Saint Barbara Young Adult Ministries

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP (OCF):  This group provides a unique way for the parish of Saint Barbara Church, to minister to the needs of fellow Orthodox Christians studying at our local colleges and universities which include: Yale University, The University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University, Southern Connecticut State University and Albertus Magnus College.

REAL BREAK: Real Break is an opportunity for college students throughout the United States to participate in an Outreach/Missions trip during spring break.  Several trips are typically planned each year that provide students with the oportunity to truly 'make a difference' in just a short period of time.  More information conserning futher trips can be found at http://www.ocf.net

YAL:  The Young Adult League consists of adults, single or married, over the age of eighteen who gather to enjoy the fellowship of one another.  YAL is part of a network of other YAL groups in the tri-state region and throughout America.  Its focus is the core of what comprises the Christian life: Liturgia (our relationship with God through worship and Sacramental life); Martyria (living and witnessing of Christianity to others within the faith, to those who may have left the faith, and to those outside the faith); Diakonia (living in the image of God by loving and serving mankind); Koinonia (the way in which an Orthodox Christian brings their faith into their daily and social life).

SAINT BARBARA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM:  This scholarship program is one of the most diverse and generous Parish Scholarship programs in the Archdiocese.  In the past  nine years, the community of Saint Barbara awarded $313,375.00 in Scholarships, to students of its community who are seeking a higher education. This program currently offers twenty-three named scholarships to qualified applicants of the parish.  For more information on the Saint Barbara Scholarship Program visit our parish web site at:  http://www.saintbarbara.org/news/scholarships/index.cfm

BYZANTINE MUSIC CLASS: (via the Internet) The Archdiocesan Department of Religious Education together with the Department of Internet Ministries have provided Orthodox Christians throughout the world with a wonderful opportunity to study and learn Byzantine Chant.  Simply go to http://chant.hchc.edu  There you will find a multimedia presentation of many hymns of the Orthodox Church.  Each hymn is presented in Byzantine and Western notation, chanted in Greek and English, by both a male and female.  In addition to the hymns, the web site also presents information regarding the major feasts of our faith, including an explanation of the Icon, theology, history, rubrics, scripture and canons concerning these feasts.  The program also includes a section instructing visitors on how to read Byzantine notation.

SAINT BARBARA PARISH WEB SITE:  www.saintbarbara.org    The parish of Saint Barbara is a pioneer in digital ministry.  As an innovator in combining ancient faith and tradition with modern age technology, the Church of Saint Barbara has been able to share the richness of our Orthodox Christian faith with not only the members of our parish community, but also with countless thousands worldwide.  The parish web site, www.saintbarbara.org, was first established in 1996, and flourishes due to the dedicated work of the Internet Committee.  Through the site’s rich offerings of news, devotional material, iconography, and multimedia, such as the live broadcast of liturgical services, it serves as a portal to visitors regarding the Orthodox faith.  As a complement to the parish’s online ministry, Father Peter has assisted other communities in starting their own web sites and has led informative seminars on digital ministry at several Clergy-Laity Congresses.  Our web site averages over 8,500 unique visitors a month; and each week, more than 450 hundred families from throughout the world join us in worship on-line.

LIVE INTERNET SERVICES:  Since 2001, individuals with access to the Internet have been able to receive live audio and video broadcasts of the Divine Liturgy and other liturgical services from Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Orange, Connecticut. These live broadcasts are an attempt to minister to those who, for good reason, are unable to attend Church services, on a regular basis.

This ministry offers them the opportunity to experience the prayer cycle of the Orthodox Church and prayerfully attending the services.  As a reminder, attending the services via cyberspace should be seen as a vehicle is to enhance the participation of the faithful in their local community.  You can access the broadcast link by visiting our web site: www.saintbarbara.org

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN NETWORK:  OCN is a  national, media witness for the Orthodox Christian Church in North America. OCN produces high-quality programs on the world wide web that are available  24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Current programs offered by OCN include:
The Ark: A 24/7 Internet radio station with contemporary Orthodox music and teaching programs with some of the best Orthodox speakers in North America.
The Rudder: A 24/7 Internet radio station with traditional Orthodox chant from around the world and the same teaching programs and special features as the Ark.
For more information see their web site: http://myocn.net

ANCIENT FAITH RADIO: Ancient  Faith Radio seeks to deepen and enrich the faith of Orthodox Christians around the world by streaming audio programming and on-demand podcasts. They feature liturgical music from a variety of Orthodox traditions, as well as prayers, readings, lectures, and interviews.  Ancient Faith Radio is a division of Conciliar Media Ministries, which operates under the auspices of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. However, it is a pan-Orthodox ministry and thus serves and supports all jurisdictions.
For more information visit their web site at: http://ancientfaith.com

SUMMER INSTITUTE:  The Department of Religious Education and the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians host a bi-annual retreat on the ground of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.  The summer institute provides a retreat from the demands of daily life and allows participants to spend time sharing fresh ideas and the latest insights for handing forward the Orthodox Faith and Tradition to young people. The Summer Institute, provides learning opportunities on two tracks. One is designed for Sunday church school teachers and supervisors, youth ministers, and anyone interested in teaching the faith. The second track is designed for Church musicians, choir directors and singers, youth choir leaders, or anyone interested in creating opportunities for young people to learn the musical heritage of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Topics of this past summers gathering included: “Living on the Logosphere,” “Understanding Byzantine Liturgy,” “Teenagers and the Internet: What Teachers and Parents Should Know,” and “Building Faith + Summer Fun = Vacation Church School,” “’Ortho-Crafts,” Desert Wisdom for City Dwellers,”  “Storytelling Through Art,” and  “St. Maximos the Confessor and the Role of the Teacher,” and “Organizing for Youth Involvement in Church Music.”

Outreach Opportunities

MISSIONS CENTER:  The Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) is the official international missions agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in America (SCOBA). Its goal is to help fulfill the Great Commission of Christ (Matthew 28:16). OCMC strives to establish vibrant Eucharistic communities throughout the world, develop and support indigenous church leaders, and strengthen the infrastructure of their churches.
OCMC has been sanctioned by SCOBA to help the faithful of North America  proclaim the fullness of the Orthodox Christian Faith with the world. Each year hundreds of Orthodox Christians answer the call to make disciples of all nations through one of OCMC’s many initiatives which include: Missionary Service, Orthodox Mission Teams, Support a Mission Priest (SAMP) Program, the Agape Canister Program and the OCMC Ambassador Program.  For a full listing of the planned trips for this year please visit their web site at http://www.ocmc.org

IOCC: The International Orthodox Christian Charities offers emergency relief and development programs to those in need worldwide, without discrimination, and strengthens the capacity of the Orthodox Church to respond.  IOCC offers many programs and strives to develop in all Orthodox Christians a commitment to philanthropy and global cooperative involvement in the work of the Orthodox Church.  For more information visit their web site: http://www.iocc.org

PROJECT MEXICO: Since 1988, Project Mexico has been involving young people in the alleviation of suffering by building homes for Mexico’s poor. Hundreds of homes have been built for needy families with the help of nearly 10,000 volunteers. In 1996 their outreach program expanded through the opening of St. Innocent Orthodox Orphanage in Tijuana which provides a home for teenage boys who live on the streets or who have been put out of other orphanages.  For more information or to volunteer or create a mission team to participate in Project Mexico speak with Father Peter or visit their web site: http://projectmexico.org