The purpose of the VIM (Volunteers in Mission) program is to provide a hands-on approach to missionary endeavors. VIM seeks to encourage a spirit of volunteerism in the diocese and to organize projects that will benefit both the volunteers and missions, churches, or monasteries that are experiencing the need for assistance. We believe that it is vital to our Orthodox Faith that we live out our call to be “fishers of men” in ways that are practical and effective.

In a VIM experience, several things are accomplished. First, the volunteers have an opportunity to experience the life of our diocese in many different states.  They also get to interact with members of the local community and to work with Orthodox Christians from other churches. This encourages and builds up both the volunteers and the local church. Practical work is done that helps to make the work of the local church or mission more effective. These projects help to show our connectedness and overcome any sense of isolation on the part of the local community.

In 2010, there have been four VIM projects. The first went to Florida to work on the trapeza of St. Nicholas monastery that had been damaged by a hurricane. This was followed by several projects at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross, and finally by a project in Chattanooga, TN.

VIM members come with a variety of skills, and the members themselves come from all age groups and genders. It is not necessary to have a building skill to be a VIM member. Members do a variety of tasks from building to cooking to gardening and clean up. Clergy are also invited to be members because besides building work, we try to have a spiritual emphasis each evening. We do ask that each team member submit a written recommendation from their parish priest.

We seek to fit the team to meet the project, so the size of the team can vary from three to thirty! We do try to have one or two members for each team who has certifiable building skills and can direct the more unskilled volunteers in their efforts.  We try our best to be aware of local building codes and laws.

We look forward to another great year for our volunteers in 201l, but we need to do several things. First, we need to get the word out and encourage volunteers to sign up as potential members of a future VIM team. Signing up does not obligate you, but it will put you on a mailing list so that we can notify you when projects are coming up. You will find a volunteer sign up page on this website. Please download it, fill it out, and send it to the address below.

We also need to find more mission projects. If you know of a monastery, church, or mission that could benefit from a VIM team, please send the information to the diocesan administration. You will find a project survey sheet on this website. Please download it, fill it out, and send it to the address below. Potential projects are not limited to the Eastern American Diocese.

As with any project, funding is needed. VIM projects are mainly funded in part by generous individuals. We hope that they will continue to support us. We also ask that our volunteers seek to get financial assistance from their local church and family to help provide support for their personal expenses and to help the VIM team buy some of the building materials that may be necessary. If you would like to financially support the VIM project, please send a check to the address below, and make the check out to “All Saints Russian Orthodox Church”, and put “VIM” on the subject line. We can use all of the support that we can get, so besides your financial donations, please remember the VIM project and the teams in your prayers.

We are also seeking individuals interested in being a VIM team supervisor. The supervisor arranges for room and board for the team members, and sees that building materials are on site when the team arrives. A supervisor does not need to have building experience, but it is helpful. If you would like to set up a VIM program in your diocese, please contact Fr. John at the address or phone number below.

Join the VIM and have a fulfilling and exciting missionary experience. The Lord’s Great Commission is an invitation to all of us –“Go out into all the world and preach the Gospel!” In the VIM experience, we fulfill this call with our hearts and our hands.

Volunteer Registration Form

Registration Form for Potential Projects 

Mailing address:
Volunteers In Mission
Attn: Fr. John Moses
3648 Middlebrook Village Road
Middlebrook, VA 24459

Tel: 540-887-8280

N. Ft. Myers, FL: VIM announces the opening of the Young Adult Monastery Project
May 11, 2011
With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, the diocesan missionary program Volunteers in Mission (VIM) is announcing the launch of the Young Adult Monastery Project (YAMP). The first project will be held at St. Nicholas Monastery in sunny North Fort Myers, FL on July 1-10, 2011. Each day will be filled with workshops, monastery projects, arts and crafts, visits to the beach and local sites of interest, and religious instruction.

"We need to present a vision of what can happen when we all work together and strive together." An Interview with Archpriest John Moses
April 10, 2010
On Wednesday, March 3, the final day of the Pastoral Conference, Diocesan Media Office correspondent Reader Peter Lukianov interviewed Diocesan Southern Liaison Archpriest John Moses, member of the Diocesan Council, rector of All Saints of North America Church in Middlebrook, VA, and founder of the Volunteers in Mission (VIM) program, on questions involving life in the south of the Diocese, VIM’s work, and programs for men hoping to serve the Church through ordination.  

Chatanooga, TN: VIM Volunteers built a chapel in honor of the Protection of the Mother of God
October 11, 2010
On October 7-9, Archpriest John Moses led several members of the Volunteers in Mission (VIM) Program on a work project in Chattanooga, TN, to help construct a chapel for the Protection of the Mother of Mission in the home of Archpriest Stavros Rousos. The team built an iconostasis, altar table, table of oblation, and servers’ table for the mission. 

Wayne, WV: Volunteers in Mission host Work Week 2010 at Holy Cross Monastery
June 19, 2010
During the week of June 6-12, Holy Cross Monastery, in collaboration with the new Eastern American Diocesan organization "Volunteers in Mission," hosted a week of volunteer labor and spiritual enrichment. Participants ranged in age from four to ninety-four, with a number of youth, young adults, clergy, and matushkas from the Eastern American Diocese.

North Ft. Myers, FL: VIM Volunteers completed a work week at St. Nicholas Monastery
February 11, 2010
On Sunday, January 24, volunteers from the Volunteers in Mission (VIM) program, headed up by Priest John Moses and other members of the Diocese Council, arrived for a work week at St. Nicholas Monastery in North Ft. Myers, FL. The monastery was in dire need of repairs ranging from electrical work to painting and housekeeping.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese