With the blessing of His Eminence Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, the Archdiocese is pleased to introduce a ministry specifically created to serve young people from the approximate age range of 16-35. This official youth program of our Archdiocese will go by the name: Christian Orthodox Thyateira Youth, (COTY) and will soon be registered as a charity with the Charity Commission. It will operate with a Board of Trustees serving under the spiritual aegis and paternal guidance of the Archbishop of the Holy Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, which is, of course, an eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Additionally, several volunteers from within our Archdiocese of diverse backgrounds were appointed as committee members of COTY and are already generously offering their time and talents to lay the groundwork, as well as sustain this initiative.
Christian Orthodox Thyateira Youth aims to serve the cultivation and growth of the younger members of our Archdiocese by providing an established framework for the organisation and coordination of youth activities throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, and beyond. COTY events will span a range of categories and interests, and will include liturgical, charitable, educational and social activities. Each activity or event will endeavour to provide valuable and enjoyable occasions for personal development and community-building. It is our hope that these efforts will offer our young people more frequent opportunities to step into the open arms of the Church and to experience and learn for themselves the accepting, welcoming, supportive, and prayerful ethos of parish life.
In addition, to support this Archdiocesan ministry, the historic Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom (Agia Sophia) in Bayswater has graciously offered its Crypt monthly for COTY events. Of course, all our aims are centred around the celebration of the Eucharist and the liturgical life of the Church. Among prayer gatherings, our youth ministry will organise homilies for students, lectures, pilgrimages, social events, networking functions, concerts, artistic and informative workshops, charitable volunteer opportunities, inter-Christian events, and much more.
As time goes on, other parishes and communities throughout the Archdiocese will be encouraged to establish their own COTY Group and organise events locally. Eventually, our Archdiocese will even be able to partner with youth programs and fellowships from other Orthodox eparchies, bridging distances and cultures in the spirit of love that we share in our eucharistic understanding of the Church—the One and Undivided Body of Christ, of which we are all equal members. Practically speaking, this international collaboration may be achieved through exchange visits and co-sponsored events, with a focus on establishing long-lasting ties and friendships with Orthodox sisters and brothers from around the world.
All youth and young adults of goodwill are welcome to join this new Archdiocesan ministry.
To support this effort or to be kept up to date concerning events by joining our mailing list, please email: Archdiocesanprivateoffice@gmail.com