Blessed Feast of St. Nicholas! Glory be to Jesus Christ! This week s music. An Orthodox Christian Community

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1 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 THE ST. ELIZABETH NEWS An Orthodox Christian Community St. Elizabeth Orthodox Mission Church 2265 E. Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA A parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Ruling Hierarch: His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory of Nyssa Reverend Father Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator Father Deacon Steven Hanes Phone: fatherdutko@gmail.com 28th Sunday After Pentecost Epistle: Galatians 4:22-31 Gospel: Luke 8:16-21 Glory be to Jesus Christ! If you have never been to an Orthodox Church before, you are about to participate in the Divine Liturgy. Liturgy means the work of the people, and that means that all of your prayers are necessary! We hope you will stay and join us for coffee hour in the atrium. Please feel free to ask Fr. Matthew any questions you might have! May God s blessing be upon all of you! This week s music Tropar & Kondak Tone 3- Blue Book pg. 84 Red Book pg. 99 Now and ever and forever. Amen. Kondak of Preparation for the Nativity Tone 3- Today the Virgin is on her way to the cave* where she will give birth in a manner beyond understanding* to the Word Who is in all eternity* Rejoice, therefore, universe, when you hear it heralded.* With the angels and the shepherds, glorify Him* Who chose to be seen as a newborn babe* while remaining God in all eternity. The Cherubic Hymn can be found on Blue Book pg. 124 Red Book pg. 140 Blessed Feast of St. Nicholas! The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 1

2 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 Special Hymns to St. Nicholas Weekly Schedule Wednesday 12/12 6pm- Moleben to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Thursday 12/13 9am- Divine Liturgy Saturday 12/15 4pm- Great Vespers Sunday 12/16 10 am- Divine Liturgy Announcements Christmas Play Next Sunday! Christmas Caroling This Saturday! Stewardship Letter in Today s Bulletin! Sunday School/ Play Practice Today O who dwells in God's holy mansions;* Is our help on the land and oceans.* He will guard us from all ills, keep us pure and free from sins,* Holy Father, Ni-cho-las. Ni-cho-las, tearfully we sinners,* Beseech you fervently in our prayers.* Help us in our tribulations, comfort every Christian nation.* Holy Father, Ni-cho-las. Music + more verses in pew books. Blue pg. 126 Red pg. 143 Special Visit from St.Nicholas Today! Don t forget to send in Birthday and Anniversary Announcements! Sr. ACRY Trim-A-Tree for Prayers- There is a Christmas Tree in the Narthex with no ornaments on it. Each prayer ornament is being personally designed and hand painted by Teressa and will cost $10. All proceeds will go to the philanthropic ministries of the National ACRY. A sign up sheet and offering box is available in the Narthex. Thank you for your support of the ministries of the National philanthropic organization of our diocese, the ACRY. More Announcements on Pages 3 & 4 Text: Otce Nikolaje {Popp. 66} The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! Tune: Rejoice Heavenly Queen 2 Translation: His Grace Bishop Nicholas { 65}

3 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Announcements St. Elizabeth Christmas Carolers- Mark Your Calendars This Saturday, December 15th! If you have any stops you would like to suggest that the group makes, please let me know via . If you plan an caroling please let me know ASAP. Later in the week I will send a map out of our destinations and let everyone know our start time. As of now we will probably get started around 11am. Miniature Garden Church RaffleTake a look at the miniature garden Church built by Arie Van Buul in the Atrium in the area where the food is put out. Raffle tickets cost $1 or an arms length for $5. All proceeds from the raffle will go towards building a playground on the Church property for our kids! Thank you Arie, Teressa. and everyone who gets a ticket! 2019 Church Calendars Have Arrived and are Available in the Narthex. Don t forget to get a Trim-A-Tree Ornament before they re all gone! Hand Painted Ornaments are sti! available for sale in the Narthex. A! proceeds wi! go to benefit the Ministries of the National ACRY. The St. Elizabeth News Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 O Who Loves Nicholas The Saintly. During St. Nicholas life he was known for many wonderful things. St. Nicholas was known to all and still remembered because of his love for Christ, his Orthodoxy, and for especially loving the poor and needy. In the year 325 AD The Emperor Constantine called the very first Ecumenical Council, where Bishops and representatives from all the Orthodox Churches throughout the world gathered. One of the major issues of the council came from the teachings of a heretical bishop named Arius. Arius taught that Jesus, the Son, of God was not equal with God the Father. St. Nicholas was outraged by this heresy and out of frustration he struck Arius across the face in front of all the other Bishops. Because of St. Nicholas violent outburst, the other Bishops had no choice but to strip him of his title and Episcopal robes. St. Nicholas was placed in prison and put in chains. Throughout the night St. Nicholas prayed for forgiveness, yet never wavered in his opposition to Arius and his devotion to the Orthodox faith. In the middle of the night Christ and the Theotokos appeared in a vision to St. Nicholas. Christ and His mother asked St. Nicholas why he was jailed, and the saint responded saying because of my love for you. Christ then gave to St. Nicholas the Book of Gospels and Mary gave him, an Omophorion (bishops vestments). This is why many Icons show Christ and Mary on the right and left of St. Nicholas. The next day the guards and the other Bishops saw St. Nicholas unchained, reading the Scriptures, and dressed once again as a Bishop. When the emperor heard what happened he freed St. Nicholas, and he was fully reinstated as a Bishop. In the end, the council of Bishops agreed with St. Nicholas over Arius and produced the Nicene Creed which we pronounce with faith at every Divine Liturgy. Another story from the life of St. Nicholas is about what he did for three young maidens in the city of Myra, where he was the Bishop. The city of Myra was located in what is now the southwestern coast of Turkey. Myra a very unforgiving place for many of the unfortunate people, especially the poor young women who lived there. Article Continued on Page 5. Christ is Among us! 3

4 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 Announcements. This year we have been blessed with a great opportunity to help out a local family who has been going through a very difficult time. Many of us know what it is like to struggle to pay the bills and provide for our families. The Powell family has seen some unforeseen medical expenses over the past year and with two children in High School and only one parent able to work, it has taken everything they have just to stay in their home. That means that necessities like gas in the car, food on the table, and things that we all too often take for granted, like Christmas presents, are luxuries for this family. In February, Trey was diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin, in his right foot. Antibiotics did not help and his condition quickly worsened. After many doctor visits and a change of antibiotics with no results, he was admitted to the hospital. With his condition still not improving doctors had to remove his leg from the knee down. While fighting the cellulitis, his kidneys were severely injured and functioning at a level close to kidney failure. While still trying to treat the cellulitis turned staph infection, doctors had to remove most all of Trey s right leg. Christ calls us to see Him in the face of His servants, especially when they are in need of kindness, mercy, and love. The great opportunity that we have is to be Christ s Hands as we minister to this family and help to make their Christmas more joyful and full of Christ s warm light. To help this family out during this season of God s gift to humanity of His beloved Son, we are seeking gift cards for Kroger, Publix, or Amazon. Take advantage of this great opportunity to love your neighbor as your brother and be numbered with the sheep at Christ s right hand. The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 4

5 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 O Who Love Nicholas the Saintly Continued from page 3 Thankfully for three of those poor young women, St. Nicholas in his godly love looked upon the citizens of Myra with great compassion; he felt called by the Lord to love all people as Christ dose. The city of Myra was located in what is now the southwestern coast of Turkey. Myra a very unforgiving place for many of the unfortunate people, especially the poor young women who lived there. Thankfully for three of those poor young women, St. Nicholas in his godly love looked upon the citizens of Myra with great compassion; he felt called by the Lord to love all people as Christ dose. In 4th century Myra it was the custom for young maidens to pay a dowry in order to be able to get married. If your family could not afford to pay the often expensive price of the dowry, a terrible atrocity would befall your family. Young women of poor families who could not afford a dowry would sadly most often be sold into a life of slavery. St. Nicholas knew of a particular unfortunate family and the love they shared for each other and for God. Filled with compassion he went out one night in secret and threw a sack of his own gold coins into the home of the poor young women, thereby saving them from a life of slavery. Legend tells us that the gold coins landed in a stocking or a shoe; and so, the tradition of hanging stockings for St. Nicholas began! Another story from the life of St. Nicholas took place when he was a young man and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He boarded a ship with other pilgrims journeying to see the place where the Lord walked among us. One night, while aboard the ship, St. Nicholas had a dream that a great storm would place the pilgrims in great danger. When he awoke, St. Nicholas warned the crew and all the travelers about the peril that was coming their way, but he implored them not to worry, saying God will protect us! As St. Nicholas gave his warning the skies turned black and the seas began to rock the boat. One of the crew members climbed the mast of the ship to secure it, but as the waves rocked the sides of the boat the sailor fell to his death. The pilgrims begged St. Nicholas to pray to Lord so that God might calm the stormy seas. The storm quickly vanished, and the travelers thanked God for St. Nicholas intersection, but everyone was grieved by the loss of their crew-mate. St. Nicholas prayed over the man and he rose up with no pain as if he was only sleeping. This is why St. Nicholas is known to many as the Patron Saint of Sailors. We may not be traveling out at sea like those pilgrims, but when we ask for St. Nicholas to pray for us when the storms of life come our way, he always intercedes for us just as he interceded for those pilgrims so long ago. These are just a few of the many beautiful stories about the life of St. Nicholas, but more beautiful is the person of St. Nicholas himself. St. Nicholas is an example for all of us, because all of St. Nicholas acts of love, compassion, and kindness were inspired by Christ, Who is his example and all of ours. St. Nicholas was truly a good servant of the Lord, he was truly like-christ. We love St. Nicholas because St. Nicholas loves Christ and is like Him as we are all called to be! The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 5

6 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 St. Elizabeth s Parish Family Prayer List For the Living: Evelyn Melnikoff, Fr. John and Pani Betty Jean Baranek, Fr. James Gleason, The Paccio Family, Kara, Johanna, James, Herbert and Mary Schleining, Anna, Basil, David, Dianna, Denise, Alex, Jason, Athanasia, Ethel, Kathy, Lester, Sally, Jack, Angela, Tyler, Maria, Jeff, Lesley, Page Family, Blanar Family, Louise, Emma Rae, Floyd Family, Zachary, George, Robin, Michael, Dean, Margaret, Bishop Gregory and his family, Rick, James Family, Fr. Scott, Joseph, Boris, Maria Starcova, Janis, David Novak, Suzette Gardenhour, Bob, David. Michelle, Stephen, James, Brian Paul, Kathy, Mike, Debbie, Ken, The Hayes and Boucher families, John, ), Peyton & the Gully Family, John, Alexandra, Benjamin, John, The Hazuda Family, Pani Amy George and the George Family, Madeline, Eddie, Mary, Cathy, Jay Brackin, Drew, Pani Connie & Family, Marilyn & family, Mark, Fr. John Zboyovski & family, Nathaniel, Kasi, Judy, George, Scarlett, Athena, Jay, Tim, George, Chris, Joy, Ada, Fr. Dcn. Stephen, Michelle, James, Rachel, Marc. Mati, Mia, Kate, Fr. Blaschak & Family, Helen Mileshko, Larry, Alexandra, Tammy, Trahan & Skiba Family, Michelle, The Pineda Family, Hollis, Ashley, Rodney, Wyatt, Owen, The Hood Family, Fr. Jonathon, Rachel, Anna, Arjan, Steve, Mary Kay. Mileshko Family, The Franklin Family, Caroline, Jon, Milton, Fr. Tony Joseph & Family, Bob For Expectant Mothers: Alexandra, Mariana, Eleni For the Departed: Patricia+, James+, Stephen+, Anna+, Charles+, Robert+, Loraine+. Helen+, Lewis+, Jeane+, Vera+, George+, George+, Ernie+, Eddie+, Maria+, Carl+, Mark+, Barry+, Jospeh+, Phillip+, Jenny+, Peter+, Bryan+, Rebecca+, Fr. Paul+, Maria+, Fr. Hazuda+, George Smisko+, Helen Spanovich+, Bob+, Alma+, Bo+, Saddie+, Fr. William George+, Violet+, Fr. Kozar+, Benjamin+, John Haddad+, Fred & Helen Mileshko+, Anna+, Natalie+, Lilly+, Christine+, Anna+, Tamara+, Anastasia+, Yvonne+, John+ Through the prayers of the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, St. Elizabeth, The Holy Fathers, and all the Saints, may our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ have mercy on us and save us! Holy Saint Elizabeth Pray for us! The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 6

7 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 St. Elizabeth s Orthodox Church Traditional Christmas Eve Holy Night Supper, Christmas Eve Vigil, and Christmas Day Divine Liturgy Please be our guests and join with the St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church family for a traditional Christian celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord. In the Orthodox Church, the forty days before Christmas is known as the Nativity Fast, or Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Orthodox Christians participate in a fast from certain foods during this time of preparation which includes abstinence from meat and dairy products on most days. The fast culminates on Christmas Eve with a meat and dairy free dinner known as Holy Night Supper. At this traditional dinner, born out of the mountains of eastern Europe, the family gathers together to celebrate and give thanks for the good tidings of great joy that the birth of Christ brings into the world. All are welcome to attend a similar dinner at no cost, hosted by the St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Parish Family starting at 4:30 pm on Christmas Eve. Since St. Elizabeth s is an international community fasting dishes from all over the world will be represented at our version of the Holy Night Supper. In the Old World, after finishing the Holy Supper on Christmas Eve, the family would walk over to the Church for the celebration of the Christmas Eve Vigil, at St. Elizabeth s you will have the same opportunity to walk next door to the Church and celebrate the birth of Christ with your family. On Christmas morning the faithful will gather together once again to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, which is the central liturgical service in the Orthodox church. Come and see this ancient Christian celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! St. Elizabeth's is located at 2265 East Cherokee Drive in Woodstock. The dinner will begin at 4:30 PM with the Christmas Eve Vigil Service to follow at 6:30 PM. Also, please join us on Christmas morning as we celebrate the Birth of our New Born King with the traditional Orthodox Divine Liturgy at 10AM! If you have any questions please call at St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church 2265 East Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 7

8 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church s 2018 Memorial Poinsettia Sale Help to decorate and beautify the Church for the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord by purchasing a poinsettia plant! This is a great way to remember a loved one, care for the Church, and receive a beautiful decoration for your home. You can donate a poinsettia in memory of a departed loved one, or for the health of living friend or family member; all the names will be remembered in the Proskomedia before the Christmas Divine Liturgy. After the Liturgy on Christmas you may take your poinsettia home to remember the joys of Christmas day for the rest of the festive season! Here is what you do: 1. Fill out the coupon: cost is $15.00 per plant 2. Turn in the card and a check or cash to a council member or place it in the offering box. 3. Pick up your poinsettia plant right after the Christmas Liturgy on December A list of memorials will be published in the bulletin. 5. All orders must be received by Christmas Day Memorial Poinsettia Sale Card Name Number of Poinsettia $15.00 each: Total: In Memory of For the health of The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 8

9 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church A Mission Parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese 2265 East Cherokee Drive Woodstock, GA Phone: fatherdutko@gmail.com Fr. Matthew Dutko Pastor/Administrator December 9th, 2018 ST. ELIZABETH ORTHODOX CHURCH Stewardship Letter 2019 On Christmas Day love was given to the world: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God gave to the world the most perfect gift we will ever receive. The gift our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Every day we are to be thankful for God s love and for all the blessings He so generously and freely gives to us all, unworthy though we be. The question is will we receive this heavenly gift, or will we deny it and send it away? Think of all the gifts God gives to each of us every day. The gift of His Son, the gift of salvation, the gift of our families and our loving Church family, the gift of our beautiful Church, the gift of food on our table, fresh air to breath, and so much more. God gives us everything, nothing is our own, and the only proper way to respond to this is with thanksgiving. In the Liturgy, after the priest chants Let us give thanks to the Lord, while the faithful all sing: It is proper and just to adore the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit the Priest is saying a silent prayer of thanksgiving. The prayer really lays out everything that we should be thankful to God for: You brought us out of non-existence and into being and, when we had fallen, You raised us up again, and left nothing undone to lead us to heaven and bestow upon us Your future kingdom. For all of this we give thanks to You and to Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit, for all the things of which we know and do not know, the manifest and hidden benefits bestowed upon us. After we fell from grace, our Lord left nothing undone, He held nothing back, He gave and sacrificed everything he could for us. Christ did all this so that we could receive a gift we in no way deserve, He did this so that we could become like Him. So that we could be saved. As Orthodox Christians we know that our salvation comes from becoming like Christ, and we do this by imitating Him, by pouring out every drop of ourselves for Him as he has poured out all of Himself for us. So how do we do this? How do we empty ourselves for Christ? We do it by taking all that God has freely given to us and we return it Him. We freely give all of ourselves as an offering to our Creator Who freely offers all of Himself to us in return. In the Church there is much work to be done. There are services to be held, cleaning, singing, maintenance work, bills to be paid, teaching, praying, accounting, and so much more. For all of this work the Church does not ask for volunteers. We freely volunteer our time for many purposes, some good and some bad, but Christ is not asking us to be His volunteers, He is asking us to be His stewards. The Church asks for faithful servants to be caretakers of Christ s Body; to be stewards of our Lords Ministry on this earth. To be good stewards means that everything we do is for Christ s glory and not our own. It means that when we offer out time, talents, and treasures to the Church we offer the very best that we have. In Genesis Chapter 4 we hear the famous story of Cain and Abel. Most of us probably remember how this story ends, but do you remember how it begins? Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve both prepare offerings to the Lord. Abel offers to the Lord the firstborn sheep from his flock. Cain offered not the first fruits harvest, but the leftovers, the last remnants of the harvest. Abel s offering was accepted by God, whereas Cain s was not. Abel held nothing back, he gave his best, and his offering was accepted by God The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 9 because he poured out all of himself. Stewardship Letter Continued on Next Page

10 Stewardship Letter Continued St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 In the Third Century, St. Cyprian of Carthage wrote about how the gifts of Cain and Abel were offered saying, God looked not at their gifts, but at their hearts Abel, peaceable and righteous in sacrificing in innocence to God, taught others also, when they bring their gift to the altar, to come with the fear of God, with a simple heart, with the law of righteousness, with the peace of concord. With reason did he become subsequently himself a sacrifice to God; so that he who first set forth martyrdom, and initiated the Lord's passion by the glory of his blood, had both the Lord's righteousness and His peace. Finally, such are crowned by the Lord, such will be avenged with the Lord in the day of judgment So, when we make the very best offering that we are able on the Altar in the fear of God, with peace, righteousness, and love, then our offering, just like that of Abel, is accepted by God. The other is true also, for if we hold back and don t give our very best, or make our offering with an expectation of return in our hearts, or just out of a sense of obligation, then that offering will not be accepted, just as our God did not accept Cain s offering. To be a good steward means that we joyfully take on the mantle that our Lord has given to us, so that as his disciples we may lovingly give ourselves as an offering to Christ; as He so lovingly gave Himself as an offering for each of us. The question we must all ask ourselves is What do I have to offer and am I offering it freely and fully. If we go back to the early twentieth century, when most of the first Orthodox Churches in America were founded, and we look at how the poor immigrant founders of these great Temples built and maintained the Churches that are still the bedrock of American Orthodoxy we can learn a great deal. Think of these people, who left everything they ever knew and most of what they ever owned behind in the hopes to build a better life for themselves and for their families. One thing that these early Orthodox immigrants refused to leave behind was their faith, their love for God, and their Church. These beautiful Churches could not have been built without the devotion, faith and great individual sacrifices of so many people who had so little to offer financially. Every night when the men got off of work and on the weekends many of these pious people went to assist in the building of their new parish Churches in America. What these pioneers lacked in finances, they more than made up for in faith, truth, heart, and spirit. Many of these immigrants would skip their lunch and donate the few cents it would have cost them to their local Church building fund. Over time, thousands of nickels turned into thousands of dollars and beacons of Orthodoxy that nurtured millions of Christians were planted to bloom and grow for the generations to come. The offerings of these founders of Orthodoxy in America was accepted by God because they gave everything they could give, they completely emptied themselves, and they did it lovingly for Christ, with the proper heart. Although our Church building is young, we are all the inheritors of the sacrificial offering of these pious men and women; along with the men and women who sacrificed in the building of St. Elizabeth s not that long ago. The time for us to take up the mantle that has been passed to us and be the best caretakers we can be of Christ s body is now. In what ways can we make sacrifices like our forbearers before us? In what ways can we skip lunch for the Church? All of us have gifts that we must be thankful for and return to our Creator who has blessed us with them. We can never repay the gifts our Lord gives to us. However, we can and must Give thanks to the Lord for He is good (Psalm 136). We can follow Christ and His commandments; we can love one another as He loves us. We can make our best offerings to God with our whole hearts, just like Abel did so long ago. We can give back to the Lord what He has given to us. St. John Chrysostom reminds us that our money is the Lord s, however we may have gathered it. When we give to the Church we are truly and simply giving back that which has only been loaned to us by our God. As we prepare to greet our newborn King of the Universe in a humble manger, in a Cave, in the small town of Bethlehem, remember who takes that journey with us. The Angels, the shepherds, and the Three Magi. The Three Magi brought the newborn Christ child gifts of a great worldly value: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Legend tells us that although the shepherds didn t have much that the world would consider valuable, but they gave what they could. Some shepherds gave the food for their next meal, some gave their cloaks, and some even sang lullabies for the infant Christ child. Although the gifts of the kings and the gifts of the shepherds were different, they were all accepted by the Lord. In the eyes of the Prince of Peace they were all the same; because both the gold of the king and the song of the shepherd were the best these men could offer and were given freely in peace, faith, love, and with their whole hearts. The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 10 Stewardship Letter Continued on Next Page

11 Stewardship Letter Continued St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 At the end of this letter you will find a Stewardship Card. On this card you will have the opportunity to present your gifts as an offering to Christ and His Church. There is space allocated for you to share what talents you have that you think could be beneficial to the Church. Things like singing, teaching, art-work, woodworking, maintenance/cleaning, technical skills, and anything else you think can be used for Christ s glory in His Church should be written out so that we can promise to God that we will give back to Him what He has freely given to us. There is also a section on the Stewardship Card where you can write in your yearly financial offering to the Church. As you prepare for the birth of Christ, remember to truly search the depths of your souls and think about the offering you wish to make to God and your Church. Prayerfully consider in your hearts, minds, and souls what you and your family can give the Church this year and give it freely with all your heart as an acceptable offering to the Lord. If you haven t committed in this way in the past it is important to start, even if you are worried about making a financial commitment, remember that God is not asking you to put yourself in a bad position, he is asking that you do your best with your whole heart. Remember that it was the nickels of the those first Orthodox immigrants, who skipped their lunches that led to the building of the great Orthodox Cathedrals in our country. Filling out the Stewardship Card and promising to give back to God our time, treasures, and talents is a small way in which we show that we are committed to Christ. Christ tells us He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. If we can be faithful in filling out the Stewardship Card and giving these small offerings to God then we can be faithful in what is least. If we can be faithful in what is least, then we can be faithful in much; we can be faithful offering offer our whole self to our Lord, just as He offered His whole self for us and emptied Himself on the Cross. Each of us offering ourselves to Christ in our parish is what makes us a community; it s what makes us a family. Each of us giving to God what He has given to us for the good of all. This is why filling out the Stewardship Card is what officially makes us members in good standing. There is much more that goes into being a member in good standing, but again, if we can be faithful in little, we can be faithful in much; we have to start somewhere. That means that if you choose to not fill out a Stewardship Card you are also choosing to not have a voice in any parish meetings. Absolutely everyone is invited and encouraged to fill out a Stewardship Card. We want to make giving your offering to the Church as easy as we can for everyone. This year we are considering providing weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly offering envelopes to everyone. We are also considering adopting a system that would accept debit/credit cards. None of these ideas are definite and they both come at a cost, so we are also asking on your Stewardship Card if you would take advantage of either of these opportunities to make your offerings to the Church more convenient. I am so proud of all of your hard work, love, and devotion to Christ and His Church this past year. You gave back to the Church so beautifully the gifts which God has given to you. We must continue to build on this and always give the very best we have to offer to Christ and His Church. It is your love, prayers, generosity, and of course the grace of God that have allowed and will continue to allow our parish to flourish and grow. It is by the grace of God and because of your love, prayers, and generosity that St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church is able to serve all of you, to serve the community, and to spread Christ s Gospel of love to those who need it most and to the world around us. All of us must continue to give our sweat, our dedication, our time, our treasures, and most importantly our prayers and our love to Christ and to St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church; freely for our Lord, with our whole heart. Thank you all for your continued support of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church, without it and without each other we can do nothing. But together, faithfully, and by the Grace of our Lord all things are possible. Remember to cheerfully give all that you can this year and by doing so, show your love for Christ and His Church. This year my prayer is that we give our very best offering, the offering of our whole self with love and peace, just like Abel, and just like the shepherds and wise men did so long ago in Bethlehem. My prayers and blessings are with all of you as we journey together once again to the little town of Bethlehem, were we will greet our New Born King saying Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! May God always bless you all with heath, happiness, and salvation in His Kingdom! With love in The Christ, St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 11 Fr. Matthew Dutko

12 ST. ELIZABETH ORTHODOX CHURCH St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 Stewardship Offering Card 2019 Everyone in our community is invited and encouraged to fill out a Stewardship Offering Card. Name: Family Members:_ Birthdates: Address Phone In gratitude for God s blessings, I/we are offering to God, through St. Elizabeth s, the following amount: $ weekly $ monthly $ quarterly $ annually $ one-time Would you use weekly envelopes provided for you?: Would you use a debit/credit card system to give your offering?: Please use this space to write how you/members of your family would like to offer your time and talent to serve Christ and His Church: Signature: Please Turn in Your Stewardship Offering Card in a Envelope Directly to Fr. Matthew, or you may Mail it to Rectory at 2263 East Cherokee Drive The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 12 Thank You So Much For Your Offering to Saint Elizabeth Orthodox Church! May God Bless you and Your Family Always!

13 St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 MORE ON STEWARDSHIP Some Questions You May Have How do I become a member of the parish? Membership in the Orthodox Church begins at baptism (Chrismation for some) and continues throughout our life. We are united with Christ through the sacraments, or mysteries, of the Church and through our faithful offering of our entire selves to Jesus Christ. If you are interested in becoming an Orthodox Christian Fr. Matthew is here to assist you in whatever way you may need. Public and private sessions are available to you along with whatever else you may need to assist you and your family on your spiritual journey. Our diocese distinguishes between voting members and nonvoting members. In our parish a voting member is over 18 years of age and turns in a signed stewardship offering card, committing a portion of time, talent and treasure to the Church. The diocese also requires the voting member to receive the Sacraments of Holy Confession and Communion at least once in calendar year. Keep in mind that true membership in the Body of Christ involves living according to His word and within His Church.If we only do the minimum, we may be a member in good standing but we may also be suffering spiritually. Why must I commit to give a specific amount? Please keep in mind that your stewardship of money is kept in the strictest of confidence. However, we do compile the amounts anticipated to better plan our budget. What if I cannot fulfill my stewardship commitment? During the course of a year, circumstances change. Your stewardship is valued because it is made out of your love for God and His Church. Please do not be concerned if you are unable to meet your stewardship commitment we are thankful and appreciative that you are a part of this parish family. Christian Stewardship is......learning how to be a responsible and concerned caretaker of Christ s Church; it is learning how to enjoy Church life and be happy in Church work., for in Her dwells the fullness of the Spirit of God....our active commitment to use all our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgment of Christ s redeeming love....caring for the needs of others....offering one s self to God as He offered Himself to us....what a person does after saying I believe..., as proof of that belief....devotion and service to God and His Church as persons, as families, as diocese, and as the Church universal. The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 13

14 St. Nicholas & Advent Crossword Puzzle St. Elizabeth Orthodox Church Woodstock, GA December 9, 2018 Join us this Saturday for Christmas Caroling! DOWN The St. Elizabeth News Christ is Among us! 14