Youth
"A place to be yourself and find friendships in Christ."
Through our Youth Ministry, the teens of our parish are brought to a deeper love and devotion to the Holy Orthodox Church, its faith, teachings, and worship. The guiding principles of the Teen SOYO of our Antiochian Archdiocese and our parish are Worship, Witness, Service and Fellowship.
Teen SOYO
Teen SOYO’s goal is to fully integrate teens into the life of the church by bringing them to a deeper devotion to the Holy Orthodox Church, its faith, canons and worship. Teen SOYO develops and supports ministries that inspire Members to make a commitment to upholding the Orthodox Faith on a daily basis.
In order to experience a profound and sustaining relationship with Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, it is necessary to create a safe and loving atmosphere for youth to grow in Christ as well as to establish spiritual and social bonds between each person.
Camp Transfiguration
The mission of Camp Transfiguration is to present to young people a living experience of the Holy Orthodox Faith, in their relationship with God and other campers in an uncluttered, natural environment. Translated to Greek, “transfiguration” becomes “metamorphosis” which literally means, “to change”.
Many campers and staff from our parish attend Camp Transfiguration each year.
Every year a new theme is chosen for Christian Education and is taught to the campers during morning program through interactive lessons. Afternoon program is the time where campers are both active and creative through activities and sports. The day concludes with evening program, a time for cabins to bond with one another through themed nights.
At Camp Transfiguration, our main goal is to help campers come to the knowledge of the truth: Jesus Christ. Campers go to camp, just like the Apostles went to Mount Tabor, to see the transfigured Lord and, through that, to become transfigured themselves. Life at Camp T is a mixture of fellowship, fun and prayer. The fun time and fellowship we spend can be a means to get closer to God, however, prayer remains the nucleus that brings the whole experience together, gives it meaning and purpose.
During Camp, campers will experience Church services daily, in addition to small prayers before and after meals and other activities. Our Camp Chapel becomes our small Mount Tabor where we ascend to find the Lord and eventually go back to our parishes, cities and homes edified and energized to embrace the spiritual life to be purified and illumined.
Youth Ministry in Our Archdiocese
The Department of Youth Ministry supports and integrates the whole spectrum of archdiocesan programs for youth, including the Camping Program, Teen SOYO, and Campus Ministry. Although all of these programs together encompass a broad range of activity and age groups, all share the same goal: to encourage full participation in the life of the Church through worship, witness, service, and fellowship. This department trains youth leaders, organizes events, provides consultation for youth leaders and pastors across the archdiocese, maintains youth-related data and a cache of ministry resources, and oversees programs such as the Bible Bowl and the Oratorical Festival.
Send us a message
Reach out to us to learn more about getting involved in youth formation in our parish.