Tucked into the small commercial stretch of Center Street in Castro Valley, the white-stuccoed walls of the Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church open onto a congregation of more than 200 steward households who describe themselves, in the words of their founding charter, as "a parish unique in the East Bay area because of its multi-ethnic background." Founded in 1971 as the second parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco in Alameda County, Resurrection is a community in which cradle Orthodox and adult converts pray, serve, and raise their children together. Services are celebrated in English and New Testament Greek, the choir sings in both languages, and the worship that pours out of it each Sunday is the same ancient Byzantine Divine Liturgy heard in Orthodox churches for more than a thousand years.
A Sunday in the Life of the Parish
The week at Resurrection centers on Sunday morning. Orthros (Matins) begins at 8:45 a.m., and the Divine Liturgy follows at 10:00 a.m. After the dismissal, the congregation gathers in the community center for the Fellowship Coffee Hour, where newcomers quickly find themselves invited to a table. For those who cannot be there in person, the Divine Liturgy is livestreamed on the Resurrection YouTube channel and on the parish's Facebook page.
Certain weekdays bring an extra liturgy. The 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy is celebrated on designated feast days; the monthly calendar lists the exact dates. On Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. the Bible Study group gathers on Zoom, and on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month the same study is held in person in the Small Hall at 7:00 p.m. The Resurrection Book Club meets in the Small Hall on the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
Visitors are welcome to come as they are. The parish's own note to newcomers says it plainly: "We welcome and encourage you to bring your children to church." Parents of little ones are invited to try sitting near the front, where children can see and hear the liturgy, or to use the Young Family room in the back of the church. Guests without children are gently reminded that the sounds of young voices are a sign of a parish where the next generation is being formed.
The Faith Behind the Icon Screen
Resurrection teaches and lives the Orthodox Christian faith as it has been kept in unbroken continuity from the time of the Apostles. The parish is part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, which is itself under the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. The Archdiocese belongs to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ, and is one of more than a dozen Orthodox jurisdictions in the United States, where Orthodoxy is recognized as one of the country's four major faiths.
The parish's catechetical writings explain the central teachings with care. God has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son of God became fully human in the person of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will come again in glory. The Church is the Body of Christ and the place where, through the Holy Spirit, the Christian is united to God and drawn into what the Fathers call theosis, a real participation in the divine life that begins at Baptism and continues through every Eucharist.
The Seven Sacraments are Baptism, Chrismation, the Eucharist (called the Divine Liturgy), Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. The Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday and on holy days; the consecrated bread and wine are received by communion spoon from the common chalice. Holy Communion is open to those who are baptized and chrismated members of the Orthodox Church in good standing.
A variety of non-sacramental services accompany the liturgical year. The Funeral Service, the Memorial Service (with its dish of kollyva, boiled wheat, as a symbol of the Resurrection), the Great Blessing of Water on the eve and feast of Epiphany, the Blessing of Five Loaves, the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos during Great Lent, and the Paraklesis Service of Supplication in times of sickness or discouragement all find their place in the parish's round of prayer.
Inside the Church Building
The building is a small Byzantine-style structure laid out in the form of a cross, divided into the narthex at the entrance, the nave where the people gather, and the sanctuary reserved for the clergy. At the heart of the sanctuary stands the Holy Altar, a square table separated from the nave by the Iconostasion, a panel of icons pierced by three doors: the Royal Door in the center and the Deacon Doors on either side.
Icons of Christ and St. John the Baptist stand on the right side of the Iconostasion; icons of the Theotokos (the Mother of God) and the patron event to which the church is dedicated stand on the left. The dome above bears the icon of Christ the Pantocrator, the Ruler of All, who looks down upon the worshipping community. Frescoes and icons cover the walls. Standing is the normal posture of prayer; the sign of the Cross, bows, and the active participation of the congregation in the litanies and responses shape the worship of the assembly.
The Office Wing sits in the house adjacent to the church on Center Street, to the left of the Sunday School building when facing the main entrance. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and from there Liz Levy, the Office Administrator, fields phone calls, schedules baptisms and memorial services, and connects newcomers to the right ministry leader.
The Priests and the People Who Run the Parish
Father Nikolaos (Niko) Bekris has served as Parish Priest (Proistamenos) of Resurrection since November 2015, the eighth priest assigned to the parish in its half-century of life. A native of Seattle who was baptized in Amaliada in 1982, he graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in History and from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts, with a Master of Divinity. Before coming to Castro Valley he served as Youth Director of the Metropolis of San Francisco and as associate pastor at the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco. He and Presvytera Stella have two sons, Christos and Dimitri.
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos ordained Justin Bosl to the Holy Diaconate at Resurrection, only the second ordination to take place in the parish since its founding. Deacon Justin is a 2020 graduate of the Diaconate program at Holy Cross, holds a degree in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a law degree from the University of San Francisco, and is a partner in an Oakland law practice. He is the Second Vice President of the Board of Directors of Saint Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center and a member of the Metropolis COVID-19 Parish Support Team. He and Diakonissa Annemarie have four children. Deacon Justin leads a popular Bible Study series on the parish YouTube channel.
The Parish Council is made up of twelve stewards in good standing, six elected each year to two-year terms. The 2022 officers are Ray Akkawi (President), Glen Kaminski (Vice President), George Efstathiou (Treasurer), and Karen Ries (Secretary). The day-to-day work of the office is carried by Renée Taylor, the Communications Coordinator, who manages the website, the weekly eBulletin, the digital signage, and the monthly magazine; Anna Teodosiadis, the Youth Director, who joined the parish in 2017 after graduating from Hellenic College Holy Cross with a degree in Human Development; and Liz Levy, the Office Administrator.
From the Cradle to the Altar: Children and Youth
Sunday School meets immediately after Holy Communion and runs about thirty to forty minutes, welcoming children from pre-school through high school. The program's two goals are to give the young a well-grounded Orthodox Christian education and to teach the Divine Liturgy at every level so that they become active and knowledgeable worshippers.
The Junior Orthodox Youth (JOY) gathers second through fifth graders on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month for an activity, a lesson, and dinner. The Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA) takes sixth through twelfth graders, splitting into Jr. GOYA for the middle schoolers and Sr. GOYA for the high schoolers, each group meeting monthly in addition to family events and regional gatherings with other young people of the San Francisco Metropolis. Altar Boys age eight and older assist the priest at the Holy Altar and at the various Sacraments.
Two annual signature youth events are the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival in the spring and the Summer Camp at the Metropolis of San Francisco. The parish also fields teams in the Orthodox Youth Athletic Association (OYAA), with divisions for grades three through high school. Practices begin in September and the season opens in January. An adult volleyball team, always open to new players, practices on Wednesday nights and competes in the annual tournament hosted by the Metropolis at St. Nicholas Church in San Jose.
Music is part of the formation of the young as well. The Youth Choir leads the congregation in hymns of the Church, and the parish's four Greek Dance and Choral groups, ranging from pre-school through high school, rehearse on Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. and on some Sundays after the liturgy. Founded in the early 1970s by Anna Efstathiou, the Resurrection dance program is one of the founding communities of the annual Greek Orthodox Folk Dance and Choral Festival of the Metropolis of San Francisco, and its dancers have performed at nursing homes, senior centers, schools, and Greek festivals across the Bay Area.
Adults, Families, and Seniors
Adult education at Resurrection runs deep. In addition to the weekly Bible Study, the parish offers an annual Lenten retreat and a series of recorded adult-formation series by Deacon Justin Bosl on YouTube: Bible Study with Deacon Justin, How to Live a Holy Life, The "Our Father" Series, and The Living God Series. The Family Wellness Ministry brings faith into the home through monthly meetings that mix potluck dinners, presentations, charity projects, and the four-part Enriching Our Marriages Lenten series led by Father Niko.
The Mom's Group gathers twice a month for Bible Study and fellowship. The Men's and Women's groups meet regularly for fellowship, service, and recreation. The Family Ministries also organize the annual Labor Day Family Retreat at Saint Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in Dunlap, California.
The Saint Paraskevi Seniors, named after the Saint whose name day the group happened to be celebrating at one of its first gatherings, has been meeting since about 1990. Today the lively band of parishioners age 55 and older gathers at 11:00 a.m. on the second Thursday of every month for a meeting and a bring-your-own potluck or pizza lunch, with occasional restaurant outings and a special Christmas luncheon. They also help the parish by serving the makarias luncheons and the Palm Sunday luncheon and have paid for items like new altar boy robes and improvements to the kitchen and the Small Hall. Membership is ten dollars a year, and any senior is welcome to join.
The Choir and the Music of Worship
The Resurrection Church Choir has been singing at the liturgy since the early 1970s. Members sing in both English and Greek, and reading Greek or reading music is not a prerequisite. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings, with extra rehearsal time scheduled before Holy Week. A separate Youth Choir gives the children of the parish the chance to pray to God through the hymns of the Church.
Chanters and choir members may, with the blessing of the priest, remove their masks while actively singing or chanting at the Divine Liturgy and at choir rehearsal. The church's Festival baking schedule, its Greek Dance program, and its annual Greek Festival depend on the labor of dozens of stewards whose time, talent, and treasure keep the parish going.
The Ladies Philoptochos Society
The Ladies Philoptochos Society, the women's philanthropic auxiliary of the Greek Orthodox Church in the United States, has been a presence at Resurrection since the early years of the parish. Originally founded in 1931 to help the poor, the Society has grown into a national network of charitable work. The Resurrection chapter meets via Zoom on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Its activities include sponsoring the parish Christmas card, adorning the Kouvouklion (Christ's Tomb) with flowers on Holy Friday, holding the annual Vasilopita Luncheon, and running the February Bake Sale that benefits the Metropolis Kids 'n Cancer/Camp Agape Program. The chapter supports International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) as well as local organizations such as Autism Speaks, Open Heart Kitchen, N.A.M.I., the Valley Pregnancy Center, FESCO, and the Salvation Army. Membership is open to both women and men.
Feeding the 5,000: The Parish Food Pantry
Since 2017 the parish has operated the "Feeding the 5,000 Project" Food Pantry in partnership with the Alameda County Community Food Bank. The pantry is open to the public every second and fourth Saturday of the month from the Church Hall at 20104 Center Street; setup begins at 8:00 a.m. and food is distributed from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Volunteers help shop for food at the Food Bank in Oakland on the Friday before each distribution. Feeding the poor is something that, in the words of the parish's own description, "Jesus Christ spoke of, and the Bible speaks of - as does our Orthodox Christian Faith." All are welcome.
Project Mexico
Each summer, parishioners travel south to the Saint Innocent Orphanage just south of Tijuana to spend a week with fellow Orthodox Christians from across the country. In groups of about twenty they build simple homes for families in need, gather for daily services, and share quiet time together before each day of work. The trip is organized by parishioner Mark Fridell. The aim, in the parish's words, is to "show God's love through the ministry of building a home for an impoverished family in Mexico" and to set aside time for spiritual growth while working side by side with other Orthodox believers.
A Half-Century on Center Street
Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church was established in 1971 as the second parish of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco in Alameda County. The first liturgy was celebrated in the Snow Building at the Oakland Zoo, and the young community met in various locations before purchasing the Center Street property in Castro Valley in February 1973. Eight men have served as parish priest, beginning with the founding clergy and continuing through Father Photios Dumont (1994-2004), Father Michael Prevas (2004-2015), and Father Niko Bekris (2015-present).
In November 2021 the parish celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a weekend of festivities. The Friday night began with a '70s-themed Youth Night where more than thirty young people danced to the top hits of the decade, broke open a disco-ball piñata, and filled a time capsule with their predictions for the parish's next fifty years - to be opened in 2071. Saturday's Gala drew more than three hundred people and included congratulatory messages from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, read by His Grace Bishop Ioannis of Phocaea, and a video produced by Mark Fridell that walked the parish through its history and shared testimonials from the founding families. Sunday's Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated by His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, and the next-generation parish leaders spoke about the future over a champagne brunch. The Gala committee was chaired by Gary Wallner; the dinner was prepared by Chef Michael Vitakes; the gala and follow-on donations raised more than $100,000 for the Building the Body of Christ project.
The parish today draws together cradle Orthodox and converts from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Membership is open to anyone who wishes to inquire into or join the Orthodox Church; the priest offers classes and individual conferences for those who wish to become Orthodox, and the standard process for adult converts is Baptism (for those coming from a non-Christian background) or Chrismation (for those baptized in another Christian tradition). The classes on the parish website also offer a careful introduction to the doctrines and sacraments, the Divine Liturgy, the theology of icons, and the Orthodox understanding of salvation as theosis.
Building the Body of Christ: A New Home in Pleasanton
As the Bay Area's population has shifted and the parish has grown, the leaders of Resurrection have launched the Building the Body of Christ project, an effort to relocate and build a proper Byzantine-style church on a new site. The project was launched in 2017, and on April 14, 2022, the parish closed escrow on the purchase of a 4.3-acre property on Dublin Canyon Road in Pleasanton, debt-free. The intent, expressed at the 50th Anniversary Gala by Building the Body of Christ Steering Committee Chair George Psefteas, is "to witness the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the Pascha of 2027 at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Resurrection in Pleasanton, California." Until that move, services continue at 20104 Center Street in Castro Valley, and the present building remains the spiritual home of the parish.
Stewardship and Giving
Resurrection is a steward-supported parish, and giving is part of the way of life of the community. Orthodox Christian Stewardship is described by the parish as "a way of life, which acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God." Becoming a steward begins when one believes in God and acts on that belief by giving back a portion of what one has been blessed with.
Two steps are required each year to become a Resurrection steward: submitting a Stewardship Commitment Card and setting up an electronic giving plan or paying by check. The Bible encourages tithing as a guideline for giving, and the parish notes that tithing - giving ten percent of gross household income - should be every person's ultimate goal, with whatever increase one can manage each year as the next step. Stewardship pledges do not roll over; they must be renewed annually.
Gifts may be made online by debit from a checking or savings account or by credit or debit card. Stock gifts can be transferred directly through Stock Donator. Memorial services and other pastoral needs are scheduled through Liz Levy at the church office.
Scouting, Athletics, and the Wider Metropolis
The parish hosts Cub Scout Pack 777, the only Orthodox scouting unit of its kind in the area, and is affiliated with the San Francisco Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. The parish's young athletes compete in the Orthodox Youth Athletic Association with teams ranging from third grade through high school, and the parish's Greek Festival booth, Golf Tournament, and Vacation Church School depend on the involvement of the wider parish family.
Becoming Part of the Resurrection Family
Anyone who wishes to inquire into Orthodoxy, visit the parish, or join one of its ministries is invited to call the church office at (510) 581-8950 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, or to send an email to office@cvresurrection.org. The office sits in the house adjacent to the church, to the left of the Sunday School building when facing the main entrance. Baptisms, weddings, funeral and memorial services, and special accommodations are arranged through the priest.
More than two hundred steward families make up the parish at Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church, and they are a community that traces its roots to the Apostles and looks forward to the second century of its life in the East Bay. The services, ministries, and rhythms of the parish are anchored in the ancient liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church and lived out in the daily life of Castro Valley and Pleasanton. To come to a Sunday liturgy at Resurrection is to step into the same worship that has been offered in Orthodox churches for more than a thousand years, sung in English and Greek by a congregation that is at once ancient in faith and entirely local in character.