May 9, 2005

GARRISON, NY – The "Year of the Family" continues to be observed throughout the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America through special programs and resources offered through local parishes, the Metropolises, and the Archdiocese. To assist with this focus on the needs of families, the Center for Family Care at Saint Basil Academy continues to expand the resources available through the Family website at http://www.familyaschurch.org/. The name of the web site follows the theme of the "Year of the Family" that is taken from the biblical phrase used by the Apostle Paul, kat'oikon ecclesia, "the church in the home" (Romans 16:5, Colossians 4:15).

The Family as Church web site offers resources for prayer, family worship, parish family nights, and links to articles, Clergy-Laity workshops, and other web sites on the Orthodox family. In addition to the web site, the Center for Family Care offers a tabletop family prayer guide and a full-color brochure that guides the family in establishing a place for worship in the home. Following a second printing, these popular resources are now available from the Center by calling 845-424-8175 or by email at familycare@goarch.org. In the coming months additional resources will be added to the web site, and plans are being made for more printed resources to assist parishes in family ministry.

This national campaign was officially launched at the 37th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress held in New York City, July 25-30, 2004. In announcing the "Year of the Family," Archbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, stated, "Through this special emphasis on the family, our goal is both to affirm the importance of the family as a blessed gift of God and to address the specific needs of families as they try to live in a very challenging culture and world. As Orthodox Christians we know that each and every family needs to be connected to the Church, a place where true relationships with God and one another are nurtured and sustained. Thus, through this program we will be working to bring more aspects of our faith into the home and to bring more families into the Church."

For more information on the "Year of the Family" visit the web site at: http://www.familyaschurch.org/.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Internet Ministries.