New GOA Website

[TomS]

http://www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/departments/outreach/index.asp

DEPARTMENT OF OUTREACH & EVANGELISM LAUNCHES NEW WEB SITE

Garrison, NY - The Department of Outreach & Evangelism of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of America has launched a new web site and listserv in
order to provide information on Archdiocesan efforts in Outreach &
Evangelism with tools and resources for implementing outreach ministries in
the parish.  The web address is www.outreach.goarch.org and includes a
sign-up page for the Outreach & Evangelism listserv.

The web site provides print-ready brochures, sermons, youth lessons, and
other information for use in parish ministry and outreach.  The site also
serves as a clearinghouse of successful ministries that are being carried
out in Orthodox Christian parishes in America. The Ministry Profile section
of the site will feature these outstanding parish ministries with a
step-by-step plan of implementation with guidance based upon the experience
of the parishes.  According to Father Stanley S. Harakas, noted Orthodox
Christian author, scholar and parish priest, "All clergy and Orthodox
parishioners should appreciate the vigorous efforts of our Archdiocese's
Department of Outreach and Evangelism for the building up of our local
parish life, and the spiritual growth of Orthodox Christians everywhere.
This new website offers a wealth of useful resources for local parish
ministry, outreach and evangelism."

The Archdiocesan Department of Outreach & Evangelism was established by
Archbishop Demetrios of America in January 2003 "?to bring the Gospel of
our Lord to all those within the boundaries of our Archdiocese of America
who thirst to know The Way, The Truth and The Life." The mission of the
Department of Outreach & Evangelism is to revitalize the faith of active
Orthodox, reach out to inactive Orthodox Christians, meet the needs of
those inquiring about the Orthodox faith, offer tools for parish renewal,
and offer guidance in the establishment of new parishes.  As Archbishop
Demetrios has said, "It is the Parish, it is the local community which has
been, is, and will forever be the central, indispensable agent for offering
our Orthodox faith to contemporary America."


Contact:
Fr. James W. Kordaris, Director
Department of Outreach & Evangelism
Tel. 646/519-6160  Fax. 646/519-6166
Email: outreach@goarch.org
Web site: www.outreach.goarch.org

[Νεκτάριος]

+ö++++-ç+¦ -ä-ë +ÿ+¦-ë!  The internet is good tool, I'm glad to see the GOA is using it.

[JoeZollars]

yes props for GOA doing this.  Now if only they were Old Calander and Russian....

Joe Zollars

[Αριστοκλής]

yes props for GOA doing this.  Now if only they were Old Calander and Russian....

Joe Zollars

Naw... then who would teach you Rus' how to spell, JoeZ?  

Demetri

[Ben]

+ö++++-ç+¦ -ä-ë +ÿ+¦-ë!  The internet is good tool, I'm glad to see the GOA is using it.  

Yes the interenet is a great tool, and I am equally glad to see GOA using it. I must say that GOA has made good use of the internet, and for that I am personally thankful.

[JoeZollars]

Naw... then who would teach you Rus' how to spell, JoeZ?  

Demetri

OOOOOH bad joke.

Joe Zollars

[Αριστοκλής]

OOOOOH bad joke.

Joe Zollars

Da, da...
I know, I know....

IS Outrage!

[spiros]

Was it bad jokes about Russian diction in 5th Century Cyprus, I think not!

[JoeZollars]

Y'all is just upset cause them thar Russians perfected Greek.

Joe Zollars

[TomS]

Y'all is just upset cause them thar Russians perfected Greek.

Yeah. About as well as the SOUTH perfected the Kings English!  

[JoeZollars]

Why thank you Tom for recognizin' our culture's achievements.

Joe Zollars

[gregory2]

Outreach and evangelism is so important, but I'm so tired of Orthodox churches right down the street  from each other setting up parallel offices of evangelism, etc.  Why on earth does the GOA need its own office of evangelism, the OCA need its own, the AOA need its own, ROCOR need its own, etc etc.?  Great fodder for those who doubt the catholicity of the Orthodox faith!  It all boils down to what part of your church name you think is most important..... is the "Greek" in "Greek Orthodox" or the "Antiochian" in "Antiochian Orthodox" the most important, or is the "Orthodox" the most important?  Notably, the OCA is the only church that really has done away with an ethnic labeling in its official name, Glory be to God!  And, it has the best track record of full and total dedication to Christ's witness in America and Canada.  Some may say that they're simply "proud of their heritage," but isn't pride, even cultural pride, a sin?

[Arystarcus]

Outreach and evangelism is so important, but I'm so tired of Orthodox churches right down the street  from each other setting up parallel offices of evangelism, etc.  Why on earth does the GOA need its own office of evangelism, the OCA need its own, the AOA need its own, ROCOR need its own, etc etc.?  Great fodder for those who doubt the catholicity of the Orthodox faith!  It all boils down to what part of your church name you think is most important..... is the "Greek" in "Greek Orthodox" or the "Antiochian" in "Antiochian Orthodox" the most important, or is the "Orthodox" the most important?

Good point Gregory!

Notably, the OCA is the only church that really has done away with an ethnic labeling in its official name, Glory be to God!  And, it has the best track record of full and total dedication to Christ's witness in America and Canada.  Some may say that they're simply "proud of their heritage," but isn't pride, even cultural pride, a sin?

I agree with you on this as well.

In Christ,
Aaron

[Fr. David]

Why on earth does the GOA need its own office of evangelism, the OCA need its own, the AOA need its own, ROCOR need its own, etc etc.?

They "need" their own because of the jurisdictional mess we have here, with all the different offices having to take their marching orders from the five or so different bishops over one city.  It's a shame, really, though it's more out of necessity; not really something each office is trying purposefully to do.

Great fodder for those who doubt the catholicity of the Orthodox faith!

Eh...not so much.  If people would doubt the catholicity of the Church because some people can't get past their ethnic squabbles, then they're not very serious inquirers (sp?) in the first place.

It all boils down to what part of your church name you think is most important..... is the "Greek" in "Greek Orthodox" or the "Antiochian" in "Antiochian Orthodox" the most important, or is the "Orthodox" the most important?

This I agree with, though the true proof of the pudding is in the eating, not the label...if people want to remember where their forefathers -- physical or spiritual -- came from, that doesn't necessarily exclude a stronger emphasis on living the Orthodox Catholic faith.  It's like venerating the image of God within a human saint; we experience the transforming presence of God via the culture -- also transformed -- through which it came to us.

Notably, the OCA is the only church that really has done away with an ethnic labeling in its official name, Glory be to God!  And, it has the best track record of full and total dedication to Christ's witness in America and Canada.

Well, I commune at an OCA parish in Fort Worth, TX, which is growing, granted.  But I would say that the Antiochians are doing a lot in terms of outreach -- much more than I've seen in other jurisdictions, anyway.

Some may say that they're simply "proud of their heritage," but isn't pride, even cultural pride, a sin?

Only if it gets in the way of showing Christian charity to those who walk in the door.  Sometimes, sadly, it does, and you're left with some who wonder why you'd want to convert if you weren't Greek/Russian/Lebanese/Whatever in the first place...   :-

My experience in the Antiochian parish where I was chrismated was that of many warm, inviting Lebanese brothers and sisters who patiently and with understanding showed me how to worship according to their traditions, all the while knowing that it was the commonality in faith and worship that mattered, not whether or not I spoke Arabic or knew right off the bat what Tabouli was.  I was (and am) a Celtic-American who liked Gregorian chant and spoke fluent Spanish -- didn't really fit in amongst all those Arabs! -- yet they took me right in, and we worshipped as one.

[Fr. David]

BTW, Arystarcus -- Love the Lady of Walsingham avatar!

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