OFAM

Fr. Jakiw Norton, Director

The Office will concentrate on building up the “home” or “family” church and adult education, which will lead to solid parish development.

Click here to view issue#1 of the Little Kingdom of God, a joint publication of the Office of Family and Adult Ministry and the ORE focused on the building up of the Church in the home. 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you were at one time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ…for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in which you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2.10-22

The mission of the Office of Family & Adult Ministry is to encourage and assist each parish in the continuous development and revitalization of the Church as a greater family in Christ, and of each household within the parish as the little church, and in this way each Orthodox Christian household may be equipped as firm representatives of their Church and families. The Church (“Big C” from the creed) consists of the Faithful who share in the Faith and Communion of Christ. We are still the Church whether we are at the parish’s church-building, at home, at work, traveling, or wherever else we may be. Thus the revitalization of parish life is for those to start being the Church no matter where they are, beginning at the Church in the home, which is also known as the “little Church”—the Orthodox Christian Family. Little by little this office will be presenting the parishes the means by which to revitalize, with the eventual aim of revitalizing the whole diocese to ever increasing spiritual health and “for the good estate of the Holy Churches of God” which together in one common cup and common faith form One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW:

A detailed ministry plan to organize parish life and enable your parish to grow. Most parishes have ministries that they don’t even know exist, but they exist. Some have “dead” ministries that they don’t know how to revive. The problem is organization and a “game plan.” This development plan will enable your parish to start getting organized so that there is less “burn out” and so that there are more people participating. Most are not aware that there is a small group of people doing things often because the small group is proud that they are doing all the work. They aren’t necessarily welcoming to others in the parish who “all of a sudden want to help” even though “they didn’t do anything for years” and thus have them “labeled.” This plan will help break down those walls, get others involved and get still others motivated. It will also help revive those ministries (Sunday School, etc.) which have fallen away. Getting people motivated is not as hard as you might think. It just takes learning the technique and sticking to it!

1. A System to revitalize your parish as a learning and participation center. This is the only way it can grow. Currently the Metropolia through this office is working on parish enrichment days. It is doing this by developing/assisting with the development of a pertinent program which is based upon the Generations of Faith model. Fr. Dn. Ihor, Fr. Daniel and Fr. Harry from our Metropolia are currently working on this development.
2. To develop a prayer book and a plan for family prayer throughout the week enabling the family to function as members of the Body of Christ in all places and to prepare the family for Liturgy and Communion each week. This will be practical and rotational for each day of the week, which are dedicated to different themes (for instance, Sunday is Resurrection, Monday is Bodiless powers, Tuesday is St. John the Baptist and Forerunner, etc.). Again, Fr. Harry has already done some work on it.
3. To make available guidelines for healthy family living in accordance with the Tradition of the Church. Many have problems with the disciplining of children. The advent of televisions “Supernanny” certainly is a help to some degree at getting back to traditional family discipline, but is not necessarily enough. Rather, practical tips will be developed. Again, this will provide you with things that you may decide are not right for your family. However, the church provides them so that the family can “stand on its own to feet” in the Lord and live a healthy life.
4. Guidelines for adults for what it takes to revitalize parish life. There are no shortcuts. If you take even a slight shortcut you may not succeed. Follow these techniques exactly, and you will prosper.
5. Develop a system of acknowledgement of problematic developments in parish growth and family development (the calendar, secularism, etc.).
6. For Priests: a. “how to” guide on doing a “family sermon.” Many call it a children’s sermon but actually you are reaching out to you families. Most of the adults listen to these sermons even more than you average sermons.
7. A Q&A section on the website (“ask Father” type of forum) that enables parishioners and priests to contact Fr. Harry and ask him questions about the above programs that arise or other items for which they need advice as to how to implement. For many, sometimes the problem is not the overall vision but the particulars with which to implement it. Fr. Harry will be able to do this.

Again, time lines for completion are obscure since most of this work is being done by volunteers (including Father), so it may take a while to develop, but Father and all others who help are already working on all of the things listed above as you read! If you feel you have anything to contribute, please email Father Harry with your idea.

Father, How do I start living a Christian life?
Answer: Start forming good habits in the home and in your life.

We are creatures of habit. Some habits we pay attention to, others we don’t. We are called to purify the pathos, or passive movements of the soul, by forming pure habits that we are attentive to and in which we submit to the will of God in our lives. In this you will learn to live in his joy and to move away from self-centeredness toward true happiness—that promised in the Beatitudes of Christ.

1. Sticky notes to remind us on alarm clock to pray in the morning and before bed. Include a brief prayer to ask your saint to pray for you. Have them in your wallet or purse to remind you to pray before other meals during the day.
2. Icon corner or Beautiful corner or icon wall. Have a place in the home (a corner, or in some traditions in the middle of the east wall) in which you pray as a family. You may also have it near the dinner table if the case be that you say evening prayers also at the time of dinner.
3. Always eat meals together (particularly supper) and have a prayer before and after meals sitting on the table.
4. Have someone read pre-communion prayers in the car on the way to church and listen and pray along in your heart. If you drive alone record these on a tape or CD and play them in the tape or CD player in your car.
5. Have a standing cross or icon of the Lord on your dinner table
6. Celebrate name days of each family member by having a special meal and singing the Troparion (hymn) of the saint. If you do not have
7. Select a saint to be the patron of your family/household and put their icon in a prominent place and say a short prayer St.___pray for us at evening prayer and by also having a special meal and activities on the Saints day.
8. What kind of special activities? Family games, activities, and other things that draw you together in joy.
9. On name days and birthdays by getting out the icon of the saint.
10. Have a tradition where each person on their birthdays and name days gives something to someone else who is less fortunate.
11. On the day of the patron saint of the church, and other days, find something like a soup kitchen, or even ask the church if on that day you can organize and do something for the community in the name of the church.
12. When going to church let smaller children have a job, such as dropping money in the basket, picking out candles and distributing to the rest on the way into church, etc.
13. All that you do do in the name of the church.
14. On soul Saturdays and special holidays have a list of family members, living and deceased to pray for.
15. Every day at dinner time go around the table and everyone state what they are grateful to God for about that day. In this way we make everyday and especially the main meal of the day a continuation of the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) that we participated in on Sunday.
16. Post this list in a prominent place such as the refrigerator or table to remind you to do these things.
17. Remember that the Holy Table has a prominent place in the Church because of Eucharist. Likewise, remember that the table in the home likewise is a central place for family (church in the home) activities.
18. Have Supper before Compline on great feasts such as Nativity. Try to organize one in your parish in the hall if possible for the entire parish.
19. Try to develop a realistic system of fasting that you can follow. This should be done in conjunction with your spiritual father.
20. Remember that the Pascha baskets and meals exist because you are eating once again those things which you did not partake of for 40 days.
21. During Great Lent, cheese is the primary thing to be fasted from in the dairy field. All others are by extension. It is good for your spiritual and physical health to fast.
22. Exercise as a family. Play basketball, play tag before bedtime.
23. Develop your lifestyle and spending habits and priorities of spending around these things. If you cannot spend time with the kids doing the above because you have to work an extra few hours to pay for HBO and Showtime, then you need to drop showtime and put your priorities in order.
24. Did you know that your house when it is first blessed is blessed with oil in the form of a cross on each wall (similar to a church when it is consecrated)? When you walk through your door, do you say a prayer and make the sign of the cross like you should (it is appropriate as much of the little as for the great parish church)?

These are just some suggestions.