All Orthodox Christians from North America who have experience with children are invited to prayerfully consider helping to offer a family retreat program in Albania this coming July. Families with children, couples, and individuals are encouraged to apply today!

Families with children, couples, and individuals who have experience with children are invited to help lead a family retreat program in Albania. The focus is to offer a “family witness” while sharing the Orthodox faith and growing in Christ together. Workshops, activities, and ministry outreach will be offered to Albanian church leaders and their families. Sports, arts & crafts, singing, and music will also be part of the fun. There will be opportunities to experience several ministries of the Church of Albania and go on pilgrimages to some of Albania’s holiest sites. This team will be a collaboration between OCMC and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Care. Families with children are encouraged to participate.

In the 20th century under a Communist regime, the Orthodox Church in Albania suffered an extremely severe religious persecution in the world; by 1991, no Church infrastructure existed. Under the guidance of His Beatitude ANASTASIOS, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania, along with the help of Orthodox missionaries, the Church has been resurrected and continues to flourish.

In 2011, we sent our first-ever Family Mission Team to Albania and humbly helped lay the foundation for family ministry of the Orthodox Church of Albania. The 2013 Family Mission Team will work side by side with OCMC missionaries and Church leaders to continue building and strengthening this ministry. Adults and children alike will actively participate in roles of leadership: adults will lead camp programs, while children will be involved in preparations with adult supervision. All participants are called to be exemplary role models as they minister to other families, share their life experience, and offer a visible witness of the Orthodox faith.

Be a part of this OCMC and Center for Family Care mission witness! Strong family values, teaching experience, and training and/or experience in helping couples and families are needed; team is limited to 20 participants from North America. The dates are July 19 through August 1, 2013. The participant cost is $1,410; additional family member, $1,065; children (under 12 years of age), $695; airfare is not included.