St. John The Theologian Orthodox Church

St. John The Theologian Orthodox Church St. It is a place to receive caring spiritual support on your path towards discovering God's will for your life.

Come and experience the 2000-year-old Christian faith as taught by the Apostles of Jesus Christ, lived out by today's reverent faithful, who are seeking God in meaningful worship and authentic Christian fellowship. John the Theologian Orthodox Church is a community of compassionate, caring people united in worshipping God, in the English language, in the historical, unchanging truths of Orthodox C

hristianity. Here, you celebrate the joys of life, receive comfort from life's pain, and receive help with life's needs. Our story began in December of 1983 in our first liturgy which brought together people from all over the Town of Brookhaven. Since that time we have grown into a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Christ-centered church that faithfully follows the 2,000 year-old teachings of the unchanging One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church - the Orthodox Church. We do not follow fads and popular opinions, but the rock-solid teachings of the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Church Fathers. Tired of a church that keeps changing with the times and shifting from under your feet? Come visit us and learn about a church that is:
Catholic, but not Roman...
Orthodox, but not Jewish...
Evangelical, but not Protestant...
Not “denominational” but pre-denominational...
Eternal, heavenly, and joy-filled, waiting for you!

09/07/2026

🌸 After-School Orthodox Activity: Get Ready for a Feast!

Tomorrow, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of the Theotokos—the birthday of the Mother of God!

After school, ask your child to help prepare for the feast.

Try this simple activity:

🎨 Draw a picture of flowers for the Theotokos.
🌸 Find something beautiful in God's creation.
🙏 Light a candle or stand together before an icon.
📖 Tell your child: “Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of Mary, who would become the Mother of Jesus.”

Ask:

💬 “What would you do to prepare for someone's birthday?”

Feast days help us remember that important moments in God's plan are worth celebrating!

✨ Parent Challenge: Ask your child what their favorite Orthodox feast is!

09/07/2026

🗣🔊🔊🔊CALLING ALL CRADLE ORTHODOX!!!
We want to hear from you!

09/06/2026

🌿 After-School Orthodox Activity: A New Year with God

Did you know the Orthodox Church begins its new year on September 1?

After school today, ask your child:

💬 “What is one thing you would like to grow in this year?”

Maybe they want to:
🙏 Pray more
❤️ Be kinder
📖 Learn more about Jesus
🤝 Help others
⛪ Learn about a new saint

Write their answer down and place it somewhere special.

Then say together:

“Lord, bless this new year and help our family grow closer to You. Amen.”

✨ Parent Challenge: Share your child's goal in the comments! What would they like to grow in this year?

🕊️ DAY 20 — Why Does the Divine Liturgy Keep Saying “Lord, Have Mercy”?If you've ever attended an Orthodox service, you'...
09/05/2026

🕊️ DAY 20 — Why Does the Divine Liturgy Keep Saying “Lord, Have Mercy”?
If you've ever attended an Orthodox service, you've probably heard this phrase again and again:
“Lord, have mercy.”
At first, it can sound repetitive.
But repetition is part of the point.
The prayer comes straight out of Scripture.
A blind man cried:
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
—Luke 18:38
The tax collector prayed:
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
—Luke 18:13
And the Psalms repeatedly cry out for God's mercy.
So when the congregation says:
“Lord, have mercy,”
we aren't simply saying:
“God, forgive my mistakes.”
We're saying:
“Lord, I need You.”
We ask for mercy over the Church, the world, our families, the sick, travelers, those who suffer, those who have died, and ourselves.
And notice something beautiful:
The Church doesn't only ask God to help me.
It asks God to have mercy on everyone.
📖 Bible:
Luke 18:13
Luke 18:38
Psalm 51:1
Psalm 123:3
Matthew 20:30–34
Takeaway:
👉 “Lord, have mercy” isn't a prayer of hopelessness. **It's a prayer of trust: “God, I know I need You—and I know You are merciful.”**

🚶 DAY 19 — Why Does the Priest Carry the Gifts Around the Church?If you've attended an Orthodox Divine Liturgy, you've p...
09/04/2026

🚶 DAY 19 — Why Does the Priest Carry the Gifts Around the Church?
If you've attended an Orthodox Divine Liturgy, you've probably seen the priest or deacon carry the bread and wine through the church.
This is called the Great Entrance.
The Gifts are carried from the table of preparation to the altar.
The Church offers them to God.
But there's an even deeper meaning.
The Great Entrance reminds us that Christ offers Himself for the life of the world, and that in Christ, we offer our entire lives to God.
St. Paul writes:
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”
—Romans 12:1
That means worship isn't supposed to end when we leave church.
Our work.
Our families.
Our relationships.
Our struggles.
Our possessions.
Our entire lives.
All of them can become offerings to God.
📖 Bible:
Romans 12:1
Hebrews 13:15–16
1 Peter 2:5
John 6:51
Takeaway:
👉 During the Great Entrance, don't just watch the procession. Ask yourself: “What am I offering to God?”

09/04/2026

🎒 FRIDAY REMINDER‼️: Equip Your Children for the Journey Ahead《September 6th》🎒

Parents, as we stand on the threshold of a new academic year, we are reminded that our greatest responsibility is to anchor our children’s hearts in love for God.

👩‍🏫👨‍🏫The world will teach them how to make a living; the Church teaches them how to live.

📚Scripture gives us a foundational promise for this journey:

📜 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

☦️Our modern saints knew to teach us to prioritized a living relationship with Christ.
○ St. Porphyrios: emphasized that children absorb our own spiritual state more than our lectures. He said, "The 'sanctity' of the parents saves their children... The parents' life is the only thing that creates good children inside the house."

🏫Bring Your Kids This Sunday!
Tomorrow's classrooms require a spiritual armor that textbooks cannot provide. Bring your children, grandchildren, and teens to receive grace, protection, and strength for the year ahead.

✨ Back-to-School Blessing Event ✨
📅 When: This Sunday, September 6th

⛪ Time: Immediately following the Divine Liturgy
📍 Where: St. John the Theologian Orthodox Church
158 West End Avenue, Shirley, NY 11967

All students from preschool through college are encouraged to attend and receive the blessing!

🥖 DAY 18 — Why Does the Priest Cut the Bread Before Communion?Long before you receive Communion, something important has...
09/03/2026

🥖 DAY 18 — Why Does the Priest Cut the Bread Before Communion?
Long before you receive Communion, something important has already happened.
The priest has prepared the Eucharistic bread during a service called the Proskomedia or Prothesis.
The center portion of the prosphora is called the Lamb.
The priest prepares it while praying passages connected with Christ's Passion.
Why “Lamb”?
Because Scripture calls Jesus:
“the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
—John 1:29
The prophet Isaiah had written:
“Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter...”
—Isaiah 53:7
And Revelation repeatedly presents Christ as the Lamb.
The priest also commemorates the Mother of God, the saints, the living and the departed.
So before Communion even begins, the service is already showing us something enormous:
Christ is at the center, and His entire Church is gathered around Him.
📖 Bible:
John 1:29
Isaiah 53:7
Revelation 5:6–14
1 Corinthians 10:16–17
Takeaway:
👉 Look closely at the Eucharistic preparation: Christ is the center, and the Church is gathered around Him.

👥 "COME AND SEE" — INVITING FRIENDS TO LITURGYHave you ever wanted to invite a non-Orthodox coworker, neighbor, or frien...
09/03/2026

👥 "COME AND SEE" — INVITING FRIENDS TO LITURGY

Have you ever wanted to invite a non-Orthodox coworker, neighbor, or friend to church, but weren't quite sure how to bring it up?It's completely normal to feel a little hesitant!

The Divine Liturgy is sensory, ancient, and beautifully distinct, which can sometimes feel mysterious to someone stepping inside for the first time. But remember: the early Church grew simply because ordinary people invited others to "come and see" (John 1:46).

Here is a quick, three-step guide to making your guest feel right at home:

1️⃣ Be their guide: Offer to sit or stand next to them. Help them navigate the service book, or gently let them know it’s perfectly okay to just stand, listen, and take it all in.

2️⃣ Give a low-pressure intro: Tell them beforehand: "Our service is sung entirely, we use incense, and we stand quite a bit. Just dress comfortably and don't worry about doing everything perfectly!"

3️⃣ Host them at Coffee Hour: The Liturgy doesn't end when the dismissal is said. Bring your friend to the fellowship hall afterward, introduce them to Father, and treat them to coffee and snacks!💡 Parishioners:

Who is someone you can extend a warm, personal invitation to this coming Sunday?👇 Drop a comment below with your best tips for helping newcomers feel welcome when they step through our doors!

👑 DAY 17 — Why Does the Priest Bless With His Fingers Like That?Have you ever noticed an Orthodox priest holding his fin...
09/02/2026

👑 DAY 17 — Why Does the Priest Bless With His Fingers Like That?
Have you ever noticed an Orthodox priest holding his fingers in a particular position when blessing people?
There's meaning behind it.
The fingers can form the Greek letters IC XC—an abbreviation for Jesus Christ.
In other words, the priest isn't blessing people by his own personal power.
The blessing points to Christ.
This is consistent with the words spoken at the end of many services:
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you.”
The priest serves as a minister of Christ and His Church.
St. Paul says:
“We are ambassadors for Christ.”
—2 Corinthians 5:20
And Jesus commissioned His apostles:
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
—John 20:21
The priest's hand therefore becomes another visual reminder:
The blessing comes from God.
📖 Bible:
Numbers 6:24–26
John 20:21
2 Corinthians 5:20
Luke 24:50
Takeaway:
👉 Look beyond the priest's hand. The blessing points to Jesus Christ.

Answer Reveal: Did you crack the code? 🥁{The moment of TRUTH!!!}⬇️⬇️⬇️☦️The scrambled word was ZEON (pronounced zay-on)●...
09/02/2026

Answer Reveal: Did you crack the code? 🥁
{The moment of TRUTH!!!}
⬇️⬇️⬇️
☦️The scrambled word was ZEON
(pronounced zay-on)
●Which is the Greek word for "boiling" or "fervent."

Adding hot water to the chalice is a practice that dates back to the early centuries of the Church, and it carries two deeply beautiful meanings:

The Reality of the Resurrection: In the ancient world, warmth was the primary sign of physical life. By adding boiling water to the wine, we are reminded that the Body and Blood of Christ we receive in Communion are not from a dead historical figure, but from the living, warm, and resurrected Christ!

The Fervor of the Holy Spirit: It symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit entering our hearts. As the priest pours it, he says: "The fervor of faith, full of the Holy Spirit."

Whether this was a reminder of something you learned years ago or completely new information, it shows just how much depth is packed into every second of Orthodox worship!

👨‍🏫📚👩‍🏫Did you learn something new today?

Give this post a ❤️ and let us know your thoughts in the comments! 👇✨

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158 W End Avenue
Shirley, NY
11967

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Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 5pm - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 2pm

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