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How does one sum up the great feast of Pascha easily for kids? With a long white piece of paper, we made three folds and created our very own accordion Pascha card with original poem to accompany the Passion and Resurrection of Christ icons cut out from Orthodox catalogs. This simple craft turned out to be a nice way to reinforce the meaning behind each day for young and old. Especially for godchildren and penpals far away, it helps us stay in touch spiritually since we will not be able to celebrate together. Here are the words to our poem: To Christ our God, Who raised Lazarus from the dead... You traveled to Jerusalem with the people you led... Teaching all to be servants rather than trying to get ahead... Your Body and Blood for eternity us you fed... Then nailed to the Cross, You conquered death for three days dead... As we wait to proclaim with our eggs dyed red... "I am the Resurrection and the Life,   he who believes in me shall never die." Jesus said.

A powerful way to get your tween/teens to start writing, thinking, and spending time with God is through a " Faith Journal !" As a parent or youth worker, you can use these for down time, and inspire them to discover the power of solitude in a location that's special to them. The only goal is that it's private and quiet. However, you might choose to lead them into understanding exactly what to do with this "time." Certain days, they'll write, other days draw, reflect, answer tough questions, read prayers or complete activities. Grab a smaller lined notebook or even sketchbook, and consider adding some of these components from the list below to get them started. Decorate the front/back as they wish, with guidelines that it is "spiritual" and inspiring. Provide papers, markers, icons, glue, glitter, etc Add Quotes : Ask them to write and decorate those pages: "What will you do with the time that is given to you?" Gandolf, Lord of the ...

This year, our parish has designated separate classes for boys and girls ages 10-16.  I thought I'd share our program with you, as it seems to be well received so far. The idea of splitting the genders has  truly allowed us to concentrate on specific issues related to their challenges while also eliminating much of the chatter and drama! We do not have a text per say, but rather a structure that gives us flexibility yet predictability. Every month our girls follow this schedule: 1st Sunday : Koumboskinia/Prayer Ropes (Craft & Theology) 2nd Sunday : Chanting (Theology & Hymns from the Divine Liturgy or Feast) 3rd Sunday : Diakonima (The girls can bake, assist, serve, & clean-up at the coffee fellowship- the boys tend to the altar and candles) 4th Sunday : Journaling from the Lives of the Female Saints Today, as an example, the girls were asked to walk around the church after the Divine Litrugy, and to write the names of the female Saints that they found on the wall...

This short poem was written for a small memory book to be given to my goddaughter on her Nameday. If you would like to also use it in some way, the words can be interchanged from "Bishop" to priest, or use your patron Saint's name instead for example. I hope she likes it on September 26th this year! Click here to view this photo book larger Me and My Nouna This is the story of my Baptism,from many years ago,when I received my guardian angel,as my Nouna tells me so. Together we went to Church one day,with everyone who loves me, my Mom, my Dad, Yiayia and Papou, Thea and the Bishop too! In the Narthex we lit a candle, and began to say our prayers, to God they dedicated me, with all my worries and my cares. My Nouna confessed the Creed, and chanted softly in my ear, the Bishop blessed the water and the oil, as I watched without any fear. Then they changed my clothes, and into the water I went, three times, covered in oil, with my guardian angel whom God sent. The Bishop said...