Expanded Content from the September 2005 Issue of the Word Magazine:
SHARING THE FAITH
NEWS FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION & TITHING
From the Directors’ Desk
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have worked together, learned together and together, have made a large difference for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese. To whom am I referring? To the staff of the Department of Christian Education.
With this issue, we are introducing staff members and will feature their thoughts in their essays. Each newsletter will spotlight another two members. All of us are grateful for the support of Metropolitan PHILIP and our hierarchs, and for the wonderful clergy and church school staff whom we serve. I am pleased to announce that the Department has provided our coordinators with their own database which will make it easier to see and meet the needs of our parishes.
Events. We are looking forward to two Orthodox Institutes, an abridged version, Orthodox Institute MidAmerica, in Oklahoma City, (as part of the Fall Gathering), October 21-22; and of course, the 2005 Orthodox Institute at Antiochian Village. Teacher Certification trainings have also been scheduled. Please see the inside pages for further details.
“To Tithe is To Love,” is coming again, with planned implementation beginning in Advent. This year we are asking that the first of the four sessions be in Advent, with the remaining three every four to six weeks thereafter.
Also, we have a section for Feastdays on the website. To date, we have standup centerpieces that show and explain the icon, and provide the troparion of the great feasts. Finally, a reminder that the weekly gospel is available in five graded-levels, with discussion questions, on our website. Look for “Antiochian Gospel Program,” on the left sidebar.
May God bless you and those whom you teach!
Carole A. Buleza
Department of Christian Education
Regional Coordinators
Please contact the Regional Representatives for updates on trainings and other events in your region
Eastern: V. Rev. George Alberts (203)798-1771
Midwest: Robert Snyder (330)493-4029
Western: Joseph Tershay (831)335-8350
and for Northwest, Linda Funk (306)934-1695
Can-Am: Jacquelyn Fadel (716)282-8243
Southwest: Vasiliki Oldziey (512)459-6264
New England: Anna Hughes (978)686-3274
Southeast: Betty Randolph (864)639-2204
The Department of Christian Education newsletter is published in the months of September, December, February, and April.
The office is staffed from 9:00-3:00 Monday through Wednesday. Phone (717) 747-5221.
FAX (717) 747-5832. E-mail: DCE@antiochian.org
Web page: www.antiochian.org/christianeducation
The Department gratefully acknowledges the on-going support of the Order of St. Ignatius which helps fund, in part, the programs we offer.
Don’t miss these opportunities!
The 2005
Orthodox Institute
Antiochian Village
Keynote Speaker:
His Grace, Bishop THOMAS
November 3-6
Offering Initial and Advanced
Teacher Certification
and this year featuring courses
related to the Divine Liturgy
Introducing Children to the Divine Liturgy, Overview of the Divine Liturgy,
Church Architecture,
The Bible in the Liturgy,
and Introducing Liturgical Music
in the Church School.
Visit the website for
further information, or contact DCE@antiochian.org
2005
Orthodox Institute*
MidAmerica
Keynote Speaker:
His Grace, Bishop BASIL
October 21-22
St. Elijah Church
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Offering Initial Teacher Certification
Advanced Teacher Certification
and other courses
For further information contact: Vasiliki Oldziey
vas@austin.rr.com
*Abridged version--six to nine courses
Teacher Certification
The Teacher Certification Program, a joint effort by this office and the O.C.E.C., has been very, very well received. We have been asked to offer advanced certificates as well. Those who have their initial certification may now take three additional courses for an Advanced Certificate. A fee of $20 will cover notebook of materials and lunch. The designation of B indicates basic courses offered, A indicates advanced courses offered. Pre-registration REQUIRED. Training events scheduled thus far:
Aug 6 (B & A)
St. Mary Church,
Livonia, MI
(As part of the Orthodox Institute Midwest)
Aug 19/20 (B)
Franklin, TN
Sept 9/10 (B)
St. Theodosius Cathedral
Cleveland, OH
Contact: Paul Pancrace/Pat (216-741-1310)
September 23/24 (B)
St. Joseph Orthodox Church Wheaton, IL 60187
(630) 668-3071
Sept 30/Oct 1 (B & A)
St. Nicholas OCA
Bethlehem, PA 18017-3120
(610) 867-0402
Contact: Matthew Hatrak (610-770-6509) mhatrak@pdq.net
Oct 22 (B & A)
St. Elijah Church B & A
Oklahoma City, OK
(405)755-7804
As part of the Orthodox Institute MidAmerica
Contact: Billie Oldziey (512)459-6264 vas@austin.rr.com
Oct 28/29 (B & A)
Holy Resurrection Church
Wayne, NJ 07470-3976
(973) 696-6572
Contact: Stephanie Burk
(973-402-2343) fredericburk@msn.com
Nov 4/5 (B & A)
Antiochian Village
Bolivar, PA 15923
(724)238-3677
As part of the Orthodox Institute. Contact DCE Office: Rosemary Shumski - dce@antiochian.org, or (717)747-5221
Resource Review
By Rosemary Shumski
Oriental Trading Company
Those of us who teach Sunday school to young students often face the dilemma, “What craft can the children do this week??!” A coloring page, of course, can be used as a last resort, but if you’re like me, you prefer using a variety of arts and crafts that are easy, fun, and inexpensive.
With a little planning, Oriental Trading Company can come to the rescue. While its catalogs are a well-known source for novelty items used at parties and school fairs, Oriental Trading Company also publishes specialty catalogs filled with Christian-related crafts, along with small toys, stickers, rewards and incentives with a Christian theme.
Most craft kits can be purchased by the dozen, making the cost of each craft in some cases as little as 33 cents each. Some examples in this price range include foam craft kits depicting Biblical themes such as “Jonah and the whale,” and “Daniel and the lion’s den.” There are also many other inexpensive crafts from which to choose: picture frames, magnets, pins, suncatchers, and unfinished wooden crosses, just to name a few. If your church sponsors a Vacation Bible School, you will also find things like water bottles, visors, medallions, and ribbons designed specifically for this purpose.
Other items can be used as resources for the church school from year to year. I purchased a felt board with figures of Christ, the myrrh bearers, and angels depicting the empty tomb to reinforce a lesson on Pascha. Cloth hand puppets in a variety of styles are sold by the dozen and would be a useful addition to Bible story time.
Oriental Trading Company can be contacted at 1-800-228-0475 for customer service and 1-800-228-2269 to place an order. Visit their website at www.orientaltrading.com
Introducing our newest staff member,
Kh. Linda Funk
Coordinator for the Diocese of Eagle River and the Northwest
Linda Funk recently joined the Christian Education Department as Coordinator for the new diocese of Eagle River and the Northwest, with the blessings of His Grace, Bishop Joseph. Kh. Linda is a teacher of piano. Her husband, Fr. Bernard, is the priest at St. Vincent of Lerins Orthodox Church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. They have 4 adult children. Linda is also an OCEC trainer, and assisted Myra Kovalak, Director of the OCEC Department of Teacher Training, in revising the course outlines for the workshop, “Educating Ourselves and Our Children in Godliness.”
Linda has coordinated trainings in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Alberta, and most recently, in Eagle River, Alaska.She looks forward to serving the new diocese, and is willing and able to conduct workshops upon request.
Introducing . . .
Joseph Tershay, Western Region Coordinator
Joseph Tershay, a member of St. Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church, Santa Cruz, CA, has been the Western Region Religious Coordinator for over ten years. He is the author of The Wonder of It All, the pre-school manual published by OCEC in 1982, as well as many articles on cooperative learning for The Word and other archdiocesan newsletters.
Joe has brought nearly thirty years of teaching experience to bear on the field of Christian Education. After graduating from San Francisco State University with a BA in History, an MA in Education and a High School teaching credential, Joseph first taught history in a local high school before shifting his focus from the content to the process of learning; he qualified in the Montessori method and obtained credentials in Early Childhood, Special Education, and as a Resource Specialist with the Alum Rock School District, San Jose, CA, for the past sixteen years. He has also worked for many years as a Church School Superintendent and is co-author of the Church School Directors Manual.
