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4 THE SHEPHERD • AUGUST 2025 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO Super Saints VCS was in July and it was a huge success! Thanks be to God for so many answered prayers throughout the week: over 50 kids and youth leaders participated, over 10 adult volunteers helped during the week, the stellar leadership of our Youth Lead- ers was amazing, our participants showing kindness and enthusiasm all week, the dec- orations surviving the week, the music be- ing fun, and your generosity which makes Vacation Church School possible! The kids learned all about some Heroes of our Faith: St. John the Forerunner, Sts. Constantine and Helen, St. Catherine, St. George, and St. Nektarios and how they could become he- roes in their own faith too! The theme words of each day – Repent, Seek Truth, Stand Firm, Witness, and Endure, led us through engaging stations, including Music, Snacks, Games, Crafts, and Lessons! We collected snacks for Real Life Superheroes and will be delivering snacks to local fire stations to keep them full of energy during their long shifts. It truly was a week filled with God’s grace and abundance! We are already looking forward to next year! Save the date! July 13 – 17, 2026. Kids' Corner Kids’ Corner for babies, toddlers, and fami- lies will be open all summer. Little Angels Little Angels Playgroup will have a flexible summer schedule, siblings invited! Our Au- gust dates will be August 4th, 11th, and 18th. Sunday School I would like to share some exciting Youth Ministries and Sunday School news! I would like to welcome Tina Perri to the Youth Min- istries leadership team! Ms. Tina has been teaching in our Sunday School classes for a number of years and will be moving into the Sunday School Director Position this school year. I will continue to work in the staff position of Youth Ministries Director. As many of you know, I have served as the Sunday School Director since Fall 2020 and have seen our Sunday School Program grow and grow since Covid. It has been my joy and blessing to have led the program for so long. This year, I will be shifting my focus to many other areas of Youth Ministries: Family Nights, Parents’ Nights Out, Coffee and Con- versation, Teen Mental Health Symposium, Ministry Fair, Youth Groups, and so much more! Ms. Tina and I will be working closely to make the Sunday School Director change smooth. Here is a note from Ms. Tina: My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, My name is Tina Perri. I am excited to be the new Sunday School Director! I have been a member of St. Spyridon since 2006 and a Sunday School Teacher for almost 15 years. I have a Master’s Degree in So- cial Work and a Multi-subject Teaching Credential. My goal for the upcoming year is to partner with the parents and teachers to ensure that the Sunday School students grow in their Orthodox Faith and love coming to our Parish! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve our community. I am excited for the start of Sunday School on September 7th! Ms. Tina GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) GOYA 2025-2026 Kick-Off Beach/Bay Party is August 24th at 4:30pm. We will be voting for the new school year GOYA Board Posi- tions at the party. Being on the Board is a great way to give back to the community and have a say in what events GOYA plans for the year! To run for a board position, fill out the form available on the Youth Ministries web- site, on the GOYA page. Meráki Young Orthodox Service Group Meraki will resume August 9th, from 8:00am-11am. Please note the earlier time. We will be volunteering with the San Diego River Park Foundation to do a River Clean- Up project. Parents/families are encouraged to stay for this service project. Be sure to check out the Youth Ministries Website: https://sites.google.com/stspyr- idon.org/stspyridonyouthministries and fol- low us on Facebook (St. Spyridon GOC San Diego) and Instagram: @youthstspyridon To volunteer or get more information on any of the Youth Ministries at St. Spyridon, con- tact Julie Dennis, Youth Ministries Director: 619-940-5167 or email youthministries@ stspyridon.org . YOUTH MINISTRIES