Newsletter
Announcement
Registration is open for the Online Sunday School AY 2024
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.
Back to Sunday School Session, Saturday Aug 17, 3 PM CT
DSWA TTC & Admin Team is inviting all Principals, Vice Principals and Sunday School teachers for a 'Back to Sunday School session' on Saturday Aug 17 at 3 pm CT. This meeting will include sections on the support and resources to the Principals, Teachers and Parents. Please join us and ask us questions on how to get you started with the new Sunday School year.
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Parenting Initiative
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.
Introducing the All-New DSWA Sunday School Website and the Portal Application
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
Events
Online Sunday School Program
The Diocesan Sunday school Association has an Online Sunday school program at the Diocese level to take care of smaller Sunday schools that do not have enough teachers for each class. This online Sunday school will function like a regular Sunday School through an online platform on Sunday afternoons for an hour and shall be led by a coordinator at the Diocese level. The Diocesan OSS coordinator will coordinate with the local parish Principal to set up the program in consultation with the Vicar and the Director. The Diocesan coordinator plans and works out the details to bring the children and the teachers together and plan the academic year just like the parish Principal. All this work is done under the guidance and direction of the Diocesan Coordinator (Diane Mathew) who reports to the Sunday School Director. The Diocesan Coordinator conducts regular meetings with the Teachers that take care of these classes and hosts two parent- teacher meetings annually, one at the beginning of the academic year and one in the middle of the academic year. For questions or inquiries, 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.