The Saint Emmelia Podcast

Dn. Sean Reid interviews author and homeschool mom Bethany Saros on the topic of teaching the Holy Scriptures to our children. Bethany book, titled "A Light in the Darkness: Bible Study for Children and Teens" is available on Amazon. Through her faithful study of Scripture, Bethany shows how any layperson with the ability to read can teach children—even as the adults themselves are learning—while avoiding the pitfalls of interpretation and theological speculation. Teaching, she explains, is as simple as defining words, following the plot, identifying characters, looking up historical facts, and, most importantly, sticking to the text. Parents should read the stories of the Bible to their children without comment. “Narration,” Bethany explains, “teaches children submission to the story.” I hasten to add that her book challenges parents to do the same. That Bethany takes this directive seriously is evident in her insightful exegesis of various passages. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interview Shamassy Ina O'Dell, a veteran home educator and Christian Education director, gleaning valuable insights and wisdom for today's homeschooling families. Sh. Ina O’Dell, Director of Christian Education, came into Orthodoxy in Connecticut with her husband and sons in 1995. They were then transferred for work to Washington D.C. in 1996. They were members of Holy Cross Orthodox church in Maryland for 14 years before moving back to their ancestral home in Colorado to care for her parents in 2010. She was first tasked with teaching something in 1969, and has been at it since then in various forms—including homeschooling her sons for 17 years. At St. Spyridon she created a ‘Special Space’, Montessori-type program for the 2 youngest grades and has been writing a 4-year, 101 Lessons in Scripture curriculum for 2nd grade to adult. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interview Fr. Nikolai Meyers, pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Topeka, Kansas, on the topics of developing healthy rhythms in our homeschool life as well as the appropriate use of technology in the life of the family. Fr. Nikolai Meyers is a native of Southern California. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Cross-Cultural Ministry from Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan KS. He earned his Masters of Divinity from St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Seminary, in South Cannon, PA. He was ordained Deacon in September of 2007 by His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph of the Antiochain Archdiocese at St. Tikhon Monastery in South Cannon, PA, and to the holy Priesthood in July of 2008 by His Eminence at St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, CA. He served 6 years as Assistant Pastor of St. John Orthodox Church in Memphis TN and concurrently was the priest in charge of St. Paul Orthodox Mission in Tupelo, MS. From October of 2014 to July of 2019 he was the Pastor of St. George Orthodox Church in New Hartford, NY. where he currently was the Spiritual Adviser for Teen SOYO in the Antiochian Orthodox Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Up-State New York. He now serves as the Pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Topeka, KS. He is married and has 5 children. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interviews Fr. Noah Bushelli, Director of Saint Emmelia Ministries (SEM), on the blessings and challenges of homeschooling, the future of SEM, as well as upcoming conferences. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interviews Fr. Jason Foster, pastor of the Holy Nativity of our Lord Orthodox Church (OCA), on the topic of shaping the life of your homeschool around the liturgical life of the Church. Fr. Jason will be the keynote speaker for the 2020 Saint Emmelia SOUTH Conference in Fort Worth, TX, January 17-20. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interviews Fr. Josiah Trenham on the blessings and challenges of homeschooling as well as the importance of how we deal with the role of technology in our homeschools and lives. Fr. Josiah Trenham is the pastor of St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, California. He is also the founder and director of Patristic Nectar Publications, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the propagation of the inspired theology of the Church Fathers. Dn. Sean and Fr. Josiah For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interviews Anita Novratidis, the Coordinator of the inaugural Saint Emmelia North Conference in Toronto, Canada, about her experiences as a homeschool mom as well as the support and encouragement she receives from her local homeschool co-op. Dn. Sean also interviews Richard, a homeschool father, who attended the North Conference with his family. The Saint Emmelia North Conference was hosted by St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada on November 9, 2019. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid has a conversation with Fr. Noah Bushelli about the spiritual opportunities and challenges during times of difficulty and suffering. Fr. Noah Bushelli is the founding director of Saint Emmelia Ministries, an outreach of the Department of Homeschooling of the Antiochian Archdiocese. He is lead catechist and spiritual advisor of St. Raphael School and is excited to share his love for God and the Church with the students and stretch his teaching skills into cyberspace. Knowing that he is insufficient for all of these holy tasks, he thanks you for your prayers for him, his family, his parishioners, his students and all homeschooling families! For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interviews Andrew Kern, President of the CiRCE Institute (Center for Independent Research on Classical Education) and Vice President of The Lost Tools of Writing, a classical rhetoric and writing resource. Since establishing CiRCE to serve classical educators through research and consulting while developing and providing integrated resources, Andrew has trained and apprenticed innumerable home and school teachers, heads of school, and school boards. He has also defined, defended, practiced, and supported classical education at many conferences, conventions, and book retreats. Andrew helped start Providence Academy in Green Bay, WI in 1993, Foundations Academy (now Ambrose School) in Boise, ID in 1996, The Great Ideas Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2001, and Regents School of the Carolinas in 2006, and the CiRCE Apprenticeship around the same time.He and his wife, Karen, live in North Carolina, and their five more or less classically educated and more or less home educated children and ever more grandchildren live in various places, ranging from Uganda to Georgia, depending on when you ask. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid continues his conversation with Fr. Noah Bushelli about ideas and resources that can help families who find themselves homeschooling during these difficult days. Fr. Noah Bushelli is the founding director of Saint Emmelia Ministries, an outreach of the Department of Homeschooling of the Antiochian Archdiocese. He is lead catechist and spiritual advisor of St. Raphael School and is excited to share his love for God and the Church with the students and stretch his teaching skills into cyberspace. Knowing that he is insufficient for all of these holy tasks, he thanks you for your prayers for him, his family, his parishioners, his students and all homeschooling families! For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com Download Isolation Advice from Master Gregory

Today's podcast is part one of a live recording of a workshop titled “The Whole Household of God” by Summer Kinard. Summer was a workshop leader at the 2020 Saint Emmelia SOUTH Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The description of Summer's workshop is "Building Lifelong Memories by Teaching With Space. Learn how our attention and memory is shaped by spaces and how to apply the ancient Christian wisdom for teaching through space and sensory spatial anchors. After an overview of patristic sources and modern neurological insights that confirm the lasting wisdom of our Tradition, participants will apply the patterns and insights to subject matter ranging from history to literature to the faith." (Part 1 of 2) Summer Kinard is the author of the Ancient Faith Publishing book titled "Of Such Is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability." Summer's blog and additional resources can be found at www.summerkinard.com Download the Printables by Summer Kinard For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid interviews David Kern, Vice President of Integrated Resources with the CiRCE Institute, in the topic of the importance of poetry. David directs CiRCE's multimedia initiatives, including CiRCE Press and CiRCE Podcasts. He is the host of a number of podcasts, including Close Reads, The Daily Poem, and Libromania, and is editor-in-chief of FORMA Journal, the magazine of the CiRCE Institute. He often writes about film, television, books, and other culture-related topics, and has been published by Christ and Pop Culture, Think Christian, Relevant, and elsewhere. David and his wife, Bethany, have four children and they live in Concord, NC near both sets of grandparents. In his spare time, he enjoys watching sports, reading old-school spy novels, and cooking as much as possible. For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Today's podcast is part two of a live recording of a workshop titled “The Whole Household of God” by Summer Kinard. Summer was a workshop leader at the 2020 Saint Emmelia SOUTH Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The description of Summer's workshop is "Building Lifelong Memories by Teaching With Space. Learn how our attention and memory is shaped by spaces and how to apply the ancient Christian wisdom for teaching through space and sensory spatial anchors. After an overview of patristic sources and modern neurological insights that confirm the lasting wisdom of our Tradition, participants will apply the patterns and insights to subject matter ranging from history to literature to the faith." (Part 2 of 2) Summer Kinard is the author of the Ancient Faith Publishing book titled "Of Such Is the Kingdom: A Practical Theology of Disability." You can find Summer's blog and additional resources at www.summerkinard.com. Download the Printables by Summer Kinard For more information on Saint Emmelia Ministries or one of our regional conferences, visit www.saintemmelia.com

Dn. Sean Reid and Fr. Noah Bushelli have a conversation about the upcoming 2020 ONLINE Conference, April 30 - May 2. For more information and to register visit the conference website.