Mission and Evangelism

Educating on the Orthodox understanding of the Great Commission and how it is not a responsibility but an expression of our joy to share the Gospel to those within and those outside the Church.

Describe the various styles of evangelism and their efficacy in modern day society. Incarnational mission vs Colonialism. The Mission of the MOSC in America. Opening the doors to all and inviting others in to experience the joy of the true worship and the glory of the Kingdom.

Teacher Training and Resources

• Salvation, Theosis, and Mission, DSWA TTC Training (September 28, 2020)
  • Slides
  • Notes

Reference Materials

A reference is a referral to another's text or information and can refer to written sources (books, reports, articles), videos, Internet sites, images, etc. It can also refer to personal communication in the form of letters, e-mails or interviews. A reference is synonymous with a literary citation or citing a source.

The following materials are offered as sources for information and ideas but please remember to properly give credit if material is used in your writing! If you forget to use references, or your references are incomplete, your work can seem like an empty postulation or create suspicions of plagiarism.

Articles

1. The Orthodox Parish in North America, Fr. Thomas Hopko [Hopko, F. T. H. (2002, July 21). The Orthodox Parish in North America. Orthodox Church in America]
2. Rediscovering our Apostolic Identity in the 21st Century, Archbishop Anastasios (Yannoulatos) [Copyright American Theological Library Association, use as reference only]
3. The Mission of the Malankara Orthodox Church in North America, His Grace Alexios Mar Eusebius (DSWA website)

Videos

1. Videos

Podcasts

1. Podcasts

Book Excerpts

1. Eucharistic Renewal (from "The Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom Paperback" by Alexander Schmemann)

Scripture

In order to help our children grow in the Orthodox Faith in North America, a decision was made to standardize all materials to the Orthodox Study Bible (DSWA Kalpana DSWA/C/016/2010, October 28, 2010). Please continue to pray and support the development of a fully approved translation based on the Peshitta, and our textbooks will educate on the various translations and historic development of Scripture.

• [Scripture]

  Verse

Liturgical Resources

The Ministry of Liturgical Resource Development (LRD) was created in July of 2015 (DSWA Kalpana DSWA/C/10/2015, July 24,2015) to promote the translation, versification, and publication of vital English liturgical resources. Today most of our Sacramental offices are available and the "Service Book of the Holy Qurbono" and "Shehimo: Book of Common Prayer" are available in print. Wherever possible references will be made using LRD resources given the easy access to these materials to the faithful in North America.

Holy Qurbono

• Qurbana things

text

Other Hymns

• Other Hymns

Text

Other Prayers

• Other Prayers

Text

Promion and Sedro

• Promion/Sedro

Text

Quotes

Patristic Quotes

• [St. Basil the Great] "As it is impossible to verbally describe the sweetness of honey to one who has never tasted honey, so the goodness of God cannot be clearly communicated by way of teaching if we ourselves are not able to penetrate into the goodness of the Lord by our own experience."
• [St. John Chrysostom] "There would be no need for sermons if our lives were shining; there would be no need for words if we bore witness with our deeds; there would be no more pagans if we were true Christians."

Other Quotes

• [Fr. Thomas Hopko] "An Orthodox parish has only one God-given reason for being. It exists to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ. Whatever the original reasons and conditions for its founding, whatever other services and activities it may provide, whatever other desires and needs it may fulfill for its members, a community of Orthodox Christians must be Christ’s one holy Church. If it is not, then it is neither Christian nor Orthodox, whatever else it may be and do."
• [His Eminence Metropolitan Philip] "Mission begins with oneself, and self-evangelization means bringing the Gospel of Jesus to yourself first. If you are not converted on a personal basis, how can we convert others to Christ?...Self-evangelization is not an easy task. It takes a great deal of discipline, soul searching, restlessness, inner-struggle, and pain. It is easier to invade outer space than to invade our inner being."

Syriac and Greek Words

• Word (Syriac) - text

Icons

These icons are either approved for publication or the Curriculum Committee is in the process of gaining approval. If you do not see the icon you'd like to use for your writing, please submit the image to the Committee so that we can do the necessary follow-up.

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