wfn.org | Greek Orthodox Archdiocese E-bulletin July 2, 2010

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

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese E-bulletin July 2, 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 
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CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS July 4-8: The 40th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox 
Archdiocese of America, will convene in Atlanta, Ga. July 4-8, 2010 and it will focus on the theme 
of this Congress â??Come and See,â?? which was set by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios 
of America as a follow up to â??Gather My People to my Homeâ?? theme of the last 
Congress.  Download resources as  you prepare to attend or follow the daily events online.  The 
complete Congress program guide is now available online at

> www.clergylaity.org

PARISH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE INITIATIVE: The Stewardship Commission of the Greek 
Orthodox Archdiocese of America has established a Committee on Parish Management 
Software. This effort is being carried out in coordination with Greek Orthodox 
Archdiocese Departments of Administration, Finance and Information Technologies. 
Committee goals are to evaluate Parish Management Software programs currently 
available and to make a recommendation to the parishes on the most suitable program 
for their needs. Additional benefits might include favorable pricing due to number 
of users, customization for use by Orthodox parishes, greater ease of reporting to 
the Metropolis and Archdiocese through compatible formats, and better support 
through improved communication between parishes and software providers. Meetings 
with providers should begin by late summer. Individuals wishing to offer 
suggestions and recommendations based upon their experience with specific software 
packages are welcome to do so by email to Stewardship@goarch.org or by phone to the 
Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism at 646/519-6160.

MAY-JUNE ISSUE OF ORTHODOX OBSERVER ONLINE:  The latest issue of the Orthodox 
Observer is now available online.  Download a full-color pdf of the May-June 
issue for news from throughout the Archdiocese and around the world.  Also view 
special sections for Youth and Family Ministry and the upcoming Clergy-Laity 
Congress.  Access to archives of past issues are also available.

> www.goarch.org/news/observer

OCF CONNECT KIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: It's not too late to order an OCF 
Connect Kit for your graduate. Our kits are full of items to help our students 
stay connected to Christ and His Church while away at college.  Visit

> www.ocf.net/store

MESSAGE OF ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW ON GULF OIL SPILL:  His All 
Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has issued a message in response to 
the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  His message laments the 
destruction of our natural environment as a result of this disaster.  He calls 
for higher levels of accountability and concern for the created order and for 
prayers and support for the clean up efforts and actions to prevent future 
catastrophes.  You can read the full text of the message at

www.goarch.org/news/patriarch-gulfoilspill%20-05102010

CENTER FOR FAMILY CARE LAUNCHES NEW EMAIL MINISTRY: FAMILY LINK -  Through the 
Family Link email ministry, we hope to bring you practical ideas, inspiration, 
and upcoming events to assist your family as you grow in the Orthodox faith. 
Additionally we will provide ways in which to assist both your family and your 
parish's ministry to families. Through the Family Link, we hope to encourage 
you to share your resources for family ministry so that we in turn can share 
them with others.  To subscribe to Family Link, visit

www.goarch.org/archdiocese/departments/family/familylinklistserv

YOUTH DEPT. PUBLISHES 2010-2011 ECCLESIASTICAL PLANNER: The Department of Youth and Young 
Adult Ministries is pleased to announce the publication of the 2010-2011 Ecclesiastical 
Planner. This yearâ??s Planner is based upon the Archdiocese theme, â??Come and 
Seeâ??, set forth by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America.  The Planner is an 
excellent resource for Orthodox faithful to stay connected to their Faith with daily 
lectionary readings and inspirational quotes from scripture and holy men and women of the 
Faith. It includes daily fasting guidelines, morning and evening prayers and saints of the 
day. The Planner follows the Ecclesiastical
(Church) year beginning in September and ending in August. It makes an 
excellent gift for students and helpful resource for church school teachers and 
youth workers. The Planner has been published by the Department for over 25 
years and is now available for purchase exclusively through the Department of 
Religious Education at 800.566.1088 or through the Orthodox Marketplace at

> www.orthodoxmarketplace.com

HELLENIC COLLEGE CONTINUES CHRYSOSTOM SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: Hellenic College 
will continue to award a  scholarship to the winner of the senior division 
Chrysostom Oratorical Contest of each participating parish .The scholarship is 
for 100% of tuition for the first year and 80% of tuition for each of the 
following three years providing the student maintains a 3.0 GPA and adheres to 
the conduct and standards expected of a student in the college. Winners are not 
guaranteed admission to Hellenic College. Students must satisfy admission 
requirements for the college in order to be eligible for the scholarship. The 
estimated value of the scholarship over fours of study is approximately 
$68,000.  Those interested are encouraged to contact Mr. Gregory Floor, 
Director of Admissions, at 617-850-1285, or via email at gfloor@hchc.edu. 
Information is also available on the Hellenic College website at

www.hchc.edu/hellenic/admissions/anniversary-scholarships-continued.html

> THIS WEEK FROM THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK

COME RECEIVE THE LIGHT - THE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO PROGRAM OF ORTHODOX 
CHRISTIANITY
This week on CRTL, we're pleased to welcome Dr. Dean Stamatis back to the program. He's 
here today to talk with us about one of his recent publications entitled A Catechetical 
Handbook of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Also with us is Nicholas Reeves, who recently 
produced a concert entitled "Deliverance Through Devotion: The Triumph of Orthodox 
Music Over Oppression" that was performed at the St. Vartan Cathedral in New York 
City.
************************
THIS WEEKâ??S PODCASTS
This week on Theologically Thinking, on this Fourth of July Weekend, Fr. Willliam Chiganos of 
the Holy Apostles Church in Westchester Il talks to us about Love of God and Love of Nation: 
Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your county. In this week's 
episode of Special Moments in Orthodoxy, Fr. David Smith continues his series 
â??Tradition Today.â?? Join Fr. David as he discusses Saint Jamesâ?? Epistle 
and  how the writing of  this short, exciting and to the point book differs from that of  St. 
Paul. This week on Just Thinking, Fr. Chris will be talking to Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Asst. 
Professor in the Department of International Relations at Boston University and Vice Chair of 
the United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom. Fr. Chris will also be talking with Fr. Steven 
Ritter today about the defamation of  religions.
*******************
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://www.myocn.net/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url 
.php?u=1165&qid=797356.
*******************
SHARE THE LIGHT PARTNERS
Our partners are the backbone of the OCN.  We are grateful to God for them as 
they form the foundation of the endeavor to Share our Faith with the world.  
Have you ever considered joining us at this level of commitment?  We currently 
have 45 partners for this year with a goal of reaching 75 by the end of the 
summer.  So why not join us today?  Visit our web site to learn more and take 
action.  Share the Light Partners donate a gift of $1,000 or more during the 
course of the year and can donate on line or call Kathy at our national 
headquarters at 954-522-5567 to learn more.
Don't delay act today!  Our faith is to sacred and our mission to important to 
not have a strong media voice in this world.  Thank you in advance for 
considering becoming one of our special partners.

> **********************
> FACEBOOK and TWITTER
> Have you joined the thousands on OCNâ??s Facebook and Twitter pages? Join us to 
> follow programming and events covered on the ARK, the RUDDER and the Anchor. While 
> you are at it tell your friends to visit as well.
> *******************
> 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. Sincce recently 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.
> *******************
> LAND BASED STATION
> Have you ever thought of having your own land based radio program in your city 
> which features your church as both an outreach to your own parishioners and a 
> beacon of light to those looking for the TRUE FAITH!  Call us today to find out 
> how you can do it! 954-522-5567.
> *******************
> 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 954-522-5567.
> **********************
> INTERNET RADIO STATIONS
> Log on to myocn.net to listen to the Ark, the Rudder and the Anchor to hear 
> special programming. Whether you enjoy contemporary, traditional Orthodox music 
> or a talk format there is something for you at myocn.net. Join the hundreds of 
> thousands of people worldwide visiting us every week.

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

LOOKING FOR A JOB: OrthodoxJobs.com is the source for Orthodox Christians who 
are seeking employment in an Orthodox Christian or Christian environment. In 
its current version, it is a posting site of Job opportunities for any 
Archdiocese, Metropolis, Diocese, Parish, or Organization that falls under the 
jurisdiction of SCOBA, the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in 
the Americas. To post a job on this site, simply send us a job ad/posting with 
contact information and duration of the posting. Future releases will include 
resources for employers and employees.

> www.orthodoxjobs.com

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

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