This year we’re trying something new.
The Met Youth Greek Orthodox Board of Canada is hosting four Regional Youth Assemblies in four major cities across Canada.
This is the first time we’ve organized such an initiative… and we are excited to meet all of you!
Toronto, April 27-29
Victoria, April 27-29
Halifax, May 4-6
Winnipeg, May 11-13
New for us is a change we welcome, a change we believe in. Our website that launched this past January is an example of our commitment toward helping lead the future generation of Greek Orthodox youth toward greatness, toward a better understanding of our faith, our traditions.
Every member of the Met Youth board has attended youth assemblies in the past — we’ve also been campers and counsellors at Camp Met; served as altar boys, and members of our church choirs; taught Sunday School, Greek School, and Greek Dance; participated in Missions trips — and now, we’ve brought together our individual past experiences and have planned weekend itineraries to engage, educate, and entertain those participating.
Attendance has reached almost 160 youth collectively across Canada — an achievement that is attributed to the hard work of my fellow Met Youth board members, and certainly from the word of mouth from past registrants who have encouraged their friends and family to register.
We thank you for believing in us just as we believe in each of you.
The theme of each assembly is Orthodox Living in the Modern World. What does this mean to you? For me, being a Greek Orthodox christian in the modern world means I have my spiritual father/Priest on my cell phone, so that if ever in need I am able to ask him for guidance. When about to start a meal, I make my cross and give thanks, despite being seen by others, despite the potential of being the only one to do so. Listening to church hymns happens outside of Sundays now, often on my iPod, thanks to Youtube and iTunes. Those are just a few personal examples.
I encourage each of you to think about your life. Each of us have our own stories for what it’s like to live Greek Orthodox in our modern world, and I encourage participants to share their stories with each other during the assemblies!
In between scheduled keynote speakers and carousel sessions where we discuss our faith, participants will make lifelong friendships with other youth… perhaps some from their hometowns, and quite likely many from neighbouring cities. These friendships will begin with a foundation of our shared faith, and they will grow over time as more memories are shared. Some of my closest friends today are those I met years back as a counsellor, and participant of past assemblies.
For those who read this and are registered for one of the Regional Assemblies, I congratulate you for making an amazing decision to attend. You’re about to experience an incredible weekend!
I look forward to meeting each of you!
written by Vikki Tsekouras, President
Very nice pictures Vikki!