Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

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arcmode
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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by arcmode »

For young boys (6 to 10): The Squires of St. Michael

For older boys (10 to 18): The Knights of St. Michael

For young ladies (6 to 10): The Handmaidens of St. Gabriel

For older girls (10 to 18): The Ladies of St. Gabriel

That's good. The Holy Angels would protect and minister to this order, and the knights and ladies would have them as thier models and guides. But I think it would be better to raise the age of knighthood to match the first year of high school, because this is where we first meet the most serious challenges to faith, when they want to teach us evolution and other humanistic ideas and the pressures of the passions become more powerful. That way the youth would know he/she was ready to enter a new level of expectation, and a more serious battle against the spirit of the age. By being set apart, as Christians should be, it might also give them strength against the peer pressure that really ramps up in adolescence, because as knights they would be special representatives of True Orthodoxy. There are lots of sins and passions that are introduced in youth like gossiping, laziness, man-pleasing and these could be a focus of the prayers and duties unique to the order.

Perhaps levels of achievement could follow the 9 spheres of the angelic hierarchy:

Knight, Lady over 18 -

Seraphim
Cherubim
Thrones

Knight, Lady up to 18 -

Dominions
Virtues
Powers

Squire, handmaiden -

Principalities
Archangels
Angels

I also think it should be somewhat secret, not an obvious or outward thing. There should be medals and badges and group works and activities, but the knight, or lady, should be somewhat hidden and covert when apart from the group. Fight fire with fire.

There should be a special vow to always speak truth and seek justice in all things and never to stand for the dishonor of Holy things or any kind of blasphemy. Perhaps the ladies could read a cannon to St Gabriel and the knights a cannon to St Michael once a week during the fasts, and they could earn a badge for that. A shorter prayer to each perhaps for the squires and handmaidens.

The original chivalric orders of the middle ages were formed to continue the fight against Islam and the Ottoman empire after the failure of the crusades. and the fall of Constantinople. A new TOC order would be more focused on the battle with ecumenism, apostasy, and the anti-patristic spirit of world orthodoxy. It would be a kind of crusade to reclaim the Holy land of those Christian souls in the mason/illuminist occupied territory of the world churches. But there will be trouble due to disagreements between various TOC churches I expect. Maybe it could be for any Orthodox Christians but based on resisting modernism and ecumenism etc. Stay independent of Jurisdiction.

Special attention could be given to Soldier saints like St George and St Demitrious, and Monarch saints who fought great battles like Saint Prince Lazar of Serbia or Alexander Nevsky and The Royal Martyrs. Many Fathers used a military analogy for the spiritual warfare, perhaps a small book could be compiled from these teachings for the order to study.

Couple of quotes from websites:

The nine cardinal principles expected from Chivalry are those of loyalty, piety, frankness, bravery, glory, honor, contempt of death, helpfulness towards the poor and sick, and respect for the Church.

According to belief, Christian chivalry began with the Emperor Constantine in the Fourth Century about A.D. 312. This is attributed to his vision of a flaming cross in the sky - that of the True Cross of Christ - on October 28th, A.D. 312, just before he rode into battle against Manentius. In this vision he also saw the words "In Hoc Signo" meaning "In this sign you will conquer." Constantine was victorious under this sign and the first Christian Empire was founded in Byzantium. The fifty warriors that he had selected to carry the new imperial banner that contained the cross became the first Golden Knights. They were organized into what was called the Sacred Knightly Guard, also known as "Torquati" (Golden Knights) and "Perfectissimi" (Most Perfect Knights).

Do not be shocked by those who teach new doctrines but seem to be worthy of credence. Stand solidly like an anvil under blows. A good athlete suffers blows but wins. St Ignatius.

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Maria
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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by Maria »

Children as young as 10 are becoming atheists due to the secular humanistic teachings in elementary school.

Cub scouts and Brownies have special ceremonies when they become Boy and Girl scouts at very early ages. I forgot the exact age, but I think I was in the fourth grade (9 going on 10) when I had my "fly up" ceremony and became a girl scout. Children cherish those memories.

Having a special uniform that sets a youngster is important as it creates a special bond and feeling of belonging and being accepted. With girls, they could learn home economic skills if they could cut and sew their own sash for their awards. The younger girls could cut their sashes out of felt which needs no sewing skills. The older girls could sew their own sashes, skirts, and blouses perhaps using the same pattern style but selecting their own colors. As girls grow from one size to a larger size, they could donate these clothes to younger members who do not have the money for clothing.

Each age group could select their own pattern style. For example:

Girls from 6 to 10 could wear a jumper with a purchased shirt.
Girls from 10 to 12 could sew and wear a simple A-line skirt and simple blouse.
Girls from 12 to 15 could sew and wear a six-gore skirt or flounced skirt with a collared blouse (more complex).
Girls from 15 to 18 could sew and wear a dress. In addition, they could make the jumpers for the younger girls.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

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Barbara
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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by Barbara »

You guys are BRILLIANT.
I am astounded at these amazing ideas, so well developed.

I laughed at this by arcmode : "squire does sound boring, and the meaning changed over time to mean something pretty boring to do with English people, who probably only stole the title to make themselves seem less boring"
That rang so TRUE !

And Maria, that's really a terrific outline of the uniforms for the different ages.
I just saw a bumper sticker the other day :
"I'd Rather Be Sewing "

Perfect for this !

All this would hold and retain the interest of the youth, yet keep them on the right path, while providing
that sense of belonging mentioned. Probably peer pressure works so insidiously because teens don't really know
WHO they are, and maybe family identity is not strong. To have an anchor to "hold fast onto" would
be incredibly helpful.

I certainly wish I had had such a nice chance to strive in a much more meaningful way than
zipping through Girl Scout badges til they went up the back of my sash. But for what ?
To learn how to camp outdoors ? How does that help one spiritually ?
I don't recall the Home Economics badges were at all useful training for me in any practical situation.
Whereas the outline HERE sounds eminently helpful for building up a girl's future.

Very exciting plans here !

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Barbara
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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by Barbara »

P.S. to the above. After I wrote this i remembered that indeed I ended up involuntarily having to live outdoors
in a primitive country for my [self-imposed] work.
Did Girl Scout "campfire lore" badge requirements help me there ?
NO ! Not even a tiny iota [sadly].

We need authentic survival programs to put the rudiments of survival in a different world, should any one in any part of the world
be subjected to difficult conditions. Or even how to live with out electrical power.
That would be appropriate preparation for this period of history.

Not how to kindle two twigs together to make a fire to roast "marshmellows" - !

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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by JamesR »

Okay am I the odd exception because one of the major reasons I came to Orthodoxy was precisely because it is boring, authentic, and unchanging? I appreciated (and still do) the firmness of worship and maturity of it, opposed to the Evangelicals who go to extreme lengths to keep youth attending like having rock concerts in their Churches with little to no mention to God.

"'Blessed are the peacemakers' For those are peacemakers in themselves who, in conquering and subjecting to reason all the motions of their souls and having their carnal desires tamed, have become in themselves a Kingdom of God."-St. Augustine of Hippo (Confessions)

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arcmode
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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by arcmode »

The point is not to make Orthodoxy exciting or whatever. Chivalric orders are not an innovation, they are an ancient tradition, did you read this part of the thread:?

According to belief, Christian chivalry began with the Emperor Constantine in the Fourth Century about A.D. 312. This is attributed to his vision of a flaming cross in the sky - that of the True Cross of Christ - on October 28th, A.D. 312, just before he rode into battle against Manentius. In this vision he also saw the words "In Hoc Signo" meaning "In this sign you will conquer." Constantine was victorious under this sign and the first Christian Empire was founded in Byzantium. The fifty warriors that he had selected to carry the new imperial banner that contained the cross became the first Golden Knights. They were organized into what was called the Sacred Knightly Guard, also known as "Torquati" (Golden Knights) and "Perfectissimi" (Most Perfect Knights).

Also, this has nothing to do with changing the worship or getting people to go to church. It is something that can exist alongside church that we hope would bring faith more into the everyday life of youth, as they would be conscious of themselves as being defenders of the faith and held to a code of chivalry, as well as providing a social and educational framework to build friendships and knowledge alongside other youth. Apart from attending church, it's difficult to educate children in the faith without some kind of formal procedure or communal gathering, and this is already familiar to youth in the form of school, clubs, social groups etc. There is no lack of organised worldliness, the Church needs to start competing with that, and the life of the services should continue outside the church and be a leaven throughout the culture. This would be a way of fostering that.

Imagine - in 20 - 30 years time, when persecution will presumably become more acute and the difficulty of confessing orthodoxy or even having access to the resources required to acquire it will become more and more scarce, and perhaps even churches and community will be thin on the ground or even hidden by necessity. There could be hundreds of men and women scattered around the world who have taken an oath of defending the faith, and spent their youth learning the doctrines, theology, apologetics, prayers, even the services themselves, and they would have this background since they were children that they were honor-bound, as part of a knightly order to confess and uphold Orthodoxy to the death, and committed to passing it onto other youth and any other hungry soul. It could be a real strength for the remaining Christians and a light to the lost heterodox and seekers. The enemy uses a lot of symbology, sense of belonging, and organised social systems to cement his grip, lets use these also for the Glory of God. Look at all the logos, symbols, slogans and brands around. It's a part of culture that has been totally hijacked by corporations, government departments, secret societies, occultists etc. we should take it back.

So this is no way comparable to protestant rock concerts etc. It would be the complete opposite in fact, because it would be a revival of a tradition that is as far from the modern world as you can get. A knight would not be found dead at a rock concert. Plus it involves killing bad guys with swords, rescuing maidens, championing truth, upholding justice and defending the faith and if that doesn't appeal to you, perhaps your too grown up already :wink:

The people without a vision perish.

If you do not become as these children you will in no wise enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Do not be shocked by those who teach new doctrines but seem to be worthy of credence. Stand solidly like an anvil under blows. A good athlete suffers blows but wins. St Ignatius.

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Barbara
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Re: Developing programs to help our youth keep the faith

Post by Barbara »

I thought I would bring back this fabulous thread. Rereading it is inspiring. I hope that some action could be taken by our TOCs to this effect.

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