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4 THE SHEPHERD • JULY 2026 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO July’s quick tip for families: Join the new “Read Like a Saint” summer reading pro- gram. Download the Summer Reading pag- es on the Draw Near Designs (an Orthodox publishing company) website. Kids, teens, and adults read books with an Orthodox theme or books of the Bible. Send in a pho- to of the reading log when it’s complete, and Draw Near Designs will send you a surprise pack of goodies! There are some really great books in our Parish Bookstore to get you started! https://www.drawneardesigns.com/ blog There is still time to register for Vacation Church School! This is a week-long day camp that focuses on faith, fun, and Orthodoxy! Our theme this year is The Wonders of Cre- ation! As a bonus, Youth Leaders are free and Children of Volunteers are free. Register on the Youth Ministries website or by following this link: https://tinyurl.com/2026vcswonder If you have questions about Youth Minis- tries at St. Spyridon, call or text Julie Den- nis, Youth Ministries Director, 619-618-5116 or email youthministries@stspyridon.org Learn more about St. Spyridon Youth Min- istries on our website: https://tinyurl.com/ stspyridonyouth Follow us on social media: Facebook - St. Spyridon GOC San Diego and Instagram - @youthstspyridon Parents of babies & toddlers Kids’ Corner will remain open on Sundays through the summer. Little Angels Playgroup (ages 0-4) will meet on July 22nd! Siblings are welcome for this summer playgroup! Sunday School Our first Pop-Up Youth Activity was our Summer Sunday School! The kids learned about Pentecost, listened to Father An- drew sing the Troparion Hymn, and made a bookmark celebrating Pentecost. Save the date for the 2026-2027 School Year Kick Off on August 23. GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) Congratulations to James Burrell and George Burrell , who were the recipients of the 2026 GOYA Scholarship! GOYA celebrat- ed the year in style at South Mission Beach with Souvlaki and Smores! A big thank you goes out to all of the parents and volunteers who helped this year! Thank you to Asimi- na Courelli who joined our GOYA team this year! Last thanks goes to our GOYA Board who planned and coordinated the activities throughout the school year! I cannot say enough thanks to them for their time and talent that they gave through the year! Meráki Young Orthodox Service Group Elementary Youth Group Activities will be starting up again in September! Keep an eye out for Pop-Up activities this Summer! YOUTH MINISTRIES https://tinyurl.com/spyridonplaygroup Questions: 619-618-5116 youthministries@stspyridon.org Parents of Babies and Toddlers: St. Spyridon GreekOrthodoxChurch at Kids Corner - a place to play and hang out with other parents! Each Sunday after Holy Communion in the Education Building Little Angels - a playgroup with activities and fun! Meets monthly in the Education Building Toddler Totes - quiet activity bags for little hands to use during Divine Liturgy In the Narthex, ask a volunteer for a bag, bring it back at the end of Divine Liturgy. https://tinyurl.com/spyridonplaygroup Questions: 619-618-5116 youthministries@stspyridon.org Parents of Babies and Toddlers: St. Spyridon GreekOrth xChurch at Kids Corner - a place to play and hang out with other parents! Each Sunday after Holy Communion in the Education Building Little Angels - a playgroup with activities and fun! Meets monthly in the Education Building Toddler Totes - quiet activity bags for little hands to use during Divine Liturgy In the Narthex, ask a volunteer for a bag, bring it back at the end of Divine Liturgy. https://tinyurl.com/spyridonplaygroup Questions: 619-618-5116 youthministries@stspyridon.org Parents of Babies and Toddlers: St. Spyridon GreekOrthodoxChurch at Kids Corner - a place to play and hang out with other parents! Each Sunday after Holy Communion in the Education Building Little Angels - a playgroup with activities and fun! Meets monthly in the Education Building Toddler Totes - quiet activity bags for little hands to use during Divine Liturgy In the Narthex, ask a volunteer for a bag, bring it back at the end of Divine Liturgy. https://tinyurl.com/spyridonplaygroup Questions: 619-618-5116 youthministries tspyridon.org Parents of Babies and Toddlers: St. Spyridon GreekOrthodoxChurch at Kids Corn r - a place t play and hang out with other parents! Each Sunday after Holy Communion in the Education Building Little Angels - a playgroup with activities and fun! Meets monthly in the Education Building Toddler Totes - quiet activity bags for little hands to use during ivine Liturgy In the Narthex, a l nt er for a bag, bring it back at t Divine Liturgy.