On All Saints Sunday, June 30, 2013 (our name sakes day), we were invited by Fr Andrew Rogers and the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church to celebrate with a Reader's Service and a combined Church Picnic on their grounds.

With about 45 in attendance, and after a really inspirational church service, we all went outside to enjoy the masterful barbecue talents of Luis Nino (but we really think it is his wife who pulls it off) and with many different dishes that folks brought along. 

Enjoy the photos

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On July 15 - 19, 2013, we were invited again to Vacation Bible School hosted by our sister parish, St. Vladimir in Ann Arbor.  With so many great activities inside and out (and the beautiful weather), Ms. Tatiana and Ms. Leta made sure that everyone had a great time, and our children will have memories for a long time. 

It is a difficult task keeping the attention of 5 year olds all the way up to teenagers, but everyone stayed busy.  Special Thank yous must to out to our SubDeacons and Readers, who led presentations and Raphael, Yuliya, Tiffany, Patricia, and so many more moms and dads who got more exercise than they bargained for.

Making sure we started with a prayer each morning, then healthy doses of  Arts & Crafts, Music & Singing, Water Games, exercising, and Activities of trust and togetherness (especially when the girls beat the boys).  The kids even participated in preparing their meals and learned about how to ring the bells.  Thursday was the best when they created their own Tent Village and had to endure the scary stories by Mr. Karl, while they spent the night. 

Where is the model of the new church building that the kids made?  It looked so real!

Thank you again to all of the volunteers who worked so hard so that our children could get the most out of VBS and promoting our Holy Orthodoxy!

Check out these Photos!

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On Sunday, September 15, 2013, we were invited by Fr. Andrew Rogers to celebrate another Reader's Service, since he had an important obligation in the Upper Pennisula, and to the delight of everyone, we had about 30 come to pray and share a little snack after.

We have really enjoyed our time sharing with them as we both tried to find our identities on our future:  To study and celebrate together or apart.  That is truly the question we are all praying for the answer.  God's Will!

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PRESS RELEASE

On  Sunday, November 17, 2013, ALL SAINTS ORTHODOX CHURCH hosted an Open House at a prospective new location in Lincoln Park, Michigan.  Hosted by Very Reverend Gregory Joyce and Sub-Deacon Michael Boyar, and several families of the new mission parish, that even with the uncertain weather conditions, many people came from all over downriver and throughout the Detroit and Ann Arbor area.

Under the Jurisdiction of His Grace, Bishop Peter of ROCOR, All Saints has been blessed with the opportunity of being the exclusive English Speaking Eastern Rite Orthodox Church in the downriver communities.  Holy Incarnation Orthodox Church in Lincoln Park is also English speaking from the Antiochian Archdiocese, but is Western Rite.

"Even though many Orthodox churches have been founded by our ancestors for over 100 years now throughout Michigan, most are culturally based on ethnicity and language, included several parishes downriver.  We recognize a true need for our more recent generations, who are English language based, to have a church that could serve them better.  We are a group of about 40 strong Orthodox and soon to be Christmated Orthodox Christians who have this drive and ambition to grow and participate in our communities.  We want to invite and include everyone who is looking for the Holy Spirit in the true Glorification of God," stated SubDeacon Boyar.  "We just have something really great that we want to share."

There are a lot events coming up in a very short period and some really amazing ministries are being developed now, including an Adult Day Care Center, community classes and several ministries to help the local community.  Anyone who is inspired to at least contact the new mission parish is encouraged to call 734/934-6337 or email them at AllSaintsDownriver@gmail.com.  Their website is:  AllSaintsOrthodoxChurch.org.

(As it turned out, this building was not meant to be in our future, so the search continues.  Please pray for us.)

Check the link (entitled: PHOTOS - Our new Home) on the left to see some photos of the new building

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All Saints Orthodox Mission Church would like to thank Fr Deacon Nicholas Olsen who came to the Downriver area last December.  He was in town to visit the Detroit area and meet our group , but the weather had something so different to say, but we were able to do a lot of work to help figure out the future of Holy Orthodoxy in the Dearborn/Downriver area.  It is now all 'in the can' and we have a lot to Pray and Deliberate.  Please pray for us.

Raised in mid-Michigan, Fr Deacon Nicholas completed his Education and Seminary and is now attached to an Orthodox church in Arkansas, where he lives with his wife, Monica and 3 children.  Even as a young man, he brings a wealth of Love and Experience with his church work and in his secular career as a wood-worker.

We Thank God for meeting him and spending time with him throughout the weekend; and wish him a safe and speedy journey home.

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