Parish Council

1. Officers of the Parish Council
2. Parish Ministries
3. Parish Governance Structure

The Parish Council assists the Dean in the responsible administration of Parish business in accordance with the Parish By-laws, and functions as a Board of Trustees for the Parish.

The Parish Council consists of:

• Clergy members, who include the Dean and other assigned clergy;
• Elected Officers, comprising the Warden, Deputy Warden, Secretary and Treasurer; and
• Ministry Coordinators.

The Ministry Coordinators provide a clear link between their Ministries and the Parish Council to ensure that

• all areas of Parish life are represented and being cared for in accordance with Parish by-laws and with the direction and support of the Parish Council;
• all ideas and concerns put forward by parishioners to the appropriate Ministry are presented to the Council; and
• information and resolutions of the Council are communicated across all areas of Parish life.

All members of the Parish Council are expected to make every effort to attend Parish Council meetings, as directed in the Parish By-laws.

To get in touch with a current Parish Council member or Ministry Coordinator please contact the Cathedral Office.

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Officers of the Parish Council

1. The Warden
2. The Deputy Warden
3. The Secretary
4. The Treasurer

The Warden

• is the coordinator of the Administrative Ministry;
• represents the Parish Council on all appropriate occasions; and
• provides firm leadership for the Parish Council.

The Deputy Warden

• substitutes for the Warden when required;
• is an ex officio member of each Parish Ministry, acting as a liaison between the coordinators of the Parish Ministries (with the exceptions of the Communications Ministry and the Administrative Ministry itself) and the Administrative Ministry; and
• assumes the position of Warden should it become vacant.

The Secretary

• takes minutes at Parish Council meetings;
• posts those minutes for the Parish;
• sends copies of the minutes to the Archdiocese; and
• performs other occasional secretarial duties.

The Treasurer

• manages the Parish's finances;
• maintains financial records;
• provides financial statements to the Parish Council as requested; and
• prepares and files all financial reports and statements required by law.

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Parish Ministries

1. Administration Ministry
2. Buildings and Grounds Ministry
3. Christian Witness and Mission Ministry
4. Communications Ministry
5. Education and Training Ministry
6. Liturgical Ministry
7. Parish Development and Stewardship Ministry
8. Parish Life and Hospitality Ministry
9. Pastoral Care and Prayer Ministry

Administration Ministry

This Ministry, composed of the Dean, Warden, Deputy Warden, Secretary, Treasurer, and Communications Coordinator, oversees the management of the Parish. Responsibilities include:

• Overseeing and coordinating the Parish Ministries;
• Running the Parish office;
• Managing day-to-day operations;
• Producing Cathedral News;
• Maintaining finances;
• Arranging the annual meeting and budget;
• Maintaining Parish records and archives.

Buildings and Grounds Ministry

Maintaining what God has given us is part of Christian stewardship, and this includes the building and grounds of the Cathedral. This Ministry covers a wide variety of responsibilities, including:

• Maintaining and improving the church and rectory buildings;
• Renovations;
• Property rental;
• Research, planning and needs analyses;
• Consultations with building professionals;
• Project management;
• Grounds maintenance.

Christian Witness and Mission Ministry

One of our key tasks as Christians is to share God's saving good news with those around us. The Christian Witness and Mission Ministry seeks to contact and engage our neighbours through love and service. In this work we are both sensitive to the diversity of our society and confident in the universality of the message we carry. The Christian Witness and Mission ministry can:

• reach out directly to those who most need to learn about God's love;
• work to make Orthodox Christianity as visible as possible in our communities;
• help parishioners explain the Christian way to others.

Communications Ministry

The Communications Ministry facilitates communications within and between the Parish, the Archdiocese and the local community using a variety of media. Its responsibilities include:

• Maintaining the Cathedral web site and providing current web site content;
• Coordinating communications between Ministries;
• Maintaining the Parish handbook;
• Creating newsletters, brochures, flyers, and other publications as required;
• Maintaining Bulletin Boards;
• Arranging public relations and advertising as required.

Education and Training Ministry

This Ministry is an umbrella Ministry for various programs which may run independently but are united in their desire to share the riches of the Orthodox tradition. The Ministry Team includes the Coordinators of these programs, but each program requires volunteer support and teamwork to expand and flourish. Program areas include:

• Church school;
• Adult education;
• Youth and Young Adult Program;
• Retreats and Camps;
• Bookstore;
• Library;
• Enquirers' program;
• Leadership training;
• Vocations.

Liturgical Ministry

The Liturgical Ministry is comprised of the clergy, sub-deacons and other altar servers ("taper-bearers"), choir directors and choir members. Its main responsibilities include:

• Arranging services;
• Music in services;
• Church singing;
• Choir practises;
• Maintaining vestments;
• Maintaining liturgical supplies (incense, charcoal, wine, etc.)
• Ensuring there are candles and prosphoras available;
• Training servers;
• Training and scheduling readers;
• Arranging for flowers for special services.

Parish Development and Stewardship Ministry

This Ministry focuses on the mission of the Parish and on strategies for growth and development. It encourages stewardship giving to support the Parish budget, supplemented by fund-raising activities. One of its main concerns is to sustain and develop the membership base, and to facilitate the best use of parishioners' talents to fulfill the mission and vision of the Parish. Areas of responsibility include:

• Parish membership (newcomers, visitors, members);
• Parish income (stewardship and fund-raising);
• Time and talent triage for new initiatives;
• Strategic planning for growth and development;
• Special projects (working groups and committees).

Parish Life and Hospitality Ministry

This Ministry includes all those who have a special concern for making the Parish friendly and welcoming to all, with activities that strengthen our own church family and extend the love of Christ to others. Fellowship and hospitality involves all parishioners at one time or another in the following areas:

• Sunday coffee hour;
• Potlucks and other meals;
• Events and celebrations;
• Fellowship (trips, outings, dinners, etc);
• Community and ecumenical outreach;
• Charitable activities and appeals; etc.

Pastoral Care and Prayer Ministry

The Pastoral Care Ministry is shared by the clergy and the laity to provide pastoral care and outreach to parishioners. These services include:

• House blessings;
• Liturgical services of blessings and intercession;
• Home and hospital visitations;
• Prayer support;
• Crisis counselling;
• On-going support for elderly and shut-ins;
• Outreach to newcomers, immigrants, "lost sheep", etc.

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Parish Governance Structure

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