Sydney Serbian Orthodox Community

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Snovi11

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Hi All,

Just thought I would ask for some help and support for a Facebook page I have created mainly targeted towards the Serbian Orthodox community in Sydney, however anyone and everyone are welcome to join it.

The reason for the page is that the number of Serbian Orthodox faithful in Sydney is slowly and steadily diminishing with the future looking bleak in 10 years time of people filling up our parishes.

So due to that I have started this page to try and get people involved and promote Orthodoxy for Sydneysiders.

If you can share or help in any way it would be greatly appreciated, if not that's fine too.

Thanks for taking the time to read this far if you have done so.

Please ask for the link if you are interested as it won't let me post links since I haven't posted enough on the forum so far.

Nik
 
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Is this only for Serbian Australians? Or do you wish to bring Orthodoxy to all Australians, regardless of their ethnicity? Why are their numbers decreasing? Could it be the ethnocentrism? The ghettoisation of the Church?

I would rather see something set up for all Australians, Serbian or not. I'll throw my support behind that, eventhough I'm not Australian. I've been to your country. You have a great country and I would love to see Orthodoxy spread there.
 
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Snovi11

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Thanks for your kind words and support guys. And sorry if it seems I am segregating in regards to Serbian Orthodox however that isn't my intention at all.

Of course all Orthodox are welcome to join in on the page to share, talk etc its just that the Serbian Orthodox (especially youth) seem to be struggling where (thank God) all the rest of the Orthodox communities such as the Greeks and Copts are flourishing (once again thank God and may they continue to thrive!!).

I just wanted to get the Serbian community up and running as much as I can with the limited time and resources that I have and since social media seems to be a powerful tool to create communities etc I chose to make this page.

Once again please don't feel its only for Serbs all Orthodox are welcome and I would love to help them all prosper!

Here it is:

Sydney-Serbian-Orthodox-Youth/675059162600775

Just go on Facebook . com followed by pages/ and then what's above

And prodromos I'm from Parramatta way :wave:
 
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dzheremi

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I don't know anything about EO communities in Australia, but the Coptic Orthodox bishop of Melbourne and affiliated regions, HG Bishop Suriel, is one of my absolute favorites (if it's okay to admit to having favorites among the bishops; haha). A very strong leader. I hope that the Serbians and all the EO in your country are similarly blessed with leaders who uphold and strengthen their faith and churches.

Putting the name of your page into Google, I see that there is also something called Serbian Orthodox Youth Association of Australia and New Zealand (Home). I presume you probably know them already? Are they doing anything to address the future of the Serbian Orthodox Church in your country? All I see on their front page is about floods in Serbia and Bosnia.
 
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My (now former) parish is Serbian. But if you really look at the parish, my former priest will be the first to tell you that 3/4 of the Serbians there don't go to church EVER! They've largely fallen away from the faith in spades. Some have moved away and just blended. That parish now is about 50% Russian, the rest Protestant and Catholic converts with a small amount of ACTUAL Serbs!
 
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Dalibor

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Is this only for Serbian Australians? Or do you wish to bring Orthodoxy to all Australians, regardless of their ethnicity? Why are their numbers decreasing? Could it be the ethnocentrism? The ghettoisation of the Church?

I would rather see something set up for all Australians, Serbian or not. I'll throw my support behind that, eventhough I'm not Australian. I've been to your country. You have a great country and I would love to see Orthodoxy spread there.

Ethnocentrism is not a problem but westernization is. Whole generations lost to philosophy that you should live life to the fullest enjoying all pleasures of this world. Just like USA, Australia is a post-Christian country. All public data shows that Christianity in general is disappearing in Australia.
While people who keep ties with their ethnic culture and traditions can retain some connections to the Church those who abandon all that become secularized to point where they are not Christian at all.
 
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@Dalibor, no, ethnocentrism is a problem. When you cannot fathom in your mind why someone who is not Russian for example is Orthodox, it's a problem. When one completely ignores someone once finding out they are not Russian, it's a problem, when one does not obey the commandments of Christ and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give alms to the poor, but rather focus on one's cultural tradition to the exclusion of everyone else, it's a problem.

You can try to blame the Big Bad West on all your problems, but trust me, ethnocentrism is a problem.

Thank you for you opinion, but its not grounded in reality.
 
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SeventhValley

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Ethnocentrism is not a problem but westernization is. Whole generations lost to philosophy that you should live life to the fullest enjoying all pleasures of this world. Just like USA, Australia is a post-Christian country. All public data shows that Christianity in general is disappearing in Australia.
While people who keep ties with their ethnic culture and traditions can retain some connections to the Church those who abandon all that become secularized to point where they are not Christian at all.

Materialism is not western but has always existed in all cultures. Example:In Ancient Indian philosophy, materialism developed around 600 BC with the works of Ajita Kesakambali, Payasi, Kanada, and the proponents of the Cārvāka school of philosophy. Kanada became one of the early proponents of atomism-Wikipedia materialism.

It existed back in St.Paul's time "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."".

It is not the west's fault but the church's fault.
 
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"I just wanted to get the Serbian community up and running as much as I can"

Don't make it about the Serbs. Make it about all Australians, including the non Orthodox, the disabled, the downtrodden, those struggling with the passions, the poor. Make it about them, and do it in love. Swing the doors of the Church wide open and let everyone know they are welcome. Go out into the streets on Pascha and proclaim Christ is risen!

I promise you, your churches will be filled to the brim.
 
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"While people who keep ties with their ethnic culture and traditions can retain some connections to the Church those who abandon all that become secularized to point where they are not Christian at all."

a big fat no to this. We are not to cling to our ethnicity, but to Christ, we cling to Christ and preach Him crucified. The solution to avoid materialism and secularism is not to cling to an earthly ethnicity but to Christ. There is neither jew nor greek, slave nor free, male nor female...but all are one in Christ Jesus.

St Paul said "it is no longer I, but Christ who lives in me..." He did not say "but (fill in the blank ethnicity) who lives in me.
 
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Dalibor

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@Dalibor, no, ethnocentrism is a problem. When you cannot fathom in your mind why someone who is not Russian for example is Orthodox, it's a problem.

That is not a problem, that is a trivial matter.

When one completely ignores someone once finding out they are not Russian, it's a problem,

That's attention-seeking. You didn't become Orthodox to make new friends did you?

when one does not obey the commandments of Christ and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give alms to the poor, but rather focus on one's cultural tradition to the exclusion of everyone else, it's a problem.

Being judgmental of others is a sin. What they do with their lives is none of your business. And blaming lack of virtues because someone is ethnocentric is underlying animosity on your part towards those ethnic groups.

You can try to blame the Big Bad West on all your problems, but trust me, ethnocentrism is a problem.

This sounds like a political undertone. Are you sure you are not just angry at us for political reasons but hiding it with attacks on our ethnicity?
Or do you seriously believe if we all abandon our ethnicity/culture/tradition and become westernized or Americanized that suddenly waves of Anglos would flock to our churches embracing Orthodoxy?
Problem of your people is ignorance of Orthodoxy and intolerance. If they can't accept Orthodoxy because Russians are showing their culture or dancing after the service (Oh the horror) than that's strictly your problem and not our fault. Instead of trying to change us you should change yourselves.
 
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Dalibor

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"I just wanted to get the Serbian community up and running as much as I can"

Don't make it about the Serbs. Make it about all Australians, including the non Orthodox, the disabled, the downtrodden, those struggling with the passions, the poor. Make it about them, and do it in love. Swing the doors of the Church wide open and let everyone know they are welcome. Go out into the streets on Pascha and proclaim Christ is risen!

I promise you, your churches will be filled to the brim.

If it's that easy than why isn't OCA the biggest Christian denomination in USA or at least with the same number of members as one of the major protestant groups? What are you people doing over there?
 
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