Icon of the Dormition of the Mother of God
August is a great time for reflection and prayer.
New Calendar (Old Calendar)
The Dormition Fast begins August 1 (August 14) — the final fasting season of the Church year, carrying us to the Great Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos on August 15 (August 28).
Feasts of August:
Dormition Fast — August 1–14 (August 14–27)
Transfiguration of Our Lord — August 6 (August 19)
Dormition of the Theotokos — August 15 (August 28)
The Icon of Our Lord Not Made by Hands — August 16 (August 29)
Beheading of St. John the Baptist— August 29 (September 11)
A professionally produced 37-minute video resource explaining the sacred responsibilities of godparenting. Share it with anyone preparing to become a parent or godparent this summer.
An introduction to the ancient Christian modes of fasting as kept by the Orthodox Church today. A great primer to share with anyone entering the Dormition Fast.
With back-to-school season fast approaching, here's a practical guide for parishes sending college students off with faith — what to include, why it matters, and how to maintain a lifeline to the parish family.
Three days of feasting, fellowship, and intellectual exploration at the seventh DoxaMoot. This year's theme: "Tolkien: The Monsters and the Monsters." Lectures, trivia nights, divine services, and a grand feast. Ages 13+; all are welcome.
Connect is the pan-Orthodox conference for young adults ages 21–29. Weekend of speakers, fellowship, and genuine community drawing Orthodox Christians from across the country.
OYM's relational ministry formation course is an excellent experience for parents, clergy, youth workers, and laypeople.
A Family's Journey Through Faith, Family, and Formation
Protodeacon David and Shell Keim raised six children in the Orthodox faith — homeschooling them, attending weekday liturgies, and putting the Church calendar on the family calendar first. "Orthodox education is not something that you do in church," Protodeacon David says. "It has to be something that they breathe." In this wide-ranging conversation, the Keims share what it actually looked like across decades: the career choices made to protect family time, the conviction that you can't counter an immersive culture with an hour and a half a week, and the beautiful fruit that followed.
The Dormition Fast is a natural season to build — or deepen — an evening prayer rhythm. The WYM Prayer Corner offers a spoken Small Compline recording, the traditional Orthodox evening prayer, to pray wherever you are this month.
WYM runs on two things: OYM's support, and contributions from people in the trenches of Orthodox ministry. If you have a resource, an upcoming event, or a parish story worth sharing with the wider Orthodox community, we want it. Submit it here or reach out directly at info@theoym.org.
If you're in the Chicagoland area, OYM's Ministry Support Coordinatorsare available to come alongside your parish — free of charge. And if you'd like to support the work that makes all of this possible, you can give at theoym.org/donate.
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