In this lecture His Holiness Pope Shenouda addresses the importance of organization within the church and the necessity of having clear systems aimed at preserving spirituality and quiet within the church’s various institutions.

Church clubs and their spiritual purpose

The Pope affirms that establishing clubs in the church should serve a spiritual purpose combining sports, prayer, and lessons, and that any club without supervision or discipline may turn into a source of noise and chaos and be at odds with the church’s message.

Regulation of clubs and celebrations

He calls for a unified regulation that organizes church clubs, their schedules, and their supervisors, as well as organizing celebrations regarding program, speeches, photography, and seating, with clear responsibilities for supervisors and means to hold those who break the rules accountable.

Social matters and relations with neighbors

He points out that noise and poor organization of clubs can cause complaints from neighbors and even embarrassment for the Christian community, therefore discipline and respect for others must be observed.

Follow-up and accountability

He explains that the fundamental problem is not issuing decisions or a regulation only, but the absence of follow-up, evaluation, and accountability; decisions may be good but without follow-up they remain a dead letter without effect.

Evaluating events and learning from experiences

He advises conducting detailed evaluations after each event to know points of strength and weakness and to learn to improve future occasions instead of the general statement that “the celebration was good” only.

Organizing media and visual materials

He stresses the need to organize media means within the church of production, translation, and editing for films and narratives to correct mistakes and regulate content in accordance with the church spirit, with gathering competencies and directing them.

Education, hymns, and talents

He recommends regular meetings for religion teachers, servants, and youth to organize lessons, clarify doubts, purify hymns, improve melodies and generalize the best among musical groups and hymn teams.

Practical conclusion

Organization in the church is necessary on several levels: clubs, celebrations, follow-up, media, education, and talents. Organization is paired with follow-up, accountability, and evaluation so that decisions bear fruit spiritually and practically.

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