Religious Education conference to be held in Portland December 8

Matushka Valerie Zahirsky, co-chair of the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Education, will be the featured speaker at a Christian education mini-conference at Saint Nicholas Church here Saturday, December 8, 2007.

The conference will begin at noon.

Theme of the mini-conference is “Helping Young People Develop an Orthodox Worldview.”

Matushka Valerie will present an overview of selected Bible passages, liturgical verses, and the lives of saints, and discuss ways to help children and teens relate the passages to daily life. She also will emphasize how the passages can help young people appreciate the Church’s view of life—a view that is hopeful, authentic, and true. A question and answer session will follow.

A variety of Orthodox Christian educational resources will be available.

The Very Rev. George Gray, rector of Saint Nicholas Church, is coordinating the event.