In advance of the Massachusetts Council of Churches Annual Meeting on Saturday April 28 at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church we’re highlighting the amazing folks who will lead us. You can register for “Christian Unity in the Digital Age” here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2934937477
Our final profile is of Alexey Petrides, the webmaster of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston and a seminarian at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. I confess, Alexey and I have not met yet in person! I stumbled upon the digital ministry of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church through their Facebook page. As we develop the MCC’s Facebook ministry, I’ve been ‘liking’ local congregations so that we can see how they are presenting themselves and what God is up to in their congregations. When I found St. Demeotrios, I was very impressed with all they were doing with social media. And I also confess, I had not expected this from a Greek Orthodox church. As Fr. Alex quipped to me “Orthodoxy isn’t exactly known for its innovation!” They have an active blog, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter ministry. But my favorite innovation from St. Demetrios is their live webcam where you can see the building of their new church, day or night. Alexey has been an integral part of building up St. Demetrios digital ministry. I am confident that his workshop will be helpful to pastors and lay leaders wondering how to integrate digital media into the life of their congregation. Join us on Saturday 4/28 to attend Alexey’s workshop. Register here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2934937477
Alexey Petrides
Webmaster, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Weston, MA / Seminarian, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, MA www.stdemetriosweston.org
Short bio : Alexey is the son of a Greek Orthodox priest. He graduated from Penn State University with a bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. Despite receiving a Fulbright scholarship to continue his education in water resources, the tug of the heart pulled him to Holy Cross to work towards a Masters of Divinity in 2009, refocusing on Christ. Alexey has a passion for both technology and ministry. He married his wife, Stephanie, in 2010 and they welcomed their son, Niko, in April, 2011. After being members of St. Demetrios for two years, helping with various multi-media projects and his technical background led to a recommendation to more formally assist as the webmaster. Ultimately, Alexey prays he can live out his Christian Orthodox vocation by answering Christ’s call to love God with all that he is and by loving his neighbor as himself in every situation he is in.
Workshop : A case study of the online resources used by St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church of Weston, MA. The spiritual, social and technological challenges in spreading the Word of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the 21st Century to a variety of age groups and backgrounds. From engaging the youth in learning, to providing Orthodox Christian education for those not able to attend services, social media and the internet have provided another outreach opportunity for those involved in Christ’s ministry.
RevEverett 