The 2010 Mar Thoma Family Conference of the Diocese of N. America & Europe, hosted by The Mar Thoma Church of Dallas, Farmers Branch, was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in DFW airport. The theme of the conference was “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21.

Day 1. Thursday, July 1, 2010

The inaugural session of the conference began at 6:00 pm, with worship service led by the MTC Dallas, FB. The public meeting immediately followed with presentation of the flags of USA, Canada, Europe, India and the Diocese and the national anthems of USA and India. The panel of invited guests and leaders were then seated including Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius, the Diocesan Bishop, His Grace Dr. Mathews Mar Severios, Bishop of the Orthodox Church, Rev. Canon Charles A. Hough and Rev. Fr. Roger Grist of the Fort Worth Episcopal Diocese, Mr. Tim O' Hare, Honorable Mayor of the City of Farmers Branch, Rev. Vinoy Daniel, the Diocesan Secretary and Rev. Dr. Sham P. Thomas, Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, and Mr. Tenny Thomas, the three main conference leaders, and Rev. Minoy Kuruvilla, the President and Vicar of MTC Dallas, FB. President Rev. Minoy Kuruvilla welcomed the guests, leaders, clergy members, and all delegates.

The conference choirs - Adult and Youth choirs, blessed the occasion with songs that highlighted the theme of the conference.

Diocesan Bishop and Patron Mar Theodosius delivered the inaugural address. In his address Thirumeni said that our beloved Valiya Metropolitan, as much as he wanted to attend this conference as the keynote speaker was unable to attend because of poor health. But the blessings and prayers of Chrysostom Thirumeni will be with the conference which was conveyed through an opening video message from the Valiya Metropolitan shown following the Patron's address. Mar Theodosius led the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and was joined by all the dignitaries thus declaring the conference formally open.

The invited guests offered their felicitations for the conference. The main leaders of the conference were introduced by the respective program conveners. A Souvenir commemorating the 2010 Family Conference was released when the convener of Souvenir committee presented a copy to Mar Theodosius who gave the first copy to His Grace Dr. Mathews Mar Severios. The inaugural program concluded with the vote of thanks by conference Secretary, and introduction of participating parishes by the Registration Convener.

The evening activities continued with an entertaining cultural program presented by MTC Dallas, FB. A welcome dance and a praise dance by young people made the evening very colorful. One highlight of the evening was the Native American program presented by the Oklahoma Native American Mission partners under the leadership of Pastor Randy and Mrs. Betty Jacob. The most anticipated program for the evening was a play written and directed by Mr. P. T. Chacko, New Jersey, and produced by MTC Dallas, FB titled “Adhi Kudumbam, Adhamin Kudumbam”

Day 2. Friday, July 2, 2010

The day began with worship service led by Rev. Zachariah John and the Trinity MTC, Houston after which the young families, youth and children broke for their own separate tracks.

The main track continued with singing sessions led by Conference Choir.

Rev. Joseph Daniel from Switzerland conducted a short Bible study which was followed by theme exposition by the main speaker Rev. Dr. Sham P. Thomas.

Sham achen very eloquently spoke about the characteristics of a sent out community – (1) We are sent as vulnerable witnesses; to be an eternal guest (2) We are sent as empowering witnesses; sharing the pathos of God and (3) We are sent as transforming witnesses; sharing the power of Christ. Achen engaged the listeners in open discussions after his main talk.

In the afternoon, there were seminar/workshops on three topics led by clergy and lay leaders. (1) Mandalam Study on Christian Witness – Rethinking the Mission of the Church, Rev. Oommen Varkey and Mr. P.T. Mathew (2) Senior Citizen's Forum, A Christian Guide to Graceful Retirement Years. Rev. M. P. Yohannan and Mr. Abraham Mathew and (3) Christian Stewardship and a Guide to Living in a Time of Economic Recession. Rev. Santhosh Thomas and Mr. Philip Thomas CPA. Delegates attended the topic of their choice and actively participated in discussions. Next an open session with Mar Theodosius provided an opportunity for all to openly discuss issues important to the Diocese, families, and about the future of family conference. Thirumeni graciously responded to the questions and laid out his vision on many topics of interest. Sunday School teachers had a meeting with Thirumeni later.

Young families track was led by Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner. Youth Fellowship track was led by Mr. Tenny Thomas and Children's track was led by Mr. Thomas Andrews and Child Evangelism Fellowship of Fort Worth. Each group had sessions that catered to their specific needs on the basis of the conference theme.

Mar Theodosius held an open meeting with the young families. Rev. Dr. Sham P. Thomas spoke to the youth fellowship in the afternoon. Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla addressed the children. Children were entertained by a Christian magician for an hour in the afternoon. Everyone had much needed free time in the afternoon to make friends and enjoy the swimming pool.

Evening worship service was led by Rev. Joseph Johny and the St. Thomas MTC, Yonkers, New York. Mr. Tenny Thomas conducted the evening Bible study. He emphasized that we are called to be sent out and that mission is the essence of Christian living. Then everyone watched Chrysostom Thirumeni who shared a short message about the theme. The Diocesan activities scheduled for this evening included distribution of awards for Sunday School rank holders, Valedictorians, Best Parishes and Messenger subscribers. An enthusiastic group from Trinity MTC of Edmonton, Canada made a colorful introduction of their city and the church in preparation for the 2011 Family Conference hosted by them. The day's events concluded with a display of talents by almost all participating parishes, with songs, dances, poetry, and magic show.

The evening program ended with prayer and benediction by Rev. Dr. Philip Varghese.

Day 3. Saturday, July 3, 2010

The day began with worship service led by Rev. M. M. John and the MTC of Greater Washington, DC after which the young families, youth and children broke for their own separate tracks.

The main track continued with singing sessions led by Conference Choir. Rev. Oommen Varkey, Epiphany MTC, NY conducted a short Bible study which was followed by theme exposition by Rev. Dr. Sham P. Thomas. Sham achen continued his in-depth study of the theme and explained how real mission should always begin at home and that Christian witness is a posturing with three main components: 1. Presence 2. Proclamation and 3. Praxis (practice of faith). It was followed by a time for feedback based on the talk.

In the afternoon, two separate sessions for men and women were held. Men's session was led by Rev. Dr. Philip Varghese and Dr. Sham P. Thomas. This session focused on challenges faced by men in American context. Women's session was led by Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, an authority on women's studies and assisted by Mrs. Anita Daniel of St, Peter's MTC, NJ. The focus of this session was, Women of faith and their changing role in American families. Both sessions were well attended and provided opportunities for frank expression of issues, aspirations, fears and hope faced by men and women. The Family Conference Business Meeting that followed was presided over by the Diocesan Bishop and had a large number of people attending. Report and accounts of 2009 Houston conference were presented and accepted. Ensuing discussions concerning future conferences were very lively and attracted great many opinions and ideas. Rest of the afternoon was free time for interactive games and recreational activities arranged in indoor facilities.

Young Families, Youth Fellowship and Children met in separate sessions with their leaders. Praise and Worship team led singing in Youth meetings. Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla addressed the young families. Mar Theodosius had open meeting with Youth Fellowship and also with children in the morning.

The evening programs began with worship service led by Rev. K. P. Thomas and the MTC Dallas, Carrollton team. Rev. Joseph Daniel conducted the evening Bible study. This was followed by a special video presentation titled “Coffee with Mar Chrysostom” in which Chrysostom Thirumeni looked back and shared some thoughts and experiences of an eventful life.

Then the Diocesan officers introduced some new programs undertaken by the Diocese including publication of new worship and special occasion prayer books, Institute of Liturgical Studies, Senior Residence Survey, and the inauguration of Literature Society website and online purchase program. Soon afterwards, Rev. M. M. John of Greater Washington MTC led the dedication service with his own powerful testimony and an inspirational call to dedicate or rededicate our lives in the light of two days of uplifting messages and experiences. Many people responded to the call which concluded with a public dedication prayer and benediction. Young families and Youth had their own dedication services led by Youth Chaplains.

Day 4. Sunday July 4, 2010

The Sunday program commenced with praise and worship by the Youth Choir followed by celebration of Holy Communion by Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius. Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla delivered the sermon. Worship service was open to all church members and many from the four area churches participated in the service. The closing ceremony started with singing of the theme song by the conference choir followed by Rev. Dr. Sham P. Thomas delivering his closing thoughts about the theme. Most memorable part of the closing program was Chrysostom Thirumeni's closing message and blessings through a video presentation. Chrysostom Thirumeni spoke to the attendees in an up close and personal way encouraging everyone to go out and spread the gospel in our Diocese and beyond, strengthened by the promise of the Holy Spirit that is always with us.

Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner and Mr. Tenny Thomas expressed their thanks and appreciation for inviting them to be part of this conference. Then the ceremonial passing of the conference torch to Trinity Mar Thoma Church, Edmonton, the host of the 2011 Family Conference, took place.

This was followed by a formal vote of thanks by the conference secretary and President Rev. Minoy Kuruvilla. The office bearers, committee members, subcommittee members and many others who spent countless hours, resources and prayers to bring this conference to a successful conclusion were recognized. Diocesan Treasurer Mr. Chacko Mathew expressed thanks to the host parish and committee members on behalf of the Diocese. The 2010 family conference ended with a closing statement by Diocesan Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius who thanked the delegates, the leaders and the organizers of the conference and closed with prayer and benediction. God's grace was upon this conference as everyone returned to their homes, parishes and communities with a renewed commitment to serve the Lord Jesus, the one who sent us.

Conference Committee and Subcommittees

The conference committee and 21 subcommittees worked closely for 2 years to prepare for the 2010 Family Conference. All those who worked in these committees are grateful for the opportunity to experience God's grace every step of the way. Mr. Chacko Jacob (Vice President), Dr. Roy Mathew (Secretary), Mr. Jacob Mathai (Treasurer) and Mr. Bijo Abraham (Accountant) appreciate the chance to serve alongside Rev. Minoy Kuruvilla (President) and a team of committed subcommittee conveners and subcommittee members.

The members of the Mar Thoma Church of Dallas, Farmers Branch are honored by the privilege to host the 2010 Mar Thoma Family Conference.

For the Conference Committee, Dr. Roy Mathew, Secretary

More pictures at: http://www.marthomanae.org/2010/