wfn.org | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese E-Bulletin August 7, 2009

[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 August 7, 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.

DORMITION FAST: The fasting period for the Feast of the Dormition
(Kimissis) begins on August 1 and concludes on August 14, the day
before the Feast.  For more on this Feast, an explanation of the icon,
readings, and more visit

http://www.goarch.org/special/listen_learn_share/dormition/index_html

For a brochure on fasting in the Orthodox Church visit the page for
the new Faith and Life series at:

> http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/faithandlife

JULY-AUGUST ISSUE OF ORTHODOX OBSERVER: The July-August issue of the
Orthodox Observer is now available online.  Download the full-color
edition as a pdf file for all the latest news, information and resources at

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

INTER-ORTHODOX YOUNG ADULT RETREAT ? SEPT. 25-27:  Registration is now
open for thhe Inter-Orthodox Young Adult Retreat, which will take
place September 25-27, 2009.  This nation-wide retreat will take place
in Brookline, MA at Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School
of Theology, and will welcome young adults from all jurisdictions.
This yearâ??s theme, God Created: From Created to Creators, will focus
on Orthodoxy and the arts. His Grace Bishop Savas of Troas, the newly
appointed Director of the Office of Church and Society, will be the
keynote speaker for the retreat, now in itâ??s seventh year of
existence. For retreat details, hotel information, and online
registration, please visit

> http://www.youth.goarch.org

METROPOLIS OF CHICAGO FAMILY SYNAXIS: The Metropolis of Chicago will
be hosting its annual Family Synaxis and Labor Day Retreat September
5-6 at St. John the Baptist Church in Des Plaines.  Special speaker
for the event will be Sister Magdalen of Essex, England.  The program
will include worship, workshops, outdoor activities, and fellowship.
Presentation and discussion topics will include â??Parenting with
faith, not fear,â?? â??Ingredients for healthy and God-pleasing
marriages,â?? â??Handing down the Tradition of our Faith,â? ? and
â??Praying for and with your family.â??  For registration  information
visit the conference web site at

> http://www.gocfamilysynaxis.org

> THIS WEEK FROM THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK

Come Receive the Light - The Nationally Syndicated Land Based Radio
Program - On this week's CRTL podcast: While you may see Islam
mentioned in news, how much do you really know about its history or
theology? Fr. Theodore Pulcini, an Orthodox Christian priest and a
professor of comparative religion who teaches courses in Islamic
civilization, expands on some of the key points in his new
publication: "Face to Face: A Guide for Orthodox Christians
Encountering Muslims." In a short segment, Fr. Chris talks with Ginny
Nieuwsma, host of the new podcast Mission Possible: Orthodox Parenting
Today. The podcast will feature Ginny and other Orthodox parents as
they discuss the challenges of parenting as Orthodox Christians in the
modern world.

Internet radio stations The ARK and The Rudder and a treasury of
Podcasts on myocn.net - On Harmony of Thunder ? IIn preparation for
the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Fr. David Smith
shares two of his favorite poems on the Theotokos: Rainer Maria
Rilke's "Of the Death of Mary, Three Pieces," and Gerard Manley
Hopkins' "The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe." You
won't want to miss this episode of Harmony of Thunder! On this
weekâ??s Special Moments in Orthodoxy podcast, we will Bishop
Kallistos Wareâ??s live discussion from St. Paulâ??s in Irvine,
California. Topics of discussion include: Mystery of Repentance:
Confession Love, Forgiveness and Healing. This week on the
Theologically Thinking podcast, enjoy a reading of a short essay by
Fr. Stanley Harakas entitled â??Why and How Do We Fast?â?? This  week
on the Chanterâ??s Stand, Maria Dikeakos interviews Dr. Nicholas
Giannoukakis, Coordinator of the Byzantine Music Workshop, Director of
the Byzantine Choir and Protopsaltis, Greek Orthodox Metropolis of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A new episode of Get Wisdom will also be
available this week.

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

FAITH ENDOWMENT SPONSORS NEW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: â??Faith: An
Endowment for Orthodoxy and Hellenismâ?? is pleased to announce a
series of academic scholarships and travel fellowships for young
people throughout the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for
academic excellence and leadership in 2009.

In 2007, Faith launched one of its most prominent funding initiatives
by underwriting several merit-based scholarship awards offered by the
Archdiocese to the graduating valedictorians and salutatorians of its
parochial schools. The Faith Scholarships for Academic Excellence are
merit-based scholarships designated for educational purposes and
underscore the commitment to excellence in education throughout the
Archdiocese. This year, Faith increased its funding for the
scholarship programs to include Greek Orthodox valedictorians of any
public or private high school in the United States.  For more
information and to download an application visit

http://www.goarch.org/special/2009faithscholarships

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 explore the majjor 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