of the week. This dream has been realized in the community and St Timothoy’s “LVCK” was an integral part in growing our community’s awareness toward those in need. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” We strive to immitate our Christian forebearers who were the first to build hospitals, tend to the needy, and serve the orphaned and widowed. Futhermore,…
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For Men
“Many men may not love church, but Orthodox men do.” In an article titled “Why Orthodox Men Love Church,” Kh Fredricka Matthew Green explores the reason why the Orthodox Church is seeing men convert in droves. She opens the article writing, “In a time when churches of every description are faced with Vanishing Male Syndrome, men are showing up at Eastern Orthodox churches in numbers that, if not numerically impressive, are proportionately intriguing.” Fredricka continues to list reasons why 100 different Orthodox convert men converted. Some said: A lifelong Orthodox says that what men like is “stability: Men find they can trust the Orthodox Church because of the consistent and…
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12 Things I Wish I’d Known
By Fredricka Matthews Green 1. What’s all this commotion? During the early part of the service the church may seem to be in a hubbub, with people walking up to the front of the church, praying in front of the iconostasis (the standing icons in front of the altar), kissing things and lighting candles, even though the service is already going on. In fact, when you came in the service was already going on, although the sign outside clearly said “Divine Liturgy, 9:30.” You felt embarrassed to apparently be late, but these people are even later, and they’re walking all around inside the church. What’s going on here? In an Orthodox…
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Welcome
Come and See! We would be honored by your visit and invite you to come experience the ancient Orthodox Christian Church and worship with us. Visiting an Orthodox Church, for many people, is a new and exciting experience. For those who are unfamiliar with the Orthodox Christian faith it may sometimes be difficult to understand what is happening, and we are sensitive to that. Be sure to read a very helpful article entitled“12 Things I wish I’d known…” written by Frederica Matthews-Green or watch a few videos here to prepare you for what you will experience. If you have any questions during your visit, please speak to any one of the friendly…
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Other Resources
To learn more about the Orthodox Christian Faith, please take a look at the following helpful links: Our Archdiocese: Antiochian Archdiocese of North America See what other parishes around our Archdiocese are doing, learn more about our Metropolitan, and read both national and international church news. Journey to Orthodoxy Are you making a journey yourself? Perhaps soul searching? Or were you born into the Orthodox Faith and are interesting in reading the stories of people who have converted from all accross the world? This site is for you! Ancient Faith Radio Listen to various podcasts and lectures from priests and laypersons accross the globe. You’ll be able to access Orthodox…
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How to Become Orthodox
How Do I Become An Orthodox Christian? “The process of becoming an Orthodox Christian can be compared very closely to the process of becoming a married person for it involves the same basic movements of courtship, engagement and marriage. When a person first becomes interested in the Orthodox Church a series of initial interactions take place. Perhaps one visits for a liturgy, researches Orthodoxy on-line, or engages in a conversation with a friend who is Orthodox. If these initial interactions are blessed, a more studied process of inquiry follows which can be compared to the process of courtship. One who launches into this dance with the Church is called by…
