Parish Life

Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Photo for Our Parish page
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Photo - Holy Theophany Orthodox Church - Our Parish
Parish Photo Gallery
Parish Photo Gallery

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light.”

—1 Peter 2:9

In the true Temple there is one offerer, one priest, who, again, is Christ. In baptism we all are anointed with grace as priests in the Kingdom of God; for the spiritual Kingdom is also the spiritual priesthood. Moreover, as the body of Christ, we have a priestly ministry to the world, fulfilling the very priesthood and intercession of the Lord Himself, so that to the whole universe we may proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

Footnote for 1 Peter 2:9 from the Orthodox Study Bible!

 

Holy Theophany Opportunities to Serve

The following list includes many of the regular opportunities open for participation at Holy Theophany, all of which are reliant directly upon us, and are supportive to the ongoing strengthening of our community. The emphasis on these opportunities is that they are not clergy run initiatives, but are the responsibility of the laity to serve Christ, serve one another, and minister to the world, as priests in His Kingdom.

 

Liturgical Life - Worship is the very essence and “lifeblood” of our life together as a community. We gather together regularly each week for prayer, worship, Communion, and full participation in the Church’s Sacramental life. There are monthly Akathists and Paraklesis scheduled in addition to the annual cycle of Feasts & Fasts as a community.

 

Ongoing Activity Groups

 

Children’s Education - Children’s classes are offered for grade school children after the Divine Liturgy throughout the school year.  These classes help to teach our children about our Faith, the Feasts, the Saints and more.

Contact Anita Schlichting: anitaschlichting@gmail.com

 

Catechism Class - ALL are welcome, catechumens, inquirers, and faithful alike.

Meets Wednesdays, following Vespers.

Contact Fr. Anthony Machnee: frmachnee@theophany.org

 

Homeschool Co-op – Available to all homeschool parents and their kids, focusing on working together through a rotating curriculum applicable to K-5th grades.

Meets Friday mornings, 9:30am @ church

Contact Mat. Mary Machnee: marymachnee@gmail.com

 

Youth Fellowship - Ages 13 through 18.  

Meets Saturday evenings after Great Vespers.

Contact Silas and Mele Karbo:  silaskarbo@icloud.com; meletekosis@gmail.com


 

Young Professionals Fellowship - post college age to 40.

Meets 1st Sunday afternoons through the year.

Contact Andrew and Amelia Selby: andrewselbyphoto@gmail.com 

 

College/Young Adult Fellowship - post-high school, college aged (need not be in college) fellowship and Bible Study

Meets Tuesdays, 7pm  - email for location, as it varies throughout the year.

Contact Fr. Anthony Karbo or Miranda Yenne: frkarbo@theophany.org, m.yenne17@gmail.com

 

Mom’s Group - Study group for mothers with Fr. Anthony Machnee

Meets Friday mornings, 9:30am @ Church (in conjunction with Homeschool Co-op)

Contact Kristine Vlahos or Yulia Maples: kristenmv@protonmail.comyuliyamaples@gmail.com

 

Ladies Study Group - Women's only group where a book/topic is studied together and discussed with Fr. Anthony.

Meets Thursday mornings, 9:00am @ upstairs in the old church

Contact Fr. Anthony: frkarbo@theophany.org

 

Ladies Nights – Periodic (typically monthly during fast free periods) get-togethers for parish ladies.  Low key, no homework, come-and-go opportunities to connect in relaxed atmosphere.

Contact Elizabeth Miller: eammiller1@gmail.com

 

Men's Study Group - Men’s only group where a book/topic is studied together and discussed with Fr. Anthony Karbo and Fr. Anthony Machnee.  An Akathist to the Theotokos prayed before the study group.

Akathist Prayer - Friday mornings, 6:00am @ Church

Study Group - Friday mornings, 6:30am @ Pavlica Hall

Contact Fr. Anthony or Silouan Alberts: frkarbo@theophany.org, brosilouan@gmail.com

 

Burial Society – A ministry to assist in the funeral and burial preparations for the newly departed of our parish.  Open for any who wish to assist in this loving ministry, and for those who would like to receive this service for their funeral.

Contact Mat. Mary Machnee: marymachnee@gmail.com

 

Annual Events

 

Project Mexico - Summer mission trip focused on building a home for a family in need in Mexico.  Open to youth group age, young adults, and adult sponsors.

Contact Fr. Anthony Machnee: frmachnee@theophany.org

 

Summer Youth Camp - Week long, summer camp, open to all youth, as well as volunteer camp counselors.

Contact Fr. Anthony Machnee: frmachnee@theophany.org

 

Winter Youth Camp - Winter camp for high school aged youth.

Contact Fr. Anthony Machnee: frmachnee@theophany.org

 

 

Outreach Opportunities

 

Protection of the Holy Virgin Monastery - From semi-annual workdays, annual fire-wood collection, to group/individual/family day work - the nuns at the Monastery can always use our support.  The Monastery is located in Lake George, just an hour from Colorado Springs.

Contact Mother Cassiana directly: (719) 748-3999

 

Orthodox Christian Prison Ministries (OCPM) - The mission of the OCPM is to bring the love of Christ to those who are in prison by providing encouragement, material support, transition and reintegration services, Christian education, spiritual guidance and the sacramental life of the Church.  This ministry has a strong local group serving prisoners in the Colorado and nationwide prison system.

Contact Will Spahr:  wspahr@gmail.com

 

Ugandan Orthodox Church - By using a reload-able King Soopers card for grocery shopping, a percentage of the total amount spent is donated to Father Philumen and the growing Orthodox Church in Uganda.  There are no costs at all to the user. This very simple way of supporting this ministry has proven very effective and made an immense impact in the lives of those Orthodox Christians in Uganda who benefit from the funds.

Contact Ruth Battersby: ruth@battersbyfam.com

 

Mealtrains - We regularly support each other with meals when someone needs time to recover from a new baby (So. Many. Babies!) or heal from an illness. “Mealtrain” invitations go to the Parish email list, so keep an eye out for those opportunities to serve one another.


 

Parish Life Opportunities

 

Our community doesn’t employ any regular service providers but relies entirely on the dedication and loving service of the church members to meet the needs for the hospitality of the parish and the maintenance of the Church and property.

 

Email Distribution List - Get parish specific notifications, the weekly bulletin, and service opportunities delivered right to your inbox! 

Contact: membership@theophany.org with your contact details to be added to the list. 

 

Church Flowers - All of the flower arrangements in the Church are provided by individual parishioners.  We can all freely take part in this pious act of honoring the Lord, the Theotokos, and all the Saints with fresh bouquets.  Vases are available in Pavlica Hall in the two upper left cabinets.  No prior notice is necessary, just bring flowers and set in place.

 

Parish Council - These six Parish elected Council positions are to assist the Rector (Fr. Anthony) in the administration of the Parish, and to execute the decisions of the Parish meeting.  While each position comes with it’s own tasks and responsibilities, the primary emphasis is that the Council meets monthly to consider a variety of Parish issues, and then enact the approved decision on behalf of the Parish at-large.  The positions are held for two-year terms. Candidates can be nominated by any active member of the Parish. 

The positions are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Activities Director, Membership Steward, and Facilities Steward.  More information on the Parish Council is contained in the Parish By-Laws, available to any member upon request.

If you are interested in serving on the Parish Council, please contact any current Parish Council member, or contact Fr. Anthony: frkarbo@theophany.org

 

Children’s Church School Teacher and Teacher’s Assistant - Class teachers and teacher’s assistants are always needed.  A background check is required and will be performed prior to working in any capacity with children.

Contact Anita Schlichting: anitaschlichting@gmail.com

 

Choir - Always an opportunity to join the Church Choir, especially for those with a music/choir background and who enjoy singing.  

Contact David McInnis: davidcmcinnis@gmail.com

 

Prosphora Baking – Prosphora (meaning “that which is offered”) is the loaf of holy bread that is used by the priest to prepare the Eucharist.  Our parish needs multiple large loaves of Prosphora on a weekly basis.  In addition to the Prosphora used for the Eucharist, we also try to have small Prosphora loaves made for the Sunday Divine Liturgy, for the faithful to send them to the alter with a list of names for prayers for the living and the departed.  Prosphora baking by the faithful is a part of a long and holy tradition in the Orthodox Church.  

If you are interested in learning how to bake Prosphora, and help to provide this liturgical necessity on a regular basis:

Contact Shelly Dullaart: shelleydullaart@yahoo.com

 

Fellowship Meals - Our fellowship mealtimes offer an opportunity for us to serve our beloved community in the most natural way - through the sharing of a meal together.  This presents a great environment to develop and nurture relationships within our community, while also providing an occasion for us to offer hospitality to guests and visitors - cultivating an easy-going atmosphere for discussion and reflection. Small groups (2-3 families or several individuals) prepare the meal for the parish. All able parish members are encouraged to participate in this service of love and hospitality, once or twice a year. Also, the last Sunday of every month is a Potluck, please bring a dish to share.

Sign-up sheet is posted in the Fellowship Hall

Contact Georgia Funari: ga.funari@gmail.com

 

Church Cleaning - Our beautiful church and hall are cleaned solely by parish volunteers.  This service to Christ and one another is a simple way we can take seriously our ownership of the Church we are so blessed to worship in.  The quiet contemplative time spent while cleaning in the Church is food for the soul. Cleaning takes about 2 hours and can be completed anytime, morning, noon, or night, around the service schedule.  All able parish members are encouraged to participate. 

Contact Ruth Battersby: ruth@battersbyfam.com

 

Grounds Keeping - From one-time projects to regular maintenance - our grounds need regular volunteers to help tend the gardens, weed the rocks, sweep the walkways, clean the playground area, mow the grass, shovel the snow before a service, etc.  Work appropriate for families and individuals can be arranged to fit your special interests and schedules.

Contact Geoff Bray: gbray11@gmail.com

 

Flowerpots and gardens - The outdoor flowerpots and flower beds are planted and tended each year. They require annual planting, and regular maintenance and weekly watering.

Contact Tiffany Alberts: tiffanyroseannamarie@gmail.com

 

Building Maintenance - In an effort to build an internal database of our community skills, if you have a trade or technical skill which could be used on occasion as necessary, please let us know.  From carpenter to HVAC tech, drywall to roofing, computer engineer to appliance tech, web designer to gardener, arborist to electrician, plumber to teacher, medical professional to seamstress - any and all skills are beneficial, and it is great to know what is available. 

Contact Dn. Michael Applegate: mangofence@gmail.com

 

Annual Membership Pledge - Each year, the Parish Council adopts a carefully considered budget, including only those items aligned with the requirements of the membership and in accordance with the pledges received. The budget is never more than the pledged total, so pledge forms are critical to this work. Look for pledge forms to be distributed in early November and collected mid-December. Questions? 

Contact: membership@theophany.org

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