St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Allison Park hosted two retreats the weekend of March 8-9, one for the clergy on Friday, March 8, and one for Laity on Saturday March 9. 

His Eminence, Archbishop MELCHISEDEK has enthusiastically invited Steven Christoforou to be the presenter for both days. Steve spent 9 years as the founder and leader of Y2AM and is perhaps best known for his work on “Be the Bee”, “Pop Culture Coffee Hour”, and “Effective Christian Ministry”.  He is a graduate of Yale University, Fordham University School of Law, and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.  He is currently the Director of Operations & Community Engagement for FOCUS North America.

With a focus on the impact ministry can have on the young adults in our Church, Steve will be providing a retreat entitled “What Do People Need from the Church?: How to lead Effective Christian Ministry”.  While the focus will be the same for both the Clergy and Laity retreats, the discussion will be tailored to the needs of each group.

The following is a short description provided to us by Steven:

“Most young people who grow up in the Church fall away as they grow into young adults.  Why is the ministry they experience falling short? What can the Church do to form faithful Orthodox Christians more effectively?”

“In this presentation, Steve will distill years of research and experience as he helps participants understand (i) why our ministry efforts have been ineffective, (ii) what people need from the Church and (iii) how we can meet those needs in 5 basic practices.”