Ministries

Please remember in your prayers:
Irene Zogob, Mitchell Zogob, Fr. Alexander Atty, Genevieve Saba, Fr. Michael Lewis, Marion Deeb, & Nabila Zabaneh.

FOCUS North America
FOCUS North America is a pan-Orthodox social action ministry of the entire Orthodox Church that was given a “warm endorsement for this welcomed initiative” by the Standing Conference of the Orthodox Canonical Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) this past May. Working mainly in the areas of Food, Occupation, Clothing, Understanding and Shelter, FOCUS North America expresses Christ’s love through social action in North America for the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick or imprisoned (Matt. 25:35-6). FOCUS North America is also launching a new initiative called the “FOCUS City Center Program” all across North America.  FOCUS City Centers will be the work of several Orthodox parishes in an area coming together with trained FOCUS North America staff to provide nutritious meals and other vital care for the poor in their city.  One city already working with FOCUS North America is providing over 14,000 meals a year with 200 Orthodox volunteers a month.  And this is just one city - imagine fifty cities! www.FOCUSOC.org

FOCUS OC Volunteer Calendar
Sept 18th – 2d Harvest Food Bank Work Session (14 up), 1-4 pm, Roger Tierney, rrtierney@earthlink.net
Sept 26th – Blood Drive at St Mark Church, Irvine, 9am to 3pm, Roger Tierney
Oct 16th – 2d Harvest Food Bank Work Session (14 up), 1-4 pm, Roger Tierney, rrtierney@earthlink.net
Nov 20th – 2d Harvest Food Bank Work Session (14 up), 1-4 pm, Roger Tierney, rrtierney@earthlink.net

Canned Food Drive
As we all know, our country is in the midst of a deep recession. All relief agencies are seeing more needs and at the same time donations are down. In light of this, the on going canned food collection of our parish is a small but important way to help. Please try to bring something to go in the collection barrel every week.

Good Samaritan Fund
Several years ago, St. Mark Church established a fund for assisting those in need, both within our parish and in the general community. From time to time we ask for contributions to the Good Samaritan Fund, and this is one of those times. If you are aware of someone in our parish that needs financial assistance, please speak with Fr. Michael.

St. Mark Church School is making an annual pledge to…
SAMP (Support A Mission Priest)
This program of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center offers monthly financial assistance to indigenous priests in extremely poor areas around the world.  Through SAMP donations the priest is able to apply himself fully to the needs of the parish and hierarchs are able to ordain more clergy to meet the growing number of parishes in their diocese.
Our Recipient is Fr. Deacon Marcel Dayang from Chad.

The Men’s Club
The Men’s Club meets once a month to have dinner and hear a guest speaker. It’s a great time for men of all ages to learn, pray and have fellowship with one another.
Contact: Mark Ellis

The Ladies’ Guild
The Women of St. Mark Orthodox Church have an active role in our parish, serving many needs of the church. From organizing fundraisers that benefit outreach programs and parish needs, to attending retreats together, the Ladies’ Guild provides a great opportunity for the women of the parish to fellowship together.  Contact: Vera Bahbah

The Teen SOYO Group
Our teen SOYO (Society of Orthodox Youth Organizations) group is actively participating in all aspects of parish life. They are are active in local outreach programs to the community, enjoy social activities together, and support the church through organizing fundraisers, supporting Special Olympics, organizing trips to the monasteries, participating in Bible studies, and much, much more. Contact: Juliana Turk.

International Orthodox Christian Charities Inc. (IOCC)
IOCC was established by the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) as the official humanitarian aid agency of Orthodox Christians to work in cooperation with the Orthodox Churches worldwide.  IOCC, in the spirit of Christ’s love, offers emergency relief and development programs to those in need worldwide, without discrimination, and strengthens the capacity of the Orthodox Church to so respond. In carrying out this mission, IOCC assumes the highest professional standards and renders itself fully accountable to the public and its donors. Assistance is provided solely on the basis of need.  IOCC works in cooperation with local, regional and international organizations to accomplish its humanitarian mission. Through these partnerships, IOCC is able to more effectively respond to the needs of people suffering from war, poverty, disease and natural disaster. IOCC web site: www.iocc.org

The Order of St. Ignatius
The Order of St. Ignatius is a movement of individuals who, motivated by faith and love, openly pledge a specific financial commitment to support the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. This financial commitment goes above and beyond the normal level of parish membership, and is not meant to replace, but to supersede parish level giving. The funds from the Order are channeled directly into archdiocesan educational, charitable, and outreach programs. Since its start in 1976, the Order of St. Ignatius has distributed over $20 million and now distributes $1.4 million annually: 38% of the archdiocesan annual budget. web site: www.antiochian.org/order