At the Diocese Sunday school level, a new initiative on Parenting was started this year. The objective being to give additional support in building up the spiritual life of parents so they can model the faith to their children better; while encouraging and inspiring the parish community to be more involved in the Sunday school ministry. To make this parenting initiative more effective, the Sunday school admin team is seeking a Parent representative from each parish who will act as a liaison between the diocese team and the parish parents, with the help and support of the Vicar and the principal.  This will lead to more involvement of the parents and assist better in developing and sustaining two-way communication. 

Kalpana No: 91-2023

Diocese of Southwest Admin team is delighted to announce the launch of our new Sunday School Website and the Portal Application.  We are pleased that the Sunday School of the Diocese of South-West America is entering the digital space. This new Sunday School Portal will lay out data about all Sunday Schools, teachers, and children in one place. We can thus automate all administrative processes and provide Sunday School education with advanced efficiency. We can also manage the administration of Teacher Training and Certification, Centralized Written Events, and OVBS in an uncluttered fashion. Hierarchical distribution of access to the data will make it more secure and prevent unauthorized entry into administrative functions. Automation with security is an absolute requirement in today's digital world for a successful administration of services. In our Diocese, data of Sunday School was spread around with many stakeholders and on multiple servers or personal computers. Emails, birthdays, and names were held in different personal Google Docs or Excel spreadsheets. That will end with the portal's inception, and it is making us happy. Henceforward, we have created a space to grow, learn, and connect on our spiritual journey together and more efficiently. Moreover, this portal is designed to be your gateway to a world of meaningful teachings, engaging discussions, and a supportive community, all from the comfort of your own space.

Here, you'll find a treasure trove of resources that will enrich your understanding of faith, values, and the teachings that guide our lives because of your access to Talmido from here. Interactive lessons to thought-provoking videos, insightful articles, and heartwarming stories will provide a diverse collection to cater to all ages and levels of spiritual exploration.

A dedicated team of Sunday School digital administrators and facilitators stands by to provide guidance, answer your questions, and create a warm and inclusive experience. Feel free to reach out to them if you are in need.

As you navigate this portal, remember that this is a change of culture, and take your time to absorb and reflect on the materials and processes. Let's approach this endeavor with an open heart and a curious mind. Please do not seek information alone here but your personal growth and a deeper connection with our faith.

Thank you for being a part of our Sunday School online community. Together, we can create a space that nurtures our spirits and builds a lasting Orthodox Christian Community across our Diocese, which is spread far and wide. This online community is to strengthen our shared values. Let's embark on this journey of discovery and enlightenment hand in hand.

Blessings,

Metropolitan Dr. Thomas Mar Ivanios, Diocese of South-West America

DSWA is excited to announce the beginning of a new diocesan initiative that will help all our faithful set apart time for Christ and study the word of God together. We will conduct a new Bible Study series titled “The Voice Calling in the Wilderness” which will be held every Thursday at 8:00PM CST via Zoom. The sessions will be conducted in English and it is open to all of our faithful to join. As we begin the ministry, the topics for this year will be taken from the new Sunday School curriculum which will serve as continuing education for adults but also serve an additional resource for students and teachers to learn more about these topics. The Zoom recordings for these class sessions will be made available on the Sunday School website (talmido.org) as well as the Diocesan website (ds-wa.org).  Rev. Fr. Immanuel (Amal) Punnoose will coordinate this ministry. For more information regarding "The Voice" please contact our beloved Immanuel Achen

Diocese of South-West America invites Orthodox parents whose children are unable to attend Sunday School currently due to their remoteness of their parishes to enroll their children for the online Sunday School program.  It’s God’s providence that post covid era presents a unique opportunity in the history of our Church to take advantage of technological advancements and reach out to every child of the DSWA, Malankara Orthodox Church to learn our Faith, Holy Tradition and Practices.  We humbly request all the members of our Church to share the message of the OSS program across all our parishes via the WhatsApp groups so that we don’t miss a single child of our flock in this noble endeavor. For questions or registrations, please reach out to Diane Mathew,  Sunday School General Secretary or send an email to dswa.sundayschool@gmail.com with your contact name, Tel # and email address of the Parish Principal.