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[Fr Constantin Alecse]

Sunday of Orthodoxy Youth Rally--we need your youth group's questions in advance

Dear Reverend Fathers and Friends,

For the Sunday of Orthodoxy Youth Rally for grades 6 to 12 at St. Sophia Cathedral on March 16th, we are asking each parish Sunday School/youth group to come up with one or two questions in advance on the theme:

"Why Orthodoxy and Not Something Else: What Makes Orthodoxy Unique?" and to email them to me so that we can have them in advance of the event.

At the youth rally itself, we would ask for one of the young people from each parish to come to the microphone and ask the bishops the one or two questions that his or her youth group has come up with.

Because so many of our young people are sadly being led astray by the evangelical "mega-churches," we have chosen this theme for Bishop Benjamin's talk to the young people and for the ensuing question and answer session. Down below you will see two possible scenarios for the day itself.

Thank you for emailing me your youth group's question(s) in advance!

Respectfully yours,
Dean Langis

In the two suggested scenarios below the times of course are only approximations.

We respectfully ask our bishops to strongly encourage their respective parishes to participate in the Sunday of Orthodoxy service.

We also respectfully ask our bishops to encourage our parish priests to ask their 6th through 12th grade Sunday school classes to attend the Sunday of Orthodoxy service and the youth program together with their Church School teachers and youth group leaders.

SUGGESTED SCENARIO WITH SERMON AFTER THE PROCESSION OF THE ICONS

11:45 a.m. All children are dismissed after the Procession of the icons and before Metropolitan Gerasimos'sermon for the adults. (Pre-Schoolers to 5th graders will go to the Sunday School classes where they will get their Lenten snack. 6th to 12th graders will go to the hall for their Lenten finger food. No meat/dairy/eggs since it is the first Sunday of Lent.)

1:00 p.m. Mixers/Fun Youth Activities

1:30 p.m. Fr. John Bakas introduces Bishop Benjamin and the theme: "Why Orthodoxy and Not Something Else--What Makes Orthodoxy Unique?" (or as Fr. John prefers: "Why Orthodoxy and not Rick, Joel or Chuck?")

1:35 p.m. Bishop Benjamin speaks for 10 to 15 minutes on the theme of the day

1:50 p.m. One Youth Representative from each Parish will come forward to ask 1-2 questions on this theme. (These questions will have been selected by each parish youth group/Church School in advance.)

The four bishops will respond to these questions.

2:30 p.m. Close with prayer.

If Metropolitan Gerasimos feels the children should hear the sermon with their parents after the Gospel, we would shorten the lunch period and propose the following revised scenario:

REVISED SCENARIO IF THE SERMON TAKES PLACE AFTER THE GOSPEL

12:30 p.m. All children are dismissed at the end of Church with their parents. The 6th to 12th graders will go to the hall for their Lenten finger food. No meat/dairy/eggs since it is the first Sunday of Lent.

1:00 p.m. Mixers/Fun Youth Activities

1:30 p.m. Fr. John Bakas introduces Bishop Benjamin and the theme: "Why Orthodoxy and Not Something Else--What Makes Orthodoxy Unique?" (or as Fr. John prefers: "Why Orthodoxy and not Rick, Joel or Chuck?")

1:35 p.m. Bishop Benjamin speaks for 10 to 15 minutes on the theme of the day

1:50 p.m. One Youth Representative from each Parish will come forward to ask 1-2 questions on this theme. (These questions will have been selected by each parish youth group/Church School in advance.) The four bishops will respond to these questions.

2:30 p.m. Close with prayer.

Dean Langis dlangis@stpaulsirvine.org
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Fr Constantin Alecse
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