Missionary Activities - Enquirers Instruction Course

So many of the people who contact us, enquiring about the Orthodox Faith, live far from one of our British Orthodox Churches, and even far from Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Indian or other Oriental Orthodox communities. It has been a constant challenge to find materials that have been suitable to send out. There are high quality materials produced by Eastern Orthodox groups but these are never entirely consistent with our Oriental Orthodox Faith and Tradition. We hesitate to send out booklets, however well written otherwise, which refer to our Orthodox Churches as 'monophysite heretics'.

We believe that the time is now right for us to seek the support and material resources from friends and supporters to produce a high quality, comprehensive Instruction Course for British enquirers, which is entirely consistent with our Orthodox Faith in every regard, and which concentrates on our Oriental Orthodox Faith, History and Tradition. This is a major project, and we hope to include speakers and participants from a wide range of our Oriental Orthodox community. We are blessed in the UK, for instance, with Church leaders who are important scholars in their field of study.

This course will be made up of a variety of media including printed texts, audio lectures, and video presentations, and will be designed for both individual and group use. It will be produced as a pan-Orthodox resource, and so will draw on spiritual materials from all of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and will describe, relatively briefly of course, the variety of Churches in the Oriental Orthodox communion.

Here is an outline of the course as we are beginning to plan it. This is only a provisional outline and will undoubtedly change in content and in the order of presentation.

1. Introduction to Orthodoxy
2. The Bible and Tradition
3. The Holy Trinity
4. The nature of Man
5. The Fall
6. God's plan of Salvation
7. The Incarnation
8. The Holy Spirit
9. The Church
10. The Christian Life
11. Baptism and Chrismation
12. The Eucharist
13. Orthodox Spirituality I
14. Orthodox Spirituality II
15. Liturgy
16. Church History
17. Orthodoxy Today

We are proposing that each section of the course would be provided with a written introduction of about 5,000 words, produced initially as a booklet, but perhaps collected into a single professionally produced book when all of the sections have been completed. Each section would also have one or more audio resources in the form of a spoken presentation on some aspect of the subject in question, as well as additional audio resources where appropriate, so perhaps excerpts from a variety of Oriental Orthodox liturgies in the secion on Liturgy. Short 15 minute video presentations will also be produced to act as a summary of the course.

The first section of the course, An Introduction to Orthodoxy, will be completed as an initial project to help us to determine the content and format of the course as a whole. This will include written material, an audio presentation, a 15 minute video presentation, and an audio CD of selected chant from the various Oriental Orthodox communities. The continuing status of this introductory unit will be posted on this blog as developments take place.

We need your support to be able to sustain this major project. Please consider praying for our efforts, but also consider making a donation, however small. Please also mention this project to your priests and bishop, asking their prayerful consideration of supporting this venture.