Year One
In the first year of your mission parish, you will have a certain number of items that are obligatory to purchase so that Liturgy can be served. A conservative list would include the following:
4-8 communion cloths
one chalice veil set
one altar cloth
one ileton (cover for the antiminsion)
Optional:
one tetrapodion (sacrament table) cover
one analogian/icon stand cover
one Gospel marker (the Antiochian Archdiocese Gospel has nice bookmarks sewn into the binding, so you do not need this if you are in the Antiochian Archdiocese)
These items should be of excellent quality and construction as they will see the most wear of anything you purchase. The altar cloth, chalice veil set and optional tetrapodion cover and/or analogian/icon stand cover should be in a gold/white or gold/red brocade or burgundy velvet. My personal preference is for either a gold/red brocade (shows less stains than gold/white and the colors look richer) or burgundy velvet. If you choose burgundy velvet, it can be adorned with a simple metallic gold galloon and nice crosses to dress it up’ a bit.
For the altar cloth and chalice veil set, do not cut cornersyou will be looking at these furnishings for quite some time and they will influence the eyes’ of your community greatly. You do not need to spend a fortune, but do purchase a nice brocade, preferably with a high-quality metallic galloon (not a lurex’, synthetic-type metallic galloon). In the case of missions, I cannot emphasis strongly enough Quality before Quantity’. Better to have one really nice set of altar cloths than five inferior-quality sets. If you have an experienced seamstress in your community, then these things can be sewn by a parishioner. Instructions for altar cloths are available upon request.
If you have altar servers, you will need to have altar servers´ robes. There are a variety of options for altar servers´ robes, so once again, I suggest high-quality. At this point, you need only have one set of robes in either gold/white or gold/redyou will add a dark’ set of altar servers robes at a later date.
A note about chalice veil sets: Each parish or mission should own its own chalice veil set and NOT rely on the priest to provide this. Some clergy have chalice veil sets made to match their vestments, but this is not standard practice in the Antiochian or Greek traditions, so it is important for the mission/parish to own a set in case your new priest does not own any.
Year Two
You've had quite a bit of expense in Year One, so I recommend that this year you add only the following furnishings:
4 more communion cloths (the more you have, the less often your priest has to launder them)
If you haven't purchased an analogian cover or tetrapodion, then do so this year (in the same fabric and galloon as your altar cloth if possible)
One blue analogian cover (this is very nice to have for Feastdays of the Theotokos, the Akathist services in Great Lent, and the Paraklisis services of the Dormition Fast)
Since it is important that a mission community understand that there is a certain amount of expense involved in outfitting an Orthodox Church, you may want to set up a yearly budget for church furnishings at this time. It may not be spent all in one year, but it will get your community in the habit of setting aside a certain amount of funds for church furnishings.
This is also the year to introduce the idea of gifting’ church furnishings if your community is not already in this habit. Funerals, obtaining a new job, anniversariesthese are all opportunities to participate in the outfitting of the Church.
Year Three
This is the year you will add your dark’ furnishings. The rubrics concerning vestments and altar furnishings specify only light’ and dark’, not specific colors, so I think it is best for missions to focus on using light and dark for a number of years until they are established enough to add other colors to their altar furnishings collection. So, this year, I suggest you purchase the following:
4 more communion cloths (now you have 12-16 and are set for quite a while)
one chalice veil set in dark’ (i.e. burgundy/gold brocade or burgundy velvet)
one altar cloth in dark’
Optional:
one tetrapodion cover in dark’
one analogian/icon stand cover in dark’
Note: if in Year One, you opted for burgundy velvet cloths and chalice veil set, then I recommend that you purchase a gold/white set at this time instead of a dark’ set. The gold/white set can be used during Pascha and any other time of year that you want to switch to a brighter look (Christmas, Theophany, etc.). Also, if you purchased burgundy velvet cloths in Year One and you do not have the funds for bright’ altar cloths at this time, don't worryjust keep using your burgundy velvet cloths for everything and add the brighter cloths when finances allow.
Year Four
It's time to continue to add to your dark’ set by purchasing dark’ altar servers´ robes. I strongly recommend that these be burgundy/gold, NOT purple/gold as burgundy robes can be worn many more times throughout the year, thereby reducing the wear and tear on your gold, every Sunday’ robes. Again, follow the rubrics for light/dark’.
Take a look at your altar cloths and see if anything needs repairing (if it's well-made, it probably won't, but accidents do happen). Check your insurance policy and make sure all of the new items you've added are on the policy in case of fire, flood, or any other kind of damage.
Also, look at your priest's vestmentsdoes he need anything? If he has only had one or two sets of vestments, it's time to consider gifting him another set. If he has a light’ and dark’ set, then you might consider blue vestments or lightweight, embroidered vestments.
Year Five
By this point, your community has excellent habits set up and will most likely know when something needs repairing or replacing and when new items need to be purchased. I would suggest putting together a church furnishings wish list’ of all the other items you would ideally like to have (embroidered epitaphios, altar cloths in additional colors, more vestments for your priest, etc.) and then just slowly work at obtaining the items on this list.
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