PALOS HILLS, IL [DOM] – On Sunday, September 10, St. Luke Church held a presentation during Coffee Hour called “Ministries in Motion.” This presentation was an overview of St. Luke’s many lay-ministries.
Archpriest Paul Jannakos, Chancellor of the Diocese, Rector of St. Luke, working closely together with the parish council has outlined 6 primary areas necessary for parish health and growth: Liturgical (worship), Educational (catechesis), Philanthropic (community service), Mission (evangelization), Stewardship (giving), and Maintenance (building). Each of these 6 has a ministry-team-leader who reports to Fr. Paul and the parish council about their work.
Underneath these 6 areas the parish has made available a total of over 80 separate “ministries” or responsibilities (in monasteries “obediences”) for every member of the parish to choose from. Examples of these smaller ministries/responsibilities are: Greeters (at the door of the Church, Singers, Teachers, Safety-Security officers, IOCC parish representatives, web-site and communications developer, Youth and Young adult ministers, Kitchen servers, Homeless meal cooks (with Beds Plus), Drivers for elderly (“Elijah’s Chariot”), and Prison ministry visitors, to name a few. ‘For many years,’ says Fr. Paul, ‘St. Luke’s has been committed to the words of the Lord Who said, “For I have come not to be served, but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.”’
