If You Believe, You Will Become   Jordan Peterson is a modern day author and clinical psychologist notoriously featured in the media because of his outspoken views on controversial...
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We sense that something needs to be done. We see the trends. Attendance is down. We are celebrating fewer weddings and baptisms. Funerals are holding steady. Stewardship is declining. We clearly...
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For anyone who suffers from grief, depression, sorrow, or anxiety, the Paraklesis is a welcome salve to the soul. Although the gospel message of Jesus Christ is one of joy, the Paraklesis service recognizes that everyone, from time to time, experiences emotional and spiritual pain.
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  Click HERE to watch the latest "Be the Bee" featuring Archbishop Elpidophoros as he and Steve discuss the stewardship of our many gifts.  
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what can we learn about family prayer from a monastic family?
Read MoreAboutA Delightful Surprise Part II »

You may be following the story in the news of late of the French man, Vincent Lambert, whose injuries in a 2008 car crash left him brain damaged and a quadriplegic. His parents have been seeking international legal recourse to prevent “his assassination” (as deemed by his father Pierre) by a French court ruling that his life support be ceased.
Read MoreAboutA House Divided: A Family’s Fight for Vincent Lambert’s Life, and Death »

YOUTH STEWARDSHIP with Y2AM's Steven Christoforou   Click HERE to View the Webinar Hosted by Stacey Stathulis  
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By Presvytera Melanie DiStefano “Being a physician, he came to Constantinople, where he so distinguished himself for his…love for the sick and the poor…” St. Sampson’s love for the sick...
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I used to be fearful of pruning my rose bushes, wanting them to have full freedom to grow any which way they would. I didn’t want to be like a highly caffeinated hairdresser lopping off more than enough inches, leading to something that looked like a shearing rather than a trim. ‘Don’t be afraid to prune’ gardening experts say, “pruning leads to new growth and continued blooming”.
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To say social media is ubiquitous (for good or for ill) might be the greatest understatement ever - there are 1.2 billion Facebook users alone. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat...
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Working in the Church isn't easy. Neither is working in Pawnee. Here are 4 things I Steve learned from Leslie Knope.
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  Similar to many first-time Oratorical Festival Teens, Demetra Ganias Soterakis decided to participate in the event alongside friends and classmates because it was an annual Sunday...
Read MoreAboutMeet Demetra Ganias Soterakis: An Oratorical Teen turned News Anchor and Mom »

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was established on June 21st, 1946 to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment . The Commission, supported by UN Women , establishes...
Read MoreAboutWomen Who Bloom: The Intersection of CSW63 & Women in the Church »

Palm Sunday is fast approaching. Our churches will once again be filled with the faithful we love, but don’t see as often as we would like. Our first inclination may be to scold or at least lay on...
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A look at two kinds of compunction, and what they both mean for our spiritual lives.
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Stewardship Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has developed parish resources for Planned Giving to assist the faithful in their estate planning and end-of-life concerns while...
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You’ve written your Oratorical speech using our five preparation tips. But writing is just one part of making a great speech, now you have to present it in front of an audience. If you’re nervous, that’s completely normal. Everyone gets nervous about public speaking. But with practice (in front of a mirror or other people), you will build up your confidence. And if you learn to use your charisma, you can be interesting and persuasive when sharing your message with the world. Here are some speaking strategies that will help you give an effective speech
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  In the fall of 1983 -- the very first year of the Oratorical Festival -- Mike Emanuel’s parish priest, Father Alexander Leondis encouraged all the GOYAns to participate in the...
Read MoreAboutMeet Mike Emanuel: An Oratorical Teen turned Political Correspondent »

A free new Bible Study resource for the Triodion Period (the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee through Holy Saturday).
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So, your Sunday School teacher, parent, Godparent, or friend told you about the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. After some consideration, you are leaning towards trying it. Besides getting up in front of an audience to present your speech, one other thing is holding you back...actually writing a speech. While this might be your first time writing a speech, this skill is something that you’ll use throughout your life. Learning it now will help you in the future.
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In 1996, George Psomas stepped up to the podium for the first time as a Junior Division participant at the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. Now, he is a professional actor in New York City who was in the 2015 Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, and the 2008 Broadway production of South Pacific. George took part in the Tony Awards and the NBC Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He recently won Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Fidel Castro in the new musical Errol and Fidel with the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
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OUTREACH & EVANGELISM Report from a Home Mission Parish  A Recipient of the Leadership 100 Home Mission Parish Grant It’s our privilege to apply for and administer a...
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Introduced in 1983, the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival provides Greek Orthodox teenagers the opportunity to write and talk about their faith. Over 200 parishes and 1,000 participants take part in the festival each year. As with any church program, our goal is to always increase participation and keep people interested in the event year after year. With that in mind, we wanted to provide you, the chairperson, a few tips you can utilize to market the Oratorical Festival in your parish.
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Never has such a sensitive question agitated the religious landscape of Europe, and of the world at large, as this: how is humanity saved? In this debate, which in the 16th century deeply marked the religious and political scene of the European continent by opening the bloody chapter of the wars of religion, Orthodox Christianity has been little exposed for various reasons.
Read MoreAboutOrthodox view on the Lutheran-Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification »

Stewardship is often reduced to the "three Ts" (time, talent and treasure) which is an acceptable, though tactical, explanation of what we Orthodox Christians do after saying 'we believe.'...
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