OCTOBER 2000
ORTHODOX OBSERVER
Youth Ministry
PAGE 29
challenge
Volunteers in Youth Ministry The Holy Apostles by Fr. Mark A. Leondis
Do we need volunteers to assist in youth ministry? A simple question, right? Most youth workers would agree that without volunteers, whether parents or young adults, they wouldn t have a successful youth group. But the truth of the matter is that nine times out of 10 we don t use our volunteers correctly. We don t realize that they are just as important as we are probably more. The fanciest programs in the world may attract our young people, but they won t keep them. If you think back to your own adolescent years, the person who made the greatest impact on your life was probably the one who spent quality time with you. Quality time, yes but quantity time too. It is relationships, not programs that mold the lives of our young people. Programs merely provide the framework for ministry to take place. We are relational beings. Just as the Holy Trinity relates in perfect love amongst each other, we are called to do the same. Our young people need relationships more importantly than anything: relationships with God, relationships with parents, relationships with siblings, relationships with friends, and relationships with good, positive, Christ-centered role models. This is why we need volunteers and role models of all sorts: men, women, young, old, athletes, musicians, artists, etc. If we look into the book of Exodus, we see an interesting account that pertains to recruiting volunteers. Moses just spent the whole day counseling the people who were coming to him, those who were inquiring about God, those who were fighting amongst each other and those who were in need of assistance. Moses father-in-law understood what was going on and responded: What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. Listen not to my voice; I will give you counsel and God be with
YAL
DIOCESE OF PITTSBURGH YAL 2000 OCT. 27-29 Theme: The Bridge to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) Date: October 27-29, 2000 Registration: $90 postmarked by Oct. 10; $105 postmarked after Oct. 10. For More Information: please contact the Diocese Youth Office at (412) 6218543 or e-mail at youth@odpgh.com Challenge is the Youth & Young Adult Ministries supplement to the Orthodox Observer. Articles reflect the opinion of the writers. Write to: Youth & Young Adult Ministries, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 8 East 79th Street, New York, N.Y. 10021 or email: youthoffice@goarch.org
you! Moreover choose able men from all the people, such as fear God. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves; so it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace. (Exodus 18:13-23) The problem that Moses faced is a problem we youth workers face often in our ministry. We get caught up in doing everything ourselves, on our own, and as Les Christie (an author and youth worker) states, We begin to lose our distinctiveness. The exercise of our gifts is diluted; our priorities are shifted; we lose direction. Just as Jesus, Moses, Paul and other great leaders invited additional volunteers to participate in their ministry, we, too, need to follow their example. The most important thing to remember is that the responsibility of guiding and ministering our young people is too important, too significant to delegate to one person working alone.
Who can volunteer?
Often times in our churches, we cannot find many interested adults who are willing to volunteer a set amount of time each week for youth ministry. What happens is that we end up finding people to help out who really have no strong calling and desire to work with young people. Or on the other hand, we find adults who are interested in working with young people because they are grown up kids themselves. Grown up kids describes the youth worker who wants to work with young people because it s fun. Indeed it is important to want to have fun with young people, but that can t be our sole directive. A youth minister once stated, the best volunteers are one third kid and two thirds adult. Many times problems will arise when the proportions are reversed. For more information, please contact the National Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at (212) 570-3560 or by e-mail at youthoffice@goarch.org.
What Do You Think ? D
To the Survivor TV show. The show continuously promoted the individualistic mentality of winning at any cost, rather than working as a team. To super star actor Harrison Ford. He rescued a sick woman with his Bell 407 helicopter on top of an 11,000-foot high mountaintop in Idaho. He volunteers his time for rescue missions to the community where he lives in Wyoming. To Penn State s 47-year veteran football coach Joe Paterno. After his star quarterback Raschard Casey was accused of a felony in a brutal assault, he refused to punish or suspend the player. To the newest teen pop music star Jessica Simpson. In her song Heart of Innocence , she writes: I believe in one true love. About her lyrics, she states, I do believe in abstinence and commitment. You can be confident and at ease with your sexuality and your womanliness without having sex. I am.
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by Vassi Haros
It s time for Halloween and the time to dress up in ghostly costumes that resemble the nearly dead or haunted. It s usually a scary night of gore and horror. As Orthodox Christians, we remember the dead on a daily basis. The difference is that we don t glamorize their level of fright or ugliness, but their virtue, courage and Christian example. In October we remember 10 saints who were given the title of Apostle. I checked the dictionary to see what the difference was between a disciple and apostle, having heard of twelve disciples and seventy apostles. I found that there really isn t a difference. Disciples and apostles are missionaries who knew Christ when He was on earth, and later went out to the people sharing His teachings and resurrection from a first hand experience. We call this the Good News. The following apostles are remembered in October: Sts. Thomas, James, Philip, Luke, Averkios, James the Brother of the Lord, Cleopas, Tertius, Mark, Justus, and Artemas. I want to share some of their stories with you. October 6, we remember St. Thomas, one of the twelve. He is better known as Doubting Thomas because he refused to believe in Christ s Resurrection until he touched the wounds caused by Christ s crucifixion. What you might not have known is
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that he was late for the Panagia s funeral because he was in India proclaiming the Good News. Our tradition teaches that when he got there, they opened the Virgin s tomb so he could pay his last respects and that was when they saw that she was no longer there. We believe that she was taken to heaven, not having to wait for her Son s second coming. October 18 we remember St. Luke, an apostle and evangelist. St. Luke was one of the Seventy Apostles and preached in Italy. He also wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. What you might not know is that he is known as the founder of Christian iconography. There is an icon he painted of the Virgin Mary in a monastery in Greece. Anyone who attended Ionian Village Summer Camp has seen and venerated it. October 23 we remember St. James, the Brother of Jesus. You may ask how Jesus had a brother if the Theotokos didn t have any other children. Joseph was a widow and had several children before his wife passed away. James was one of them. James was also one of the seventy apostles. He stayed in Jerusalem and was a bishop there for 30 years. What you might not know is that he composed the first Divine Liturgy. The Divine Liturgy we celebrate on Sundays was written by St. John Chrysostom and is a shorter version of St. James . So, as we remember the dead on the Halloween, don t forget that Orthodox Christians remember the dead every day. Our dead aren t gruesome, but living in Christ s resurrection. They are the saints of the Church.
What s Up
Youth and Young Adult Ministry Resources
OR D The Orthodox Daily Calendar & Resource G uide NO ER Use the Planner to keep track of your work or school schedules, personal W! ! appointments, church activities and more. THE PLANNER 2000-2001 :
Featuring:
An organized clear calendar week on a 2-page format Daily Bible readings and Saints celebrated Fast days indicated Monthly calendar for quick reference Weekly inspirational quotes Orthodox Resources listing
AV N O W AI LA BL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TEEN VIDEO SERIES E! VIDEO ONE: Substance Abuse: Our Kids are Not immune!
An Orthodox Video series for our young people. Featuring theological, scriptural, patristic references, and contemporary statistics and resources. Also features experts in the fields of drug enforcement and adolescent development. With a special section at the end of the video for parents and youth workers. Includes a resource book with retreats, articles on youth culture, references, and more.
Yes! Please send me ____ copies of the Planner @ $5.00 each, plus $2.00 s&h (for each planner). Yes! Please send me ____ copies of Substance Abuse: Our Kids Are Not Immune @ $35.00 each, plus $7.00 s&h (for each video). Name: _________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________ City:_________________________________ State:_________ Zip:_____________ Telephone: ________________________E-mail: ________________________________ Charge my: o Visa o MasterCard o Discover Card #_______________________________________________________Exp. Date______ Signature___________________________________________________________________ Or send check or M.O. (payable to Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries) to: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministries 8 E 79th Street N.Y., NY 10021 Tel.: (212) 774-0297 Fax: (212) 570-3587 E-mail: youthoffice@goarch.org