Service in Practice

This week, you’ll hear Ave Ibrahim, the director of public relations at Agora University, share his thoughts on hidden services. He shares different examples, from serving newcomers to actually cleaning toilets. He also emphasizes that unseen services can help us look inward, refocus on our motivation for service, and grow in humility. He reminds us that our reward will come from our Father in heaven, who sees what we do in secret (Matthew 6:4).

Throughout the episode, Ave draws ideas from his article “Too Many Windows and Not Enough Mirrors,” written for Agora University. (https://avei.medium.com/too-many-windows-and-not-enough-mirrors-1e6d6339096a)

He also shares several book recommendations, A Silent Patriarch (https://svspress.com/a-silent-patriarch/), and Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography (https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/cTIiakYrwWcC?hl=en).

On the fourth episode of Service in Practice, Mora Sorial shares her insight on serving individuals with diverse needs. 

She discusses how to cater to various learning abilities, emphasizing the need to communicate the message of love above all else, and pointing to examples of teaching methods that Christ used.  Mora also addresses the stigma that can sometimes manifest in discussions about diverse needs. She encourages parents and servants to approach the topic with an open mind, stressing that when necessary, provisions for those with special needs can truly transform their learning and confidence. 

As promised in the episode, here are some pertinent resources:

1. A resource for parents and educators about supporting children with special needs: https://www.understood.org/

2. NJ Department of Education Code for Special Education: https://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/title6a/chap14.pdf

3. A booklet summarizing the rights for parents with regards to special education services in NJ: https://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/form/prise/prise.pdf

4. The same booklet, in Arabic: https://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/form/prise/prise_ar.pdf

Please feel free to get in touch with any questions by emailing [email protected]

On Episode 3, meet Sherry Sourial, who shares her wisdom on being a faithful and committed servant, without neglecting one’s academic or professional responsibilities. She shares her experiences, offering ideas for how to serve in your immediate environment as a student or employee. Her examples demonstrate that while the spirit of service will never change, the forms in which it manifests can. She reminds us of the importance of being thoughtful about what we devote our time to, stressing the need for introspection about our values and talents.

Sherry finds many learnings from the book A Silent Patriarch by Fr. Daniel Fanous (https://svspress.com/a-silent-patriarch/), and I also share quotations from On Social Justice by St. Basil (https://svspress.com/on-social-justice-st-basil-the-great/)

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For the second episode, I'm honored to talk with Laura Micahel, the blogger behind Coptic Dad & Mom (https://www.copticdadandmom.com/). Laura talks about how technology can empower us as servants, especially now, as we rely on it even more in a virtual world. She gives advice to those who grapple with Zoom fatigue, reminding us to persevere to the end, as Christ instructs us to "watch" in Matthew 25:13. Laura also sheds light on the dangers of technology to those we serve, and how to handle these challenges.

Laura suggests a few resources for remote Sunday School: Kahoot (https://kahoot.com/), and Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/).

We also discuss a few great books: Habib Girgis: Coptic Orthodox Educator and a Light in the Darkness (https://svspress.com/habib-girgis-coptic-orthodox-educator-and-a-light-in-the-darkness/), and Teach Like a Champion (https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Like-Champion-Techniques-Students/dp/0470550473). 

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Welcome to Service in Practice! This first episode features Boules Tadrous, one of my former servants and now a dear friend. Boules kicks off the podcast, sharing his experience in service, from starting “Servants Prep” to being a mentor. He touches upon what to look for in a mentor, and what it’s like to be a mentor, reminding us of the words of St. Paul in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.”

We discuss a couple of books on this episode, If You Love Me by Fr. Matthew the Poor (Matta el-Meskeen), and Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Perspective by the late H.G. Bishop Youannis.

Service in Practice is on Instagram! If you’ve benefited from this episode, please follow and share this podcast as well the Instagram profile @serviceinpractice. Also, join the email list here: https://tinyurl.com/y6n26wdu

Welcome to Service in Practice! In this trailer, hear what the podcast is all about! I’m excited to be sharing what made me want to take this endeavor. You’ll also find out what episodes will look like, and what my vision is for the podcast. I can’t wait for all of you to join me on this journey!

Stay connected to get updates about the podcast and also to reach out with any feedback or suggestions!