Everyday Orthodox

Laura Pavlik is a homeschooling mother of three who teaches the preschool Sunday school class and sometimes sings in the choir. She loves teaching and learning, writing (which is part of both), swing dancing, and baking bread. She is also the author of the adorable new board book from Ancient Faith Kids, Today My Priest Wears White.

For 35 years Charlene worked in Cincinnati Public Schools as a teacher, Assistant Principal, and Principal. She focused on inner city schools, and responded to food insecurity by starting a Food Pantry. Today she is the Director of FOCUS Cincinnati.

Elissa is joined by her friend, Bill Malloy, who was among the founders of St. Anthony's Orthodox Church in Spring, Texas. He loves to do volunteer work—at Texas Children's Hospital for years, and now at Institute for Health Quality and Ethics in Santa Fe.

Elizabeth worked as a child life specialist at her local children’s hospital for 10 years. After her first YES trip her outlook on serving others forever changed. She found greater awareness of the needs of every person, and how Christ uses each of us to fill those needs.

Jason is an algebra and geometry teacher in Phoenix, Arizona, and a former national teacher of the year for Teach For America. He is passionate about helping all students receive college degrees, especially his former students -- which is why he founded Camp Catanese. https://www.campcatanese.com/

On the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, Michael Carr let go of his life as a Lutheran pastor to embrace a new life in the Orthodox Church. He serves as operations manager for Philoxenia Charities, which provides housing free of charge to any Mayo Clinic patient.

The director of FOCUS Detroit, Adam enjoys cooking, songwriting and performing, exploring, and spending time with his pitbull, Henry. He has 3 theology degrees (BA, MA & MDiv), and he started the Motor City Orthodox Christian Conference.

Nicky Lamanna studied kinesiology, anatomy & nutrition. Working through his own health issues, he and his brother, Nathan, developed a philosophy for optimal health through a holistic approach, and went into business together, creating the online company, Mitigate Stress. To learn more please visit mitigatestress.com

Kirk Ries, LSW, MNPA, is entering his third year as Director of St. Herman House – FOCUS Cleveland. He has over 30 years of social work experience in public schools, foster care, business development, and residential treatment. He and his wife, Amy, have 3 adult children.

Rheta lives in the mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband, 2 children, and several cats. She loves reading, watching old television, being outside, and exploring small towns. But truthfully, going to a church service is her favorite thing to do. She is the author of the newly published, Stubborn Love: A Story of Saint Maria of Paris.https://store.ancientfaith.com/stubborn-love-a-story-of-saint...

Christi was on the first-ever episode of Everyday Orthodox and she's back with good news! She recently produced and brought to market a children's (ages 3-92) card game called FEAST DAY FUN! She developed the concept based on a learning game she has been using for over twenty years at church and at home. Feast Day Fun game can be purchased at;https://store.ancientfaith.com/feast-day-fun-activity-c...

Peter Poulos (a.k.a. Peter Santa) is the delightful co-founder of the online children's ministry, StNicholasTeleSanta.com, which offers free video calls with Orthodox children and their families during the Christmas season.

Kendra homeschools her four children, runs a successful business, and is passionate about helping people accept who they are and be gracious with others. She is thrilled to be on the team which wrote the companion guide to Parenting Toward the Kingdom.

Alexandros is the first ever full-time Orthodox Christian Campus Missionary! He met his wife, Rachel, at OCF's college conference, and now they have two children and are serving the community at Texas A&M, with great success.

Jaleen is the Executive Director of the Treehouse, serving women in need of comfort and confidence along their parenting journey. A wife and mother of four, Jaleen meets moms who have experienced trauma with compassion, empathy, and action plans to move families forward.

Spyridoula Fotinis is interested in the intersections of faith and social policy, specifically related to homelessness. She currently serves as the Director of Inter-Parish Associations for the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the USA.

The assistant priest at St John of the Ladder in Greenville, SC, Fr. Alexander is a senior fellow of philosophy and theology at the Pacifica Center for Philosophy and Theology. He is a contributor to the forthcoming book, Into the Light: Classical Education and Orthodox Christianity.

Presbytera Maria is the Principal of St. Raphael School. An educator for over 25 years, she has loved every minute of it—in both public and private schools. She holds degrees from Holy Cross, and she and her husband, Fr. Dionysios, live in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Born in Thailand, Yam grew up in the U.S. and lives in the Western NC mountains with her family. New to Orthodoxy, she has been led back into the East and deeper into the Kingdom of God where her interests in family life, monasticism, and good storytelling overlap.

The wife of a priest, Sarah is a mother of three and a middle school teacher. She co-authored both 101 and 102 Orthodox Saints. She loves helping students discover a love of reading and going on adventures in nature with her family.

At 16, Wadeed fell in love with Youth Equipped to Serve's mission of loving and serving all people. He is now the new Director of YES, the FOCUS ministry dedicated to creating formative opportunities that equip participants to serve each person as the image of Christ.

Susan founded and directs Thrive Life Skills, an international ministry organization and has worked for over 30 years with suffering people around the world. She wrote A New Song: Our Journey Toward Healing and lives with her daughter and family in Michigan

Clarissa grew up in South Africa, and has a background in acting. She homeschools three fiercely spirited girls and is wife to a man who gets paid to make actors look like superheroes. The Murrays live in downtown Atlanta, with their 90-lb Doberman named Blaise.

Dr. Jenkins is the Director of the St. Basil Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture at Eastern University He has taught History, Theology, Greats, Latin, and Greek, and recently published A Perilous Realm: Confronting Dragons, Angels, and Saints in the Ordering of the Soul.

Dr. Mark Faries, professor in behavioral medicine and adjunct faculty with the College of Medicine with Texas A&M College of Medicine and School of Public Health, Mark is the Director of the Well Church Initiative. He specializes in theology in health, health behavior change, and the role of religious beliefs in chronic disease prevention.