wfn.org | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese E-bulletin January 22, 2010

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

> 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 January 22, 2010

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.

HAITI CRISIS ? AN APPEAL TO ACTION: Thee earthquake that struck Haiti
has left tens of thousands homeless and without basic provisions and
medical care.  His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios has issued a call to
the faithful of the Archdiocese to give generously to assist with the
relief efforts.  Read the encyclical requesting a special offering
this Sunday.  Also, link to IOCC (International Orthodox Christian
Charities) to learn more about how you can help through donations and
preparing hygiene kits and emergency cleanup buckets.

Special encyclical: www.goarch.org/news/haitiencyclical%20-01-13-2010

IOCC: www.iocc.org/news/1-14-10haiti-release.aspx

TRIODION BEGINS: The Triodion period begins Sunday, January 24 with
the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee.  Visit this special site
for the background to this Sunday, hymns, readings, the icon, and
more.  Also link to other resources as you begin preparations for Great  Lent.

> lent.goarch.org/publicanpharisee/learn/

FEAST OF THREE HIERARCHS:  The Feast of the Three Holy Fathers, Great
Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the
Theologian, and John Chrysostom is January 30.  For the background on
this feast, a description of the icon, Scripture readings, hymns, and
links to articles related to the observance of Greek Letters Day, visit

www.goarch.org/special/threehierarchs/index_html

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST: This feast, celebrated on
February 2, is known in the Orthodox Church as The Presentation of
Christ in the Temple. Another name for the feast is The Meeting of our
Lord. Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians call the feast, The
Purification of the Holy Virgin. About 450 AD in Jerusalem, people
began the custom of holding lighted candles during the Divine Liturgy
of this feast day. Therefore, some churches in the West refer to this
holy day as Candlemas. The Feast of the Presentation concludes the
observances related to the Nativity of Christ, a period that opened on
November 15 with the beginning of the Nativity fast.  For the biblical
story, a description of the icon, hymns, readings, and more visit

www.goarch.org/special/listen_learn_share/presentation/index_html

2010 GOA YEARBOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE: The 2010 Yearbook of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America is now available onlline. The 2010
Yearbook is designed as an easy-to-read, accurate, reference handbook
of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  The 274-page new
edition includes updated directories of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
Archdiocesan departments and institutions, parishes, clergy, religious
and secular media resources, a photo section highlighting the visit of
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to America plus
additional information.  Each parish will receive two complimentary
copies, but you can download the online version at

> www.goarch.org/archdiocese/yearbook/

CALL TO ACTION ON FREEDOM OF PATRIARCHATE:  A call to action has been
issued by a member of the Faith Endowment related to the rights and
freedoms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.  Read the letter and sign the
petition to show your support for the recognition, safety, and
protection of His All Holiness, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the
Patriarchate, the Seminary of Halki, and the ethnic minority of Greek
Christians living in Turkey.

> faithendowment.org/news/a-call-for-action

PILGRIMAGE WEEKEND FOR SAINT PHOTIOS SHRINE:  The annual pilgrimage
weekend of the Saint Photios National Shrine will be February 5-7 in
Saint Augustine, Florida.  The weekend includes services, the annual
meeting, luncheon, a book signing by Gine and William Samonides,
authors of The Greeks of Stark County, and a lecture by Rev. Dr.
Alkiviades Calivas, professor emeritus of Holy Cross School of
Theology and noted author titled â??St. Photios, Yesterday and
Today.â??   For more information visit the Shrine web site or download
the recent newsletter.

> www.stphotios.com/

www.stphotios.com/newsletter/shrinenewsletter.pdf

2010 CAMP AND YOUTHWORKER CONFERENCE: The 2010 Orthodox Christian Camp
and Youth Worker Conference will be held January 28-30, 2010 in Silver
Springs, MD (30 minutes from Washington, DC). This year's theme is
"Communicating the Gospel in the 21st Century," and the keynote
speaker will be His Grace Bishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox
Church of the USA. We invite all youth workers, church school
teachers, camp directors, camp staff, and anyone interested in working
with youth to attend this annual conference. Conference registration
is $95 per person. Register today at

> www.orthodoxcamps.org/conference.html

JOIN AN ORTHODOX MISSION TEAM: The Orthodox Christian Mission Center
(OCMC) in St. Augustine, Florida, is offering you the opportunity to
join one of the Orthodox Mission Teams in 2010.  Acknowledge your
commitment in implementing Christ's Great Commission by serving on a
short-term mission team.

There is a need to present a visible expression of the love, unity,
and support that truly exists within the Holy Orthodox Church around
the world; to share the teachings of the Faith and to provide needy
communities around the globe with labor; and to increase awareness of
overseas churches and the unending mission efforts of the Church.
Your continued support of Orthodox missions is greatly needed, and you
can help by serving on a Mission Team.

For a full list of team efforts, dates, costs, and registration
information visit

> teams.ocmc.org

2010 ECCLESIASTICAL CALENDARS NOW AVAILABLE:  The 2010 Ecclesiastical
Calendars produced by the Dept. of Communications are now available.
The calendar is a full-color 12-month wall calendar, with a complete
listing of saints and readings for each day, fasting guide, and
highlights of special feasts and commemorations.  The calendar also
includes links to online resources of the Archdiocesan website.  To
order contact the Dept. of Communications at 212-774-0244, or by email
at communications@goarch.org.

> THIS WEEK FROM THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK

COME RECEIVE THE LIGHT RADIO PROGRAM

Great Lent is just around the corner and faithful throughout the world
will be attending more divine services. On today's episode of Come
Receive the Light, join Fr. Spiro Bobotas as he speaks with Fr.
Timothy Chrapko from St. Volodymyr's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in
Alberta, Canada, about the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts. This
Liturgy is offered to the faithful during the week to allow further
communion with God during is sacred period. On this week's CRTL short
segment, we will hear an update from the Executive DIrector of IOCC
Constantine Triantafilou concerning the relief activities in Haiti.
*******************
Share the Light Sunday was held on January 17th - Walk in the Light.
In case you missed it, you can still celebrate. Share the Light Sunday
can be celebrated on any Sunday. Help build an effective media
outreach for Orthodoxy by supporting the Orthodox Christian Network!
Visit our web site at www.myocn.net for further details.
*******************
RADIO SOLUTIONS for Orthodox Christian Parishes Worldwide
The Orthodox Christian Network (The OCN) is pleased to announce a new
service to Orthodox parishes and ministries world wide?Customized
Online Radio Stations. Since recentlyy acquiring new online radio
server software, we can now offer completely customized 24/7 online
radio stations in a cost effective and efficient way allowing parishes
to stay connected to their parishioners more so than ever before. OCN
looks forward to being your supplier of customized Orthodox Christian
programming. For more information about Orthodox Internet radio
solutions visit our web site at www.myocn.net or call us today at
954-522-5567 to speak to one of our support staff.
*******************
ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP Opportunities
Sponsor a program or feature your company on the high trafficked
myocn.net website. OCN is now making available the opportunity for
people and corporations to advertise on our site to support the
ministry. Ad space is available so call our headquarters to discuss
it. Call today 954-467-1515
**********************
INTERNET RADIO STATIONS
If you are looking for a cure for the winter blues or just want to
hear some uplifting music, log on to myocn.net to listen to the Ark
and the Rudder. Whether you enjoy  contemporary  or traditional
Orthodox music make myocn.net your place for music. Please watch for
our brand new Ark page. Coming Soon...
**********************
iPod Nano Winner Announced
Mr. Nick Cassas, a major supporter of the Orthodox Christian Network,
made the drawing for the 2009 End of the Year Appeal.  The lucky
winner of our iPod Nano drawing is Audrey Mitchell of Las Vegas Nevada!
*******************
Look for Upcoming Programs?.
Startting very soon with the commencement of Great Lent the OCN will
be offering quite a few exciting items. Stay tuned and remember to
have faith in what you listen to!
**********************
THIS WEEKâ??S PODCASTS
This week on Harmony of Thunder: St. Gregory Palamas paints a picture
of Zacchaeus (St. Luke 19:1-10) as a man who wanted both sin and
salvation, the old law and the new testament, riches and poverty.
Listen to this week's Harmony of Thunder as Fr. David Smith explores
St. Gregory Palamas' remarkable sermon and reveals the valuable
lessons this outstanding preacher made for his original hearers and
for us today." This week on Theologically Thinking, enjoy a reading of
one of Fr. Stanley Harakas' essays originally written for the National
Herald on Getting Ready for Lent. Before Great Lent begins, there is a
preparatory period of four weeks called "The Triodion." Each of the
Sundays of the pre-Lenten Triodion prepares us for the spiritual
journey to Pascha. In this week's episode of Special Moments in
Orthodoxy, Fr. Vasilios Thermos discusses Spirituality in Heresies and
Sects. Fr. Vasilios is a psychotherapist who especially deals with the
role of emotion in seducing people into sects and heresies. This week
on Beyond the Veil, Presbytera Jeannie Constantinou returns with a new
installment of Beyond the Veil where she discusses the Book of
Revelation, Chapters 2 and 3, the letters to the seven Churches.
**********************
OCN and your iPhone - 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,
groundbreaking podcasts and contemporary Orthodox music. To download
your copy, go to the iTunes application store and type ocn. The
download is free and is effortless to install. Visit our web site for
details at
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=3263
07494&mt=8.

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

> FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION:

The Department's new 'zine "Of Your Mystical Supper: The Eucharist" is
now available. Written at a "senior high" (grades 10-12) level, it
looks at The Sacrament of Holy Communion as a Sacrament of Remembrance
(in the Last Supper), a Sacrament of Thanksgiving (the Eucharist), a
Sacrament of Forgiveness, and a Sacrament of Community. It also
contains a section on Preparing for Holy Communion  and the Prothesis
Service.  Cost is $3.95 per copy. For orders of more than 50 copies,
cost is $2.95 each.   A Teacher's Guide is in development.

Also, don't forget that "For to us a Child is Born," which discusses
the incarnation of Christ and the Christmas holidays is also available
and works well this time of year with students. A teacher's guide is
available too. Additionally, you can access the parent companion to
this resource on the website of the Archdiocese Center for Family Care at

www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/family/add-resources/christmasguide

New 'zine from DRE: "Heaven on Earth: The Divine Liturgy" now
available.  Heaven on Earth is a guide to the Divine Liturgy of St
John Chrysostom, providing the junior high reader with information
about what is taking place and directions for greater involvement. It
also provides a "glossary" of items seen at the Divine Liturgy and
introduces the reader to the development of the Liturgy in the
Orthodox Church. Twenty-four pages, fully illustrated in color. Could
also serve as a handout in adult education classes, be given to
visitors to the parish, or placed in the narthex or in the pews.
$3.95 per copy. $2.95 on orders of more than 50 copies. A Teacher's
Guide for classroom use will be available soon.

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.

2010 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Topics Available.  The
2010 Festival Topics, Topic Tips, and Bibliography are now available
on the Department's webpages

www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/religioused/sjcof

As more information from the Metropolises arrives, with the dates and
locations of District and Metropolis Festivals, it will be posted.
The 2010 Archdiocese Festival will be hosted by the Direct Archdiocese
District and held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York City, from
June 4-6.

National GOYA Facebook Page Created

Our newest resource from the Department of Youth and Young Adult
Ministries has just been created. In an effort to create a presence on
facebook, we have created a page that provides the GOYAn's of our
Archdiocese with community, updates, news, and information from across
the country. We hope that it will be a place for teens to learn about
their faith and upcoming GOYA events, as well as connect with each
other! On facebook you can search for "GOYA- Greek Orthodox Youth of
America" and become a "fan".

Orthodox Christian Fellowship Announces REAL BREAK registration is open
Join hundreds of other college students this Spring Break with Real
Break, the service learning program of OCF. This year's trips are
scheduled for Constantinople, Jerusalem, Greece, Romania, and more.
Register online now at www.ocf.net/realbreak. Hurry while there are
still openings!!!

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??
Additional Stewardship resources for the parish will be forthcoming.
Contact the Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism:
telephone 646-519-6160 / email stewardship@goarch.org. Resources are
also available online at

www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/stewardship/

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
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

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:

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:

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:

> 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:

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.

> 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:

> www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=833607

> For online shopping visit

> 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 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: games.goarch.org

> Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
> Department of Communications