Service in Practice

On this episode, I talk with my multilingual Canadian friend, Maria Lotfi. A talented writer and podcaster herself, Maria shares her thoughts on what service looks like in locations with various languages, as well as some of the challenges - and blessings - that come along with that. Maria also interviewed me on her podcast, which is called "About Us." Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GPWxPevVeFx8mgoeaidw7 Maria's personal blog: https://honeyfaceherblog.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

This week on Service in Practice, I talk with Fr. Michael Sorial, priest of St. Anianus Coptic Orthodox Church in Monroe, NJ. He shares his story of getting involved in evangelism, and how he's used his blog and YouTube channel to reach broader audiences. Links: Fr. Michael's Blog: http://frmichaelsorial.com/ Jan 7 vs Dec 25 video: http://frmichaelsorial.com/aiovg_videos/christmas-december-25-or-january-7/ Books: Incarnational Exodus: https://www.amazon.com/Incarnational-Exodus-Advancement-Christocentric-Athanasius/dp/0984891854 On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius: https://svspress.com/on-the-incarnation-english-only/ Epistle to Diognetus: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm Missionaries, Monks, and Martyrs by Luke Alexander Veronis: https://www.amazon.com/Missionaries-Monks-Martyrs-Disciples-Nations/dp/1880971003 And He Leads Them: The Mind and Heart of Philip Saliba, by Joseph J. Allen https://store.ancientfaith.com/and-he-leads-them-the-mind-and-heart-of-philip-saliba/ The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen: https://www.amazon.com/Missionaries-Monks-Martyrs-Disciples-Nations/dp/1880971003 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

On this episode of the podcast, I had the privilege of chatting with Daniel Bein about his experience in seminary. A recent graduate from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (also known as St. Vlads), Daniel shares his journey of obtaining his Masters of Divinity. He speaks about misconceptions about seminary, different institutions, and how one can get started if they are interested in theological education. Daniel also speaks about how seminary education prepares individuals for deeper service. Daniel recommends several resources for anyone who is interested in seminary or simply wants to connect more deeply with their faith: New Advent, a site for public domain patristic texts: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/ Ancient Faith Radio, a podcast: https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts Bible Project, a podcast: https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/the-bible-project-podcast/ He also recommends several books: For theology, An Introduction to God by Stephen Damick (https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-God-Encountering-Orthodox-Christianity/dp/1936270994), and For the Life of the World by Fr. Alexander Schmemann (https://svspress.com/for-the-life-of-the-world-new-edition/) For patristics, On The Incarnation by St. Athanasius (https://svspress.com/on-the-incarnation-english-only/), St. John Chrysostom's commentary on the gospel according to St. John (https://svspress.com/the-holy-gospel-according-to-saint-john-a-pastoral-commentary/), and On Marriage and Family Life by St. John Chrysostom (https://svspress.com/on-marriage-and-family-life-st-john-chrysostom/) For service, Parenting Toward the Kingdom by Dr. Philip Mamalakis (https://store.ancientfaith.com/parenting-toward-the-kingdom/). For spirituality, Beginning to Pray by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom (https://store.ancientfaith.com/beginning-to-pray-metropolitan-anthony-bloom/). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

On this episode of Service in Practice, I had the blessing to interview Fr. Luke of the Coptic Orthodox Church of St Mary and St Mercurius in Belleville, NJ. Fr. Luke also practices at St. Luke's Clinic, a psychiatric clinic that is part of the church. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at New Jersey Medical School. Fr. Luke speaks about his practice and the importance of mental health to the life of the Church and to service. We begin with some of the barriers to mental health help, and how the Church can help break those down. He also talks about the 12-step recovery process for addiction, comparing it to several Orthodox practices - repentance, confession, and service, to name a few. One great starting place Fr. Luke recommends is the book God's Path to Sanity, by Dee Pennock, with a biblical and patristic basis for mental illness: https://store.ancientfaith.com/gods-path-to-sanity/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

Welcome back to Service in Practice! We are back, with Season 2! One of the new elements of the podcast is the opening music, inspired by a Coptic hymn. It's taken from the Theotokia, a praise addressed to the Mother of God, from the Sunday Midnight Praises. The music is played by my dear friend Martina Hanna on the violin. On the first episode of Season 2, guest Evram Dawd joins us to talk about Service as part of our identity as Christians. Evram has spent time in many different communities, from the East Coast to Myanmar. And in his time settling in new places, he discovered service was the common thread that united parishes and individuals in Christ. Evram quotes the Letter to Diognetus (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm), and in addition, he recommends a few books: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC1DZ4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Ages of the Spiritual Life by Paul Evdokimov: https://svspress.com/ages-of-the-spiritual-life/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

On Episode 10, the last episode of Season 1 of Service in Practice, tune in to hear Magdolen Sleman talk about what washing other's feet looks like in our everyday service. Magdolen, also known as Maggie, is working on becoming a licensed professional counselor. From the time of Christ, washing of the feet has been a literal and figurative element of service. Maggie takes us back to John 13, then forward to her own experiences - from being a summer camp (“nady”) counselor as a teenager, to observing and taking part in Alcoholics Anonymous as part of her coursework for her professional counseling license. Maggie recommends the book For She Loved Much: A Homily on the Sinful Woman by Saint Ephraim the Syrian, to get into the mindset of reflection: https://www.google.com/books/edition/For_She_Loved_Much/Yxa2SgAACAAJ?hl=en --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

This week on Service in Practice, our first clergy guest appears. Fr. Nathanael Guirguis, the priest of St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in Atlanta, GA, joins and talks about the importance of the Liturgy to our service. I'm honored to interview Fr. Nathanael, who hosts the podcast Meet & Right, which you can check out for in-depth conversations about the Liturgy in the Orthodox Church. From the early church to today's hyper-individualized world post-COVID, Fr. Nathanael stresses the importance of the Liturgy, in that it is a gathering of the believers. In Liturgy and in the Body of Christ, we, the broken, can be made whole. Check out the article “Offering You Your Own of Your Own: Stewardship in the Liturgy” by Paul Meyendorff: http://www.stewardshipadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/Your-Own-of-Your-Own-We-Offer-to-You.pdf One of the book recommendations from Fr. Nathanael is Deep and Wide, by Andy Stanley: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Wide-Creating-Churches-Unchurched/dp/0310526531 Check out Fr. Nathanael's podcast, Meet & Right: http://www.coptichymnsinenglish.com/meetandright --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

For episode 8, I'm honored to be interviewing guest Lilyan Andrews, writer of the blog Lilies and Thorns (https://www.liliesandthorns.com/) and personal coach. In this episode, Lilyan shares why she started her blog, and how that has helped her paint her life experiences with the colors and strokes of biblical teaching. In talking about the blog and some of her stories, Lilyan speaks to the interplay between culture and faith. During the episode, Lilyan recommends a couple of books, including What the Church Fathers Say About (https://www.amazon.com/What-Church-Fathers-Say-About/dp/1880971356), and Becoming a Healing Presence (https://svspress.com/becoming-a-healing-presence/) Sign up for our mailing list here: https://tinyurl.com/y6n26wdu If you have any feedback or topics you'd like to hear about, share them here: https://forms.gle/Jsim1t9kRWJ2r3YZA --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

Even though you might not be packing your bags too soon, this is an episode that you don't want to miss! Monica Youssef, my good friend from Serve to Learn (Coptic Orphans' annual service trip to Egypt), shares her experiences on going on a mission trip. During the episode, Monica and I talk about the doubts and fears that can crop up when one is considering a mission trip, based on our similar experiences before we traveled to Egypt. She gives advice on how to best handle these thoughts, emphasizing the need for prayer and introspection. In terms of how to benefit from the trip while actually there, she suggests pushing oneself to always remain present, express the love of Christ, and be adaptable to the different circumstances. Monica recommends several books, including Orthodox Prayer Life (https://svspress.com/orthodox-prayer-life-the-interior-way/) by Fr. Matthew the Poor, as well as two titles by Henri Nouwen: Return of the Prodigal Son (https://www.amazon.com/Return-Prodigal-Son-Story-Homecoming/dp/0385473079), and Life of the Beloved (https://www.amazon.com/Life-Beloved-Spiritual-Living-Secular/dp/0824519868). Service in Practice would love to hear your suggestions for new episode topics! Share them here: https://forms.gle/fmT7wM1RdcmaQ1S29 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

Tune in to hear one of my childhood Sunday School teachers, Joe Ghabour. Aside from working as a personal injury lawyer, Joe is an extremely dedicated servant at my home church, leading in Sunday School among other services. Joe highlights some of the responsibilities that are particular to service leaders, such as the need to look out for their fellow servants and by extension, the kids those servants teach. Also, he brings to light some of the virtues a service leader should have, building upon St. Paul's words in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Throughout the episode, Joe and I discuss a few great books, and I wanted to leave the titles with you: the Didache (https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0714.htm), A Silent Patriarch (https://svspress.com/a-silent-patriarch/), Discipleship (https://wp.me/paj1zT-qU) and Release of the Spirit (https://wp.me/paj1zT-re). Join our mailing list here!: https://tinyurl.com/y6n26wdu --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

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). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

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 serviceinpractice1@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

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/) Here is the link to sign up for email blog-posts: https://tinyurl.com/y6n26wdu --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

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). Don't forget to share Service in Practice! And join our mailing list here: https://tinyurl.com/y6n26wdu --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support

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! https://instagram.com/serviceinpractice?igshid=dfhhy4a0a9ax --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/karen-ayoub/support