How can I make a difference here at home?

In June 2012, St. Raphael church is hosting a hands-on missionary retreat to take on that very question. Held at the St. Andrew Center in Detroit, the retreat will focus on the church's mission and ministry to those in need right here in our own back yard.

For high school, college, and adult Orthodox Christians and catechumens.

The faithful will stay in the historic St. Andrew Center in Detroit, Michigan, and pray and worship together, share meals, and fellowship. We will receive practical instruction in the Church’s mission and ministries for those in need, and work together on some projects in the neighborhood.

Many of our youth and adults hunger to experience missionary work firsthand, but only a small portion are able to go abroad. While there is important work to be done here as well as overseas, our suburban parishes find little direct exposure to our urban and rural poor and to the homeless. Located in Detroit, the annual St. Raphael of Brooklyn URBAN MISSION week provides an opportunity to not only learn about missions in an Orthodox Christian context but to participate in outreach here in our own back yard.

Download brochure: "Orthodox Mission in an Urban Setting" (PDF)

Guest speakers

In addition to neighborhood projects, missionaries will attend presentations and discussion forums at the St. Andrew center. Guest presenters currently include:

Paul Abernathy (FOCUS Urban Mission in Pittsburgh, PA)
Kathryn Saclarides (Violence Prevention in Little Village, Chicago, awarded Chicago's "Most Outstanding Community Strategy of the Year")

Download a full schedule (PDF)

Costs:

Registration fee: $50 per person (non-refundable, due by May 15, 2012)

Retreat fee:$150 per person, in addition to registration fee (due by May 31, 2012)

NOTE: Scholarships and parish sponsorships may be available.

Fees include lodging and meals (four nights and five days). Each registered missionary will receive a resource packet, which includes necessary forms and documents, and materials to help promote the mission in your parish. Any additional donations missionaries raise (beyond individual registration and retreat fees) will go directly to the mission's inner-city projects for the week.

To register or get more information:

Please contact your host pastor, V. Rev. Fr. Paul Albert at fr.paul@bex.net or 419-944-3995.

Download retreat flyer for parish bulletin boards and other distribution (PDF)