ALL SAINTS DAY

Although it was informal, we had our very first service Sunday,June 3rd,

in celebration of the All Saints Holy Day at the home of

Sub-Deacon Michael and Tanya Boyar.

It was attended by 14 1/2 people (some of the members of the Mission Core group), and although the rain dampened some outside events, we still barbecued some food and had a good time.

The kids were real active in the service singing responses (special thanks to Charles with the Troparian, and Sasha with the Kontakian), and they all did a wonderful job. 

Afterwards, we had a little meeting to present some Progress Reports, and as a rule, everyone was pleased with direction we are heading.  There are still some issues that we are working out, but upon presentation, Fr Gregory feels that we are in great shape and moving forward in a positive direction.

We topped it off by celebrating Seva’s 20^th birthday.  Lots of good cake and ice cream.

What a beautiful day it was.  We had a wonderful picnic on the grounds of the Brownstown Municipal Complex where 14 people came to enjoy our beautiful Reader's Service, snacks, and the playscape.

The kids were running, climbing, swinging, and pretending as they had free run of the grounds.  The parents and grandparents, on the other hand, were running, chasing, and enjoying our little ones, and boy were we all tired by the end of the day.

In mid-August, we moved to a more intimate setting at the Gibraltar Community Center. 

It is a nice facility inside and out, and we have been enjoying it very much, not to mention that it has been much more affordable to our needs. 

Thank you so much to my good friend, Gil Talbert for making it possible for us to continue working on our project. 

On August 18th, we were able to servce our very first Divine Liturgy with Fr Gregory Joyce, at the Gil Talbert Gibraltar Community Center.

It was a beautiful service, and almost everyone was able to partake in Holy Communion.  Fr gave a beautiful sermon, and except for a few people missing, we really enjoyed ourselves, and took plenty of fruit home.

Where was everyone else?  Some lame excuse about having a baby!!  That is right - Today was also the day the Caitlyn Sophia Bowser came into this world.

Happy Birthday baby Caitlyn

On Saturday, December 1, 2007, we had a Divine Liturgy celebrated by Fr Victor Trotskyy (from the Dormition Cathdral in Ferndale) at the Gibraltar Community Center in Gibraltar, Michigan.  This was our second Liturgy as a group, and even for a cold and nasty Saturday morning, we were blessed to have 10 people attend and everyone had Holy Communion - CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Charles and Cody were great Altar Servers (Cody's first time), and Claudia and Sasha helped make the choir sound so great, and they were so great at reading the Kontakians and Troparians.

It was great to see Keith again, and Diane so enjoyed playing with her new niece, Caitlyn.  Patricia did a phenominal job directing the little choir we had (and trying to keep up with Fr Victor). 

Fr Victor:  You are a wonderful man, and we really appreciate you driving a great distance to be with us, and leading us.  We enjoyed your work, and look forward to seeing you again, soon.