PHILOPTOCHOS

Philoptochos is a Greek word meaning “love for the poor.” It has the same Greek root from which the English word philanthropy is derived. St. Paul’s Philoptochos is part of a national women’s charitable organization that has 475 chapters around the country. At St. Paul’s, we are involved in a number of outreach projects locally and we support a number of charitable ministries at the national level. Among the projects that we support are St. Basil’s Academy, Project Mexico/St. Innocent’s Orphanage, Holy Cross Seminary, Kids N’ Cancer, Trinity Children and Family Services and a variety of local shelters in Orange County. Currently, St. Paul’s has two members on the national board of directors of Philoptochos: Kathy Gabriel and Marina Kookootsedes. To learn more, please contact marina@stpaulsirvine.org
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ST. PAUL’S CHOIR

“Sing a new song to the Lord and praise Him in the assembly of His faithful people” (Psalm 149:1). Music is essential to Christian worship. At St. Paul’s, the choir is a vital ministry of praise. Rehearsals take place on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:30PM. Everyone is welcome to join the choir and offer their mind, heart and voice to the Lord. For more information, please contact the parish office. 
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THE AMBASSADORS

The Ambassadors is a program for the senior citizens of our parish. We meet on a monthly basis for fellowship and have recently taken trips to a number of museums from Los Angeles to San Diego. In addition, Dean Langis conducts a monthly Bible study for senior residents of Laguna Woods. To learn more, please contact Dean Langis, our pastoral assistant, at dlangis@stpaulsirvine.org 
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 THE ORTHODOX PARENTS ASSOCIATION (OPA!)

The Orthodox Parents Association is a ministry for couples with young children. At St. Paul’s, this has meant “Parent’s Night Out” programs, a Christian book club for moms, a variety of programs and outings for kids, social events, parenting classes and marriage retreats. To learn more, please contact the Church office at 949 733-2366.   
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ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Over the last 50 years, twelve step programs have been a powerful tool in freeing people from their addictions. As a program, AA is rooted in the fundamentally Christian principles of confessing one’s sinfulness and submitting oneself entirely to God and has helped millions of people struggling with addiction to alcohol. Twelve step programs can be adapted to fit an Orthodox Christian context that encourages the practice of the disciplines of the Christian life. St. Paul’s sponsors a chapter of AA that meets every Monday evening at 6:00PM and is focused on the 11th step, in which we seek through prayer and meditation to sustain our conscious awareness of God’s presence in our lives, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. For more information, please contact the parish office.
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ST. PAUL’S BOOKSTORE

St. Paul’s has a Christian bookstore on the premises with more than a thousand titles and items for sale, ranging from theology, Scripture studies, the spiritual life and church history to children’s books, music, incense and icons. The bookstore is open every day for browsing during parish office hours, 9AM-5PM and on Sundays following services. For a listing of some of the books currently available, click here.
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MODERN GREEK LANGUAGE CLASSES

St. Paul’s offers classes in modern Greek for adults at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels every Monday and Wednesday evening. All classes are taught by Mrs. Nina Luke. For more information, please contact the parish office.
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