Marriage and Parish Family Ministries
Marriage and Parish Family Ministries cares for the wellbeing of marriages and families of the Antiochian Archdiocese through Orthodox Christian teaching and resources. This department offers an ever-expanding network of Orthodox materials to assist the healthy development and maintenance of Christ-centered marriages and families. Orthodox Christian professionals and laity are available through this department to assist individuals and families facing difficulties.
Marriage and Parish Family Ministries works to see that the Antiochian Archdiocese is meeting the needs of its married parishioners and those preparing for marriage. Pre-marital counseling, marriage enrichment, establishing an Orthodox Christian home, challenged marriages, parenting skills for all ages, as well as bereavement, communication, and conflict resolution skills, are all within the scope of issues addressed by this department.
Contact:
Department of Marriage & Parish Family Ministries
Kh. Maggie Hock, Director
15225 Corby Cir.
Omaha, NE 68116-7130
402.445.0150/office
maggiehock@aol.com
Kh. Maggie Hock Speaks with Ginny Nieuwsma on OCN
On the latest episode of Mission Possible: Orthodox Parenting Today, Antiochian.org staff member and writer Ginny Nieuwsma speaks with Kh. Maggie Hock, head of the Archdiocese Department of Marriage and Parish Family Ministry. The discussion centers around meeting the challenges of raising children in the Orthodox Faith.
Bishop THOMAS Discusses Education on OCN
On this week's Come Receive The Light podcast: His Grace, the Right Reverend THOMAS (Joseph), a bishop of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America, serving in the Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, leads a discussion to the topic - Where We Send Our Children to School.
Audio Available of Department of Marriage and Family Ministry Presentation at Archdiocese Convention
Click here to listen to Dept. Chair Kh. Maggie Hock's presentation at the general assembly of the 2009 Archdiocese Convention.
More audio from the 2009 Convention is available from Ancient Faith Radio.
Reconciling Our Most Intimate Relationships
By Kh. Maggie Hock M.A., M.S., LMHP
Jesus answering the Pharisees said: "For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. Consequently they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." (Matthew 19: 5,6)
The marriage relationship between a man and a woman is a gift from God. The grace to walk in that gift comes with the blessing of the Sacrament of Marriage. It is here that the priest and the attending community offer many intercessions for the longevity and fruitfulness of the union. If marriage is our chosen path to salvation, we need to understand that we have vowed together to help both our spouse and ourselves attain this eternal state. Therefore, our task as a married person is to learn how to apply that grace and blessing throughout our marriage, through the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the hopes and disappointments. For what marriage doesn't experience these emotions? What happens, then, when the marriage is suffering? Where do we find hope for reconciliation and reconnection to the grace that God offers?
First it's important to go back to where the marriage began- by standing before God asking for His forgiveness and blessing. By searching our hearts we may find where we have separated ourselves from His plan for our marriage. Many couples who have strained relations have found that their expectations have not been clearly articulated to each other. Perhaps assumptions were made about the married lifestyle without clear communication and therefore the couple does not have a shared vision for the relationship. Some may find that their expectations were full of worldly pursuits that did not honor God or each other. Still others may discover that they have not modeled Christ's example of servanthood and obedience.
Training Up a Child: Educational Options for Orthodox Christians by His Grace Bp. THOMAS
by the Right Reverend THOMAS (Joseph), Ed.D., Bishop of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic
My son Timothy, you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, my sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:10-15, RSV)
We read in this passage from St. Paul’s second epistle to St. Timothy, his child in the faith, that he puts great weight on Timothy having observed his teaching, his conduct, his aim in life, his faith, patience, love, steadfastness, persecutions and sufferings. St. Paul is also quite adamant that Timothy continue in what he has learned and has firmly believed from his childhood. The assumption here is that Timothy has been acquainted with the sacred writings—that is, the Holy Scriptures—for the purpose and benefit of his salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Department of Marriage and Family News Archive
