The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) virtual Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) conference was held this summer from June 27th through August 8th. The conference consisted of weekly meetings on Sundays and Thursdays involving various topics. Topics covered ranged from facilitating discussions to pan-orthodox unity, all adjoining the idea of what it means to be a leader in your faith through targeted assignments and speakers each week. Sunday meeting sessions were focused on small group discussion, while Thursdays were speaker and larger group-based. The conference promoted leadership and involvement from a young age, shaping the future generation of the church.
Week 1 began with the theme of “Lead by Following: Putting Discipleship to Jesus First.” During this week, participants were encouraged to read Matthew 11:28-30 every morning and every evening and read two chapters from The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. In addition to these assignments, participants were asked to keep a realistic, time log for at least 48 hours. During discussion sessions, participants in the Zoom call were asked to change their names to “Jesus Loves Me” as to remain anonymous, and reflect, in-depth, on their log and the readings, allowing for honest, open discussions.
Week 2 covered the theme of “Facilitating Great Discussions” which was accompanied by a lecture with Michelle Moujaes of St. Michael Antiochian Orthodox Church in Van Nuys, California. She has served as the New England Regional Youth Director for the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese, OCF National Board Member, Founding Chair of St. Elijah Orthodox Church Mom's Day Out in Oklahoma City. Her lecture was accompanied by three readings, “Leading Powerful Conversations,” “The Lost Art of Listening,” and “Tips on Facilitating Effective Group Discussions,” all of which were discussed in a large group setting at the weekly meeting.
Week 3 covered “Examining Christianity and Race in America,” a heavy, relevant topic that was accompanied by a lecture with Deacon Jonathan Reavis. While completing the first reading, "Moving from Me to We" by Hieromonk Alexii Altschul participants were encouraged to reflect on what it meant to embrace a spiritual responsibility that encompasses more than an individual’s personal benefit or joy. The second reading, "The Glorified Black Body of Jesus" by Deacon Jonathan Reavis, encouraged conference-goers to reflect on their elicited reactions to the phrases, "Jesus is Black" and "The Church is Black.” The last of the readings for this week encompassed the "Legacies of the Cross and the Lynching Tree" from The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone, for which participants were encouraged to reflect on the suffering of Black Americans as an embodiment of the suffering of Christ as well as their thoughts about Cone's suggestion that Black and White Americans are linked by the history of trauma, and potentially linked for healing.
Week 4 covered “Pan-Orthodox Unity: Generations” which was covered by an open discussion panel with Hibbah Kaileh, Paul Karos & John Sallas. The panel aimed to address questions like what stands out from your life in the Orthodox Church, how did ministry impact your church life and how has Orthodox ministry grown, what role have you seen culture play in the life of the church over time, and what is your responsibility (as a future leader in the Orthodox Church) for paving the way for the future generation?
For the week 5 session, the subject was "Be Like St. Johns's 'Lad': Give - Save - Live." This topic was discussed in a large group zoom setting after independently listening to "How to Solve the Biggest Challenge in our Parishes and Personal Lives – Creating a Culture of Generosity and Stewardship,” which focuses on the Scripture/Science of Generosity Studies and actual practices that allow individuals to create a culture of generosity and abundance in their own lives and parishes. This was accompanied by a lecture and discussion with Bill Marianes.
The sixth and final week covered the topic of “And When You Pray...” the prompt being that within the Sermon on the Mount, Christ delivers some of His most profound and popular teachings about how His followers are to live righteous and holy lives. Tucked within His many moral teachings is a section dedicated to the classic Christian Virtues, of which prayer along with fasting and almsgiving, is one. Focusing on the necessity of prayer, the foundation of both fasting and almsgiving, participants reflected on prayer habits and discussed how to better cultivate their life of prayer.
Overall, SLI served as a space for Orthodox young adults to engage in discussions and learn how to lead from one another. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to attend this conference and look forward to putting into practice what I learned throughout.
Diana Vancea
