Raising Saints

Follow Raising Saints
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

"Raising Saints" offers tools to bring the Orthodox Christian faith to life for our children. Providing specific ways to express complex ideas to children so that they can understand and make them their own, and offering concrete and practical suggestions to reinforce those ideas, this podcast hopes…

Elissa Bjeletich and Ancient Faith Radio


    • Mar 1, 2019 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 85 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Raising Saints with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Raising Saints

    Tending the Garden at Home and in the Classroom

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2019 21:44


    Elissa and her Tending the Garden of Our Hearts co-author, Kristina Wenger, discuss the nuts and bolts of their new book of daily Lenten meditations for Families and their ongoing Tending the Garden podcast, including how the meditations can be adjusted for use in church school classrooms.

    All-American Slava

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2018 8:42


    Inspired by the Serbian Orthodox custom of Krsna Slava, Elissa suggests that American convert families consider adopting a feast day for their Little Churches!

    Handing over the Reins with Jenny Stasinopoulos

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2018 31:35


    Elissa interviews Jenny Stasinopoulos, the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at the GOA Metropolis of Denver about a big change she made this year at Camp Emmanuel. Perhaps we should all consider innovative ways to empower our kids to take responsibility for their own faith lives!

    Can We Teach How to Love Your Neighbor?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2018 21:41


    We tell them that God is Love, but do we go a step further and teach them what it means to actually love other people? Literally, how do we show love? I think we assume that people know that already, but maybe they don't—or maybe we could do better.

    Welcome to Chapter Two - Catching Up

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2018 11:36


    Elissa updates the Raising Saints audience on some new projects they might find interesting, and establishes a new plan for the future of Raising Saints.

    When Kids Don’t Like Church

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2017 19:00


    Elissa takes a look at a question from a friend: How do we handle it when an older child doesn't want to go to church? Can't we just worship from home? Why does it matter and how do you teach that?

    Let There Be Light: Science, Orthodoxy, and our Youth

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2017 33:04


    Elissa talks with Alisa Rakich-Brooks, author of Let There Be Light, the first in a new series of Orthodox children's books, about how our children are experiencing the relationship between religion and science and steps we might take to frame scientific inquiry in an Orthodox light.

    Holy Week: Entering into Grief

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2017 10:23


    Our culture shies away from death, but every year, as we Orthodox participate in Holy Week and Pascha, we recalibrate our relationship with death. We face death squarely, and we enter into grief and find that Christ conquers death.

    Parenting: Struggling Toward Salvation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2017 16:48


    In honor of Parenting Month at Ancient Faith, Raising Saints is flipping it around: instead of talking about how adults can feed the faith of children, we're considering the impact this process has on the parents, and the many ways in which raising saints can transform one into a saint.

    Bringing Old Testament Stories to Life, and to Our Lives

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2016 23:07


    Is there a way to approach the Old Testament with our children in a fascinating and dimensional way? Elissa encourages us to teach Old Testament stories on three different levels.

    Orthodox Christian Fellowship: Ministry as Family

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2016 50:28


    Elissa talks with Dan Bein from Orthodox Christian Fellowship about this important ministry for college students.

    Blueprints for the Little Church

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2016 30:29


    Elissa's co-author, Caleb Shoemaker, joins her for a conversation about their new book, Blueprints for the Little Church: Creating an Orthodox Home, discussing the challenges and benefits of bringing an Orthodox rhythm to the family.

    Tongues of Fire: Teaching the Holy Spirit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2016 13:28


    The Holy Spirit can be a difficult and abstract concept to explain to young people, so in honor of the feast of Pentecost, Elissa explores the story of the tongues of fire, as well as the prayer "O Heavenly King," to find ways to describe this most mysterious person of the Holy Trinity.

    Christ is Risen! (Now What?)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2016 10:27


    Some years, Bright Week is filled with joy, but there are other years when we are just worn out. Have we done Pascha wrong? What do we do next?

    Christ Speaks from the Cross

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2016 20:20


    The four Gospels offer different perspectives and even different stories on our Lord. Elissa uses this situation as the basis for a family retreat during Great and Holy Friday.

    Bombings, Bloodshed, and the God We Show Our Children

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2016 9:01


    Sometimes, the God we imagine is not at all who He really is. We need to let our children see faith that is alive and real—which reflects the True God who exists apart from our imaginations.

    Leading the Family Through Great Lent

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2016 16:56


    Elissa discusses how the parish and Sunday school can help support the family throughout Lent.

    Consecration

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2016 17:54


    Elissa describes how she and her fellow Sunday school teachers are involving the children in the consecration of the altar at her church parish in Austin, Texas.

    Praying Before Communion with Children

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2016 14:25


    Elissa encourages us to teach our children some prayers to say to themselves while they're standing in line for Communion.

    Merry Christmas!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2015 9:54


    Elissa is tired of being caught between Christmas and Nativity. Are you?

    Stillness

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2015 11:06


    If we are always busy and noisy, we cannot hear the voice of God.

    Whole-Hearted Stewardship

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2015 20:47


    Elissa reminds us that good stewardship heals our relationship to money and other possessions.

    Being Pilgrims

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2015 14:49


    Elissa encourages us to engage in spiritual pilgrimages and approach all of life as pilgrims.

    Setting Up a Small Sunday School: Stepping Outside the Box

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2015 23:26


    Rather than picture a perfect, established, normal Sunday school and try to fit yourself into that plan, maybe it's better to start by looking at what you do have and find a flexible, innovative way to make it work.

    The Apostles Fast: Articulating the Faith

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2015 25:15


    How will we help our children find a respectful and good way to offer Orthodoxy to this world? Elissa emphasizes the importance of being able to articulate the Orthodox faith in emulation of the twelve Holy Apostles.

    What the Numbers Tell Us

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2015 14:53


    Elissa takes a look at the recent Pew Research Center report on religious affiliation in the United States and speculates on some of the possible causes of the decline in Orthodox Christian believers.

    Becoming Myrrhbearers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2015 16:47


    It is good for our children to understand that the Orthodox treat bodies differently.

    The End of Days: Holy Pascha

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2015 20:29


    Great Lent is a preparation for the ultimate Pascha—for the end of time and Christ's return.

    Lenten Struggles and Anxieties

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2015 12:33


    Great Lent: A Season of Increase and Decrease

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2015 10:44


    The goal of Great Lent is not only to deny ourselves and live for Christ, but also to let Christ live in us.

    Fasting as a Family

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2015 17:34


    How do you make fasting a beautiful and natural part of your home?

    New Year’s Resolutions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2015 13:31


    Resolutions are compatible with Orthodoxy, especially when the goal is to grow closer to God. Does Christ radiate in you?

    The True Meaning of Christmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2014 13:08


    Gifts are a part of Christmas, and that's actually okay, but "God become flesh" is the true meaning of Christmas.

    Nativity and the Solidarity of Mankind

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2014 17:38


    Why does it matter that our God came down to earth and took on flesh? Elissa discusses using the Jesse Tree and other means to teach our children about the Feast of the Nativity.

    Angels

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2014 20:31


    Elissa discusses angels and what children can learn from them in Sunday school.

    Death and Dying: Talking to Kids

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2014 20:20


    Elissa offers some suggestions for guiding children through death and dying.

    Seeing the Church in a Circus

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2014 15:38


    Elissa is teaching middle schoolers this year at Sunday school, and she will be using the film The Butterfly Circus as the grounding image.

    Does God Have a Plan for You?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2014 20:27


    Elissa reminds us that it is our job to make our free will line up with God's will.

    Orthodox Ecosystem

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2014 11:54


    Elissa reminds us that the body of Christ is a living organism, and we remove pieces of it to the detriment of the whole.

    Modern Comforts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2014 18:46


    Citing the writings of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Elissa demonstrates how the conveniences we have invented to make life easy have actually made it quite a bit harder.

    The Life-Giving Cross: Marriage and Parenting

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2014 17:07


    Elissa discusses Orthodox marriage and parenting, focusing particularly on how both involve dying to self.

    Teaching the Story

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2014 16:55


    Elissa shares with us how to get our kids to the place where their worldview is totally dependent on the Christian story.

    Christian Gonzalez on Youth Ministry

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2014 54:52


    Elissa interviews Christian Gonzalez, the California deanery youth director of the Antiochian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West, about how we need to rethink our approach to ministering to our youth.

    The Light of Pascha

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2014 10:01


    Elissa reminds us that we are temples of God, meant to light up and become a lamp for the world.

    Traditions of Holy Week and Pascha

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2014 25:30


    Elissa shares some of the youth-centric traditions of her home parish with regard to Holy Week and Pascha.

    The Devil’s Fast

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2014 9:02


    If you are fasting from meat and dairy products, but you are not praying, studying the word of God, and making an effort to show love and charity, then your fast looks a lot like the devil's fast.

    The Triumph of Orthodoxy: Icons in the Church!

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2014 14:25


    The Sunday of Orthodoxy offers us an opportunity to discuss with our kids the Orthodox understanding of the materiality of this world and its potential for holiness.

    Prayer Groups: the Psalter and the Blessings of Intercession

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2014 18:48


    Noah’s Ark: Why We Go to Church

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2014 18:47


    Elissa tells the complete story of Noah's Ark to demonstrate how doing so can be used to teach children about why we go to—and participate in the disciplines of—the Holy Orthodox Church.

    St. John the Forerunner:  Repent!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2014 21:36


    Elissa demonstrates how talking about St. John the Forerunner can be a great way to illustrate and understand the roles of the prophets and the saints all at once.

    Praying for Our Children II: In God’s Hands

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2013 12:50


    Elissa discusses the story of Abraham and Isaac and her favorite prayer for children.

    Claim Raising Saints

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel