S.O.F.I.A. stands for Seeing Our Father in All. It is our family catechism program designed for families with children. The program consists of the following three learning experiences on a monthly basis:
1. SOFIA Family Night
3rd Saturdays every month from September - July
A monthly gathering of all our families and their children for an experience of faith, learning and fellowship.
5:00 pm - Great Vespers
6:00 pm - Potluck dinner and fellowship
6:30 pm - Lessons and activities for all ages.
7:30 pm - Closing prayer
2. SOFIA Home Catechism
In 2024-2025, we have selected two books for whole-family catechism to be used at home for the duration of the year, specially selected to learn and teach the Orthodox faith. Reading plan provided at every monthly meeting. The books will be available for purchase in our bookstore.
- The Divine Liturgy (for children)
- Homilies on the Divine Liturgy (for parents)
- Monthly rotation of one toddler/young child book
3. SOFIA Newsletter
A monthly email newsletter to families that have joined our program. The newsletter will support the lessons through videos, audio, resources and materials.
4. Ask Father
On the 3rd Sunday of every month, a Q&A with Fr. Ninos and the children. The children can ask Father any questions they may have about their Orthodox faith and what they have been learning.
Your Commitment
We've tried to create a program that will be enjoyable, stress-free and fit with the busy lives of our families. We meet once a month on a Saturday evening to share a meal and build community. The monthly newsletter will include lesson recaps, inspiration, resources and more to support your growth in understanding and practicing your faith as individuals and as a family. The home catechism portion can happen at whatever time you may choose. Perhaps around the dinner table on a weeknight? Perhaps on Sunday afternoon so that the entire day can be dedicated to God. Committing to participating in the monthly retreats and engaging with the newsletter materials and making time to learn and pray together as a family will ensure that you'll benefit from this unique program and receive blessings and grace from God into your home and family.
Registration
Click here to register for the SOFIA Family Catechism program
Our busy lives. Where does the time go?
A reflection by Fr. Ninos
Many people are very committed to doing all sorts of things during the week, without fail, like going to the gym, playing a sport, following a diet, watching a TV show and so on. We're all constantly committed to learning something, listening to something, reading something, watching something. Children are committed to doing their homework, getting to class on time every morning, and all other kinds of activities. Adults are committed to developing their careers and balancing their work, family life and keeping up with social media. While these things may be considered necessary for our earthly lives and while fun, leisure and entertainment may offer some needed relief at times, these things can nonetheless take over our schedules, leaving us very little time to care for our souls. It's tragic but true that keeping us busy with only worldly pursuits and keeping our minds constantly distracted and away from God and thereby from caring for our souls is how the Devil leads people into Hell.
Every person, every parent, every family must break free from this unhealthy and demonic cycle that leads to spiritual blindness and eventually spiritual death. The way to do this is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and integrate our Orthodox Faith into our daily lives at home, school and work. That is the goal behind S.O.F.I.A. To "see Our Father in all" and in everything we do.
The good fight
Just as we commit ourselves to our duties and jobs and are expected to take them seriously, to be a true and real Orthodox Christian also requires our daily commitment to our spiritual life. This is what St. Paul calls the good fight.
"I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
Yet what motivates our commitment is not praise or a reward that we hope to attain. What motivates our struggle is love for Christ. In his great love for us, our Lord Jesus wants to be a part of our lives during the week as well. We dishonor him greatly and we jeopardize our salvation when we exclude him from our minds, our hearts and our lives during the week. Because it shows us to be prideful and also ungrateful for the life and the blessings he has given us! Instead, when we remember how much we need him and then invite him into our lives, when we humble ourselves and keep our relationship and communication active with him as we do with our closest friends and family members, when we integrate our Orthodox practice of prayer, fasting and good works every week, then Christ and his angels and saints will bless us, strengthen us and help us continue in peace, hope, faith and love through both the good and the challenging circumstances of our lives. But more importantly, it will lead to the healing, cleansing and sanctification of our souls.
If we pray and call out to God as "Our Father," then let us be people who He can call his children.