Bessie Malamas, Financial Secretary

Church Stewards and Our Children

 During the month of August, we commemorated the Dormition of the Theotokos which recalled the death of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ. We remember that Mary gave birth to the Son of Man and later witnessed his torturous death. She did not argue with the Archangel Gabriel who brought the news to her. With great humility, she accepted this gift from God. She watched her Son on the cross as He died a human death and she was with Him after his resurrection. How does this relate to us as Church Stewards and to the children of this Church Community?

As Orthodox Christian Stewards, our yearly pledge is most meaningful when a portion of it is expended for religious teaching materials such as text books, pamphlets, work books and Holy Bibles. As we begin a new ecclesiastical year, our Church Community is working to strengthen the course materials and classes offered to each age group of our Sunday School. Orthodox Christians at St Sophia Church, with oversight from our priest, have been working and are continuing to work so that our children will be taught how to learn to live as an Orthodox Christian. When Stewards pledge and do not contribute on a timely basis, programs such as the Sunday School suffer. When Orthodox Christians do not pledge and they are able to do so, God also knows this.

Our Sunday Bulletins have had notices during the summer months asking for people to step forward and help as teachers and assisting teachers for the Sunday School classes. Our children need you. Please come forward and volunteer.

In Proverbs 22:6, we read "'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This is not only meant for the parents but all of us. We are God’s family. God restored us to this family when He walked the earth as Christ and broke the chains of Hades.

The future of our children, whether we are married or not, whether we are parents or not, is our responsibility when it comes to instilling the values and teachings of the Orthodox Christian faith. This is our gift for all children in our church community.

We stand as a group when a baby is brought for the forty day blessing. We follow as a group behind the pallbearers when one of us has died. God expects us to do this and he wants us to accept life with its joy, pain, and suffering. We are not alone with these experiences. We are one with each other in our faith and with God.

The lessons of Sunday School are very important and build a foundation for an Orthodox Christian conscience and spirit so necessary for living a life of decency. It is important for our children to know the 10 Commandments of the Old Testament and the 2 Commandments of the New Testament. Our youth should have the opportunity to read the Bible and discover that much literature has been imbued with Biblical stories, proverbs, and psalms. Our youth should be able to recite the Nicene Creed and know that it remains unchanged since 325 A.D. Our children should speak the Lord’s Prayer and find comfort in its words.

What has been described is just the beginning. If we stir up their yearning and love for the Orthodox Christian faith, they will seek out more to read and learn. They will see how to live as Christ expects. They will find great pleasure in goodness. They will see temptation and turn from that path knowing that only pain and suffering is at its end.

As Church Stewards, we are responsible for all our children. With our work and financial contributions, we show our children the Orthodox Christian way to live. They will never regret receiving this gift.