Family Mission: Work, Worship and Witness

An opportunity for families who have a desire to work, witness, and worship in a profound ministry is available in a new initiative involving families in foreign mission work. Families with children are invited to join Church leaders and their families in Albania to be a part of a family ministry outreach. OCMC Missionary Nathan Hoppe explains, “Offering a witness of family unity and faith will assist in developing a new family ministry initiative for the Orthodox Church of Albania.”

The primary focus is to offer a “family witness” while sharing the Faith and growing as a family in Christ. The group will also have the opportunity to serve the ministries of the Church in Albania. The Family Mission Team to Albania, July 17 – 29, 2011, is a collaboration between OCMC and the Center for Family Care (CFC) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Families from North America, along with Albanian families, will participate in this outreach assisted by OCMC missionaries and Albanian Church leaders.

This program will include family activities, parent and children programs, ministry visitations, and outreach endeavors of the Church of Albania in Tirana and surrounding areas. The Team is to provide a positive witness, and all participants are called to be exemplary role models as they minister as families and bear witness to Christ through their every action. Team Members will share their life experience, provide fellowship, and offer a visible witness of the Holy Orthodox Faith.

OCMC and the Center for Family Care hope that families will personally experience the joy of seeing God take the precious things He has been teaching Orthodox families and use them to bless families around the world. Pamela Filutowski, who participated with her son on a Team, reported, “From my perspective it appears that my son was initially wondering, ‘Is this real?’ as he tried to process the love and enthusiasm that openly flowed from the children and those who worked at Shen Vlash. He fully sensed and understood the reality of Christ’s love in the children, in our new lifestyle, and springing deep with us."

OCMC and CFC invite you to join this ministry that offers spiritual benefits to families. For more information on how to apply, please visit our website, www.ocmc.org or email us at teams@ocmc.org.