Past Conferences

Shine Forth: A Summary of the 2013 Orthodox Christian Camp & Youth Worker Conference

By Steven Christoforou
 
The 11th Annual Orthodox Christian Camp & Youth Worker Conference took place at the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas January 24-26.  Over 100 youth workers from around the United States and Bahamas assembled for this three-day conference hosted by the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  This year’s theme was “Shine Forth:  Helping our Orthodox Youth Follow and Represent Christ.”
 
Father Apostolos Hill, of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Prescott, AZ, offered the keynote address.  He distilled his years of pastoral experience into a talk that urged his listeners to maintain a focus on the transformative power of Christ.  He stressed an “openness to the truly broken” as essential to any true Christian ministry, however, he was careful to note that a youth worker cannot open a young person’s eyes to the Gospel without attempting to live it oneself.  He stated that “you cannot push a rope;” just as a rope is used to pull a person towards oneself, a youth worker needs to be grounded in Christ so he can pull a young person towards Him.  He also cautioned that a parish’s budget, both of time and money, says a lot about its priorities, and that these are messages our youth absorb.  Finally, he insisted that a call to service is a necessary part of youth ministry: no matter how effectively we educate young people, if we do not engage them then they will disconnect from Christ and His Church. 
 
Friday featured workshops led by youth workers from various jurisdictions.   Subjects included keeping our college aged young adults connected to Christ and His Church to protecting our youth. 
 
Fr. Jason Roll, Director of the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, left the conference enthused.  “It’s great to see old and new faces developing their talents together and sharing best practices with one another.  We put our heads together and came up with some great ideas while cementing crucial ties with our fellow youth workers.”
 
The Ukrainian and Carpatho-Russian Churches will host the next conference, slated for January of 2014.  The conference provides an arena for Orthodox youth workers from different jurisdictions to share and provide resources. All Orthodox parish and diocese youth workers, camp directors and staff, and OCF chaplains are invited to attend.
 
Steven Christoforou is the new Youth Protection / Parish Ministries Coordinator of the National Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.  Originally from Astoria, NY, he is in his fourth and final year of the Masters of Divinity Program at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston, MA.  A graduate of Yale University and Fordham University School of Law, Steve worked as a corporate attorney on Wall Street for two years before enrolling at Seminary.  This year, he has been serving as Lay Coordinator for the Harvard and MIT chapters of Orthodox Christian Fellowship.  He has extensive parish experience, as a former Parish Council member, Sunday School teacher, and youth volunteer.  He also has extensive experience in youth and camping ministries, having led retreats around the country as a member of the Seminary's Ambassadors Program, and having served at the Direct Archdiocesan District's Camp Saint Paul, both as a Counselor and Boys Director.

2012 Conference Recap

The 10th annual Orthodox Christian Camp, Youth Worker, and OCF Chaplain Conference was held January 25-28, 2012 in Ligonier, PA, at the Antiochian Village, hosted by the Antiochian Village. This year's theme was "Presenting the Message of the Gospel to Today's Youth." This conference has had a long history in several different forms.  The purpose as it exists today is to bring all Orthodox Christians doing youth ministry at any level and in any form together for several days to further our education, foster brotherhood and provide fellowship.  There were several keynote addresses from Fr Bogdan Bucur, Assistant Professor at Duquesne University, a series of workshops that are carved into three tracks (Youth Workers, Camp Staff & OCF Chaplains), daily services and fellowship.

Resources from the 2012 Conference:

2011 Conference Recap

The 9th annual Orthodox Christian Camp and Youth Worker Conference was held January 27-29, 2011 in Dallas, TX, hosted by the Orthodox Church in America at St. Seraphim Cathedral. The keynote speaker was Fr. Meletios Weber of St. John Monastery (Manton, CA), and the theme was "Equipping the Saints."

2010 Conference Recap

The 8th annual Orthodox Christian Camp and Youth Worker Conference was held January 28-30, 2010 in Silver Springs, MD, and hosted by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA. The theme was "Communicating the Gospel in the 21st Century." The conference was graciously hosted by St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral at 15001 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Springs, MD 20905.

2009 Conference Recap

The 7th annual Orthodox Christian Camp & Youth Worker Conference was hosted by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and was held at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (home of OCN - Orthodox Christian Network) from January 22-24, 2009.  The theme was "Protecting our Youth" led by our keynote speaker, Dr. Jane Hickerson, Vice-President of Training and Development for Praesidium Inc., a risk management agency that specializes in sexual misconduct policies for churches. Conference participants were introduced to the latest policies and procedures in safeguarding our youth. Over 85 participants from camps and churches all over the United States and Canada were in attendance.

Pictures from the 2009 Conference at the Orthodox Christian Network - Follow the link and then click on "Pan-Orthodox Youth Retreat"
Conference Summary by Lis Lourie

2008 Conference Recap

The 6th annual Orthodox Christian Camp Conference was a great success. It was held January 24-26, 2008 in Houston, TX! Over 30 participants from the United States and Canada representing the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, the Armenian Church of America, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA were present for a weekend of learning and fun. We were blessed to have as our keynote speaker Fr. James Coles of St. Ignatius Mission in Mesa, AZ who spoke on the topic "Forming Disciples of Christ." We are very greatful to Fr. John Salem and the faithful of St. George Church in Houston, TX for being such gracious hosts to us!

Click here to listen to the 2008 Keynote Address by Fr. James Coles.