Christ is risen! Across the country, people are coming into the Orthodox Church in numbers that are hard to ignore. This month, we are highlighting resources on conversion, church growth, first impressions, parish visibility, and the steady growth of mission communities in our Metropolis.
This Month’s Featured Evangelism Resources
How Many People Just Became Orthodox?
Across the country, people are coming into the Orthodox Church in numbers that are hard to ignore. This livestream discussion from the Orthodox Studies Institute takes an honest look at what is driving the surge, who these converts are, what they are searching for, and what it means for our parishes.
- The Greeks Who Changed the World — How Greek merchants in ancient Gaul evangelized an entire region simply by living their faith.
- Church Growth, Orthodox Style: Lessons from St. Barnabas Orthodox Church — A conversation about what it looks like to grow a faithful Orthodox parish from the ground up.
Conversion Stories
Hear from Alex, Tim, Nick, and others as they share what drew them out of Protestant and Catholic backgrounds and into the Orthodox Church. They speak about depth, history, reverence, and the moment each one knew they had found home.
First Impressions
Gen Z is coming to church, but they are vetting you before they ever walk through the door. This video breaks down the five specific channels young people use to discover and evaluate a church, and the results may surprise you. Your website matters more than your social media, and neither one matters as much as a personal invitation. This is worth watching with your parish council or evangelism team.
Featured Website
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Eugene, Oregon has a clean, welcoming website that gives visitors exactly what they need: who they are, when they gather, and what to expect. It is worth a look as a model for your own parish site.
Featured Channel
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Prescott, Arizona is showing up consistently across multiple platforms. Their online presence is a good example of what a visible parish presence can look like when a community uses social media, video, and local communication together.
Mission Parish News: Lake Havasu City, Arizona
The Mission Parish of Lake Havasu City, Arizona is seeing good success and steady growth. They are served every week by four priests: Father Andrew Barakos, Father Jacob Saylor, Father Timothy Pavlatos, and the newly ordained Father Joshua Rognstad, a recent and welcome addition to their rotation.
Seekers are finding the mission entirely through the internet, and today the community is nearly half inquirers and catechumens. Many are young people and families coming from Baptist backgrounds or no church background at all. Five are actively in catechesis, with more in the pipeline, and the community recently welcomed its newest member, Anthony, into the Church.
To make room for their growing number of guests and seekers, the parish has rented the space next door and opened it up by removing the wall between the two rooms, giving the community much-needed room to grow. Please keep the Mission Parish of Lake Havasu City in your prayers as it continues to welcome seekers and bear witness to Christ in western Arizona.
Event Highlight
America as a Mission Field: What Is the Gospel? — Session 3
On June 9, Father Andrew Jarmus and Father Christian Siskos continued the conversation on America as a mission field and the Gospel we are called to share. This free online presentation was part of the Missions and Evangelism Ministry’s ongoing series exploring Orthodox evangelism, mission, and the spiritual needs of America today.
The session reflected on what it means to live and proclaim the Gospel within a secular and often fragmented culture, including the nature of the Gospel, the missionary opportunity in America, what the Orthodox Church has to offer, and practical ways parishes can embody and share the faith locally.
Help Grow Orthodoxy in America
The Missions and Evangelism Ministry exists to help the Orthodox faith grow throughout the Metropolis of San Francisco through mission planting, evangelism education, and practical support for parishes like the ones featured in this newsletter.
To sustain and expand our work, we need to raise $35,000 during 2026.
With additional support, we are ready to move forward on three initiatives:
- A Mission Planning Handbook to help parishes respond to growth and new opportunities
- Parish Evangelism Seminars that bring practical training directly to local communities
- Parish Momentum Events, two-day outreach gatherings that explain the Orthodox faith to inquirers and invite them to visit a nearby parish
Consider becoming a monthly supporter. Whether it is $10, $25, or $50 a month, consistent giving is what allows us to plan, build, and serve with confidence. A gift of $25 a month is $300 a year, and when enough people give together at that level, it changes what this ministry can do.
Every gift is tax-deductible through the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, a registered 501(c)(3).