|
|
|
Published by
International Orthodox Christian Charities,
September 22, 2004
New IOCC Prayer
Journal Offers Way for Kids to Help Kids |
 |
 |
Baltimore (IOCC)
– Last year, seven church-school students from St.
Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Lubbock, Texas,
used the IOCC children’s prayer journal to learn
about children in need around the world.
Then they went a step further: They held a
fund-raiser and raised $225 for International
Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC).
In Philadelphia, 60 Orthodox children from seven
parishes gathered to do the school kit activity
featured in the IOCC prayer journal. They
assembled 200 school-supply kits for children in
other countries.
Those are just two examples of how Orthodox
children in the United States used the prayer
journal in 2003-2004. As a result of the journal’s
school kit activity, IOCC and its partner, Church
World Service, distributed 18,000 school-supply
kits to children in need.
Now IOCC is producing a second edition of the
popular prayer journal, just in time for the new
church-school year. All 25,000 copies of the first
edition were distributed within months of its
release.
“IOCC’s prayer journal introduces our young people
to the work of IOCC and offers a concrete way that
they can participate, whether within a church
school class or youth group, or as an individual,”
said Phyllis Meshel Onest, director of religious
education for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of
Pittsburgh.
Titled “My Prayer Journal,” the colorful, 32-page
book is designed to encourage children in their
prayer life as they learn about children around
the world. Each month features a different country
where IOCC, a humanitarian aid agency of Orthodox
Christians, is helping people in need.
Along with information about each country, the
book contains Bible verses, quotes from the Church
Fathers, excerpts from the Divine Liturgy,
suggested prayers, activities and facts. Space is
provided for children to write in their prayer
requests and things for which they are thankful.
The journal is endorsed by IOCC’s parent
organization, the Standing Conference of Canonical
Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). An
online version that supplements the material in
the print version can be found at www.iocc.org/kids.
This year’s prayer journal was underwritten by the
Behrakis Family Foundation and Sam, Victoria,
Stephen, Peter and Breck Souvall.
To order individual copies, go online at
www.iocc.org/journal. For parish orders, contact
the Department of Religious Education of the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese toll-free at 1-800-566-1088.
The prayer journal is free, but shipping charges
may apply.
|
