Holy Protection Requirements to Join the Church and Catechetical Program                                          

The Orthodox Church is the pinnacle and origin of all Christianity, which itself is the pinnacle of all spirituality including so-called secularism and atheism, because atheism finds no sustainable god in material reality, making spiritual progress only possible with movement toward the Creator upon recognizing that there is far more to reality than material being, and that the material and finite has its origin in the eternal and infinite, the binding of the two accomplished above all in the Incarnation of Christ.    

It is a serious decision to join the Orthodox Christian Church, which in longer form is God’s Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church. 

Above all, what is required is that you stop making yourself god and start following the actual God and Creator and Redeemer of the universe, to submit to Him as your Lord and the one who governs your life, and to delve into the Gospel of Christ as a result.  In order to be a disciple of Christ, one must familiarize themselves with Scripture, above all the Gospels, the Epistles, and then all Scripture.  In order to go deeper one needs to listen to or read books and programs that focus on spiritual development according to the Tradition handed on from the Apostles.  The Church Fathers function in this way.    

Our parish is dedicated to growing only if it is receiving people who want to perpetuate and propagate Christ’s saving Orthodox Faith, and follow God’s will and standards as revealed in Scripture and Sacred Tradition (the deposit of the Faith mentioned in Scripture).  Our parish is dedicated not to cater to peoples’ wishes but rather for us together to conform to God’s standards. 

For all those who seek to be received as an Orthodox Christian at Holy Protection Church and wish to be received in Communion as a member of His Holy Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church should first and foremost:

-- be willing to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten and Eternal Son of God and Word of God, to His Father, and to the Holy Spirit, as being the three who are from eternity Divine, the Son and Spirit having their origin from God the Father before time began (unlike we humans and all of the rest of what exists, which were all created by God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son and in the Holy Spirit). 

--should know and have read through (or listened to) at least once all of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the Book of Acts prior to being received into the Church.  Upon reading these things one should have the goal thereafter in the following year after being received into the communion of the Church of reading all of the rest of the New Testament and the Book of Genesis at the beginning of Scripture.    

--should have prayed through the Psalms at least once, and read through through the book of Proverbs.

--should accept the Creed in its original form, as well as the points of affirmation of the faith for reception at Chrismation.   

--should have attended at least 20 Orthodox services (of which at least 10 should be Liturgies, either full or Presanctified).  Worship is the center of who we are, not "head learning."  Catechism is found above all in the words of the prayers that we say in liturgical services.  

--should attend  the four n-person classes offered twice a year with the catechist and viewed at least one set of online classes by Fr. Harry on either the parish website or on orthodoxchristianed.org, and the in-person instruction session with the priest.