Conviction 1: Let’s stop talking in public about money and job cuts
Those are subjects for "internal usage" only in the church! Other people suffer from these problems much more than we do.
Let us get back to the task given us by Jesus Christ, that is, to go into all the world and call people in Jesus’ name to be his disciples.
Let us speak positively about our faith in God. We cannot let representatives of sects to be the first contacts that secularized people find to talk to.

Conviction 2: Let’s give people in our country a chance
Let us give them the chance to "start afresh" with faith in God.
Let us give them the chance to start with faith in God for the very first time.
"Starting afresh" does not mean "catching converts". The point is for Christians to invite people for a conversation.

Conviction 3: Let’s give our church a chance to start afresh
We ourselves will benefit greatly from getting involved in conversation with the people of our town. Christians and church workers, and the church itself, will be changed by the experience and be able to "start afresh".

Some questions: We say, "Christians invite you for a talk"
Is that what we want?
Dare we get involved in a dialogue?
Are we capable of sustaining a conversation, or will we first have to learn how?
Are we capable of articulating our faith in conversation with others?
Will we talk about what is in our hearts, or will we be too shy?
Will we be ready to open ourselves and our homes for an encounter?
Are we welcoming so that strangers are encouraged to visit us?
Will we enter into the questions asked by others?

Implication 1: "Starting afresh" means hard work, so many hesitations are expressed beforehand
Are they hesitations or are they fears? Folk tend to say:
We don’t have enough people ready to take part
We don’t have the necessary funds
We don’t have the time. We can hardly cope with our regular tasks, as it is.

Implication 2: "Starting afresh... Christians invite you for a talk" will succeed if...
everybody is ready to get involved;
there is the willingness for ecumenical fellowship;
the existing activities of local congregations are integrated into the project.

Implication 3: What is to be gained from "starting afresh"?
Those involved gain a new experience of the faith through ecumenical cooperation.
The encounter with strangers gives those taking part a new ability to engage in person to person discussion.
The church gains new acceptance in the region because it is seen to be facing up to current issues.
The taboo against talking about faith is broken.

Communication principle 1: "Starting afresh" begins with communication within the church
This begins with reaching agreement about the goals of the action.
Joint planning brings together different people and a variety of talents.
Before we attempt to make the move towards others, we engage jointly in training for the common task.

Communication principle 2: "Starting afresh" uses a variety of media to succeed
Press, radio and television are invited.
An ecumenical opening service sets a sign.
The telephone is used for contacting people in the town.
Anyone who expresses interest receives a paperback written by Christians from the town.
Five small group discussion sessions are offered.
The project ends with an ecumenical closing service.
Further possibilities are offered for those who are interested.

Overcoming hesitation: People often ask, "What will come out of it?"
Once the work is done we shall see the fruits of it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Only those who have the courage to make a start will eventually be amazed at the results.
After the project is completed many people say:
"If only we had known how much joy we would derive from 'starting afresh', and how much we would all gain from it, we would have started far sooner!"

In February, I visited the Archbishopric of Athens, intent on talking with two persons who are deeply involved in ministries aimed at the renewal of faith among nominal Orthodox Christians, particularly young people. It was a privilege for me to converse about this subject with Father Antoine Kalligeris, Director of the Archdiocese Youth Office, and his Assistant, Mr Manos Koumbarelis. The article that follows is based on our discussions.
Ana Langerak

After being welcomed to the small, simple space that functions as the Archdiocese Youth Office, I sit at a table with Fr Antoine Kalligeris, Director, and his young Assistant, Mr Manos Koumbarelis. Father Antoine, who looks more like a basketball player than a church executive, is a married priest. He and his wife have three children. The reason why this man was selected for his post is immediately obvious; Father Antoine has a great deal of experience in working with young people, and he is deeply concerned about their needs.

"The challenges facing us are immense," he says. "While we could say that 91% of the population considers itself Orthodox, the majority do not have a living faith in their hearts. As in other countries, our society is undergoing rapid secularization, and many 'gods' compete for attention, especially that of the young. Consumerism and economic power hold out a tremendous appeal to them."

"In the face of this, consider the out-dated way we, as a Church, are structured," he continues. "Our parishes are too big, too impersonal. Some, in Athens, have up to 200,000 people. For spiritual renewal, we need smaller structures; we’ve got to encourage the coming together of people in smaller groups."

Manos expands on the subject. This personable young man, who acts as Assistant to the Director, plays an important role in organizing the work of the Youth Office. "In Greece we’re at a point where the societies of Western Europe were 30-40 years ago. While most of our people are content to regard the Church as 'being there', they’re actually in transit to becoming indifferent. Television is now the number one teacher. It has replaced the schools, and formal learning -especially about religion and faith- is less important than ever. Maybe theological ignorance is our biggest challenge."

Telephones ring and computers and printers click and drone while visitors pop in and out of the busy office. My hosts tell me about a national survey that was done among young people. The survey had asked youth to rate such things as peace, human rights, safeguarding of the environment, etc. on a scale of value. Surprisingly, 5% chose "Orthodoxy" as a first value. "This means," explains Father Antoine, "that 5% of the youth are satisfied with what we have to offer as a Church but, while we should serve this sector, we really need to be ministering to the broader group."

"What about the Internet Café that has been set up through the encouragement of Archbishop Christodoulos, and what about the Archbishop’s suggestion that the liturgy might be shortened, so that the young may feel more at ease?" I ask, adding, "Are these part of a plan or strategy?" (I recognize the "western tone" of this question). Manos smiles. As President of Syndesmos, the world fellowship of Orthodox youth, he is familiar with this kind of thinking. "No, we don’t have a strategy. In fact we’re not at all systematic. We’re in the midst of a changing context here, and we’re trying to respond as best as we can."

For all their downplaying of a systematic approach, the deliberate efforts towards spiritual renewal by the Greek Archdiocese are quite evident. Take the work of the Youth Office alone. With the Archbishop’s blessing, it has set for itself an ambitious programme of faith revitalization in the Greek Archdiocese, that includes seeking the designation of one priest per parish for youth work, the holding of regular up-dating meetings with these "youth priests", the organization of twice yearly gatherings of university students, and intensive training of chatecists (some 600 persons, mostly below 35 years of age). In a related project, the Office worked on a revision of teachers’ editions of religious education books, because it was found that more basic religious knowledge needed to be given.

Manos and Father Antoine read off statistics from last year’s report of the Youth Office, while they explain the importance of the Church’s initiative to open youth centers in as many places as possible. As the name suggests, these centers are spaces, created in church buildings or elsewhere in the neighborhood, where youth can meet to join in meaningful activities with others, and find practical responses to a range of social, educational, esthetic, and spiritual concerns. I saw one such center later, on my exposure visit. Volunteer lay people staff it almost entirely, and it seems to run exceedingly well. With the positive response by youth to options like choir singing, crafts, sports, traditional dance, iconography, and to support in subjects like science, mathematics, and languages, it’s easy to see why the creation of youth centers is one of the main focal points of youth ministry.

Coming back from a "time-out" to chat with a visiting priest, Manos describes how the Archdiocese tries to convey the message that God and faith actually relate to all of life. For this, it uses traditional Orthodox practices as well as new approaches. Bridging the gap between faith as celebrated in the Church and secular school life, the Archbishop blesses the school year, visits individual schools, addresses teachers on special occasions, and donates books. In addition, the Youth Office actively encourages parish priests to build good relations with schoolteachers, and to act as teachers of subjects they master. "It is important to show young people that we care," Manos tells me.

The subject now turns to the wider society. Fr Antoine and Manos indicate that the Internet Café and the creation of a Church web page are ways of going public. The Church also tries to sustain good relations with the professional, academic and scientific communities. It’s also involved in the formation of theatre groups, and it even promotes athletic competitions and championships, with the hope of conveying Gospel values in these areas as well. "One thing we need to be careful of, is not to replace normal social structures," they point out. Take sports. "What’s specific about our involvement in sports, if not to teach, for example, that ‘fair play’ is a necessary outcome of our conviction that God’s image is to be seen in each of our opponents and team mates?"

My impression that one of the principal ways in which the Church tries to bring Gospel perspectives to bear on contemporary Greek society is through the role of Archbishop Christodoulos himself, is borne out by the Youth Office staff. "He’s a highly visible person," they say, "extremely popular with the people, and unafraid to give his opinion on issues that concern the country." Manos goes on to tell me that the Archbishop spoke out about NATO’s involvement in the former Yugoslavia, and gave his opinion on Greece’s entry to the European Union. "Unlike politicians, he can risk to speak out. He’s criticized by the intellectuals, but ordinary people feel he speaks for them."

Father Antoine’s young niece comes to join us for lunch, and I steer the conversation to the personal dimension of faith. In a context where modernity and tradition intersect as dynamically as in Greece, it is not uncommon for people, as individuals, to discover or rediscover the faith as something "new", like coming upon a beautiful mosaic in an old house. "This happens when they encounter authenticity," remarks the Priest. Manos says that people like the (Orthodox) Tradition when it’s authentic, adding facetiously that some things that pass for "Tradition" are just habits that need to be critiqued.

The language used in the liturgy is an issue. It dates from the Fourth Century, and is no longer understood. On the other hand, the whole tradition of "spiritual fathers", monks who give guidance and provide for confession, is regaining popularity. This seems to respond to the modern psyche, but Father Antoine and Manos wonder what this rekindled interest in "spiritual fathers" means in the long run. "What about developing a sense of personal Christian responsibility towards others? If instead what we have is an individual spirituality and a new dependence, then it’s not so good."

As evening falls, I make a round of visits: to an Orthodox symposium at the University, a parish youth center, and a Church-owned radio station. The dust and noise of Athens begin to subside when I return to my hotel, my head full of impressions from this "immersion". What I had seen and heard about the deepening of faith was a fascinating juxtaposition of elements ancient and modern, traditional and innovative, enthusiastic and subdued. Caring for spiritual renewal in modern day Greece, as the Archdiocese Youth Office tries to do, is neither a sensational nor insignificant matter. It involves vision, hard work, and a sense of faithfulness to God’s mission. Hadn’t Manos said, "We’re not saving the world here, all we’re doing is to respond with faithfulness to what's happening?"

From the Mailbox
Mabuhay from the Philippines! I’m with the Committee on Iglesia Filipina Independiente Schools and a missionary priest for Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte. The Ecumenical Letter surely helps us in discerning and witnessing to the Gospel.More power for this shared mission with God!

Rev. Perla Cajote
Siayan, The Philippines