by Joy Corey, originally published in the October 1997 issue of The Word magazine
OUTREACH! This is the key that will open the door to success for any mission. We must have high visibility. We must be seen, we must be heard, and we must be read. The first, through our interaction in the community; the second, through exposure to our Church music; and the third through our literature. Hence, the Mission of St. John the Baptist of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is carrying out this threefold program. Glory to God! 
We celebrated our very first liturgy on Sunday, November 19, 1995. Almost two years later, it is hard to believe that in that short time we have come so far. We never would have dared to dream then that we would have the first of three buildings completed on our own 5-acre parcel of land. This can only be accounted for by the Grace of God. Our nomadic existence over the past two years has given us an appreciation for what we have beyond anything one could imagine. We have worshipped in the Coeur d’Alene Board of Realtor’s building for ten months; in a cafe where our beloved Fr. Gregory and his altar boys found themselves processing during the Little Entrance between displays of pies and pastries; in a restaurant with its bar and patrons immediately adjacent, eating pretzels and nuts and drinking beer and martinis while we ate and drank the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and lastly, in an abandoned Help-U-Sell building which we quickly transformed into a “Help-USelf” building, as our men busied themselves taking down walls to create a sanctuary, a nave and a narthex. In exchange for rent, the owners asked us to do certain improvements and so we reinstated the barter system. We got what we wanted and so did they. Up until this point, Father and a handful of men (sometimes only one other) would have to put up and take down the altar, oblation table, iconostasis, icons, liturgical supplies, etc. This is backbreaking when you are going up and down a long flight of stairs. Saturday Evening Vespers were celebrated at the Methodist Church in another town called Rathdrum about twenty minutes north of where we celebrated Matins and Liturgy on Sundays. Father’s station wagon became a “Have Church Will Travel” transport. Father and Khoureya Cindy’s memories were really exercised in trying not to forget anything. Once they had a home of their own, their basement was transformed into a beautiful little chapel where we then began celebrating Vespers and Daily Morning Prayer. Truly we have been “A MISSION ON THE MOVE.”
With a dynamic, young, enthusiastic, on-fire-for-God priest as our Shepherd, Fr. Gregory Horton, this community was not about to sit still. First and foremost, we needed to become known in the community. Arrangements were made for Father Gregory to be on a local television show which aired in seven cities. Several inquiries ensued. Articles were placed in local newspapers about the first Orthodox Christian presence in all Northern and Central Idaho. We formed our choir immediately with Khoureya Cindy as our highly skilled Choir Director. This extremely talented woman plays beautiful flute and piccolo. Fr. Gregory is a highly skilled musician as well. We began with five voices; now we have fourteen. We have one of the most dedicated choirs I’ve seen. Our first Orthodoxy Sunday, we sponsored at our little Mission and invited the only two other Orthodox parishes within reasonable proximity from Spokane; with the three choirs combined, we sang “with one voice and in one accord.” It was wonderful! Fr. Joseph Copeland from Yakima, WA con-celebrated with Fr. Gregory and ignited our spirits with his dynamite sermon.
Also, that first Spring Fr. Gregory arranged for us to participate in a baseball competition against other churches in the area. We literally threw a team together in a matter of days bringing our icon of St. John the Baptist as part of our evangelical outreach. We lost the competition, but we gained recognition in the community. Fr. Gregory had his debut as theologian on TV, and now was seen in a different light—as our star baseball player. Who said priests are stuffy and can’t have fun! We were seen as a family. Our father and our mother (Khoureya Cindy) both played ball joined by many of these spiritual children, while still others served as part of the cheerleading squad on the sidelines.
While the choir was meeting every week for practice and growing not only in number, but in its musical repertoire, the ladies began organizing themselves taking on the name of The Sisterhood of Saints. Martha and Mary. The Sisterhood established its first annual bake sale for our first Pascha and earned over $l,000 for the Church. Our ethnic pastries now became a part of our outreach as pamphlets educating our patrons as to what the Orthodox Church was about were distributed along with the baked goods. The ladies had another successful bake sale this Spring. While the Sisterhood established monthly luncheon meetings at a local restaurant and began to plan out their humanitarian works which they have carried out, the Sunday School was also taking shape. We began with eight children and now have twenty-two children enrolled, five teachers, formal classes, a year-end Church School picnic with distribution of graduation certificates, Orthodox pins or crosses, etc. Our little Church School for two years in a row has won numerous awards in the Creative Festivals at the Western Region Parish Life Conferences and hopes to have a Bible Bowl Team in 1998. Cataldo Mission in Cataldo, Idaho served as the site for last year’s church school picnic. Atop the majestic rolling lush green hills of Cataldo sits this majestic mission built by the Jesuits. We shared a picnic lunch, toured the mission, played badminton, baseball, etc. Young and old frolicked about in the grassy swales, soaking up the sun’s rays, and dowsing themselves in ice cubes in an effort to combat the heat. This year, our Sunday School picnic was at the park on Fort Sherman’s grounds right on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Fort Sherman is where the Union troops came after the Civil War. During October, Youth Month, our mission sponsors a Youth Luncheon honoring our young people.
As a family (and that, we are), it is as important to “play” together as it is to “pray together.” So, we often do things as a family. One of these included an alternative-to-Halloween-party. As you probably all know, Halloween is the second highest holiday celebration for the Satanist, following his or her own birthday. Since it belongs to our enemy, we chose not to glorify him and instead we offered a “Come-as-Your-Favorite-Saint-Party,” which was held at Father and Khoureya Cindy’s home. The kids bobbed for apples, Father told “scary” stories of the lives of the saints (the way many died is enough to scare anybody), they went on a scavenger hunt (which included finding spiders — something our boys delighted in), and lots of goodies to eat; and each kid took home a gift and a goodie bag full of candy. Instead of seeing ghosts, witches and goblins, our eyes were treated to the beautiful and heartwarming presence of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, St. Katherine, The Bible, St. Elizabeth and many others. The idea in our Christian walk is to always keep our hearts and minds attuned to God, and this party presented yet another vehicle by which to accomplish this.
The altar is very well cared for under the firm but loving guidance of Nectarios Halvorson. We began with four altar boys and now have doubled in number. The boys serve on a rotating basis and are very well organized. They range from ages 7 to 17. Two of our ladies made robes for the men who serve behind the altar. God bless them. We need more altar boy robes, however. For this we pray.
The highlight of 1996, of course, was a visit from our most beloved Bishop Joseph. The first Monday of Lent that year we celebrated the Canon of St. Andrew with Bishop Joseph. He first graced us with his presence at a Parish Council dinner in one of our homes. He lovingly shepherded us with his pastoral concerns and counsel. We were so blessed. Many came from Spokane to meet our beloved Shepherd and the combined choirs sang. We knew with his blessing and prayers we would truly be on our way.
In keeping with our evangelical thrust, Fr. Gregory arranged for Fr. Peter Gillquist to come out and speak at a local high school in August that same year. We ran a publicity campaign and as a result, five were received into the Holy Orthodox Church last Christmas and three this past Pascha. Indeed, this event bore fruit. Thank God. In May of this year, our little mission brought Frankie Schaeffer to address the people in the area. Of course, the former son of the great American evangelist, Francis Schaeffer, is well known for his gifts as an orator and writer. It was very well attended. Many bought his books and other Orthodox educational material. Another outreach to the community around us; another opportunity to be heard and to be read. What an awesome responsibility!
The Friday after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas season in Coeur d’Alene with the dawning of Coeur d’Alene’s Annual Christmas Parade when the streets are lined with thousands of people who come from all over in anticipation of enjoying the colorful floats. One of these floats last November belonged to St. John the Baptist Antiochian Orthodox Mission. A white antique fire engine decorated with red flashing Christmas lights along its perimeter and proudly displaying a large sign bearing our namesake on it, served to transport St. Nicholas of Myra (in the person of our very own Michael Young, Music Professor from Whitworth College in Spokane and one of our esteemed choir members.) With a nimbusproducing spotlight highlighting his golden hand cross, St. Nicholas stood proudly atop and blessed the responsive crowd. Our entourage was led by two white-robed angels followed by three altar boys each bearing an icon: one of our Lord, one of the Theotokos, and one of our patron Saint John the Baptist. Flanked on either side of the float, a fellow parishioner and I passed out tracts introducing many to the Orthodox Church for the first time. Many applauded as we passed them. Many looked quizzically. Many loved the Orthodox Church music blaring from our loudspeakers. In a world that has forgotten what Christmas is all about, our Orthodox presence was there to remind them. Our beloved Pastor hung out the door waving at the crowd with his enthusiastic and warm, welcoming smile. We did receive several phone calls as a result. We were seen, we were heard, and we were read!
Of course, the world’s version of this great Bishop of the Orthodox Church was there and as he and his reindeer made their way through the snow-plowed streets, white twinkling lights automatically alighted the trees set in rows on either side of the street. Before long, all the trees on the grounds of the Coeur d’Alene Resort glistened brightly with white twinkling lights. Many of the people in attendance who stood along with our little Church family, held lighted candles and the sky was aflame with fireworks that could rival any 4th of July celebration. The deer looked on from the surrounding mountain ranges listening intently to the voices of the crowd bursting with enthusiasm as all sang “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Snowflakes gently settled on our shoulders as I stood next to Khoureya Cindy with her two-year-old Benjamin, each keeping the other warm as he snuggled in her arms. The words of little Benjamin best sum up our experience in this community outreach: “Wasn’t it spectaculous Mommy?” Afterward, it was off to pizza and fellowship for those from the Mission who participated. Several events highlighted our second Christmas Season. Our Church School enacted a delightful Christmas play, at which our beloved Khoureya Cindy played holy hymns on flute and our beloved Professor of Music played on the keyboard. We had quite an inspiring day which was only topped by our Christmas Eve Lenten Holy Supper which most of the parish attended at the Church. It was a glorious event at which Fr. Gregory read from Scriptures as we ate by candlelight, and it all culminated with the celebration of the Divine Services. Truly a “Holy Christmas Eve!”
January saw us celebrate our Patron Saint’s Day at a local restaurant down the street from where we were now worshipping. We printed up tickets on computer and extended invitations to the other churches to attend. Our little community gathered to hear our Shepherd speak encouragingly to his little flock as he shared how proud he was of his spiritual children. Truly we are blessed to have such a fine Father.
However, I must say that Pascha was unusually spectacular for us this year. As we processed around the Church and with the Holy Cross leading the way, immediately followed by Fr. Gregory, altar servers, icon bearers, choir and congregation, we had a sudden outbreak of thunder and lightning like I have never seen. Every time Father Gregory would exclaim, “The Lord Who is Mighty and Great … ” the thunder would roar through the sky and the lightning would rip through the clouds. It was unbelievable. It was as though the Heavens were declaring His Glory. They, too, came to usher in the King of Glory. We stood in the rain and joyously sang, “Christ is risen from the dead … ” Water is a symbol of life, for without it nothing would grow. Who would dare to complain! We entered the now fully-lit church with candles darkened by the rain, but with spirits illumined by the Light of Christ! Later, Father blessed the baskets of those who brought them, blessed the tables laden with food and our little Mission richly celebrated the Joy of our Great and Glorious Pascha. Most of us returned only hours later to celebrate Paschal Vespers with the children followed by an Easter Egg Hunt and then the gathering of the Church family at our home where we continued our celebration of the Feast of Feasts. Again, emphasis is on staying together as a family – the Church is our life.
Through the Grace of God, by His Power and by His Might and, certainly, only through His Divine Providence, on May 31st we, the Mission of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, broke ground on our five-acre spread. We stood with tears streaming down our sun-basked faces, joyously singing hymns of praise and wondering if we were part of a dream or were, indeed, in the world of reality. Only 18 months earlier we had celebrated our first Divine Liturgy. Now we stood with the Dean of the Northwest, archimandrite Gregory Cooke, who officiated with Fr. Gregory Horton, our pastor. A panorama of mountains dotted with pine trees surrounded us, the sky wore its finest shade of blue, and the white cumulus nimbus clouds stood in abeyance on the outskirts waiting to hear the Word from Him Who is Creator and Master of all. It was quite apparent that the Lord had heard our prayers and calmed the storm to which we awakened that morning until all festivities were over. The Parish Council had met for dinner without our beloved Dean the night before, at which time alternative arrangements were being made in the event of rain. During our evening prayers, we all prayed fervently. It was so spectacularly beautiful and warm that eventful Saturday morning of May 31st that the sixty-five of us who gathered were able to comfortably enjoy a lovely picnic on our grounds immediately following the service and to listen to the inspiring words of our most articulate Dean. To some it was a little hot, but dare we complain? We were so thankful to God for the sunshine. By 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon the picnic tables were cleared off, the tables and chairs loaded onto our pickup trucks and guess what? Immediately upon vacating the site, we were hit with the fiercest storm on record. Two tornadoes touched down. The sky went black. Hailstones fell from the sky. A torrential outpouring of rain was accompanied by 90-mile-per-hour winds. What a contrast to the beautiful, serene, sun-drenched morning we had when we celebrated our ground-breaking. It was as though God was saying that “the work of the Church pleases me,” but once we left that now holy site and ground and stepped into the world, I could not help but think He was saying, “but my wrath is upon the world that has turned its back on Me.” If we truly believe as Orthodox Christians that all happens under God’s Divine Providence, and if we truly believe that as Orthodox Christians God speaks to us through nature and the people around us, if we “have the ears with which to hear and the eyes with which to see,” then I take comfort in what took place this May 31st and I thank God for it!
As we travel with this MISSION ON THE MOVE, we are brought to the beginning of August last. For three days, August 1, 2 and 3rd, we were “A voice crying in the wilderness” of Northern Idaho. When I left the Mission of Holy Cross in Lancaster, California, Fr. Nicholas Neyman and the parish gave me an Icon of St. John the Baptist which was inscribed on the back with these words: “You are leaving the desert of California for the wilderness of Idaho, go ye and preach a message of repentance.” How prophetic this was! Here we are doing just that. Our little mission decided to take a booth at Coeur d’Alene’s biggest event of the year which lasts for three days and attracts about 60,000 visitors (reminds me of Jerusalem at Passover and Pentecost when all the Jews assembled). Another opportunity to be seen, to be heard, and to be read. Tracts with each package of baked goods, tracts with each purchase of loukomathes and Greek coffee, tracts with every soft drink that is sold. We are not there just to hear, “Oh your pastry is delicious.” What we want to hear is, “Tell me more about your Church. How do I get to your Church from here?”
Our most recent visit from Bishop Joseph on August 16 and 17 would prove to be the most remarkable event in our lives to date. He came, he consecrated, he served, he celebrated. Indeed, we had much to be thankful for. Our church building was just consecrated and we celebrated our first Hierarchical Liturgy in our own building. Praise be to God from Whom all blessings flow! A joyfilled event—an historical event—a memorable event!
St. John the Baptist Antiochian Orthodox Church is not an ethnic parish. Our Body consists of Greeks, Lebanese, Serbians, Russians, Ukrainians, Aleuts, Irish, English, German, Scottish, etc. We cannot call ourselves PanOrthodox, but merely American Orthodox. Liturgy is celebrated in English, but at Pascha you will hear the Gospel read, and “Christ is Risen” proclaimed in many languages of the world to signify the catholicity of our Orthodox faith. Pray for our continued growth and for our future. No one can deny that we have been A MISSION ON THE MOVE. To God be praise and glory forever.
Joy Corey is a founding member of St. John the Baptist Mission in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.