Christ is in our midst! · المسيح بيننا
More than a Sunday service — Saint Elias is a family that prays, learns, sings, and serves together throughout the week. Whatever your age or gifts, there is a place for you to belong and to serve.
The life of the Church does not end when the Divine Liturgy is dismissed. It continues in the classrooms and the choir loft, at the coffee-hour table and in the homes of neighbors in need — in the ordinary, faithful work of a community living out its faith together.
Our ministries are the many ways the people of Saint Elias grow in Christ and love their neighbor: forming children in the faith, lifting our prayer in Byzantine and Arabic chant, walking alongside teens and young adults, caring for one another and for the stranger, and welcoming every guest who steps through our doors. You do not need to be an expert, a lifelong Orthodox Christian, or an Arabic speaker to take part — only willing. Explore the ministries below, and if something stirs your heart, we would love to help you find your place.
Life Together
A full overview of parish life at Saint Elias. Each ministry is a doorway into the community — and into a deeper life of prayer and service.
Forming our children in the Orthodox faith — from little ones through high school — through Scripture, the feasts, icons, and the lives of the saints.
Byzantine and Arabic chant that carries the prayer of the Church to heaven. Singers and readers of every level are welcome to lift their voices.
Teen SOYO and young-adult fellowship — friendship, service projects, and retreats that root our youth in Christ through the middle and high school years and beyond.
The Ladies' Society gathers the women of the parish for prayer, friendship, and service — supporting the parish, the archdiocese, and those in need.
Bible study and inquirers' classes that open the Scriptures and the teaching of the Church — for lifelong faithful and for those becoming Orthodox alike.
Serving the poor and welcoming the stranger through local service and the work of IOCC — putting the mercy of Christ into the streets of our city.
The warmth of Middle-Eastern hospitality — shared meals, fellowship, and the coffee hour after Liturgy, where every guest quickly becomes family.
Boys and men who serve at the holy altar, assisting the priest in the Divine Liturgy and learning to worship with reverence and joy.
The Annual Festival, the golf tournament, and parish celebrations through the year — food, music, and fellowship that bring the whole community together.
Every ministry at Saint Elias runs on the willing hands and prayers of ordinary parishioners. Joining one is simple: come to worship, stay for coffee hour, and let us know where your heart is drawn — whether that is singing in the choir, teaching in Sunday School, cooking for the festival, or visiting the homebound. There is a role for every age and every gift, and no experience is required. We will pair you with someone already serving, so you never begin alone.
If you would like to give your time, our volunteers page gathers the current needs across the parish and makes it easy to sign up for a ministry or a one-time project. And if you are new to Saint Elias, know that newcomers are especially welcome — serving alongside others is one of the surest ways to put down roots and come to feel at home in the parish family.
In the Orthodox Church, to serve is not merely to volunteer but to offer ourselves to God and neighbor in love. Whatever you bring — a voice, a skill, an hour, a prayer — is received as a gift and returned as a blessing. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).
Find Your Place
Reach out to the parish and tell us a little about yourself, or explore where volunteers are needed right now. We would be glad to help you find your place at Saint Elias.
