This is really confusing to both my dh and myself. Coming from a baptist background, we even had classes on how to go door to door sharing the "good news" Classes started in junior high!
Now as converts the EO, we do ...nothing. I think there may be personal efforts around Christmas, and for all I know a few of the old folks in our parish support a child in Uganda or something. But, at least for us, it looks like Orthodoxy is hiding waiting for people to stumble into the church looking for KFC or something. They tell us that it's up the Holy Spirit to lead people to the Church, so they travel worldwide and go to high society parties and whatnot. I lived here in this very baptist town for over 22 years and never new Orthodoxy or that we had a parish. What pain I could have avoided had I known!
It's like going from one extreme to another.
Our priest is elderly as well, and he was like a gruff old bear at first when we came. I think they get interested LU students that show up and then flit off, and he says the Faith must be protected.
so where do we fit in?
A family with young children that have not one other Orthodox child in town for at least 60 miles. And I am going to assume there, because the parishes in the cities elsewhere aren't any bigger. Our family thinks we are nuts or that it's "just another church". This practice of hiding Orthodoxy sure makes like lonely in baptistville. Please forgive my venting...this is a touchy issue for us.