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Meet Mike Emmanuel: An Oratorical Teen turned Political Correspondent

  In the fall of 1983 -- the very first year of the Oratorical Festival -- Mike Emmanuel’s parish priest, Father Alexander Leondis encouraged all the GOYAns to participate in the...
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By Stephanie Orfanakos 02/22/2019 religious education st. john oratorical festival st. john chrysostom oratorical festival where are they now History History 53 Views
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Free "Live the Word" Bible Study Guide for the Triodion

A free new Bible Study resource for the Triodion Period (the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee through Holy Saturday).
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By Steven Christoforou 02/17/2019 scripture y2am the ladder family ministry youth ministry young adult ministry scriptures bible study live the word History History 1488 Views
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5 Tips on Preparing Your Speech

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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By Stephanie Orfanakos 02/15/2019 religious education st. john oratorical festival st. john chrysostom oratorical festival History History 158 Views
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Meet George Psomas: An Oratorical Teen turned Professional Actor

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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By Stephanie Orfanakos 02/08/2019 religious education st. john oratorical festival st. john chrysostom oratorical festival where are they now History History 180 Views
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REPORT FROM A HOME MISSION PARISH

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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By Stewardship & Outreach 02/07/2019 stewardship ministries missions and evangelism leadership 100 dubuque fr dustin lyon History History 142 Views
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How to Market the Oratorical Festival

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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By Stephanie Orfanakos 02/01/2019 religious education sunday school st. john oratorical festival st. john chrysostom oratorical festival History History 265 Views
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Orthodox view on the Lutheran-Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

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.
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By Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian 01/31/2019 faith matters History History 221 Views
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STEWARDS OF THE FAITH

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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By Stewardship & Outreach 01/30/2019 stewardship ministries stewards of the faith fr. larry legakis holy trinity toledo History History 297 Views
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Super Bowl Sunday

Sunday is a high holy day. No, it is not Christmas or Pascha. Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, a major feast day for those who follow the religion called football. Sarcasm aside, I wonder if there are a few parallels between the religion of football and the religion of Christianity.
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By Fr. Alexander Goussetis 01/28/2019 marriage and family football sports History History 424 Views
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How the Oratorical Festival can help your children become active learners in their Orthodox faith

As the daughter of Presvytera Margaret Orfanakos and Fr. John Orfanakos – the former national chairpersons of the National Oratorical Festival from 1986 through 2018 – I am a passionate advocate for the program. I like to say that I grew up attending Oratorical Festivals the way other kids my age attended baseball games. With the repose of my dear parents, I am honored to be stepping into their shoes and serving as the National Oratorical Festival chairperson. Together with my niece, Stephanie Orfanakos, we plan to create a regular blog presence for the Oratorical Festival on this site – where you can see what former participants are up to today and get expert advice from former participants and parish, district and metropolis chairpersons.
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By Stephanie Orfanakos 01/25/2019 religious education parenting st. john oratorical festival History History 672 Views
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TRANSFORMING THE HEART OF A COMMUNITY: from Dues to Stewardship

  Fr. John Touloumes arrived at Holy Trinity in August 1993 with a mandate from then Bishop (later Metropolitan) Maximos: Transition the parish of almost 200 families from dues to...
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By Stewardship & Outreach 01/23/2019 stewardship ministries History History 297 Views
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Exodus from Orthodoxy, Part II: The Three Big Challenges of Young Adulthood

The second of a three-part series: Exodus from Orthodoxy.
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By Steven Christoforou 01/17/2019 y2am the ladder family ministry young adult young adults youth ministry young adult ministry History History 566 Views
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Exodus from Orthodoxy, Part I: Are Young Adults Leaving the Church (and What Can We Do About It)?

The first of a three-part series: Exodus from Orthodoxy.
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By Steven Christoforou 01/16/2019 y2am the ladder family ministry young adult young adults youth ministry young adult ministry ministry History History 3154 Views
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KIOSK CONVENIENCE INCREASES STEWARDSHIP

Is a donation kiosk right for your parish? In a recent study of church giving conducted between 2015 and 2017, the traditional methods of donating (cash and check) are declining whereas...
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By Stewardship & Outreach 01/16/2019 stewardship ministries parish software initiative vanco kiosk falls church pds stathulis pavlakos History History 635 Views
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4 Organizations that are Changing the Face of Ministry

Steve highlights 4 organizations that are helping the Church refocus on Christ and His Kingdom.
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By Steven Christoforou 11/09/2018 ocf y2am the ladder focus orthodox christian fellowship ancient faith radio yes youth equipped to serve the ovm afr History History 3049 Views
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A Delightful Surprise

How can we more intentionally recognize Christ in our midst in every nook and cranny of family life?
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By Family Care 10/31/2018 marriage and family History History 1242 Views
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3 Critical Questions to Shape the Future of the Church

Steve asks 3 questions that should shape the future of our ministry work.
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By Steven Christoforou 10/23/2018 ministry ideas y2am the ladder young adults youth ministry young adult ministry ministry youth ministry programs and events History History 4631 Views
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Teach the Faith

Now that we are a couple of months into our Sunday Church school year, I want to ask, “Are we teaching the Faith?” Our task is to hand on the contents of the Orthodox Christian Faith to another...
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By Rev. Dr. Tony Vrame 10/12/2018 religious education teachers orthodox theology teaching methods History History 1589 Views
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Test your Phishing skills

Phishing emails come in all shapes and sizes, but fortunately there are some “tells” you can look for to help suss out potential scams.
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By Jamil Samara 10/03/2018 internet ministries History History 1272 Views
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Think Outside the Box for a Renewed Sunday Church School Year

  It’s that time of year again! The time of year where you are starting to realize that summer vacation is over and that the Sunday Church School year is starting up any day now!...
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By Angeliki Constantine 09/19/2018 religious education History History 3001 Views
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What is a Phishing Attack and Tips for Protecting Yourself

Cybercriminals are using social engineering to craft emails that appear as though they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual. The purpose of these emails is to either...
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By Meredyth Houpos 09/12/2018 internet ministries History History 1185 Views
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What Young Adults Are Really Saying About Church

After season one of We Are Orthodoxy, we're starting to notice some trends in what young adults are really saying about their experience in the Church.
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By Christian Gonzalez 09/05/2018 y2am the ladder young adult podcast christian gonzalez ministry ancient faith radio we are orthodoxy History History 2645 Views
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4 Tips for Preaching the Gospel Online

Steve and Father Andrew Stephen Damick share 4 tips for preaching the Gospel online.
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By Steven Christoforou 07/31/2018 y2am the ladder gospel ancient faith radio preaching fr andrew stephen damick online orthodoxy History History 2569 Views
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The Environment and the Greek Orthodox Church

As you may all know, in 1989, then Patriarch Demetrios proclaimed September 1 as the annual day of prayer for the Care of Creation.  Since 1991, Patriarch Bartholomew has focused on the...
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By George P. Nassos 07/19/2018 environment faith matters sustainable development green patriarch green attica creation care History History 2059 Views
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Taking the Next Step in Youth Safety

A look at what to expect from the new Policies for the Safety of Youth and Children.
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By Steven Christoforou 07/10/2018 child safety y2am the ladder summer camp policies for the safety of youth and children youth protection manual youth safety youth ministry programs and events History History 3373 Views

Stephanie Orfanakos
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Date: 2/22/19
Steven Christoforou
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Stewardship & Outreach
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Rev. Dr. Nicolas Kazarian
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Family Care
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Christian Gonzalez
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