The Church thus is not a "self-centered" community but precisely a missionalry community, whose pupose is salvation not from, but of, the world. In the Orthodox experience and faith it is the Church-sacrament that makes possible the Church-mission.
- Fr. Alexander Schmemann, "The Missionary Imperative", Church World Mission, p. 214
This year (2015), the OCA establish its first every Mission School. "The Mission School is an initiative of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America based on a proposal of a task force on the use of a bequest. The Mission School seeks to train clergy and lay people on fundamentals of mission planting, operation and evangelism. It is not meant to be theoretical but rather practical training for those either in or going to a mission."
"The objective of the Mission School would be to have all priests who are assigned to a mission or in a mission, as well as interested clergy, seminarians and lay people, attend a standardized school that would specifically address the needs of the mission."
The purpose of this "site" is to provide mission resources for the parishes of the Diocese of New England. Use the following link to download the complete Mission School Prospectus. This prospectus includes the entire bibliography for the Mission School as well.
This is the complete slideshow presentation from the 52nd Diocesan Assembly; simply use your keyboard arrow keys to move through the slides.
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An Orthodox vision of the ministry of the laity. Historical perspective. One’s unique calling in God’s plan. Ministry in daily life. OVERVIEW The mission of the Parish Development Ministry is to help parishes to become healthy, hopeful, vibrant Orthodox communities that grow in their commitment to living a life in Christ, share the Gospel with all in their own locale and are prepared to do the work of Christ in the world. To fulfill this mission this ministry seeks to: Stimulate dialogue about life in good Orthodox Christian parishes in America Connect parishes to establish supportive relationships, share strengths, good ideas, practices and resources and offer mutual encouragement. Build assessment, planning and administrative tools to address common parish needs. |
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Liturgical Music and Texts - OCA More Liturgical Music - Archdiocese of Canada
Articles of Possible Interest The Essence of Orthodox Mission Orthodox Mission in the 21st Century Transforming the Heart of the World The Potential of Religious Education PEW study reveals critical decline in Orthodox religious membership The Mission of Orthodox by Fr Alexander Schmemann
Downloadable Resources "The Parish in North America" by Fr Thomas Hopko "Mission in an Orthodox Christian Context" by Valentin Kozhuharov "Mission Planter's Resource Book" "On Growth: Things learned from a mission parish" by Fr Evan Armatas "Outreach and Evangelism: Practical Steps"
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