GOYA - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

A Lamp to My Feet: An Introduction to the Bible

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
With this zine, students develop the attitudes and confidence needed to light their path with the lamp of Scripture. They can then access God’s message to the world by asking how each reading relates to them: “What does this text say about Christ, and how does it apply to my life?” Read More
Bearing Fruit

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To illustrate in a practical manner how people who “abide in God” bear fruit. Participants will be led to discern for themselves how practically and spiritually speaking, they can bear fruit in their own lives. NOTE: This session offers a great way to help participants understand the practical "tools" for spiritual and personal growth and "pitfalls" that should be avoided. Read More
Body Image

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To inform young people about the Orthodox perspective of body image; to stimulate discussions with them about negative and positive body images created within society. Read More
Confession

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To prepare for this session, leaders should develop an understanding of the Sacrament of Confession. Talk to your priest and see if you can get a copy of the Confession Service so that you can discuss it with the young people. In the Our faith section of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website, you can read more about confession Read More
Directed Toward God: Lenten Reading & Youth Craft

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
Directed Toward God, by Presbytera Georget Photos, is a lenten reading and craft for youth. Read More
For to Us a Child Is Born

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
Unwrap the story of Christ’s birth to reveal the fullness of the Incarnation behind the “Christmas story” of pageants. This full-color zine from the Department of Religious Education begins with the Annunciation and then follows the seasonal calendar through the Nativity, Theophany and the Presentation of the Lord. Read More
Gossip

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Read More
Great and Holy Friday Retreat (GOYA)

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
A wonderful retreat appropriate for teens split into 6 sessions, which covers the many themes of Holy Week. Read More
Having and Losing

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To have the participant’s understand and that this life is temporary and to appreciate all that the Lord has blessed us with. To learn that in life loss occurs and is often times out of our control. Through Christ and His Resurrection, we begin to heal our loss. Read More
Heaven on Earth: The Divine Liturgy

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
Heaven and earth meet in the Church through the Divine Liturgy. The newest full-color zine from the Department of Religious Education begins with a brief history of worship in the Orthodox Church and then details each section of the Divine Liturgy. Read More
Holy and Great Friday Retreat (GOYA, JOY, HOPE)

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Familiarize yourself with all the content of the session. Additionally make yourself learn about the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Visit the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America for a wealth of information on this topic. Read More
Identifying Love with Christ: Holy Friday GOYA Retreat

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
The following are lesson plans for a Holy Friday Retreat entitled "Identifying Love with Christ" geared towards GOYA age (Grades 7-12) children. Goals for the participants are two-fold: to learn that death is the enemy and the end of love, and the Cross is the defeat of Love's enemy; and to learn how to die to ourselves through admitting the truth of our realities. Read More
Journey through Great Lent

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
Embark on this year’s Lenten journey with junior high students as the Church opens the Triodion. This nine-week unit spans the Great Fast with clear, vivid introductions to the season’s Scriptures, Traditions, saints and services. Read More
Journey through Holy Week

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
Follow Christ and the Church through each stage of Holy Week—from the Saturday of Lazarus to the Agape Vespers service—with this new full-color guide from the Department of Religious Education. Read More
Joy + Gifts + Need

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To give participants a better understanding and appreciation of their unique talents and gifts and how they might be utilized in the service of God, the Church and people. Read More
Koliva

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To teach children the importance of remembering loved ones after they have fallen asleep, in the Lord. Read More
Let Us Be Radiant

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To give the participants tangible examples and an understanding of what it means to live in the light instead of darkness, and to understand that Christ is the light we need to transform our lives. Read More
Let Your Light Shine

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To children that Christ, the Light of the world, made them all with special gifts and talents. It is their job as Christians to find these talents and let them shine, reflecting the light of Christ. Read More
Light of Christ

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To give the participants an understanding of what it means to live in the light instead of darkness, and to understand that Christ is the light we need to transform our lives. Read More
Materialism

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
We who mystically represent the Cherubim and sing the thrice holy hymn to the life giving Trinity; Let us set aside the cares of this life that we may receive the King of all. Read More
Missions

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective To help participants understand Christ's universal call to take action in spreading His message by exploring and supporting current Orthodox Missions, as they develop and implement plans to raise awareness and funds for Orthodox Missions. Read More
Music

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To open our eyes to the different messages that surround us, to open our ears to what our music is saying to us, and to bring the beauty and valuable message of liturgical music to today’s youth. Read More
New Year's Resolution

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: That young people will begin to realize that resolutions are not just made once a year but during every day and every minute we should be resolving to live our lives closer to Christ. Through living a Christ centered life, we never try to accomplish anything without turning first to God. Read More
Personal Prayer

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To help participants understand the need to remove distractions when they pray. Read More
Prosfora

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
To learn about the making a Prosforo offering and what it represents. Read More
Spiritual Discipline

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: For young people to realize that just as athletes train for competition, we train ourselves in the spiritual life. Read More
Stress

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To help young people identify negative stress in their lives and learn how to deal with stress in a healthy Orthodox Christian way that is beneficial for both their bodies and souls. Read More
Talent Tower

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: To introduce the participants to each other by creating a free standing building (with newspapers) as tall as possible using entire the group. Read More
Talents - Our Treasure

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective To have the participants realize that their talents are a great God-given treasure which they must "use or lose." Read More
The Resurrection

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective: For young people to take time to investigate the Resurrection and think about how it applies to their life. Read More
The Role of Women in the Church

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
We are the body of Christ, the Church. Each one of us is a part of the body, dependent on another part of the body. Therefore everyone has a role to play and every role is important, whether you be the skin, the brain, or just one microscopic cell. Read More
The Tree of Jesse: A Traditional Lesson Plan

Department of Religious Education (DRE)
The Tree of Jesse: A Traditional Lesson Plan, by Fr. Andrew George, is an advent activity for home, groups, or church school. Read More
Theophany

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Objective To offer young people a greater insight into the feast of Theophany, while also gaining an understanding of what takes place when water is blessed. Read More
Traditions

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
A tradition is something that is handed down to us. Holy Traditions are that which were handed down from the Apostles who receive them from Christ. We also call this Apostolic Tradition. These Traditions cannot be changed. Church traditions (with a little t) are individual or local ways people express their faith. Read More
Walk with Christ - A Holy Week Retreat

Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM)
Have the participants come for the Imperial Hours Service in the morning before beginning the retreat Read More