OUR PARISH STORY

Every church has a story of God's faithfulness, and ours begins with a dream: to create a place where modern people could experience the healing love of Christ through the ancient Orthodox faith; a place where everyone who walks through our doors feels authentic Christian love in community.

 

Humble Beginnings

In 1999, Fr. Michael Johnson and Presvytera Maria, along with eight faithful Greek Orthodox families, planted the seeds of what would become Holy Apostles. Meeting in borrowed spaces with borrowed furnishings but unborrowed faith, our first services were held at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Kenmore.

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Those early years taught us valuable lessons about faith, perseverance, and the power of community. Each person who joined us brought new gifts, new energy, and new possibilities for serving Christ.

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Growing in Grace

A significant chapter in our story began in 2003 when Fr. Tom Tsagalakis was ordained to the Holy Priesthood and assigned as our priest. Under his loving guidance, our community continued to grow not just in numbers, but in our capacity to love and serve.

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Finding Our Home

In 2005, God opened an unexpected door - the opportunity to purchase St. Stephens Lutheran Church. Our parish voted unanimously to make this leap of faith, and in January 2006, we moved into our current home. Our first Divine Liturgy in February 2006 marked not an ending, but a new beginning.

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Living Our Mission

Today, Holy Apostles continues in her mission to share the beauty of Orthodox Christianity in the Pacific Northwest. Our community brings together people from many backgrounds who share a common thirst for authentic Christian life, practices, and healing.

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What makes our story unique isn't just the milestones we've reached, but the countless personal transformations that happen here:

• The seeker who finds a spiritual home

• The faithful who finds a deeper connection with God

• The wounded who finds healing

• The lonely who finds family

• The questioner who finds faith

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Our Story Continues

While we cherish our history, we know our story is still being written. Each person who joins our community adds new chapters to this ongoing narrative of God's faithfulness. As we look to the future, we remain committed to our founding vision: to be a place where all can know, love, and serve Jesus Christ.

 

We hope you will become part of our story.

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