Orthodox Youth Ministries

Praising God Outdoors is a program designed to bring young people directly into the worshipful presence of nature. The program aims to use the natural world to point children ages 5-12 toward an Orthodox understanding of ongoing worship by bringing outdoor worship services to families with children in elementary school and encouraging Orthodox Christian worship experience that enables historically underrepresented populations to become more active contributors, including girls, children with disabilities, ethnic and racial minorities, and children in general. Additionally, OYM will create an experiential base that invigorates the whole parish, provides intergenerational connectivity, and enables smooth integration between outdoor and indoor worship and ministries. Inspired by The Way of a Pilgrim, OYM will develop an experiential curriculum titled Path of the Pilgrim to create a roadmap to Orthodox communities across the United States for guiding these nature-centered worship experiences through the lens of a journey or pilgrimage. Cohorts of families will interact with Ministry Support Coordinators (MSCs) from Orthodox congregants to serve as pilot groups and ultimately walk away equipped to bring ancient Christian practices back into indoor church services and the home.