Saint Barbara Youth Ministries

PATCHES:  Parenting And Teaching Children Hope Empathy and Spirituality. This wonderful group provides an opportunity for parents to gather together with their pre-school age children and infants in a safe and friendly environment while enjoying the surroundings of shared Orthodox values in the context of the group.

JOY:  Junior Orthodox Youth program is open to all children between the ages of 5-12 and meets monthly throughout the year,   Some of the activities include:  ice skating, roller skating, hayride, JOY Night at the Movies, duck pin bowling and much more.

GOYA:  The Greek Orthodox Youth of America organization is open to all children between the ages of 12-18 (seniors in high school) and meets each month to plan events for the upcoming month.  GOYA members participate in many diverse activities at Saint Barbara and with other local parishes, some of which include dances, retreats and outreach activities.  GOYA sponsors a Bowling Tournament and a Day at Holiday Hill for the surrounding Orthodox communities and participates in a parish run Fall and Winter Retreat.  
Our GOYAns also participate in a District wide Christmas and Lenten Retreat. The church also provides special lectures and gatherings to educate GOYAns on specific topics of interest as growing faithful Orthodox youth.  This year we will be making an effort to participate in the GOYA Olympic Games that take place on Long Island over the Memorial Day Weekend that include: Track & Field Events, Swimming, Soccer and more.

ATHLETIC TEAMS:  The athletic director and volunteer coaching staff, lead our basketball and volleyball teams for both younger and older boys and girls.  The basketball teams practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and participate in a local league with other area Orthodox Churches encouraging fun, fellowship and spirited good sportsmanship.  The basketball league has four divisions, all of which are open to both male and female participants.  Midgets - Ages 7-10; Juniors  Ages 11-13; Intermediates - Ages 14-18; Seniors - Ages 19 and up.  We also have two volleyball teams, open to girls ages 12-18, which practice on Monday evening.

SAINT BARBARA SUMMER CAMP:  The Community of Saint Barbara holds a Summer Day Camp Program each year at the end of June.  The program, which is directed by Presbytera Vangie and Father Peter, provides a wonderful opportunity for the youth of the parish to learn about their faith in a fun-filled environment.  In the summer of 2009, the Camp Program celebrated its 13th Anniversary with a tremendously rewarding week of camp!  There were over one hundred campers and forty-five counselors participating in the Summer Camp, also over sixty young adults, parents and grandparents volunteered their time and talents as members of the Camp Staff.

ALTAR BOYS:  All young men are encouraged to serve our Lord as Altar Boys during Liturgical Services.  This experience provides unique opportunities to learn more about the faith and traditions in the Orthodox Church.  Altar Boys are held to the discipline and standards of the honor of serving in the Altar.  We will offer three ‘Altar Boy Training Seminars’ during the fall after Church Services for all of the young men who are interested or who currently serve in the Altar.  Please see the Youth Ministry Calendar for the specific dates.

ODYSSEY DANCERS: This group provides an opportunity for the youth of our parish to learn traditional Greek dances and perform at Odyssey (Annual Festival) and other functions throughout the year.  Currently there are over seventy children involved in the dance program.  The dancers are divided into three groups: Senior - students entering grades 9-12; Intermediate - students entering grades 6-8; Junior - students entering grades 2-5.

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL:  Participating in the National Oratorical Festival, students are provided with an opportunity to communicate to others, about their faith, their heritage, and their church, as well as challenging their writing and public speaking skills.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CHOIR:  The Saint Barbara Sunday School Choir encourages children to chant hymns and become active participants during the Divine Liturgy and other church services. The Children’s Choir chants responses and hymns of the Divine Liturgy on Youth Sunday and on the Saturday of Lazarus. The choir also leads the faithful in the singing of the carols during the Annual Christmas Pageant, providing inspiration for all who attend.

GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL:  A revitalized afternoon Greek Language School meets weekly, and seeks to instill, in our youth, a love and knowledge of the Greek language and Hellenistic ideals. For more information on our afternoon Greek Language School see the special section in the Ministry Resource Guide located under Parish Publications on our home page. [Photo Gallery]

CAMP SAINT PAUL:  Camp Saint Paul, is the summer over-night youth camp of the Direct Archdiocesan District.  All JOY children (grades 3-6) and GOYAns (grades 7-12) are welcome to participate. Camp Saint Paul is a Christ centered environment where our youth can grow in their Christian faith, and make life long friendships.  Located on Lake Bantam in the Berkshire Hills of Litchfield Connecticut, the children of our district  pray together each day, sing around the campfire, and play on the athletic field.  They discuss scripture, theology and major social issues in their daily sessions, and express their creativity in arts and crafts.  Campers also swim, canoe and waterslide on Lake Bantam, enjoying the blessing and silence of natural surroundings.

IONIAN VILLAGE:  Ionian Village is a unique summer camping program located in Greece and operated by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Located in Greece, Ionian Village offers its participants a unique experience that is unavailable elsewhere. At the end of the program, staff and campers return to their homes with strengthened faith and with a greater appreciation for the Church and for Greek culture and heritage. Teens and young adults have the time of their lives while at Ionian Village. Staff and campers from across the United States form bonds and friendships at Ionian Village that last a lifetime. Since 1970, over 15,000 teens and young adults have experienced a 35 year old tradition committed to building, “Faith and friendships that last a lifetime.”
Ionian Village is a newly renovated resort facility located on several hundred acres on the northwest coast of the Peloponnese, approximately 45 miles west of the city of Patras. Overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Ionian Sea, the campground is nestled between a private beach and pine forests, and is designed to look and feel like a traditional Greek village. Ionian Village participants become part of a village community as they dwell in white-washed cabins, worship in a Byzantine chapel, swim in an Olympic size swimming pool, play sports on athletic fields and courts, dine in a renovated    cafeteria, and perform in an outdoor amphitheater.
Teens and young adults that participate in Ionian Village travel across Greece, venerate the relics of saints, walk in the footsteps of the Apostles, and visit significant sites of Greek history and culture.

CROSSROAD:  CrossRoad is an engaging 10-day summer institute for Orthodox Christian high school juniors and seniors of all jurisdictions that takes place every summer on the campus of Hellenic College/Holy Cross in Brookline, Massachusetts. 
Students from the United States and Canada are invited to take part in an exciting summer vocations exploration program designed to help them discern their life callings and match their God-given gifts with the needs of the world.  Now in its sixth year, CrossRoad combines the greatest gifts of Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology through faculty instruction and participation, an enthusiastic staff of graduate students, the beautiful campus overlooking Boston and of course the exciting city of Boston itself. Students participate in daily classes with Orthodox faculty and attend Vespers each evening at parishes in the Boston area.

PTO:  The Parent Teacher Organization of Saint Barbara Church is a group of dedicated parents and teachers who are committed to providing for the continual fellowship and spiritual needs of all children of the parish. The PTO sponsors: JOY events, Sunday School and Greek Language School celebrations, Saint Barbara Basketball and Volleyball Team and God-Parent Sunday festivities.  They meet on the first Monday of every month at 6:30 pm.