Holy Trinity Parish Oratorical Festival March 28th, 2021 following Divine Liturgy

St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival begins at the parish level and provides Greek Orthodox youth the opportunity to learn, write, and talk about their faith.

Elementary Division for students in grades 4-6
Junior Division for students in grades 7–9
Senior Division for student in grades 10–12

Top speakers in Junior and Senior Divisions advance to the district level. Two finalists in each district division represent the district at the Metropolis Oratorical Festival. Top speaker in each metropolis division is selected to participate in Archdiocese Finals.

The Oratorical Festival is a beautiful and wonderful way to work on ones public speaking skills while also learning more about our Orthodox faith.

Fr. William will be available for a coaching and content seminar for the Oratorical Festival for those individuals who are interested in participating in the parish event on March 28th, via zoom.

Elementary Division (Grades 4-6)

Suggested topics: Jesus Christ, Helping Others, A Smile, The Bible, Love, The Cross, My Church, My Family, Being Kind, Prayer, Church School, My Favorite Icon, and Lighting a Candle.

Junior Division (Grades 7–9)

1. Discuss the challenges and opportunities of watching a church service that is livestreamed.

2. Prayer is called a “conversation with God.” Discuss the meaning of prayer inyour life.

3. During the pandemic, people noticed that our natural environment becamecleaner. What can this teach us about our care for the natural world?

4. Why is the Church still relevant, especially for young people, in our increasinglysecular, post-COVID world?

5. Choose one parable from the Gospel of Luke chapters 15 or 16 that is particularlymeaningful to you and explain what we can learn from it.

Senior Division (Grades 10–12)

1. During the stay at home period of the pandemic, Orthodox Christians had tofind ways to practice their faith without attending church in person orparticipating in parish activities. Discuss what you learned during those days.

2. In July 2020, a Turkish court gave permission for Hagia Sophia to be convertedfrom a museum into a mosque. Discuss the significance of Hagia Sophia in thehistory of Christianity and the power of monuments like it to inspire religiousidentity.

3. We live in a highly polarized society – left vs. right, personal liberty vs. commongood, and other issues where it seems everything is politicized. How are we asOrthodox Christians called to navigate this environment?

4. St. Peter writes, “Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretextfor evil; but live as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16). What is freedom and howdoes it become a basis for being a servant?

5. In the Psalms we read, “If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who couldstand? But there is forgiveness with you.” (Psalm 130:3-4, NRSV). Discuss howan Orthodox Christian understands sin, forgiveness, mercy, and repentance.

Oratorical Topics

Oratorical Tips and Resources

Video Release form from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: Department of Religious Education

In signing this release, I give the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, its Metropolises, and Parishes the right to use, distribute, and display this video, any photographs from the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival in which my child appears, including the right to edit or use a portion or all of the video for promotional purposes for their websites, social media and/or other related purposes. I also permit the use of my child’s written text of the speech.

Questions about the Video Release form should be directed to:

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Department of Religious Education

50 Goddard Avenue

Brookline, MA 02445

646-519-6300 | religioused@goarch.org