Our theme for this years Clergy Laity Assembly and Philoptochos Congress is The Day After Today: Our Youth .

There is hope in your future, says the LORD, that your children will return to their own land. Jeremiah 31:17

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we are still at the beginning of a new year, I pray that He will bestow upon you and your loved ones His abundant blessings of peace, harmony, wisdom and joy in the coming year and always.

It is particularly appropriate at this time of year to turn our thoughts to our plans for the rest of the year. That is why it is especially important to me to encourage all of you to begin now to plan to send representatives from each and every Parish community to our biannual Clergy-Laity Assembly in Clearwater, Florida June 10 - 14, 2009. As exemplified in our theme, "The Day After Today: Our Youth," not only is this an opportunity for all of us to plan and discuss and decide what is happening in our Metropolis of Atlanta now, but to share our hopes and dreams, our vision of the future, for ourselves and for our children.

We, the parents and leaders in the Church, including myself, are responsible before God for the well-being of our children and young people. We must help them to understand the meaning of responsibility by building up character that appreciates blessings from God, from parents and from the Church for their spiritual nourishment.

God has blessed us with knowledge, wealth and time. Now is the time we must open a dialogue with each other, to collaborate, cooperate for the future, not only for ourselves but also and more importantly, for our children and for our youth.

In closing, this is why it is vitally important for you to be present at the 2009 Clergy-Laity Assembly of your Metropolis of Atlanta, and you will find further information and registration materials, on our website, www.atlantaclergylaity.org.

Praying that all the abundant gifts of our merciful and loving Father will be yours throughout the New Year, I remain,
Paternally yours with love in our Lord,

+ALEXIOS
Metropolitan of Atlanta

Dr. Theodore Vlahos Host

Reverend Father James Rousakis Host Priest