From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org


Greek Orthodox Archdiocese E-bulletin September 25, 2009


From George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>
Date Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:58:59 -0700

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106
Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0237
Web: http://www.goarch.org  - Email: communications@goarch.org

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese E-bulletin September 25, 2009

This is the weekly edition of the GOA E-Bulletin. For more information
just click on the links below to go to the topics of interest to you.

If the link does not work from your email, copy the link and paste it
into the address bar of your web browser.

COLLEGE STUDENT SUNDAY ? SEPTEMBER 20: The Hierarchs of SCOBA have
issued an enncyclical for the annual observance of College Student
Sunday.  As students return to school, parishes have a unique
opportunity to minister to those who may be far from home or to their
own college students, equipping them to remain faithful to God and to
their Orthodox faith.  In addition Orthodox Campus Fellowship, the
campus ministry program of SCOBA, offers resources, ministries, and
more to help in this critical effort to keep students connected to their  faith.

For the encyclical visit:

http://www.scoba.us/articles/2724.html

For the OCF web site visit:

http://www.ocf.net

SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF ORTHODOX OBSERVER:  The September 2009 issue of the
Orthodox Observer is now available online.  Download the latest news,
information, and resources at this site, which also include archives
of previous issues.

http://www.goarch.org/news/observer

CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY:  The National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church
Musicians has designated Sunday, October 4 as Church Music Sunday.
This is a day for local parishes to focus on the importance of music
programs in worship, education, and youth and childrenâ??s ministries,
and to recognize the contribution of time and talent of faithful of
all ages who lead and participate in these programs.  For more
information and resources for this day, visit the National Forum web site at

http://churchmusic.goarch.org/events/churchmusicsunday.html

2009 PATRIARCHAL VISIT ? NEW WEBSITE:  His All Holiness Ecumenical
Patriiarch Bartholomew will visit the United States October 20 ?
Novemberr 6.  He will be leading the Religion, Science, and
Environmental Symposium: â??Restoring Balance: The Great Mississippi
Riverâ?? from October 21-25.  For information on the symposium, the
schedule of events for the visit, and more on the Ecumenical Patriarch
and his environmental efforts visit the special US visit site at

http://usvisit2009.org/

TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ENTHRONMENT OF ARCHBISHOP DEMETRIOS: September 18
marked the tenth anniversary of Archbishop Demetrios as Archbishop of
the Greek Orthodox Church in America.  A special web site includes
links to his Enthronement Address, video and photos of the event, and
the Archbishopâ??s biography which highlights his ten years of
archiepiscopal ministry.

http://www.goarch.org/archbishop/demetrios/enthronement

2010 STEWARDSHIP RESOURCES AVAILABLE:  Stewardship resources for the
2010 Stewardship Year have been sent to Greek Orthodox clergy serving
parishes throughout the Archdiocese of America. In our efforts to
provide your parish with practical ministry resources under a unified
theme, the National Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America are creating resources for the coming Ecclesiastical Year
under the general theme of the 2008 Clergy-Laity Congress: Gather My
People to My Home with the sub-theme of â??Come and See?â??
Addittional Stewardship resources for the parish will be forthcoming.
Contact the Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism:
telephone 646-519-6160 / email stewardship@goarch.org.

PLANNER FOR 2009-10 IS NOW AVAILABLE: The annual planner published by
the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries is now available.
Use The Planner to keep track of all your schedules. Keep a daily
focus on Christ with Scriptural readings, fast days, prayers, saints
of the day, and inspiration from the Fathers. The Planner follows the
Ecclesiastical (church) year beginning in September and ending in
August. Spiral bound and digital versions available.  Order now at

http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/youth/planner2009

THIS WEEK FROM THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK

Come Receive the Light - On this week's CRTL podcast, Fr. Demetrios
Tonias will begin the first of a four part series. We'll be discussing
Christianity and Judaism in the first four centuries, which is
something many of us don't know a great deal about. In a short
segment, we will continue discussing issue of unity of the Orthodox in
North America with Rev.Nicholas Apostala, a member of the Study and
Planning commission of SCOBA.

Internet Radio Stations -  Listen to the Ark and the Rudder for
contemporary and traditional Orthodox music. Watch myocn.net for our
new talk-only streaming radio station called THE ANCHOR, which will
debut in about one month.

New iphone app is here! We are pleased to share that our new iphone
app is now available. Hundreds have already downloaded it prior to our
public release of this information so get yours today. Visit our web
site for more information. Now you can hear the ARK and The RUDDER
24/7. With the release of the Ark and the Rudder in one convenient and
free download, listeners will have even more options from which to
listen to OCN's Orthodox liturgical music, ground-breaking podcasts
and contemporary Orthodox music. Fr Chris spoke of the new application
recently. " I am thrilled we can harness this exciting new technology
to help take the light of our Faith to every corner of this country
and give our listeners more choices than ever before". To download
your copy, go to the ITunes application store and type ocn. The
download is free and is effortless to install. Both the traditional
Rudder and the contemporary Ark come in one convenient package. For
more information visit
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=3263
07494&mt=8. Updates are being done to our servers once again in order
to accomadate the large numbers of people visiting the site. We ask
that you wait two weeks before downloading the iphone app in order to
have the proper connection.

This Weekâ??s Podcasts on myocn.net - This week on Harmony of Thunder:
St. Dorotheos begins his remarkable sermon on The Fear of the
Punishment to Come" by alluding to a time when he was less than at his
best â?? this is something you have to love about St. Dorotheos.  Yes,
he uses himself as a good example at times, but he's just as likely to
use himself as an example of what not to do.  You won't want to miss
exploring this very practical sermon on a very difficult topic. This
week Special Moments in Orthodoxy, The Very Rev. Michel Najim asks the
question what is the benefit of faith when the life is impure. All
Priests are asked to adhere to high ethical principles and high
standards, which are given to us through the Gospel and a life in
Christ.  Fr. Najim speaks to us about this path, which is put before
priests. This week Theologically Thinking, Fr. William Chiganos will
speak on â??Donâ??t let your heart be troubledâ??. This  week Mission
Possible, Ginny Nieuwsma discusses Kids in College. New episodes of
Get Wisdom and Just Thinking will also be available this week.

OCN NOW - Special Report - Unity In American Orthodoxy - What does
this actually mean and how will it take place?
Come and listen as OCN reporting brings you up to date in a
responsible and knowledgeable way. Visit our web site to hear from the
Rev. Nicholas Apostola, a member of the Study and Planning commission of  SCOBA.

Share the Light Partners

The Orthodox Christian Network focus for the month of October will be
to partner financially with 100 new individuals to â??share the
lightâ?? of Orthodoxy.  In order to ensure a steady flow of income to
our ministry, we are looking for individuals and foundations that will
pledge amounts of $50 a month, $100 a month, $200 a month or the
pacesetter amount of $400 or more a month to our ministry.  This money
will help sustain the Internet radio stations, The ARK, The RUDDER and
our new talk show The ANCHOR.  It will also provide the financial
backing for our newest endeavor Internet Radio Solutions where
parishes can establish their own individualized Internet radio
ministry along with the OCN's extensive program and music libraries.
It will help priests minister to their parishioners 24/7 over the
Internet.  Another area that this will help fund is our newest popular
effort this year of embedded reporters bringing you news from around
the world of missionary and philanthropic activity.  To sign up,
please go to the Support tab under STL Partners on our OCN website
www.myocn.net.

All programs available on Internet Radio, Podcast and On Demand at
www.myocn.net.

ART OF SPEAKING WORKSHOP: The Art of Speaking Workshop to be held
Monday, September 28th ? Thursday, October 1, 2009 aat Hellenic
College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Basic to the
calling of the priesthood is the ability to communicate the Gospel
with clarity and conviction and at the same time be leaders who truly
serve.  The workshop is being sponsored by the Archdiocesan Presbyters
Council.  For registration information and a special message from His
Eminence Archbishop Demetrios visit

http://www.goarch.org/archdiocese/affiliates/apc

NEW â??FAITH AND LIFEâ?? RESOURCES AVAILABLE ONLINE: The Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America has announced the publication of the
new â??Faith and Life: Orthodox Christianityâ?? series with the
release of two web-based pamphlets on the topics of â??Fastingâ? ? and
the â??Dating of Easter in the Orthodox Church.â??  A third  pamphlet
focused on â??Holy Weekâ?? will be available early next week.   These
pamphlets and the â??Faith and Lifeâ?? series are available for  free.
Intended to be placed in the Narthex, these pamphlets are designed to
assist parishesâ?? ministries and outreach and the spiritual life and
growth of Orthodox Christians by providing an introduction to a wide
range of spiritual, social, and theological issues. In the initial
launch of the series, the Archdiocese is publishing the pamphlets as
both web pages and as PDF files that can be viewed online or
downloaded and printed on legal size paper for distribution.  The
resources will also be featured in Bulletin Builder
(http://bulletin.goarch.org).  As additional topics and pamphlets are
published, the resource will be available in a format that can be
customized by parishes or ordered in a print version for use in
display racks.  The variety of formats is intended to assist parishes
in providing quality literature on Orthodox Christianity for outreach
to the unchurched and for parish educational and catechetical programs.

To access and download the pamphlets, visit the Faith and Life
website.  As additional pamphlets are produced they will also be made
available at

http://faith.goarch.org

ORTHODOX MILITARY BIBLE NOW AVAILABLE: The New Testament and Psalms in
a pocket size volume - ideal to pack and carry. The Orthodox Military
New Testament also includes devotional morning and evening prayers, a
page to list the living and the dead for prayer, 8 full-color icon
plates, and a devotional piece on the ten commandments and integrity
in military service. The New Testament & Psalms for Orthodox
Christians Military Edition is developed with the Standing Conference
of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) for
distribution to the Orthodox Christian men and women of the armed
services all over the world. Biblical text is the RSV.

For more information and ordering visit

http://www.orthodoxmarketplace.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&pr
oduct_id=19242

DAILY BIBLE READINGS FOR FACEBOOK AND iGoogle: The Department of
Internet Ministries has launched an enhancement to its Online Chapel
service that will now provide Facebook and iGoogle users access to the
daily Bible readings and lives of the saints directly from their
customized home pages. Visit the Online Chapel at
http://www.goarch.org/chapel  for more information on how to add the
new Online Chapel for Facebook and Online Chapel for iGoogle to your home  pages

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION:

New On-line Group for Religious Educators - The Department of
Religious Education has created Orthodox Christian Religious Educators
a group on Facebook so that teachers and other interested youth
workers can share ideas, discuss programs. The Facebook group is the
latest attempt of the Department to bring Orthodox Christian Religious
Educators together. The group is open to anyone who works with young
people in Orthodox Christian parishes, whether as a clergyman, a
Sunday Church school teacher, supervisor, a youth group advisor,
interested parent, or others.  For those already using Facebook,
search for the group and join.  For those not using Facebook, you will
have to join the social networking site (it's free).  Already the
group has hundreds of members with topics being discussed ranging from
Vacation Church School to teaching Environmental Stewardship.

Traveling on the Ark of Salvation: Feasts of the Theotokos - a
Vacation Church School program with daily lessons covering the Feasts
of the Virgin Mary, a daily puppet show, activities, crafts, hymns and
songs. Also available are t-shirts, posters, banners, and other
products. The entire kit is available for $79.95.

"Enter In": Four DVDs Explore Orthodox Christian Feasts - The
Department of Religious Education is excited to announce a major new
production. Entitled "Enter In," the resource includes sixteen
15-minute video presentations--over four hours of video?on four DVDs.
These presentations exploore the major feasts of the Church, and the
meaning and purpose of Orthodox Christian worship. Other resources
include Discussion Questions, a web site, a Viewer's Companion, and a
Teacher's Guide. Full of interviews, music, hymns, icons, and
beautiful visuals, this rich resource will both inspire and provoke.
Designed for individual, family, or group study, it's the perfect
resource for a parish's Great Lent Bible study or adult church school
class! Call the Department at 800-566-1088 to order now, or visit

http://goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/religioused/feasts

ORTHODOX MARKETPLACE - www.orthodoxmarketplace.com

--------------------

Now available on the Orthodox Marketplace:

The Planner 2009-2010

---------------------

The Planner is used by thousands of Orthodox Christians to keep track
of fasting periods, feastdays and of course their own schedules and
plans for the ecclesiastical year. The calendar runs from Sept 1, 2009
to Aug 31, 2010. The Planner is produced by the Department of Youth  Ministry.

You can purchase the 2009-2010 Planner online for $13.95 by going here
with your web browser:

http://www.orthodoxmarketplace.com/calendars/the-planner-2009-2010.html

The Children's Bible Reader - English Edition - BACK IN STOCK

-------------------------------------------------------------

Having gone out of print after two runs, we have brought this
soon-to-be classic back into print. This title features the same
spread of bible stories from the Old and New Testament accompanied by
Byzantine-style illustrations. The tone and paraphrase of the text is
faithful to the biblical original. The stories walk the child through
the history of the faithful, the lessons of Christ to the disciples,
the experience of the apostles and the glory of God's Kingdom.

Now available for $19.99, bookstore and parish discounts are
available. Select 'Parish or School' or 'Bookstore' as your membership
on your user profile to apply for the discount.

You can purchase the Bible Reader in English here:

http://www.orthodoxmarketplace.com/children-and-039s-1/childrens-bible
-reader-english-edition.html

SCOBA, the Orthodox Marketplace, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America, and the American Bible Society are partnering to offer the
acclaimed Children's Bible Reader to military families with children
at a 50% discount for a limited time.  Just fill out this survey to
receive your discount coupon:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229BUWPHN76

Orthodox Military New Testament and Psalms

------------------------------------------

This special edition of the New Testament and Psalms includes several
full color icon plates, devotional prayers, short articles about faith
topics relevant to servicemen and women, pages to list the living and
the dead for personal prayer discipline. It is 4" x 6", softcover, and
fits easily in your pocket.

A suggested donation of $5 per copy is requested. Servicemen and
military chaplains may receive a coupon allowing them to get free
copies by filling out the following survey online:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey.zgi?p=WEB229B4RX2WD4

New Music and Video

-------------------

We have added several new titles to our catalog over the past few
weeks, including:

* Akathist to the Mother of God: Nurturer of Children (Based on the
text from St. Sergius Monastery)
* Pascha: The Resurrection of Christ DVD (aired on ABC around Pascha 2009)
* Jesus Prayer Rings - additional women's and men's sizes are now available.

Be sure to check our web page and subscribe to our newsletter for more
information as it becomes available.

http://www.orthodoxmarketplace.com

The Orthodox Marketplace is the Official Online Store of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese.

SUPPORT THE ARCHDIOCESE WHILE SEARCHING or SHOPPING ON THE WEB:  The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has partnered with GoodSearch.com, a new
search engine that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search,
to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any
search engine, and it's powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results.
To use GoodSearch.com and support the ministries of the Archdiocese,
simply go to:

http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=833607

For online shopping visit

http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx

GAMES ONLINE TO EXPLORE AND LEARN THE ORTHODOX FAITH: The Department
of Internet Ministries is pleased to announce an exciting new web site
at http://games.goarch.org  where kids and adults of all ages can
explore, create, play, learn, discover, and grow in the Orthodox
Faith. The site features online games and puzzles in a colorful,
engaging environment, all with an Orthodox theme. The games are
suitable for kids from ages 5 on up and currently features a coloring
book, jigsaw puzzles, a memory game, a word finder, crossword puzzles,
and more.

The online games are currently in beta and we encourage feedback so
that we can further enhance this new online offering.  Click here to
visit: http://games.goarch.org

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Department of Communications
8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075
Tel: (212) 774-0244 ? Fax: (212) 774-0589
communications@goarch.org ? communications.goarch.org


Browse month . . . Browse month (sort by Source) . . . Advanced Search & Browse . . . WFN Home