Youth Activities

TGOC Tykes

Tykes is a ministry for parents, newborns, babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Its mission  is to help guide and teach our children at a young age about their Orthodox faith through music, arts and crafts, fellowship and service. No registration is necessary and all are welcome.

Schedule: the group meets in Mt. Tabor Hall usually once a month, usually on Wednesdays. You’ll find this month’s meeting time and any special events (monastery field trips, pumpkin patch outings, etc.) on the parish calendar and in the bulletin.

To join the email list, please contact our Tykes Advisor.

 

HOPE/JOY

HOPE (Hellenic Orthodox Primary Education) is a ministry for children in grades K-2nd;

JOY (Junior Orthodox Youth) is a ministry for children grades 3rd-5th.

At Transfiguration, we often speak of a combined ministry, referring to “Hope/Joy”, by which we mean both upper and lower elementary students. Depending on the age-appropriateness of each activity, we sometimes keep all of the kids together, and sometimes separate them. If an event is intended for just one part of the “Hope/Joy” age range, that will be clear on all announcements and on the church calendar.

The mission and goal of the Hope/Joy ministry is to lead our children into experiencing the Holy Orthodox Faith, creating strong bonds with their Orthodox friends and building the foundation of our Orthodox faith through worship, fellowship and service.

We welcome all children from Kindergarten through 5th grade to join us throughout the year for gatherings which include summer swim parties, back-to-school roller skating, Holy House, Lazarus Saturday and Holy Friday activities, and much more. 

No registration is required. All families registered for Sunday School will be automatically added to the Hope/Joy email list. We welcome parent participation and involvement. 

For more information, please contact the HOPE/JOY Advisors.

GOYA

GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) is our teen group, aimed at providing opportunities for our teens to experience the faith through worship, fellowship, service and witness. In addition to gathering for annual events such as the back-to-school pool party, Christmas on the Streets service project and social functions at various families’ homes, our GOYA actively participates in Metropolis activities such as the Annual Basketball Tournament, the Fall and Lenten Southern Region Retreats, and Camp Emmanuel.

No registration is required. All families registering middle and high schoolers for Sunday School will be automatically added to the GOYA email list. We welcome parent participation and involvement. 

For more information, contact the GOYA Advisors.

 

Greek Dance

Transfiguration offers dance groups for children, young adults, and adults. Our younger dance groups perform at cultural events throughout the year. The dance program brings our Transfiguration community together in Orthodox Christian fellowship and afford the opportunity to live, learn, and experience the Hellenic culture through dance. We also strive to grow together in spirit and strength, always to bring out the best in each participant. For detailed information, please visit our Greek Dance page.

 

Camp St. Nicholas (Vacation Church Camp)

Camp St. Nicholas is Transfiguration’s Vacation Church Camp, operating for one week every summer, and offering a fun week of fellowship and learning. Through prayer, music, skits, arts and crafts, games and play, the children grow in their faith and in their friendships.

At the end of the week, we take a family field trip to a Monastery, where lunch is enjoyed and there are lots of opportunities for any questions to be answered.

Children in preschool through fifth grade are welcome as campers, and those in sixth grade through high school are welcome to participate as staff members.

Registration is posted online when available. For more information, contact Camp St. Nicholas Team.

 

St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

Each Spring, our parish participates in the national Greek Orthodox Archdiocese’s St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival, providing an opportunity for our youth to write and speak about the Orthodox faith.

Students in the 4th – 6th grades are invited to speak in the Elementary Division on a suggested topic, or on an Orthodox topic of their own invention. These speeches are not judged and are very short, offering the opportunity for our younger children to gain confidence and experience in public speaking.

Students in the Junior (7th – 9th grades) and Senior (10th – 12th grades) Divisions are given the opportunity to select and research one of several topics announced annually by the Archdiocese Department of Religious Education. Speeches are judged by a panel of three volunteer judges from outside the parish. The top speakers in each division proceed to represent our parish in the Metropolis of Denver Oratorical Festival; the top speakers from this festival compete at the national level, at the Archdiocese Finals.

For more detailed information and registration, please visit our Oratorical site