Adult Discussion Groups
Book of Revelation
Description:
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Do you have questions about the Book of Revelation, and how Orthodox Christians should understand the prophecies it contains? Would you like to study what the Fathers have written about the Apocalypse in fellowship with other Orthodox adults?
The St. John of Damascus Orthodox Educational Initiative invites you to join us for a new discussion group for adults concentrating on Archbishop Averky's commentary on the Apocalypse. Led by Initiative headmaster Father John Somers, the group will work its way through the section of Archbishop Averky's work addressing the Book of Revelation, which brings together and synthesizes the instructive commentary of the Church fathers.
Dates: The group will run for eight weeks, from April 30 to June 18, 2026.
Schedule: Thursday evenings at 8:30 p.m. ET for one hour
Price: $95
We look forward to having you join us!
Lives of Ss. Peter and Paul, Using Acts as our Guide
In the post-Paschal period, the Holy Church’s lectionary invites the faithful to walk alongside the Apostles as they spread the news of the Resurrection and Christ’s victory over death through daily readings from the Acts of the Apostles.
During this period, the Initiative’s headmaster, Fr. John Somers, will moderate a discussion group about the lives of the Chief Apostles, Peter and Paul, relying heavily on the accounts of their missionary activities in the Book of Acts, along with Church tradition concerning their martyrdom. Archbishop Averky’s book, The Acts of the Apostles, will be our guide. Father John will supplement the discussion with original visual material providing additional context to enliven our study of the lives of these two important saints.
Schedule: The group will run for eight weeks to, 4 weeks from May 3
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May 24 (no meeting on Pentecost, May 31)
on Sunday evening at 8:00pm ET
AND
4 weeks from June 5 to July 3 (no meeting on June 12)
on Friday evenings at 8:00pm ET -
All proceeds go to the Initiative scholarship fund. Any discussion group is $95 and this purchase allows anyone in your household to participate.
Description:
Join us for a five-week adult discussion course on On the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by St. Philaret of Chernigov — a profound reflection on the suffering, love, and redemption of Christ. Together, we’ll explore the spiritual depth of St. Philaret’s meditations and how they can strengthen our faith and prepare our hearts for the coming Feast of the Nativity.
Schedule: Thursdays, November 6, 13, 28, December 5, and 12
Cost: $95 per household (all proceeds benefit the Initiative Scholarship Fund)
Deepen your faith leading up to and during the Nativity Fast through prayerful reading and thoughtful discussion in community.
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Description:
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the season preceding the Feast of the Nativity and long for something that brings your focus back to Christ? If so, we invite you to join the first installment of a new adult discussion series on the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our main text will be Archbishop Averky’s commentary on the Four Gospels, supplemented with additional readings when they provide useful context or insight. This inaugural segment—timed with the Nativity Fast and our spiritual preparation for the Lord’s Nativity—will begin with the incarnation and birth of our Savior.
The newly available English translation of Archbishop Averky’s The Four Gospels, the first volume of his Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, opens this remarkable work to a wider audience. Drawing on the teachings of the Holy Fathers and the Church’s liturgical hymns, the commentary presents the Gospel narrative in chronological order according to the life of Christ. In this way, it offers a fuller and more unified understanding of our Lord’s life by bringing together the accounts of all four evangelists.
Instructor:
Fr. John Somers
Times:
7 p.m. ET, Sundays: 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28, 1/4
Required Text:
The Four Gospels by Archbishop Averky
Price:
$95 per household – all proceeds support the Initiative Scholarship Fund
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Description:
Join us for a five-week adult discussion course on On the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by St. Philaret of Chernigov — a profound reflection on the suffering, love, and redemption of Christ. Together, we’ll explore the spiritual depth of St. Philaret’s meditations and how they can strengthen our faith and prepare our hearts for the coming Feast of the Nativity.
Schedule: Thursdays, November 6, 13, 28, December 5, and 12
Cost: $95 per household (all proceeds benefit the Initiative Scholarship Fund)
Deepen your faith leading up to and during the Nativity Fast through prayerful reading and thoughtful discussion in community.
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