As servants in the household of God, we are called to "always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (1 Peter 3:15) Fr. Timothy Hojnicki, instructor of apologetics at the St. Raphael School, shares how he equips his high school students with the deposit of faith so that they can make a good defense when asked.  Rather than merely winning an argument, he stresses the importance of dialogue and respect to win over a brother.

Fr. Timothy Hojnicki will be speaking on Early Life Transitions: Supporting and Navigating Change from High School to College at the 5th Annual National Orthodox Leadership Conference at St. Vladimir's Seminary, September 17-19, 2021.  

​Read the full episode transcript here

IF YOU CARE ABOUT . . .

• Developing emerging leaders within the body of Christ
• Christian mentoring
• Collaborative intergenerational ministry
• Mutual learning and listening to understand generational perspectives
• Succession planning for your church and nonprofit boards or staff
• Early-life transitions such as college and vocation
• Changing the fear-based narratives around "The Church is losing its youth!" to explore hopeful possibilities
• Responding well to cultural and social changes
• Networking with other Orthodox Christian leaders

 . . . THEN THIS CONFERENCE IS FOR YOU AND THE  EMERGING AND SEASONED LEADERS AROUND YOU!

Dr. John Mark Reynolds and Hollie Benton anticipate this year's 2021 conference, Generously Investing in Emerging Leaders.  Each challenging presentation is followed by highly-interactive discussion questions, case studies, or small group work. Online participation is available, and attending in person at St. Vladimir's Seminary provides the benefit of networking and deepening relationships across the Church to support the ministry God has entrusted to your care!

Read the full episode transcript here.

Thomaida Hudanish, Director of Missions and Evangelism for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, explores keychain leadership - a concept developed in Growing Young by Kara Powell, et al. 

• Key-less leaders may be young or inexperienced who strive to prove their worth in possessing keys in order to gain authority or access.
• Key-hoarding leaders run the show and refuse to give others access and share responsibility.
• Key-loaning leaders reluctantly or temporarily loan keys to others and then quickly take them back.
• Keychain leaders are aware of the keys they hold and intentionally open doors for some while training and entrusting others who are ready for their own "set of keys." 

Thomaida suggests that keychain leadership works not only in developing youth, but in engaging new church members through missions and evangelism. 

Read the full episode transcript.

The Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) Summer Leadership Institute trains nearly fifty college students each year to serve their local campuses through OCF.  Applicants to this program demonstrate a heart for service, desiring to "give back" to the OCF ministry that has had such a positive impact on them.  Students explore what it means to be an Orthodox Christian as a leader in OCF, the Church, and the world. They are challenged through Christ's teaching to avoid ego-driven leadership, and instead take on the mindset of servant leadership, including a practice of generosity through the resources of their first jobs. As students explore the diverse Orthodox practices and cultures, they grow more united as the body of Christ and together take on some of the most pressing social issues we face in America.

As college graduates launch their careers, their first employers readily harness the value of those who received leadership training and practice in teamwork through service on the OCF Student Leadership Board. But are our parishes so quick to harness the gifts of these students?  Christina offers some suggestions to both parish leaders and young emerging leaders to create opportunities for those capable college graduates who desire to serve the Church.
 
Christina Andresen, Director of Ministries for the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, shares how student leaders are trained to serve OCF ministries on their college campuses.  She will be a featured speaker at the upcoming National Orthodox Advanced Leadership Conference which will focus on Investing in Emerging Leaders. 

See the Full Episode Transcript.​​

Salemi Khori shares how the members of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church are Building Effective Parish Leadership Teams, a module of the Intensive Program in Servant Leadership. Outcomes have included:

• A broader commitment to biblical literacy and accountability
• Plans for recruitment, succession, and ongoing leadership development for ministry roles
• Strengthening consensus in parish decisions

Salemi shares how her own attitude toward the Church shifted from transactional to relational as she served as the Parish Council President while still in her twenties. 

Katrina Bitar, Director of Youth Equipped to Serve (YES), shares how service learning engages youth in the living work of the Church.  Katrina explores how to invest in emerging leaders by:

• Speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15)
• Leaning into the "good uncomfortable" to allow stretching and growing
• Examining our own motivations for wanting young people in the church

Katrina suggests that just because kids are participating in church activities doesn't mean that they have encountered Christ. Young people need to be trusted and engaged in doing the living work of Christ.  

Fr. Theodore Dorrance shares a unique perspective by viewing the Church as partner to parents, rather than parents as partner to church school and youth programs. This interview explores how a parish can invest in its youth as emerging leaders by:

• Equipping parents as evangelists in the home
• Reclaiming the dinner table for life-long Christian learning and engagement
• Utilizing the oratorical festival as a fully engaging, cross-generational tool in faith formation