Bible Studies & Fellowship Meetings
Family Ministry
Strengthen your home with biblical wisdom, learn practical skills for daily life, and build meaning relationships with other families who share your values. This meeting takes place every 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Refreshments and children’s activities are provided. There will also be an educational family liturgy on the 4th Saturday of each month from 8:30 – 10:30 am.
College & Recent Grads Fellowship Meeting
At 8 pm on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, the college youth and recent college grads have a fellowship meeting in the parish house on our church grounds, typically in the company of Father Mina Essak. Thereafter, the group enjoys a fellowship dinner.
Young Adults Bible Study
Every Thursday at 8 pm, the postgrad group gathers at 8 pm in St. Mary & St. Philopater for a weekly young adults Bible study.
Christ Centered Women
The Christ Centered Women group holds regular meetings in the southeast Michigan area, to study the Holy Bible and discuss other spiritual readings.
Arabic Meeting
On Fridays, the Arabic Meeting group meets at 7 pm to study the Holy Bible in the Arabic language, with the perspective of Egyptians living in the United States. Each month, the Arabic Meeting brings in a guest speaker to lead a Scripture-based discussion. Past speakers have included visiting clergy and Orthodox theology specialists.
FTFT! Michigan
FTFT! is a nationwide Coptic Orthodox organization. Our church forms the Michigan chapter.”FTFT!” stands for First Timothy Four Twelve, a Bible verse that encourages us to be an example to all believers through our service to others. FTFT! aims to mobilize youth in our congregation to serve the immediate community in nursing homes, homeless shelters, and children’s hospitals.
FTFT! seeks constantly to participate in various other projects. If you are visiting for the first time, please contact FTFT! before you sign up to visit.
HOPE Warming Center
Every other month, we visit HOPE Warming Center on Friday evening to serve dinner and visit those who are seeking shelter. HOPE welcomes adults 18 and older.
To see upcoming shelter visits, please visit tinyurl.com/sheltervisits.
Grace Centers of Hope
On the alternate months, we visit Grace Centers of Hope on Saturday evening to serve dinner. Grace welcomes adults, and children 10 and older, in the company of a parent or guardian.
Additionally, FTFT! visits Grace Centers of Hope in late November to decorate the shelter for Christmas and celebrate Christ’s birth with the Grace Centers community.
To see upcoming shelter visits, please visit tinyurl.com/sheltervisits.
Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Each month, FTFT! visits Children’s Hospital of Michigan to do activities with children who are facing health challenges.
To see upcoming children’s hospital visits, please visit tinyurl.com/childrenshopitalvisits.
FOCUS Motor City
In addition to these regular monthly activities, at least once per year, FTFT! also partners with FOCUS Motor City, a local Orthodox Christian service organization, to prepare meals for Detroit children who rely on school lunches for daily sustenance.
Coptic Language & Hymns Classes
Hymnology is a staple to our Coptic Orthodox faith and one of the principal ways in which our Church conserves the Coptic language. Hymnology also preserves deep theological traditions. For these reasons, the Coptic Orthodox community values hymns education, to pass on the traditions we inherited from our Apostolic predecessors in the faith.
Each year, the hymns class participants perform for the congregation to show the hymns they have been learning relevant to a particular theme.
Each Friday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, our church holds hymns classes for children and adults.
Classes for children start at four years old and go through early college.
There is a hymns class for adults, as well. In addition, in fall 2019, the hymns service will start an adult beginners class for adults to learn Coptic language.
All are welcome to join this service. Knowledge of Coptic language or hymnology is not required.
If you’d like to get involved in hymns class by attending, signing up your children to attend, or serving with us Fridays, please contact the hymns class service coordinator, Dr. Atef Mousaad.
Seasonal Activities and Retreats
Throughout the year, our church community gathers for retreats to gain perspective and hear God’s message in times of tranquility and peace. During our busy lives, Christ encourages us to “‘Come aside by yourselves and rest a while’” (St. Mark 6:31). Various groups arrange retreats for their participants:
On the first weekend of each month, the church also arranges a family retreat open to all. This family retreat takes place at St. Mina Retreat Center, our church’s Coptic Orthodox center in Mio, MI.
Likewise, the high school group retreats to St. Mina every summer (typically in late August), and to the Colombiere Retreat & Conference Center in Clarkson, MI every winter.
The middle school group visits St. Mina each summer, as well, typically in June.
The choir and usher teams retreat regularly, as do the servants group, the postgrads group, and the college youth.
St. Mina Retreat Center, Mio, MI
St. Mary and St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Retreat Center, Monroe, MI