Transcript Preservant Prep summary

St. Athanasius
Pre-Servant Program
“Serve the Lord with gladness” Psalm 100:2
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature.” Mark 16:15
Mission Statement
To equip individuals to serve the body of
Christ, in love, through the Grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The How…
• Didactics
• Classroom lessons with guest speakers
• Take home tests and written assignments
• Student presentations
• Spiritual
• Sacraments
• Spiritual Retreats
• Behavior
• Service
• Community Service
• Church Service – website, cleaning, retreats, kids activities
• Family service
Areas of Focus
• Service – Types of service, spirituality of the servant, how to
serve
• Church History - Church Fathers, Councils
• Bible Study - Old and New Testament
• Orthodox Tradition - Liturgy, prayers, calendar
• Theology and Dogma – what we believe and why
• Comparative Theology - Why Orthodoxy?
• Church Perspectives on modern issues (Evolution, birth
control, death penalty, stem cell, dating,…..)
Faculty
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Father John Bishara
Raymond Girgis
Samy Faltas
George Makar
Mina Makar
Guest speakers
Requirements for acceptance
into the program
• Regular meeting with a Father of Confession
• Father of Confession must recommend you
for participation in the program
• Demonstrate consistent attendance in the
Liturgy and Sunday School
• Demonstrate behavior inside and outside the
Church that is a positive example for other
youth AND adults, that is consistent with the
behavior of a Servant.
Detailed curriculum - Service
Topic
1
Learning from Christ the True Servant
The Good Shepherd
The Blessings of Service
2
Serving is an immense responsibility
Our call to serve demands a life of fullness
The commitment to serve
3
Service Requires a Passionate Heart/Spirituality of the servant
Service Requires Prayer/an Open Bible/Fasting…
Service is Discipleship
4
The Unacceptable service
The Acceptable service (seriousness in the service)
5
Types of Services/Different Ways of Serving
Detailed curriculum - History
Topic
1
Timeline of Christian Church History:
The Apostolic Age
Patrology – Anti-Nicene, Nicene, Post-Nicene Fathers
Introduction to the Church Councils
The Great Schism
The Protestant Reformation
2
Monasticism
3
Martyrdom
4
1st Ecumenical Council of Nicea – Divinity of Christ
5
2nd Ecumenical Council of Constantinople – Divinity of the Holy
spirit/Humanity of Christ
6
3rd Ecumenical Council of Ephesus
7
Council of Chalcedon
Detailed curriculum – Bible Study
Topic
1
Introduction to the Bible
2
Why we believe the Bible?
3
Introduction and overview of the Deutero-Canonical Books
4
Introduction to the Book of Genesis
5
The Major Prophets
6
The Minor Prophets
7
Psalms
8
A comparison of the Four Gospels
9
The Gospel of St. John
10
The Holy Spirit and the Book of Acts
11
Pauline Epistles
12
The Epistle of St. James
13
Catholic Epistles
14
(Revelation – will be covered in Theology section)
Detailed curriculum – Theology and Dogma
Topic
Topic
1
The Holy Trinity-Trinity in one and One in
Trinity
11
Orthodox view of the Virgin Mary, the
Theotokos
2
God the Father
12
Intercession of Saints
3
God the Son
13
The Church Tradition
4
God the Holy Spirit
14
Faith vs Works
5
Incarnation of the Son
15
Predestination
6
Salvation/Redemption
16
Moses Laws between the two Testaments
7
Baptism and Chrismation
17
Angels
8
Repentance and Confession
18
Judgment at end of days/Revelation
9
Eucharist
10
Anointing the Sick/Holy
Matrimony/Priesthood
Detailed curriculum – Comparative Theology & Social issues
Topic
Topic
1
Coptic Orthodoxy – What do I believe &
defend
12
Evolution /Atheism
Science and Christianity – conflict?
2
Why must there only be one correct
religion?
13
Homosexuality
3
Catholicism vs Orthodoxy
14
Orthodox Bioethics – I – Life (birth
control, artificial insemination, stem cell
research, abortion)
4
Protestantism vs Orthodoxy
15
Orthodox Bioethics – II End of life (capital
punishment, euthanasia, assisted
suicide).
5
Islam
16
Modern attacks on Christianity/The
Davinci code
6
Judaism
17
Persecution
7
Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons and
Jehovah’s Witnesses
18
Atheism
8
Humanism
19
Religion and Politics
9
Paganism, Buddism, The New Age
movement – same old movement
10
Absolute truth/Moral Relativism
11
Does Evil really exist?
Curriculum references
• Southern diocese servant prep curriculum
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http://www.suscopts.org/servantsprep/
• St. Mina Holmdel Servant Prep curriculum
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http://saintminaholmdel.org/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31&Itemid=97
• St. Mark Chicago Servant Prep curriculum
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http://www.copticservant.com/
• Various other topic specific references will be
used: Coptic language; Pope Shenouda books, Father Tadros Malaty,
Social issues references
Requirements for graduation
• Attendance of at least 80% of all lectures
and makeup of all mandatory missed
lectures.
• Completion of program activities including
projects, presentations, exams as well as
service activities.
• Ongoing performance of the activities
needed for acceptance into the program.
What if I do not want to be a
servant in the Church?
• Our hope is that everyone who is able to
be a servant will choose to enroll in the
Pre-servant program.
• If you are not yet ready to be a servant, we
strongly encourage you to attend as many
of the activities and lectures as you can
attend, for your own spiritual benefit and
learning.