A HOLY PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE - FROM LESSONS TO ACTIONS

1. A HOLY PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE - FROM LESSONS TO ACTIONS

2. 1. Individual Actions… • Eucharistic participation – linkage to confession – barriers to youth (and all) • Challenge to individuals to become better witnesses for Orthodoxy • Importance of engaging youth as individuals – ‘hands on’ - Orthopraxis

3. 2. Family Actions… • Facilitating Holy Life by families through our communities/parishes • Engaging ‘gen-X’ • ……

4. 3. Parish Actions… • How to improve learning process – e.g. problem based learning to engage young people • Use of ‘communities of practice’ – engaging groups with a passion for an issue …… • Becoming Faith literate • Using Websites effectively (e.g. Liturgies on Web – Ukraine) • Absence of ‘Gen-Xers’ – a critical component • Importance of Parish executives and their capacity to implement necessary actions

5. Parish Actions (continued)… • Having a ‘family’ night – consolidating activities in recognition of modern day schedules • User friendliness in Parish activities – support for children e.g. day care • Need to be able to access earlier demographic studies, source materials for teaching… • Encourage marriage retreats ( e.g. resources – Fr. Tom and Pam Tsakalakias ….) • Marriage counseling in an expanded sense… • Sunday schools versus Church school – changing the culture - e.g. Lethbridge parish • Ensure that we engage appropriate mix of facilitators for retreats – should not always download exclusively onto the Parish priest

6. 4. Ukrainian Self Reliance (TYC) Actions… • Sharing the notes and summary information • Email circulation of PPTs • TYC to report to joint USRL-UOCC working committee and recommendations on follow up • Outcomes – e.g. booklet on topic of symposium • Sharing success stories - possibly a symposium dedicated to such a topic e.g. Antiochians in S’toon • Present results of Symposia to National CYC Convention in Regina • Funding resources – use of CYC, UOCC Foundations and charitable organizations to facilitate implementation of actions

7. 5. Eparchial and NationalActions… • process to deal with allegations of sexual abuse – protocols for local parishes – need to recognize tension between legal opinion and the Christian approach • ….”there are no atheists after death” (response to bus ads) • Neglect of youth -need for investment in youth and education processes • Affirm topic of Family Life, Gender and Sexuality as a critical theme • Using Websites effectively (e.g. Liturgies on Web – Ukraine) • Sharing success stories – possibly a symposium dedicated to such a topic

8. Eparchial and NationalActions (continued)… • process to deal with allegations of sexual abuse – protocols for local parishes – • Eucharistic participation – linkage to confession – barriers to youth (and all) • Module in Sunday School materials – specifically dealing with topic of family life, gender and sexuality • Putting up materials from Symposium on Web and pod-casting • Present results of Symposia to Eparchial conferences

9. Eparchial and NationalActions (continued)… • Converting ideas into actions – execution – facilitating capacity of Parish leadership • Need for coordination efforts of Orthodox e.g. SCOBA in USA – strength in working with sister jurisdictions • Enter into public sector on many of these issues – mobilize youth in taking a position • Parish-National : declining membership and use of symposia for addressing declines • Culture of giving – donating to Church and to missionary activity • Learning from other denominations – participation • Importance of visitations – involvement • Sharing our successes – Bishops speaking out – going beyond the converted – responsibility to respond to issues - a form of witness