St. Herman's Youth Conference in Sacramento, CA
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Prosphora-baking class |
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Youth pose in front of Christmas tree |
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Icon-painting class |
Sacramento, CA - On December 22 through December 26, 2009, the Holy Ascension Church in Sacramento, CA hosted the third annual Saint Herman’s West Youth Conference. Residing in the comfortable Sutter Inn Best Western Motel, the participants who came from the different parts of the diocese were engaged in religious services.
On the feast day of Saint Herman, his Eminence Bishop Theodosius of Seattle delighted everyone with his arrival by serving Divine Liturgy. The participants also listened to a series of lectures that were accompanied by wonderful workshops – iconography, reading/acolyte serving, flower arranging, and woodworking. Finally, they enjoyed various activities such as ice-skating, visiting the State Capitol, and recreation at the International Gymnastics Center.
“It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot from this conference,” said Paulina Baykova, one of the participants. “The prosphora baking workshop was an especially enlightening experience for me. For me, this workshop I discovered that we actually use yeast and not flour when we bake the prosphoras. I also understood the real point of using yeast: it is living stuff that comes to life.”
The highlight of the conference for many participants was the panel discussions. The conference left a great many wonderful memories and valuable life lessons. It even motivated some of the participants to reconsider their outlook on life.
“This conference has been a very life-changing experience for me emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically,” said Kristina McCuen, another participant. “When I came here, I was having problems in my life and some doubts about faith. I felt encouraged to attend the conference, because I knew that everyone here was struggling with their personal problems. Here, I experienced a feeling of oneness with everyone else that was also battling their difficulties.”
Lyubov Gilchrist said that it was her first time here. When she came to the conference, she had no idea that that the social environment would be that pleasant. After the conference passed, however, she realized that the experience surpassed all her expectations.
“The conference helped me to learn more about faith. I understood that my personal look on faith was not really appropriate. Instead, everything including the way I dressed should show respect before God,” she said.
Attending this conference has led Lyubov to understand that the church is a place of God and that she cannot just treat it offhand as if it is not in her life. Now, she knows more about proper behavior and attire in church and is willing to commit to these rules.
For some people, the conference was an excellent opportunity to get away from home and expand their worldviews. The experience has helped Peter Stephen to learn more about himself and to understand the importance of faith in his life. He actually enjoyed the activities and discussions at the conference so much that he even wants to encourage other people to come next year.
Alexander Misha Frable, who is currently not an Orthodox Christian, is considering converting into the faith. This conference has motivated him to become a part of the Russian Orthodox community. He is delighted that the priests were there to guide him in understanding the value of the faith. “
If I were to suddenly convert into Orthodox Christianity – that could be a premature decision, because I would not get what the faith is really about. Through this conference, however, I could really connect to people who are Orthodox Christians,” he said.
Alexandra Misha especially enjoyed learning about some of the main principles in the Orthodox Church. The process of baking prosphora was especially moving.
“A lot of other churches simply order boxes of bread,” he said. “Orthodox Christians actually bake the prosphora with their own hands and I think that is wonderful.”
Alexander Misha carried out many wonderful messages from the conference. He understands now that one cannot go through life with a closed mind. He believes that the Orthodox Christian faith has taught him that.
“As opposed to other religions,” Misha said, “it is a very genuine faith.”
The Saint Herman’s West Youth Conference was a tremendous success. It uncovered for its many participants the real beauty and immense power of faith, blessed them with unforgettable and bright impressions, and charged them with spiritual strength. I believe that it is absolutely critical to continue the tradition of these conferences, because it would help guide Christian Orthodox youth to strengthen their faith and teach them its true value.
Yuliya Prilepina
Youth Journalist
On the feast day of Saint Herman, his Eminence Bishop Theodosius of Seattle delighted everyone with his arrival by serving Divine Liturgy. The participants also listened to a series of lectures that were accompanied by wonderful workshops – iconography, reading/acolyte serving, flower arranging, and woodworking. Finally, they enjoyed various activities such as ice-skating, visiting the State Capitol, and recreation at the International Gymnastics Center.
“It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot from this conference,” said Paulina Baykova, one of the participants. “The prosphora baking workshop was an especially enlightening experience for me. For me, this workshop I discovered that we actually use yeast and not flour when we bake the prosphoras. I also understood the real point of using yeast: it is living stuff that comes to life.”
The highlight of the conference for many participants was the panel discussions. The conference left a great many wonderful memories and valuable life lessons. It even motivated some of the participants to reconsider their outlook on life.
“This conference has been a very life-changing experience for me emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically,” said Kristina McCuen, another participant. “When I came here, I was having problems in my life and some doubts about faith. I felt encouraged to attend the conference, because I knew that everyone here was struggling with their personal problems. Here, I experienced a feeling of oneness with everyone else that was also battling their difficulties.”
Lyubov Gilchrist said that it was her first time here. When she came to the conference, she had no idea that that the social environment would be that pleasant. After the conference passed, however, she realized that the experience surpassed all her expectations.
“The conference helped me to learn more about faith. I understood that my personal look on faith was not really appropriate. Instead, everything including the way I dressed should show respect before God,” she said.
Attending this conference has led Lyubov to understand that the church is a place of God and that she cannot just treat it offhand as if it is not in her life. Now, she knows more about proper behavior and attire in church and is willing to commit to these rules.
For some people, the conference was an excellent opportunity to get away from home and expand their worldviews. The experience has helped Peter Stephen to learn more about himself and to understand the importance of faith in his life. He actually enjoyed the activities and discussions at the conference so much that he even wants to encourage other people to come next year.
Alexander Misha Frable, who is currently not an Orthodox Christian, is considering converting into the faith. This conference has motivated him to become a part of the Russian Orthodox community. He is delighted that the priests were there to guide him in understanding the value of the faith. “
If I were to suddenly convert into Orthodox Christianity – that could be a premature decision, because I would not get what the faith is really about. Through this conference, however, I could really connect to people who are Orthodox Christians,” he said.
Alexandra Misha especially enjoyed learning about some of the main principles in the Orthodox Church. The process of baking prosphora was especially moving.
“A lot of other churches simply order boxes of bread,” he said. “Orthodox Christians actually bake the prosphora with their own hands and I think that is wonderful.”
Alexander Misha carried out many wonderful messages from the conference. He understands now that one cannot go through life with a closed mind. He believes that the Orthodox Christian faith has taught him that.
“As opposed to other religions,” Misha said, “it is a very genuine faith.”
The Saint Herman’s West Youth Conference was a tremendous success. It uncovered for its many participants the real beauty and immense power of faith, blessed them with unforgettable and bright impressions, and charged them with spiritual strength. I believe that it is absolutely critical to continue the tradition of these conferences, because it would help guide Christian Orthodox youth to strengthen their faith and teach them its true value.
Yuliya Prilepina
Youth Journalist
