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4 THE SHEPHERD • JUNE 2023 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO One of the goals of Youth Ministries is to create easy and convenient ways for our community to access information about Youth Ministries and upcoming events. I am pleased to announce that Youth Ministries’ current information is now only two clicks away! On the St. Spyridon Homepage, click on the Youth Ministries scrolling banner, then click on the link to the Youth Minis- tries Website. The Youth Ministries website has links to events, volunteer opportunities, past newsletters, and event sign-ups. It also includes Youth Groups (HOPE, JOY, and GOYA), Sunday School, and Dance and Choral School. If you have a child or teen ages birth through 18, our Youth Ministries has a place for them! Be sure to follow us on Facebook (St. Spyridon GOC San Diego) and Instagram: @youthstspyridon Don’t forget to register for Vacation Church School! Early Bird Pricing ends June 1st . For every registration before June 1st, Youth Ministries will donate $5 to our VCS Char- ity (last year was St. Innocent Orphanage)! Vacation Church School (VCS) : Half-day camp designed to teach kids about their Or- thodox faith through fun and engaging ac- tivities that include games, crafts, music, sto- ries, and service. This year’s theme is Behold the Light! - The Feasts of the Life and Minis- try of Christ. DATES: June 26th – June 30th, Monday – Friday. TIME: 9am – 12pm daily, snack included. Before-care and after-care available per request. AGES: Grade next year TK – 5th grade: Retreat Participants; 6th – 12th grade: Youth Leaders. COST: $35 before June 1st, $40 after June 1st, $20 for ad- ditional children. Youth Leaders are FREE, Children of Volunteers are FREE. For more info, contact Julie Dennis, Youth Ministries Director youthministries@stspyridon.org or mobile: 619-940-5167. GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) GOYA had a great time at Laser Tag this month and is looking forward to our end of the year party on June 16th! Party details: 6pm, at the Maude Home, dinner, potluck dessert! Next year’s board elections will hap- pen at the party! Would you like to give back to your Parish community and help organize events and service projects for our GOYA Youth Group, get community service hours, and experience on a board? Come to the end of the year party and run for one of the posi- tions: President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. HOPE &JOY (Holy Orthodox Primary Education &Junior Orthodox Youth): Plans are underway for our End of the Year Party! Keep an eye out for details! Sunday School Sunday School is on break for the summer and will resume in September. Kids’ Corner for babies, toddlers, and families will be open all summer. Toys for the kids, coffee and fel- lowship for parents! It is a great way to con- nect with other parents with young children. Sunday School is looking for Sunday School Teachers and Class Helpers! If you are inter- ested in helping in the fall, email Julie Dennis at youthministries@stspyridon.org Dance &Choral It’s hard to believe another school year is winding down and our Youth Greek Dance classes and Youth Choir will take their tradi- tional summer break. We started out in the fall with nothing more than a small group of parents who shared a love for their chil- dren, the Greek culture, and St. Spyridon and wanted to express that love through dance. Maybe FDF was too lofty of a goal this year, but why not perform and share our love of Greek dance with others? So, we did. We per- formed at an elementary school, at the An- gels Christmas party, at a Chaldean holiday party, at the Grossmont Folk Dance Center, and at an assisted living center. Every perfor- mance ended with a swell of elation from the audience, parents, and dancers. And now, as we prepare for our final performances at the Mollison Adult Day Center and the annual St. Spyridon Greek Festival, we look forward to the coming year. A year that we will fill with more outreach and one in which we have already planned to go to FDF. Competi- tions are great, they are fun and motivating, and I wonder how they will compare with the look of the frail lady in the wheelchair at the nursing home who clapped throughout our entire performance? May God grant us many more opportunities to grace a smile on the faces of others who delight in our music and dance. If you have a charity or event that would benefit from a performance from our group, or if you are interested in youth or adult Greek dance classes, please contact Timmy Paraskevopoulos at 714-931-2431 or stspyr- idondance@gmail.com YOUTH MINISTRIES Sunday School Promotion Oratorical Festival Winners