March 2021 Youth & Young Adult Engagement
Beloved Fellow Ascension Parishioners,
We want to start off by wishing you all a Blessed Lent ("Καλή Σαρακοστή!") and a Happy 200th Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence ("Ζήτω η Ελλάς! Χρόνια Πολλα!").
This past few weeks, our Stewardship Committee has been focussing on our Youth Stewardship, with a special emphasis on our young adults currently in their twenties. We met with Dr. Ann Mitsakos Bezzerides (Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College Holy Cross) and Jenny Haddad Mosher (Director of the Telos Project at Holy Cross) to learn more about the Telos Project (www.teloscommunity.org), a grassroots program that has been partnering with parishes across the country to help communities engage our young adults.
Some of the key insights from the Telos Project have been the importance of giving our young adults a stronger voice and an opportunity to share their knowledge and engage within their areas of expertise. This provides an opportunity to involve them in the decision-making in our community, provide a seat for them at the table, and integrate them into community leadership roles. This is important not only to recognize, empower, and energize our young adults but also for our entire community, to continue to cultivate understanding, gratitude, and empathy for our clergy and our community, and to foster an appreciation for what it takes to keep a parish operating and successful.
As the Stewardship Committee explores further how we pursue our outreach and engagement of our young adults, rest assured that you will each have a vital role to play and that we will be including not only our young adults, but parents, the Parish Council, and people in our community who have held leadership and foundational roles over the years, so that we can learn from as many of you as possible. We will be reaching out to you with a formal announcement in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, looking ahead to the month of April, we will start collaborating on a structured mentorship program led by Father Nick Mueller and Dr. Maria Woods targeting youth and young professionals. We are also continuing with our Prayer Team Ministry and welcome you to join us to pray for our community on selected days by emailing ascensionprayers4700@gmail.com. Please also email the Prayer Team to submit the names of those living and departed who you would like to include in our prayers.
Finally, as we end the first quarter, we would like to thank all of you who have made pledges this year. With the help of your generous donations received to date, we are very near our March 30th target of $164,012. If you haven't had the opportunity yet to make your pledge this month, please contact the church office or donate online at www.ascensioncathedral.com/stewardship.
With deep gratitude,
Efthalia
Allen, Stewardship Committee Member
