Ionian Village Revitalizes Traveling Retreat Program With Grants From Leadership 100
IV On-the-Go, the traveling retreat program of the Office of Ionian Village will return in the Fall of 2018 after a two-year hiatus with the support of a Leadership 100 five-year grant to revitalize the program. The program, which successfully ran from 2014 to 2016, offers the parishes and young people of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese a taste of Ionian Village’s unique and interactive approach to youth ministry.
The goal of Ionian Village is to bring the young people of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America into a close understanding and love for both the Orthodox faith and Hellenic heritage. While the Ionian Village summer camping programs aim to reach as many campers as possible each year, IV On-the-Go provides the opportunity for even more young people to interact with the Ionian Village Ministry here in America throughout the school year.
Each IV On-the-Go program is catered to the individual needs and availability of the host parish or community. IV On-the-Go can accommodate a variety of youth ministry retreat options: a one-day retreat, a lock-in, an overnight trip, or even a full weekend-long retreat. The only responsibility of the host parish is to provide a venue, food, and the participants! The IV On-the-Go Team takes care of everything from creating a schedule, writing content, procuring supplies, and even supplying experienced staff for these exciting faith-centered events.
IV On-the-Go programs include a mix of energetic, athletic, and creative activities with engaging discussions, all designed to establish a level of comfort and trust with staff members and to ultimately foster an environment of growth and reflection. Each IV On-the-Go event is supervised and led by experienced young adult members of the Ionian Village Team from all over the country.
The Leadership 100 five-year grant of $75,000 is aimed at maximizing participation and offers an opportunity for as many parishes as possible, regardless of size or income, to participate. It will fully subsidize costs for IV On-the-Go and allow it to facilitate 10 retreats each year for a total of 50 retreats over the life of the grant.
IV On-the-Go is open to every parish and youth group across the Archdiocese. For more information about this exciting ministry and to have IV On-the-Go visit your parish, please visit www.ionianvillage.org/iv-on-the-go.
