What

This is initiative is an education and
action program designed to engage parishes and persons in the Diocese
of the Midwest in an active effort to learn how to effectively and
properly share their faith with others.

The program would consist of a
series of videos, webinars, web pages, booklets, parish discussions and
parish action projects that would be designed around the previously
successful “purple book”.
In a sense it would be a distributed, extended workshop.

Goal

Increase
the rate at which Orthodox Christians share the Good News with their
neighbor – just as the Apostles.

Why This Topic?

• The Diocese is shrinking.
• Mission parishes have requested assistance with evangelization.
• During a recent workshop in Cleveland the topic of evangelization training was brought up not once but three times.
• Personal
  word or mouth evangelism, not marketing or communication programs, is
  known to be the most potent and effective approach to numerically and
  spiritually building up the Body of Christ.

Why Now?

The
last major development and delivery of materials on church growth and
evangelization was the “Purple book” (“Church Growth and Evangelization
– The Basis and the Basics”) combined with “road shows” ( Saturday
workshops -Heating Up a Lukewarm Church). It was probably the most successful publication/
development activity in the OCA. While portions are out of date, much
of the material is useful today. It is likely, however, that fewer than
15% of people under 50 in the OCA have seen the material. Those who
have seen it have forgotten much of it. (“People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.” CS Lewis)

It
is probable that many of our current mission priests, let alone parish
priests, have never participated in a session or, perhaps, even seen the
book.

Why This Approach

Delivering “training”/education to the faithful via in person workshops and
written materials is inefficient and often ineffective.

• From the trainer/delivery perspective it requires a full day of the workshop leader as well as travel and prep time.
• Each time you do it the workshop is delivered the same execution cost is incurred as well as time to become refreshed with the material.
• If more than one speaker is desirable then travel costs are multiplied.
• Attendance is often low.
• Distances and travel costs are high since parishes in many areas are spread out.
• Missions are, somewhat by definition, in remote locations.
• Retention is low - the impact is probably lost within a few days. Attention spans are short.
• The
  essence of personal evangelization are personal stories. Personal
  stories are often lifeless in written form. Those same persons can’t
  attend every workshop to tell their story – which, at any rate, need to
  be short and compact.
  

Technology Provides a New Option

Modern
multi-media technology can allow capture and distribution of this
information in a vastly more potent manner than in 1980 -- at a
fraction of the cost.

The on-demand flexibility and virtually free
delivery afforded by technology “levels the playing field”. It allows
small groups to do things -- i.e. offer a “larger footprint” – deliver
an impact that was previously available only to much larger bodies.

How

• Repurpose the material from the "purple book" and its related workshop.
  
• Add
  up dated information focused less on the issues/situations of 1980’s
  (the book’s vintage) and more on current themes & issues.
  
• This
  would basically be a redesigned one day workshop on evangelism and
  related techniques. It would not be delivered as an "on site workshop"
  but rather a remote web or dvd based content that is randomly
  accessible in small bite size chunks.
• Provide various incentive and educational opportunities for parishes to actively use the material -- as opposed to view and forget.
  

Content Types

• Videos (15-25 minutes lessons on various aspects of the topic. Lectures/presentations etc.
• "Videolets"
  – Short 1-3 minute segments on various areas of content can be
  developed with ease. As new topics arise new videolets are created. As
  improved ideas on past topics develop the videolets are updated.
• PowerPoint
  – Some content can and should be delivered as slide presentations with
  embedded audio & video of presenter. This gets published as flash files that can be viewed
  by virtually anyone.
• Web pages – These can be ways to deliver easily modifiable print versions of some content as well in parish workshop exercises.
• Booklets - Create a few short printed booklets to supplement the above and as easily accessible intro material.
• Book - Once material is stable we can consider printing some of it in a book.
  

Delivery

• Websites – download videos from public and/or password protected websites.
• DVD’s – create thousands of copies of the materials and distribute in each parish.
• Webinars
  -- Broadcast PowerPoint lectures, including interactivity/ QA to large
  groups within the Diocese and outside it. Post archives of live
  sessions to the web.
• Adult Ed -- Support the education/training
  materials with local parish workshops executed as adult ed activities
  led by clergy or catechists..
• Newsletter -- Feature new content in Parish Pulse newsletter
  

Who
Primary players are Fr. John Matusiak and Joe Kormos to create the backbone materials. Contributions from others will be sought.

Two Audiences
These videos/videolets should be produced in such a way as to have two audiences.

• Inquirers
  --The first audience is inquirers – those truly interested in exploring
  the Orthodox faith and for whom that exploration can become more alive
  and potent by viewing presentation/discussion by some of our best, most
  experienced presenters & teachers.
• Orthodox Evangelizers
  -- The second and really the primary audience is Orthodox laity and
  clergy who desire to become more comfortable and fluent in personal
  evangelization. These people (who will be referred to as “trainees”)
  will be exposed to the sinquirer materials – but will also be exposed to
  supplemental materials designed to explain why particular approaches
  are used, and to see actual role plays of the materials/methods in
  action.

Phase I

The content envisioned in this effort can be overwhelming. If we try everyhing we'll accomplish nothing.

Our current thinking is to aim Phase 1 at:

1. Recording a "flash" version of an actual presentation of the three Inquirer's Classes.
2. Create a few modest length videos to repurpose the introductory sections of the "Basis and Basics" materials from the 80's.
3. Provide short videos for training persons in key emphasis points in delivering the presentation or similar material or "How to" videos of "what to do when you're in this situation".
4. Post to web and make DVD's for distribution.

A potion of the phase 1 material can potentially be deliverable at the 2007 Diocesan Assembly.