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4 THE SHEPHERD • MARCH 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Our Dance and Choral groups went to Faith Dance Fellowship (FDF) in February. See the Dance and Choral section of this newsletter to read all about it. At FDF participants are asked to attend workshops about Ortho- doxy, dance, and Greek culture. This year, the Family Wellness Ministry of our Metrop- olis hosted a parenting workshop about fam- ily dynamics, self-esteem, and resiliency. It had so many great parenting take-aways. My favorite was “Connect, then Correct” - first connect with your child, get on their level, make eye contact, let them know that they are loved, then correct their behavior. Be sure to check out the Family Wellness Minis- try for many parenting and family resources: www.familywellnessministry.org SAINT SPYRIDONVACATIONCHURCH SCHOOL registration is open for: • July 14th – 18th, Monday through Fri- day, 9am – 12:00pm. • Aftercare will be available until 4:00pm each day ($10 per child per day). • Preschool – 5th grade: VCS Super Saints (Participants) - $40 before May 1st, $45 after May 1st • 6th – 12th grades: VCS Youth Leaders (Station Leader, Small Group Leader) • Children of Volunteers are FREE! Youth Leaders are FREE! • Aftercare until 4pm - $10/day Registration form (please complete one form per child): https://sites.google.com/stspyr- idon.org/stspyridonyouthministries/regis- tration-forms Wondering what Vacation Church School is? Games, crafts, music, worship, snacks, and activities all designed to help kids travel the path to holiness through real heroes of Or- thodoxy! Along the way, the kids will grow relationships with friends and with their faith! Follow us on Facebook (St. Spyridon GOC San Diego) and Instagram: @youthstspyr- idon. To volunteer or get more information on any of the Youth Ministries at St. Spyr- idon, contact Julie Dennis, Youth Ministries Director: 619-940-5167 or email youthmin- istries@stspyridon.org Sunday School ORATORICAL FESTIVAL - Please join us in church on Sunday, March 16th for our Parish Oratorical Festival. Students will share short speeches about their faith and Orthodoxy. Save the date for the Holy Friday Retreat! April 18th, 9:00am - 3:00pm. Preschool – 5th grade will be retreat participants. Students 6th – 12th grade are invited to be Retreat Leaders! We will need many volunteers to make this retreat a success! This year’s theme is the “Mystery of the Holy Mysteries.” Our students will have an opportunity to learn all about the Holy Mysteries through fun and engaging activities. Lunch and snacks provided. Register on the Youth Ministries website: https://sites.google.com/stspyridon. org/stspyridonyouthministries/registra- tion-forms This year, we are bringing back the Holy Monday Retreat on April 14th from 5:30 – 9:00pm for high school students (9th – 12th grade) AND adding a Holy Tuesday Retreat on April 15th for middle school students (6th – 8th grade). This is a chance for our middle and high school students to experience their own retreats and spiritual learning. The eve- nings will include the Bridegroom Service where our students will get to read the Epis- tles, a potluck, and retreat activities. The OCMC Cash and Coin Drive starts on March 9th! All money raised will go directly to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. Be sure to bring your cash and coins and put them in the buckets in the Narthex, Hall, and Education Building. On March 9th, our High School Sunday School class will have the opportunity to volunteer at the San Diego Humane Soci- ety from 1pm-3pm. We will have lunch at Church and then will carpool to the Humane Society. We hope all of our high schoolers will be able to join us! GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) Get your Palm Sunday Luncheon tickets! This is GOYA’s biggest fundraiser of the year! For only $25, you get a delicious fish dinner and dessert and support our middle and high school youth group! Tickets can be purchased in the Hall on Sundays during Fellowship or contact Bill Navrides, 619- 992-6775 or navridesfamily@gmail.com In February, GOYA raced GoKarts at K1 Speedway! It was a fun morning filled with heated competition! If you want to know who got the fastest time race, you will have to ask a member of GOYA to find out! Meráki Young Orthodox Service Group Our first service project was a beach clean-up at Ocean Beach. Our kids walked far to find trash on the beach and grass! Our memory verse this month is, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15. March Service Project is on March 8th, 9:30-11am, at St. Spyridon. We will be packing bags for the needy students around the world. If you know of a Service Project for this age group or have a child in the elementary age group and are not on our email list, please email Julie Dennis at youthministries@stspyridon. org or call 619-940-5167. YOUTH MINISTRIES