Servant Coordinator Conference

2023 Conference

2023 Conference

Lecture 1 - Continuing Education of Servants

Processes and Events
Why should I self-discipline?
How do I self-discipline to learn daily?
Education

 

2023 Conference

Lecture 1 - High Gain Questions

Question 1

If you were a "typical" Sunday School servant in your church, what would your expectations for the continuing education program of your church be?

Discussion
Summary
From the Fathers

Question 2

As a church servant, how can you overcome the three biggest barriers to your active participation in the continuing education program of your church? What role does the church play in this process?

Discussion
Summary
From the Fathers
2023 Conference

Lecture 2 - Technology Use

"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (1 Corinthians 6:12)

In this generation, we can definitely say that we have been brought under the power of our phones.

Risks

Screen Time Recommendations
Content Concerns
Social Media
Exploitation Online
Dark Web

Technology Solutions

How the Internet Works
Router Level Features
ISP Level Controls
Ecosystem Level Controls
3rd Party Parental Control Apps
Specialized Devices

Strategies

There is no substitute for engaged parenting

Sunday School Application

2023 Conference

Lecture 2 - Breakout Rooms

High Gain Question 1 - Red

What is the role of the Church in helping control and structure the technology use of children and youth?

  1. Partnership between priest-servant-parent
  2. Share resources among churches
  3. Find an alternative to tech use
    • Interest groups (e.g. camera team)
  4. Giving a voice to children to know they are being heard
  5. Educating parents one on one 
    • Open house before Sunday School year, talk about expectations; Geek squad at church to help setup phones
High Gain Question 2 - Green

What are the three biggest challenges parents face regarding their children's technology use? How can the church help?

  1. Lack of knowledge
    • Kids are ahead of parents/servants in technology
    • For churches that don't have resources, we may want a shareable list of contacts that have IT expertise

  2. Time
    • Lack of time
    • Parents might say "I don't have time to spend time with the kids" or "I have to take an extra shift to support the family" etc.
    • Some newcomers may not understand what work can or can't force on them
    • Church can build family activities for the families to come as a unit (as opposed to just an activity for the kids and just an activity for parents/adults)
    • New parents need to understand that the kids are a shared responsibility

  3. Misguided understanding of freedom and culture
    • Parents don't understand the culture and think they will "overstep the freedom of their kids"
    • Encourage parents not to give up
    • Parents and servants should be examples to the kids and only use phones when appropriate (e.g. cases of emergency)
High Gain Question 3 - Orange

How are the challenges of new immigrants in monitoring children's tech use unique?

Challenges

  1.  Language
    • Even when encouraging the parents to actively engage with their kids, they may be sitting with them blind

  2. Priorities
    • New immigrants' priorities are to meet the basic needs of their family (food, shelter, job)

  3. Technology use requires being proactive
    • This is difficult if you are constantly playing catch up with the basic needs of your family

  4. Lack of awareness
    • Because of the above three, they don't know what they don't know

  5. Denial
    • Your kid did xyz... "no no no my kids are good!"

  6. Peer Pressure
    • New immigrants may feel more pressure to fit into a society as opposed to someone who was born here
    • They have certain assumptions about what it's like in the West based on TV and Media

Solutions

  1. Ongoing parent meeting (potentially open to all, but catered to newcomers)

  2. Online parent corner on the diocese website where different churches can share resources that are up-to-date. Like Axis but including Arabic language resources
High Gain Question 4

Describe the three biggest challenges in monitoring/controlling the technology use of teens.

  1. Lack of knowledge of parents
    • Lack of knowledge that there is even a danger; lack of knowledge of how to protect
    • Educate the parents and equip them with how to protect your children
    • Educate them EARLY
    • Continue to educate them
    • Open Wifi in the church should also be protected
    • Things are happening every day and it's hard to keep up
  2. Engage with children
    • I want kids to have freedom to explore, but without stifling them - how do I encourage exploration within bounds?
    • What alternative am I giving the kids? If I ask them to put the device down, they will ask "what else do you want me to do?"
    • Having creativity in engagements - what creative alternatives do you have to keep them engaged physically, mentally, socially?
      • Swimming
      • Biking
      • Going to a park
      • Playing sports
    • Needs to start early
    • Leading by example - learning is a lifelong process
    • In the class, can get the kids to use technology to answer questions, research, etc.
    • Engage every moment and don't leave time for talking or phones or even breathing!
    • Boredom

  3. Youth feel that their value is in social media and technology
    • Standing in tasbeha wearing my veil won't get me any "likes" on TikTok
    • How do we introduce other things as valuable to you and edifying to you
    • We should give weight to other activities - the Eucharist is life-giving... is this TikTok video life-giving?
    • Value proposition

  4. There is no one leading by example
    • "Well so-and-so does it"
      • Can redirect to a better behavior and show that that behavior is fruitful
    • Well this older deacon is using his phone in liturgy
    • Leading by example
    • We need to speak their language and come to where they are (e.g. through games, language, etc.)

To what extent should we limit the use of phone (e.g. "you're not allowed to bring your phone on this trip, or to this outing, etc.")

High Gain Question 5 - Black

What are the key features of an "ideal" program to help educate parents of young children about how to teach their kids healthy technology use (from infancy onward)?

What does the program look like?

  1. No sermons, but rather hands-on activities for the parents
  2. Guest speakers (younger that seem to understand their kids) that are experts
  3. Reach out to parents via phone calls so they can feel that we are seeking them to connect with their kids
  4. Targeted for a specific age group (i.e. not talking about HS when parents have elementary kids)
  5. SetupIT/Geek Squad at Church
  6. Servants leading by example (especially in Sunday School... how can one give the lesson while another is on his phone? Use liturgy books and Agpeyas (old fashioned) during liturgy)

What alternatives can we teach parents to offer?

  1. Having timers for going outside together
  2. Encourage screen time to be a family interactive screen time
  3. Set a time for the kid to look up a recipe and prepare the meal for the family
  4. Turn off blue light on your phone and use "night mode" all day
  5. Use games as a time together
  6. Teach kids to have good values and morals
High Gain Question 6 - Purple

What practical steps can parents take to ensure that their children's technology use progresses gradually in a healthy way from infancy to adulthood to help them realize age-appropriate benefits of technology while protecting them from unacceptable risks?

  1. Engagement
    • Playing with your kids
    • Family time
    • Physical interaction
    • Communicating
    • Leading by example and putting down your own phone

  2. Education
    • Educate parents and kids
    • Internet is not a bad tool but we have to know how to use it in the right way
    • Follow through on education

  3. Alternatives
    • Not "because I said so"
    • VidAngel
    • Coptic Apps (Upper Room Media, CYC, etc.)
    • Putting a schedule that gives earned time
    • Church Community
2023 Conference

Lecture 3 - Breakout Rooms

High Gain Question 1 - Red

Imagine you are a young person growing up in America whose parents were raised in Egypt. What are the three biggest challenges you would face in developing and being comfortable with your identity as an American Copt?

Challenges

  1. Peer Pressure
  2. Language as a Barrier
  3. What is Orthodox vs what is Egyptian

Solutions

  1. Establish healthy relationships with your kids
  2. Model the behavior that you want your children to have
  3. Teach that it's okay to be different; you will face persecution; and reward them when they do obey and do what they are supposed to do
High Gain Question 2 - Green

What are the three best ways to increase persistent engagement among young people in the Church?

  1. Know them; understand them - develop 1:1 relationships
  2. Engagement - get engaged with them at the same level that they are at; give them a task, responsibility or project.
  3. Help them find a purpose.
  4. Help them find their interests
High Gain Question 3 - Orange

How do the needs for relationship and and belonging among American-raised Coptic Youth differ from these needs among their Egyptian-raised parents? How are they the same?

  1. The same basic needs apply to everyone - a sense of belonging, love, acceptance
    • In Egypt, the same people at school are those at church, are those to hang out with after... in the lands of immigration, you go to school with different people than who you go to church with. 
    • It may become a matter of "who do I fit in with the most?"
    • Dual Identity Crisis: Identity at church and identity at school... leads to changing ideologies

  2. Relationships here are done more virtually (online games, snapchat, etc.) as opposed to face-to-face

  3. We have to look out for love and acceptance among everyone - even those who aren't American raised, and those who aren't Egyptian at all
High Gain Question 4 - Yellow

What are the three most important ways that the Church can help youth who move from Egypt adjust to their lives as Coptic Orthodox Christians in America

  1. Language Barrier
    • Including body language
    • Church can assist with language classes
    • We should speak to them in English and help them adjust
    • Homework help, tutoring
    • Help with job search and application

  2. Culture Shock
    • How they drive, how they deal with neighbors is very different

  3. Cliques and Groups
    • Find common interests
    • Give everyone a role or responsibility

In HE Metropolitan Youssef's book, he talks about the quadrant of "Positive/Negative Attitude to the Old/New Culture." 

High Gain Question 5 - Black

What are the three most important ways in which the Church can help young people cope with the increasing social and emotional pressures they face in today's society?

  1. Ground in the faith
    • Teaching kids from a young age how to love and be in the Church
    • Teaching how to love Christ and have a relationship with Him
    • Lead by example as a servant

  2. Safe environment in church
    • 1:1 relationship between servant and kids served (e.g. no judgment)
    • Hope that they can come with their mistakes
    • Continue to educate adults in the church on how to interact with the younger age group and the youth so they don't turn them off from coming to church
    • Kids to feel our love

  3. Helping to find their talents
    • Using talents during services
    • Give opportunities to serve to the youth
High Gain Questions 6 - Purple

As a Coptic youth in the United States what three factors would play the biggest role in pushing you away from the Coptic Church, either to other church communities or to being completely disengaged from any church group?

  1. Friendship
    • Feeling of belonging is very important; if you see the youth has a talent, let him grow in it and use it to serve in the Church
    • Servant should have a relationship that is always in touch with the youth; listening to their issues, trying to help them grow, helping identify their weaknesses and how to overcome them

  2. Education
    • You can present things in an educational manner - instead of "do this because the Bible says so" something along the lines of "God loves you and wants to protect you from this evil or this harm"
    • Present material in a way they understand it

  3. Addressing Cultural Issues
    • Address cultural issues not based on the culture, but based on scriptural principles
    • Don't be judgmental, but make a distinction between what is Egyptian, and what is Orthodox Christianity
2023 Conference

Lecture 4 - Transplanting Servants

Introduction

Spiritual Context
Considerations

Types of Servants who may move into your Church


 Within the Diocese Outside the Diocese
Experienced

Fresh Servant (completed pre-servants)

Enthusiastic about service, but needs training

High Potential (may help fill a need, but hasn't expressed interest in service)

Experienced Servant within the SUS Diocese
Fresh Servant from within the SUS Diocese
Enthusiastic to Serve but Limited Preparation within the SUS Diocese
High Potential (no pre-servants) within SUS Diocese
Outside SUS Diocese

2024 Conference

2024 Conference

Module 1: Fruitfulness in Service

Holy Spirit Brings the Fruit

The Lord told the disciples "go therefore and make disciples of all nations." Imagine being a disciple and hearing this command... all nations? How? We can't even speak their language. The Lord answered them on Pentecost and they spoke in tongues.

But how can they minister to all nations if there are only twelve of them? So the Lord on Pentecost had 120.

Did the disciples forget when the Lord told them to cast their net and they caught hundreds of fish? The same on Pentecost when St Peter cast his net and with one sermon brought 3000 people. It is the power of the Holy Spirit working in St Peter.

The Servant is the first-fruit of his service

Many times when we think about fruits in service, we become frustrated... I am serving for so many years and until now, I don't see any fruits. 

The person trying to move the huge rock... maybe the rock doesn't get moved, but the servant becomes stronger. The first fruit of the service is the benefit the servant himself gets from the service.

When I feel this frustration in service, I need to pray and God will move the rock in front of me.

If you want to bring fruits, you need to have trust in God and obey Him even if His commandment doesn't make sense to you.

Look at the fruit in your heart.

How do we measure the fruit in our ministry?

How do you measure the fruit in your ministry? Effort? Faithfulness? Fruit? - If you are measuring the success of your ministry based on the fruit, it will be a big dissatisfaction for you.

Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life

Others labored before you and you are reaping what they are sowing... so if I am reaping fruits now, don't think these are your fruits and fall in vainglory. Maybe these are the fruits of another faithful servant who planted and watered before you. If you are serving and planting and watering and not seeing fruit, don't be frustrated - someone may come after you and reap the fruit that you planted.

Faithfulness in service is the measure of success. Not the fruits.

The story of the Tree of Obedience? St John the short planted a stick and was faithful in watering it for three years. At the end it became fruitful. He was faithful in watering it every day, regardless of whether it would bring fruit or not.

I may think a youth in my class is a hopeless case (like this tree). I called him sevearl times, I tried to visit him, I texted him, he never answered. Continue to be faithful. As the Lord was able to bring fruit from this stick after three years, He will be able also to bring fruit from this person even after so many years.

There is an example in the TCR (Triumphant Christian Retreat) of many cases that were "hopeless" in our eyes - but not for God. People who testify of themselves that they came without any hope, but the Lord restored them.

For a tree to bear fruit, it must have deep roots to absorb the water and nourishment for the tree. You, and your faithfulness in God, are the ROOT of the barren trees. Maybe he doesn't believe in God, or angry with God, or disappointed with God - but you, as the servant, can be the root that connects him with the True Root (God) in his life.

Bearing fruit takes time. Be patient.

Three Stages of Working the Land
  1. Plowing the Land
    • Sometimes the land is very dry, and the Lord prepares the Land
      • e.g. St Moses who said "maybe there's a God" - "maybe the sun is God" - "maybe the moon is God"
  2. Sowing the Seed
    • The parable of the sower, he sowed the seed everywhere (as St Paul said - neither he who sows nor he who waters, but God brings the fruit)
    • Some servants sow only in the good land and neglect the "bad" land or the "difficult" land
      • The Lord met the Pharisees, the Gentiles, the tax-collectors, lawyers, scribes, etc. and talked to all of them
  3. Watering the Land
    • How to follow-up
    • It's not enough to speak to someone just one time about God... that's the seed. But this seed needs to be watered.
    • Pray for them, speak with them, and see what kind of nutrients they need
    • St Paul gave milk... and then later solid food.
    • Can't just quit a bad habit, but it must be replaced
      • E.g. if you're speaking to someone about smoking, but you don't speak to him about connecting with God and spiritual habits, it will be impossible for him to quit smoking (or any bad habit)
      • Speak to him instead about the Living Water
        • The Lord, with the Samaritan woman did not even mention lust, fornication, destruction to the soul, etc. But He spoke to her about the Living Water and how these other things are like salt water... you drink for a long time, but you are still thirsty.
  4. Reaping the Fruit
    • The reaper may reap what he did not sow

    • "The hardworking farmer (plowman) must be first to partake of the crops." (2 Timothy 2:6)

    • Reward is not based on the fruit, but based on your effort
      • "Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor." (1 Cor 3:8)
    • Sometimes we think "if I serve high school, I am higher/better/greater than the one who serves elementary" - maybe that servant who is serving elementary is the one who planted and sowed and watered, but you are just the one who is reaping the fruit of their labor.
    • Even the Lord Jesus did not reap the fruits, but He left the reaping for the disciples after His ascension. He was the plowman, the Sower, the waterer but not the reaper.
    • Noah did not reap the fruits
      • "and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;" (2 Peter 2:5) 
      • He preached for over 100 years
      • How many fruits did he get? The seven members of his family
    • Jeremiah labored a lot, with little fruit
    • Some prophets did little effort and their fruit was plenty
      • Jonah

If the fruit is much, it doesn't mean you worked hard. And if the fruit is little, it doesn't mean you worked little. Just be faithful in your ministry.

We are members of the Body of Christ and in your body, every member has a role. Not only SS Servants should be preachers of righteousness, but every member should use his talents to be a preacher of righteousness

If a family loses a child, how happy are they when they find him again? The same when a Lost Sheep is found

"It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’" (Luke 15)

Principles of Fruitfulness
  1. Fruit comes from the same type as the seed
    • If you sow spiritual seed, you will reap spiritual fruit
    • If you sow social activity, you will reap such
  2. One seed brings a lot of fruit
    • This is the power of the Word of God... one word can capture many hearts and bring them to the Lord
    • HH Pope Kyrillos did not preach a lot; we don't have many sermons by him. But he brought many many fruits (many of which came after his departure)
  3. Planting or Sowing sometimes happens in secret, but the fruit is usually public
    • You see good youth in the Church but you don't know how many hours the servant spent with them; how many times Abouna remembered them on the altar; how much they were served
  4. The time between sowing and reaping can be very long
    • Palm Trees take many years before you get fruits from them
    • "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
    • Don't lose hope
  5. The fruit is very precious in the eyes of God
    • When God sees us working hard, faithfully, trusting in Him, He will bring fruit
    • As the Lord told St Peter "I will make you a fisher of men" and as you caught fish today, so shall you catch men

Q&A

Fruits are easy to measure... but how do we measure faithfulness?
  1. Do not resist the voice of the Holy Spirit
    • Know that it is the Holy Spirit Who moves our heart if we are not faithful
    • The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment
    • So do not resist Him when He tells you that you are not visiting your children, or praying for them, etc.
  2. Some parameters
    • Are you preparing lessons
    • Are you reading
    • Are you doing visitation
    • Are you praying for your class
    • Are you attending the Servants Meeting
    • Be faithful in your own spiritual life (the servant is the Root)
  3. Feedback from the servants, from Abouna, from the students
    • Sometimes when I Get feedback, I get defensive. This is very destructive and we lose the opportunity to learn. The Holy Spirit will speak to us through Abouna, a servant, a student, a colleague
    • I need to take the feedback seriously 
  4. Self-examination
    • Through my own reading and listening to sermons, the message of the Lord will touch my heart
2024 Conference

Module 2: The Role of a Servant in Dealing with Mental Health

Introduction

See recording.

Human Psyche

Three components in the Human Psyche, and the three are very much connect.

If intellectually, I feel that someone will attack me. Emotionally, I will be scared or angry. And then behaviorally, I may run or fight (fight or flight). The intellect affects the emotion which affects the behavior.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy treats the three components.

Psychiatric Symptoms

Why should we understand the psychiatric symptoms? As leaders, we will be presented with many problems. 

A parent with a child who has a fever, who does not act, and the child is hospitalized or dies, the parent will be charged with neglect.

Mood
Psychosis (Intellect)
ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)

2025-02-11: Committee Meeting Minutes

In Attendance:
List Finalization:
Coordinator Zoom Meeting with HE:
Coordinator Meeting Structure:
Communication with General Coordinators:
Actions:

2025-03-11: SUS General Coordinator Zoom Meeting

Role and Responsibilities of the Coordinator - HE Metropolitan Youssef

All of the below are with communication and agreement with the Father the Priest

The Church with strong deacons and strong servants will be successful.

  1. Curriculum of the Diocese is followed and make recommendations for the Diocese Curriculum
        - e.g. missing lessons (like AI)
        - e.g. a lesson is too high for an age group
        - Also Extracurricular Activities (e.g. Bible Study, Research, Books to Read)

  2. General Planning for Sunday School
        - Number of classes, combined classes, how many servants in each class
        - 4-5 servants per class makes them rely on each other
        - HE vision is that a class has maximum 2 servants

  3. Choosing of servants and choosing of those who will enter pre-servants
        Preservant Class is extra (does not replace Sunday School)
        - How to pick people for preservants (2 schools of thought)
            1 - Recommendation from Abouna, Servants who serve them, etc.
            2 - Allow everyone interested in 9th grade to join
                - So he can graduate in 2 years and serve 2 years before College
        - Criteria for Choosing the Servant
            - Examples
                - Attendance 10%
                - Consistent in Confession 10%
                - Final Exam x%
                - Project x%
            - Setting a system of grading from the beginning avoids arguments later (esp. with parents)
        - Prayer should precede selection
        - Servant has four responsibilities:
            - Lesson Preparation
            - Attending Sunday School
            - Attending Servants Meeting
            - Visitations

  4. Sets the vision for Preservants
        - What are they studying? What rotations? What opportunities?
       
  5. Selection of the Coordinators (e.g. primary school, middle school, etc.) to assist him and he work with him, and he follows up with them.

  6. Summer Activities
        - Follow-up and make sure that every class is participating
        - HE used to have a summer activity when he was young: Library - come to church, sit and read for 2 hours
       
  7. Trips, Conventions and Retreats for all classes
        - Following up with them
        - Encouraging children and servants to be active in them
        - Diocese Conventions, Local Conventions, Church Conventions
       
  8. Servants Meeting
        - He sets the curriculum, arranges speakers, encourages servants to attend and follows-up on their attendance
       
  9. Spiritual Edification of the Servants and Coordinators
        - Conventions for servants
        - Spiritual days for servants
        - Time for meditation, time for reading, time for discussion, liturgy, etc.
        - Commitment and modeling behaviors for the servants (including visitations, attendance of church services, etc.)
       
  10. Mosab2at (Bible Contests)

  11. Gifts
        - Kids have enough secular gifts (balls, etc.)
        - Give spiritual gifts - books, crosses, icons, agpeyas, bibles, etc. to help him build a prayer corner
        
  12. Visitation for the Servants and Coordinators
        - Check on their life, not just their service
        - How is your school, how is your family, how is your finances - Confidential way
        
  13. Prayer Meetings
        - If not weekly, then monthly at least
        
  14. Resolving issues and problems in service
        - Problems between servants, between coordinators and servants, between servant and servee, etc.
        - Be present and address them immediately

HE Recalls Ostaz Ezzat Fawzy (may the Lord repose his soul) who did all of these points and more. He was a role model for all of the servants, and no servant in that generation went without benefit from him. He would check on them, give them advice, visit them, teach them, take care of them as a father or a big brother.

The General Coordinator is the Servant of the Servants

Overview of the Annual General Coordinator Meeting - Fr Simon Dawood

2025-03-11: Q&A All Coordinators with HE

Q&A

2025-03-25: Committee Meeting Minutes

Potential Topics

Pastoral Topics

Educational Topics

Spiritual Topics

Administrative Meeting

Potential Themes

Seasons of the Service

Scheduling