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4 THE SHEPHERD • APRIL 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO In last month’s Shepherd newsletter, our Par- ish Council President, Anthony Kyriakidis, put out a call “to inspire and nurture the next generation in Christ’s love.” I would like to take a moment to provide some specific ways to answer his call. TIME: • Come to the Saturday of Lazarus Divine Liturgy and Pancake Breakfast and stay to fold Palm Crosses after breakfast. • Volunteer at the Holy Friday Retreat (prep lunch, help with kid supervision, set-up and clean-up). • Complete small projects around the Edu- cation Building (organizing shelves, clear- ing out closets). • Volunteer in one of the many other youth ministries: GOYA, Meraki, Sunday School, Dance and Choral School. • Pray for our high school seniors who are making college decisions, pray for the par- ents of our youth, pray for our young fam- ilies, pray for all of the youth to seek God at all times. TREASURE: • Purchase snacks for our Sunday School (each week, we go through 45 bags of chips/granola bars/trail mix/cracker packs). These can be dropped off at the Church Office during office hours or in the Education Building on Sundays. • Donate – indoor toddler toys (for the Nursery/Cry Room in Church), outdoor toys (basketballs, 4-square balls, bubbles, badminton rackets/birdies, badminton/ tennis portable net, volleyballs, soccer balls), tall cones for the parking lot, small prizes (we have a prize cart that kids earn prizes for Sunday School activities), or $5 gift cards (high school prizes). • Offer a scholarship for our high school seniors (average California University tu- ition and housing cost is over $28,000 per year!). • Donate pre-filled eggs for the Pascha Egg Hunt. TALENT: • Prepare a Lenten dinner for our Holy Monday and/or Holy Tuesday Teen Re- treats (about 15 participants). • Bake Lenten treats for one of our Retreats (April 14th, 15th, 18th). • Assist in a Sunday School Class, lead a craft or an activity. • Lead a small group during the Holy Friday Retreat (Youth Safety Certification need- ed). • Acting/singing at our Vacation Church School this Summer. • Painting murals/making art for our hall- ways in the Education Building. • Teach a Sunday School Class next school year (we are in need of at least 3 teachers!). • Guide our Youth Leadership to form a vi- sion and a mission. As always, we are ever so grateful for all of the support, prayer, and love that we feel from our Parish Community! 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 It is not too late to sign up for the Holy Week Retreats! Holy Monday High School Retreat, 9th – 12th grade: email to sign up. Holy Tues- day Middle School Retreat, 6th – 8th grade: email to sign up. Holy Friday Retreat, Pre- school – 5th grade (and 6th – 12th as Youth Leaders): https://sites.google.com/stspyridon. org/stspyridonyouthministries The OCMC Cash and Coin Drive is in full swing and ends on April 12th! All money raised will go directly to the Orthodox Chris- tian Mission Center. Be sure to bring your cash and coins and put them in the buckets in the Narthex, Hall, and Education Building. If your daughter is in grades Kindergarten – 8th grade and would like to participate in the Great and Holy Friday evening Lamentations Service as a Myrrh Bearer (Myrofora), please email Kathreen Lynch at kathreen.lynch@ gmail.com as soon as possible. St. Spyridon High School Sunday School group had a fantastic time touring and volun- teering at the San Diego Humane Society in March. The teens toured the animal behavior and medical/ surgical suites and visited rab- bits, cats, dogs, and even turtles available for adoption. Thanks to the teens’ work: the ani- mals will get 1000 medical procedures will be that much more streamlined with easy to ac- cess syringes, 7 kitties will have beautiful box- es to play with and hide in during their quar- antine stay, another 64 kitties will have nice, clean litter boxes while they’re in the medical facility, and 94 dogs were made very happy with their meatball snack! GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) It is not too late to 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 YOUTH MINISTRIES