Petra News. March 2015

Transcription

1 1 Petra News March 2015

2 Table of Contents CONTACT INFORMATION STS. PETER & PAUL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 5640 Jay Road, Boulder, CO (Office) CLERGY FR. JORDAN BROWN, PROISTAMENOS (Office) ~ (Cell) frjordan@stspeterandpaulboulder.org PARISH COUNCIL TABLE OF CONTENTS Contact Information 2 Spiritual Reflection 3 Parish Council 8 Stewardship 9 Philoptochos 13 Building for the Future 14 March Calendar 17 Schedule of Services 18 News & Events 20 Youth Ministries 26 JIM AZAR ~ PRESIDENT jamesazar@gmail.com ~ JIM ZISSIMOS ~ VICE PRESIDENT papoojim@msn.com ~ AARON WALL ~ SECRETARY awall609@yahoo.com ~ PETE STAMUS ~ TREASURER pasconsulting@earthlink.net ~ KIKI CHERONIS ~ PHILOPTOCHOS PRESIDENT kiki.mock@mac.com ~ TONY AZAR tony@azarswoodcraft.com ~ BRIAN GREGORY Brian_gregory@netzero.net~ PAUL VRANAS paulvranas@gmail.com ~ PETRA NEWS A ministry and monthly publication of Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church. Supported by the Stewards of the parish AMANDA NADER amandajnader@gmail.com ~ PAM TORRANCE mtnyiayia@aol.com ~ Cover: Icon of the Annunciation of the Theotokos (March 25th) by Rade Pavlovich

3 Spiritual Reflection St. John Chrysostom on The Holy Cross "The Cross of the Lord is unpleasant and sorrowful to the ear, but it consists of joy and gladness. It is the originator not so much of suffering as much as of passionlessness. For Jews the Cross is temptation, for pagans it is madness, but for us believers it reminds us of our salvation. When in church one reads about the Cross and one is reminded of the sufferings on the Cross, the faithful are indignant at the Cross and let out a plaintive wail and murmur not at the Cross but at the crucifiers and unbelievers. For the Cross is the salvation of the Church, the Cross is the praise of those who hope on it. The Cross has released us from the evil that possessed us and is the beginning of the blessings received by us. The Cross is the reconcilement of His enemies with God, the promise of sinners to Christ. For by the Cross we were freed from enmity and through the Cross we have become amiable to God. The Cross delivered us from the authority of the devil, the Cross saved us from death and destruction. The Cross changed human nature to the angelic, having released it from all that is corruptible, and have found lives worthy of immortality. How great is the power of the Cross! How great is the change made by it in the human race! How from the deep darkness it has led us to the boundless light, from death it has restored us to eternal life, from corruption it has transferred us to incorruption. What good is not accomplished for us by means of the Cross? Through the Cross we learned piety and learned the properties of the Divine essence. Through the Cross we learn the truth about God, through the Cross we who were far from Him are united to Christ, and we become worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Through the Cross we learn the power of love and we are taught to die for others. Through the Cross we are scorned and all what we do is not temporal, we search the blessings of the future and we accept the invisible as if seen. The Cross is preached, and the faith in God is confessed, His truth is spread throughout the universe. The Cross is preached, and the faith in the resurrection, the life and the kingdom of heaven is made without a doubt. What is more precious than the Cross and what is more saving for the soul? The Cross is the triumph over demons, the armor against sin and the sword with which the Lord has struck the snake. The Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of the Only-begotten, the joy of the Holy Spirit, the ornament of angels, the protection of the Church, the praise of St. Paul, the protection of the Saints, the lamp of all the world." "See, however desired and deservedly amiable the Cross is made today, it was the most terrible and shameful sign of the cruelest execution in antiquity! And the Cross makes the best ornament on the imperial crown, the most precious in all the world. The image of the Cross is now found on you, both masters and servants, both wives and husbands, both maidens and married, both slaves and free. All place the sign of the Cross on the noblest part of their body, daily carrying this sign on their forehead, as on a depicted pillar. It shines on a sacred meal, on the clothes of the priest and together with the Lord's body at the mystical supper. You see it lifted everywhere: on houses, in market-places, in the deserts, on the paths, on mountains and hills, on the sea, on ships, on islands, on boxes, on clothes, on armor, in the halls, on golden and silver vessels, in pictures, on the bodies of sick animals, on the bodies of the demon-possessed, in war, in the world, in the afternoon, at night, in festal assemblies and in the cells of the ascetics. Already no one is ashamed and does not blush at the thought that the Cross is a sign of a shameful death. To the contrary, all of us honor this as an adornment for ourselves, which has surpassed crowns and diadems and precious stones. Let us not run, let us not be frightened, but let us kiss and honor it as an invaluable treasure." 3

4 Committing Sins & Committing to God: A Sermon on St. Mary of Egypt By Fr. Stelyios Muksuris Orthodox Christianity records many accounts of conversion experiences. Throughout her long history the Church has commemorated thousands of men and women saints whose former unethical and undesirable lifestyles were transformed into a wholesome Christian existence of submission and obedience to the will of God. By God's grace, the one-time rulers, persecutors, tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, and murderers, today make up our canon of saints. This reality bears witness to the Church's raison d'être; to why our Lord established the Church within the world. The Church is God's ultimate vehicle for transforming people's lives. The Church's main purpose is to heal, sanctify, and save all believers. In Orthodox theology, the Church is properly called the "redeemed community" of Christ Jesus, a union of sinners constantly struggling and growing toward God's eternal Kingdom, of which the Church offers only a glimpse. To suggest that the Church exists only for the holy and worthy is to undermine its whole nature, if not ridicule Christ, who came into this world to save sinners and established the Church to continue this ministry of conversion and salvation. The Life of St. Mary of Egypt St. Mary of Egypt The saints of the Church then come right out of the ranks of us sinners. On this Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, the Church remembers and honors one such sinner turned saint: Mary of Egypt. Her life is extraordinary. St. Mary was an individual who represented a cross section of the immoral, fallen world of her day, a woman whose powerful conversion experience from a life of prodigality to a life of holiness and purity has been the focus of much admiration among the Orthodox. St. Mary lived during the fourth century A.D. At the tender age of twelve, she relocated with her parents to the prominent metropolitan city of Alexandria, in Egypt, where she lived on her own for seventeen years as a loathsome prostitute. So enveloped was the young Mary in her sexual sins that many times out of desperation, she 4

5 Committing Sins & Committing to God: sought out clients for herself without requesting any payment in return. Her fellow citizens looked down on her lowliness as a harlot and treated her with the utmost disrespect. Mary in turn resented her accusers, living in seclusion, and realizing that she was willfully throwing her life away. Until one day... A group of Christians gathered to embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the solemn feast of the Elevation of the Cross. Driven by curiosity, Mary tagged along with the group. When the Alexandrian Christians arrived in Jerusalem, they headed immediately for the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Christendom's most sacred shrine, built over the place where our Lord was crucified and the tomb from which He rose. As Mary reached the gates of the church, some invisible power obstructed her from physically entering in. Pious worshipers passed her on either side and made their entrance, but Mary's limbs seemed to become stiff and petrified. As Mary peered into the church, she saw every Christian falling to his knees as the Precious and Life- Giving Cross of Christ, still fully intact, was raised and processed around the sanctuary. Mary's gaze then fell upon an icon of her namesake, the Blessed Virgin Theotokos, and immediately, Mary also dropped to her knees in deep contrition, weeping uncontrollably for the sins she had committed. Leaving the church, she returned the day after, this time able to physically enter and venerate the Precious Wood. At that moment, Mary decided to change her life by dedicating the remainder of it to God through repentance. That same day, she left the Holy City, crossed the Jordan River, and entered the desert, where she lived in all piety, humility, and poverty for 47 years. For almost half a century, Mary engaged herself in strenuous fasts and prayed to God unceasingly, repenting over her former life and praising the God whose mercy and compassion back in Jerusalem made her aware of the seriousness of her spiritual condition and saved her. Toward the end of her life, St. Mary sent word to a priest named Zosimas to come to the desert and offer her Holy Communion. St. Zosimas came to the dying Mary on Holy Thursday and communed her. Returning the year after to the same place in the desert where he had last seen St. Mary, Fr. Zosimas found her dead, asleep in the Lord. Miraculously, he found her body un-decomposed and uncontaminated, fragrant with the grace of the Most Holy Spirit of God. Next to her body there lay a note, written by St. Mary's own hand, which read: "Father Zosima, in this region bury the body of the lowly Mary. I surrendered my spirit the same day that I communed the Precious Gifts. Please pray for me." Edified by this miraculous woman, St. Zosimas offered St. Mary a Christian burial. Church historians place the date of her falling asleep as April 1, 378 or 437 A.D. The Meaning of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt Two aspects of St. Mary of Egypt's life stand out and are worth noting. First, Mary's complete immersion in her sins made her cognizant of just how serious her spiritual state was. Second, God's full-force attempt to transform Mary's life made her abundantly aware of just how much God loved her and how much she desired to follow Christ and serve Him. Let us examine both aspects in greater detail. 5

6 Committing Sins & Committing to God: Mary's complete immersion in her sins made her aware just how serious her spiritual state was. Like most harlots and people of ill repute in her day, Mary had no time (and made no time) for personal meditation and inner spiritual assessment. She offered herself from client to client, blinded by her transgressions. She did not realize she was spiritually ill. She did not know there was something really wrong with her. Then her past struck her in the face like a brick, then was her heart pierced with the pain of knowing how many souls she led to the gates of hell, including her own. Mary's immersion in sin was the final motivating force behind her conversion. It proved, in the end, a great blessing, because it reinforced in her heart and mind the severity of her sinfulness and the immediacy of conversion. 6 Fr. Zosimas and St. Mary of Egypt If Mary of Egypt had sinned only a few times, then repented, and again fell into the same sins, her conversion process not only may have been lukewarm, but also may never have occurred at all. A little sprinkle of rain will not cause a person to run inside for shelter, but a violent downpour will. St. Mary experienced this "downpour" of sins, this unrelenting storm in her spiritual life. With God's grace, she ran for cover and was saved. For this reason must we never gossip or condemn or criticize others because, believe it or not, they may very well become tomorrow's saints, like Mary of Egypt. God's full-force attempt to transform Mary made her realize just how great God's love for her was. Many times God reveals His power to us in a physical, materialistic way, in a way He knows will appeal to and be understood by a physically minded world. Before Christ spoke to people's souls, He knew that He had to make known His power on a purely physical level. For St. Mary of Egypt, it was an "invisible force field" at the gates of the Holy Church. For St. Paul, it was a blinding light on the road to Antioch. For Lazarus' sisters, it was the bodily resurrection of their brother following his four-day entombment. In each circumstance, the recipients of the miracle do not simply become physically healed; instead, a deep faith and devotion, once dormant in them, now becomes alive and draws them into a

7 Committing Sins & Committing to God: deeper understanding and love for God. As Jesus says regarding Lazarus: "This [Lazarus'] sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of man may be glorified through it" (John 11.4). The same with the blind man (John 9.3). God's love is mysteriously manifested through the actions He takes in people's lives actions which at times are quite harsh to induce more faith and thus to effect within them a spiritual as well as physical healing. My dear people, the Church today lifts up St. Mary of Egypt as a prime example of repentance and conversion. In her life we witness two necessary extremes, which lead her to change: her complete sinfulness and God's sublime revelation within the Church of the Resurrection in Jerusalem. Sometimes such extremes, humanity going one way and God forcefully chasing after us, are blessings in disguise, ways in which God tries to redeem a lost situation and give to it meaning and direction. Indeed, to know God fully in His goodness many times means we must encounter evil in His absence, or at least hardships. Then only can we truly appreciate His fatherly love and never again want to leave Him. Remember once again the Prodigal Son from the Bible. At the lowest point in his life did he "come to his senses" and return back to his father. The road, like the one St. Mary of Egypt traveled, was a long and narrow one, but it was also the most direct road to the Kingdom of God. 7

8 Parish Council To say that Great Lent has caught me off guard would be a gross understatement! Unfortunately, my lack of pre-lenten prayer life and preparation has made for a difficult transition into the Lenten season. I have learned over the years that one cannot simply flip a switch to turn their spiritual life on at any given moment. Despite everything that I have learned, I find myself falling into the same bad habits and pitfalls over and over again. In this modern world of constant distractions and pointless amusements, carving out a few minutes a day for prayer and fellowship almost seems like an insurmountable obstacle. But all is not lost! Great Lent is truly an incredibly humbling journey that provides us with an opportunity for both spiritual and personal growth. And while we may not want to admit it, spiritual growth falls hand in hand with struggle. My own personal hardships and trials over the years have helped me to realize that we must struggle in our faith (and in this life in general) in order to achieve our ultimate goal: eternal salvation. If we elevate anything else in life above this, then we are missing the point. Trust me, I never said, God, sign me up for a lifetime of struggle! Nevertheless, hindsight has helped me to understand that these periods of struggle and spiritual preparation are cleansing to the soul. Great Lent is essentially an icon, a microcosm of our lifetime struggles here on this earth The purpose of this journey is to prepare ourselves for the kingdom to come, and in this sense, Great Lent is truly a reflection of the true meaning of life. As overwhelming as this may seem, let us not forget that we are not in this struggle alone! Great Lent also allows us the chance to grow closer to our fellow parishioners and grow in our faith together. I honestly don t know how I would have made it this far without the love, support, and prayers of those around me; both within our community and within my larger spiritual family. I think we all tend to get lost in the details sometimes. From a Parish Council perspective, the details would include the administrative functions and governing bodies that help run the day to day parish operations. Don t get me wrong, these things are all absolutely essential! But focusing on these tasks absent of spirituality (prayer, fasting, almsgiving, etc.) is fruitless. How many church services have I missed over the last few months? How many prayers did I forget to say before working on a church bulletin or sitting down in a meeting? How many opportunities did I pass up to worship with my fellowship parishioners, to grow with them in the faith, and to pray for them and help them in their time of struggle or need? My point is this: we are here together (or should be, at least) to participate in the sacramental life of the Orthodox Church and achieve spiritual growth both as individuals and as a family. Great Lent provides us with the perfect opportunity to do just that. There are more services, more opportunities for fellowship, more motivation to carve out that time for personal prayer and spiritual reflection. If we are determined to make Christ and His Church the focal point of our salvation, then all of these other details will fall into place. Remember that Great Lent and Pascha offer us a chance at renewal, the chance to throw off our old selves, our bad habits, and our sinful tendencies. But this renewal process doesn t stop on April 12th. And our own personal struggles and growth doesn t exist in some type of spiritual vacuum. Only by struggling and growing in our faith together can we achieve our ultimate goal. If we as a community keep eternal salvation as our goal regardless of the year or the season, then all of the other details will fall into place. Aaron Wall PC Secretary 8 Through the prayers of Sts. Peter & Paul, Lord Jesus Christ please bless our church and all of the faithful therein!

9 Stewardship Time, Talent, and Treasure: A Guide for Stewardship for our Children and Youth Dear Parents, We have learned that stewardship is based on the idea that all we have and all we are comes from God. In order to thank God for his blessings, we must give back a portion of the time, talent, and treasure he has given us. This is not just a concept for adults, however. Even our youngest children can recognize God s gifts to us and consider ways they can give back to God. The best way to grow stewards of the church is to model good stewardship behavior. Throughout the year, the Stewardship Committee, Sunday School and Youth programs will be offering special lessons and activities to reinforce the theme of giving time, talents, and treasure back to God. You can help us by considering the activities below and incorporating the ones that will work for your family into your lives. Stewardship of Time and Talents Ask your children to name the gifts God has given them. Focus on the talents God has given them. Allow your child to say grace before your family meal. Think about ways your children could offer their time as stewardship, for example Helping an elderly neighbor with chores Calling grandparents, godparents, or other relatives just because Doing chores without being asked Participating in service events with the church and youth groups Offer acts of stewardship as a family Host a simple fellowship after Divine Liturgy Volunteer at a food bank or community garden Choose a missionary family to support Volunteer to host, carpool, or help with a youth event Read Bible stories together that showing the importance of stewardship such as the Widow s Mite, the Good Samaritan, and the Rich Man and Lazarus. Stewardship of Treasure Your child will soon receive a packet of envelopes. Envelopes help children learn planning and excitement about giving and the regularity of giving. Each envelope will have a place for their name and a place to record gifts of time, talent and/or treasure for the week. You can help your child by: Have them decorate the envelopes however they choose Plan their offering before Sunday, perhaps at a mealtime on Friday or Saturday Help your child remember to bring the envelope to church Remembering together the gifts that they have made 9

10 Stewardship We hope you will embrace these additions to the Stewardship and Sunday School programs. Encouraging stewardship in our young people now, can instill an attitude of stewardship that is life long. Our children will feel stronger ties to the parish and its activities and, ultimately, draw closer to God. Please feel to contact us if you have questions, comments, or suggestions about this new program. We hope it will be source of Christian growth and enrichment to everyone involved. In His Service, Nicole Tsiouvaras Cindy Stamus Liz Soderberg Stewardship Chair Sunday School Director Youth Director 10

11 Stewardship 2015 Stewards Anastas, Christie & Emil Merrill, Toula & John Anastas, Hani & Katrina Mills, Mary & Mark Andrusko, Gaynel Nader, Jacques & Amanda Ashmun, Joanne Nolte, Melina Azar, Jim Pagratis, Maria Azar, Tony & Rimona Panas, Jim & Fannie Barbu, Ileana & McDonald, Thomas Pappageorge, George Brown, Fr. Jordan & Pres. Marika Pappas, Nick Chellos, Aphrodite Pappas, George & Charleen Cheronis, Alekie Pappas, William Cheronis, Dion Piper, Ted & Sophia Christopher, Chris & Georgia Powers, Jim & Julie Dageenakis, John & Elayne Sammoury, Tony & Christiane DeGeorge, Tony & Rola Sampson, Earl Dotson, Pres. Kedrann Sarris, Juli du Bernard, Margaret Serougi, Eissa & Samira Dzilvelis, Fran Serougi, Sam & Adma Dzilvelis, Steve & Ashley Shearin, Patrick Egeberg, Angela Skodras, Nick Elias, Elias Skodras, Voula Elias, Eric & Keity Soderberg, Liz & Kurt Garcia, Mary Soulakis, Manuel & Candice Geerdes, Bruce & Andreatta Swiszcz, Paul & Marose-Swiszcz, Jan Gehmeyr, Michael & Bakalis, Olympia Theodosis, Anthoula Georgis, Maria Torrance, Pam Georgis, Steven & Yoana Troicky, Chris Glasener, Gary & Robin Troicky, Lis & Alex Hess, Christel & George Tsiouvaras, George & Nicole Houghton, Nancy & Guillermo Tsiouvaras, Nicholas V. & Christine Jacky, Tom & Tamsin Vasquez, Matthew & Christina Kallan, Nick & Cavallaro, Danielle Vranas, Paul & Christopher, Diane Kapatayes, Gaby & Odeta Wall, Aaron Kapatayes, Khristo & Jospehine Welker, Julie & David Kapatayes, Nuha Yost, Cynthia Lymberopoulos, Mary Zarifa, Sonia McVeigh, Billy & Barbara Zissimos, Jim & Sheila Melonakis, Mathew If you have returned your 2015 Stewardship Commitment Card but do not see your name listed, please contact Nicole Tsiouvaras or any member of the Parish Council. 11

12 Stewardship Don t carry cash or checks? You re not alone! We ve received a number of requests for electronic donations over the past few months. Electronic donations are accepted via PayPal, and can be set up as one-time or recurring payments. Make donations online or using your smartphone! To sign up for a new account go to or login to your existing account. It s free to sign up and there are no transaction fees. You can link a bank account, credit, or debit card to your PayPal account. Your account numbers are never exposed and transactions are always secure. There are 2 ways to make your electronic donation: 1) PayPal Website - Login to your PayPal account at and select Send & Request>Send Money to Friends and Family. Simply enter the church address, stspeterandpaulboulder@gmail.com, enter the donation amount and click Next. Verify the account you want to use, add special instructions (general or directed donation) and click Send. 2) Smartphone - The PayPal app is available through the Apple App Store (iphone), Google Play (Android), and Windows Phone Store (Windows phone). Once the app has been downloaded and opened, select Send and enter the church address, stspeterandpaulboulder@gmail.com, enter the donation amount, select Friends or Family, then click Review. Review your payment method and payment details and then click Send Money. 12

13 Philoptochos Greetings everyone, and thank you all who attended the Philoptochos 2015 Winter Dinner Dance! It was a marvelous affair! The food was delicious, the music superb, the live auctions exciting, with a little bit of nerve racking thrown in for a fun time had by all! If you missed this beautiful function, please plan on coming next year. Cina Saliba and her trusty and busy committee are already planning on fun and games for next year. The big news that started last year is the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Shrine at the Trade Center in New Your City. If you remember, our small and sacred original St. Nicholas was destroyed on September 11th, Our National Philoptochos; which of course includes Sts. Peter & Paul Philoptochos in Boulder, CO; has challenged us to contribute to this great undertaking in rebuilding St. Nicholas. Meatfare Sunday, February 15, 2015 we served a delicious pizza, salad, and cake; and all the proceeds collected were donated towards the St. Nicholas Shrine fund. We appreciate your generosity! We are grateful February is a very short month and our hard working members can take a breather from all of our projects to help the poor. Jesus Christ said "we will always have the poor", and we will continue to do our best to alleviate their distress with your help. Pascha is April 12th, 2015; and so our next large project is the wonderful Pascha Cookie Baskets with homemade baklava and other famous ethnic pastries. If you love cookies, purchase 2 baskets, one for yourself and one to pass on! Also, be sure to stop by the Bookstore on Sunday after church. Nancy Houghton is the Bookstore coordinator and is there to assist you and is happy to help you in ordering special books or icons. Lis Troicky or one of her trusty helps is also available after church if you would like to purchase grocery gift cards (King Soopers, Safeway, Whole Foods, Sprouts, & Lucky's), and Old Chicago Pizza Palz certificates. You can use these gift cards just like money and the Philoptochos receives a percentage every time you buy a certificate card from us. Thank you all who are loyal sponsors of our easy fund raiser! Life is good! May God grant you health and smiles each and every day! Kiki Cheronis Philoptochos President 13

14 Building for the Future Building for the Future Committee Update Community Center - Master Planning Efforts In 2011, the Parish Council established the Building for the Future Committee to research and plan for short, intermediate and long term capital projects for the church. Since that time, the committee has focused on several ideas, including planning for the replacement of our church hall. Why replace the hall now? For me, the biggest reason is we need a space to gather as a community. As Orthodox Christians - our faith is not a faith for Sunday only it is something I love about Orthodoxy and to me our Church is an oasis in the middle of what at times is a desert of moral decay. Our faith is integral in our lives and we have many opportunities to gather and celebrate our faith including witnessing the Nativity of our Lord and Pascha which are not just single dates but a journey. We also enjoy the celebration many different Saint s days. That is our life as an Orthodox Christian and we look forward to these many blessings each year. Our current church hall is antiquated with plumbing and electrical issues; our HVAC doesn t work well; we have an antiquated facility that is not near the best we can do. Walk behind the building and look at how far the brick has separated from the wall; look at our class rooms. Think about the folks who have fallen on the stairs going into the hall, including my wife and my koumbaro (and he ended up in a cast). Enough about the old Imagine our kids and grandkids being close to god, growing up, dancing, rejoicing, growing as good Christians. How do we put a price on that? How long do we wait for that? Imagine our seniors having a place to gather; imagine all of our ministries: women s group, men s ministry, bible studies, Philoptochos, dance group, Greek school, and our college students and on and on. We live in a time that anything goes and our faith is under fire from many directions. As an example my children s school calendar includes religious observances from the Jewish and Muslim faiths. What observance is missing? Western Easter which is Sunday, April 5 th (see Figure 1 below). To me it is unbelievable that this could occur, but it is just a window into what our children and grandchildren are exposed to in a world that is increasingly unfriendly toward Christianity. Figure 1 - Excerpt from a Boulder Valley School calendar includes Passover but neglects Western Easter which is Sunday April 5th. 14

15 Building for the Future At Saints Peter & Paul we are very blessed to have a beautiful church for worship and I thank God that you all had the vision to buy the land and build our temple. We need to think about where we will leave things for the next generation we should be closer to God. We need a place to gather 7 day a week; to be present; to be near God. My kids go to school 5 days a week. They have many influences around them that concern me. They come to church 2 or 3 hours a week to be near God. That is not enough when I grew up in Denver at the Cathedral, we spent a lot of time at church and it helped shape my life. I want my kids to be close to our church family; they are at their best when they are close to God and close to you. It s not about a building it s about building community. In my day-to-day world only a few folks share my beliefs I want my family to be near your families. I want a place that we can come together as Orthodox Christians. Planning Efforts A directed donation has allowed us to begin master planning efforts for a new community center. This money was used to engage an architect to create some early concepts that most of you have probably seen. The architect s proposal consists of a structure connecting the temple to the community center, a second area to function as our current hall does today and the third component, a multi-use room. Our temple was built in 1999 and contains approximately 5,250 square feet of usable space. The existing fellowship hall contains approximately 5,000 square feet which comprises a gathering space, a kitchen, bookstore, restrooms, and classrooms. Figure 2- Artist's Concept for the new Hall 15

16 Building for the Future Our master planning efforts are considering removal of the existing fellowship hall and replacing it with an ADAaccessible building which would include similar functions as well as staff offices, a library and a multi-use hall. The proposed addition would be located to the south of the church building and be connected via a connector hallway. To keep the new addition compact, efficient and in line with the building that will be demolished, the architect s concept is a two story building. The main meeting hall, kitchen and lower level offices are accessible directly from the existing church via the connector hall. Restrooms, vertical circulation and a service garage would round out the lower floor. Upstairs are the classrooms, Father Jordan s office, the board room/library, vertical circulation and additional restrooms. Adjacent to the lower level is a Multi-use Hall. The hall will be sized appropriately to accommodate normal usages including fellowship and youth activities. The western wall of the hall will use large windows to accentuate views of the Flatirons and will allow occupants to spill out under a covered roof. With the removal of the old fellowship hall, adjustments would be made to the parking lot and the new community center would include outdoor spaces. Fundraising Some have said let s wait until we have the church paid off and then we will start raising money. We don t need to have one or the other. We can do both. I have been approached by many folks who are ready to start raising funds for the hall. It is time to start raising funds for a community center. This isn t something to fear we just need to start. The fundraising efforts will determine the next steps in the process. Let s have faith that God will provide and support this effort. Let s pledge in 2015 to have a church that is financially healthy and fitting of his work. Let s not have a church that wants let s move on to a church that provides for the spiritual needs of our community. I would encourage you to walk out to the south end of our lot and look at the divine beauty and serenity of our site. The Building for the Future committee will create a facility that we can afford and that best fits into the beautiful environment. Come look at the boards in the hall for more detail. Feel free to give your input to myself, the committee, the Parish Council and Father Jordan we would love to hear your input. It is time to have a facility that we can be present as families and as a parish family. George Tsiouvaras BfF Committee 16

17 March 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Sunday of Orthodoxy 9 am Orthros 10 am Divine Liturgy 12 pm Oratorical Festival 5:30 pm Pan- Orthodox Vespers 2 6:30 pm Home Compline Service 3 7 pm Philoptochos Meeting 4 9 am Great Compline 10 am Bible Study 6 pm Presanctified Liturgy 5 6 Salutations to the Theotokos 7 am Presanctified 7 pm Salutations 7 10 am to 1 pm Senior Shut-In Visitations (K-5th) 5 pm Great Vespers 8 Sunday of St. Gregory of Palamas 9 am Orthros 10 am Divine Liturgy 5:30 pm Pan- Orthodox Vespers 9 6:30 pm Home Compline Service 10 6 pm OCF 11 9 am Great Compline 10 am Bible Study 6 pm Presanctified Liturgy Salutations to the Theotokos GOYA Lenten Retreat 7 am Presanctified 7 pm Salutations 14 GOYA Lenten Retreat 5 pm Great Vespers 15 Sunday of the Holy Cross GOYA Lenten Retreat 9 am Orthros 10 am Divine Liturgy 5:30 pm Vespers 16 6:30 pm Home Compline Service am Great Compline 10 am Bible Study 6 pm Presanctified Liturgy 19 7 pm Parish Council Meeting 20 Salutations to the Theotokos 7 pm Salutations 21 5 pm Great Vespers 22 Sunday of St. John Climacus 9 am Orthros 10 am Divine Liturgy 5:30 pm Pan- Orthodox Vespers Annunciation of the Theotokos 8 am Orthros 9 am Divine Liturgy 26 Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete 27 Akathist Hymn 7 pm Salutations 28 8 am Men s Group 5 pm Great Vespers 29 Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt 9 am Orthros 10 am Divine Liturgy 5:30 pm Pan- Orthodox Vespers :30 pm Home Compline Service 31 6 pm OCF Fasting Symbols Blue Shade is Strict Fast (Unless Noted Otherwise) Wine/Oil Fish

18 Schedule of Services Recurring Lenten Services Sundays Pan-Orthodox 5:30 pm (see pg. 20 for more info) Mondays Home Compline 6:30 pm (see pg. 19 for more info) Wednesdays Great Compline 9 am Bible 10 am Presanctified 6 pm Fridays Presanctified 7 am (March 6th & 13th only) Salutations to the 7 pm Annunciation of the Theotokos Wednesday, March 25th 8 am Orthros 9 am Divine Liturgy 18

19 Schedule March of 2015 Services Holy Week Services Lazarus Saturday (April 4th) Orthros 8am Divine Liturgy 9am Great Vespers 5 pm Palm Sunday (April 5th) Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy 10am Bridegroom Service 7 pm Holy Monday (April 6th) Presanctified Liturgy 9am Bridegroom Service 7pm Holy Tuesday (April 7th) Presanctified Liturgy 7am Bridegroom Service 7pm Holy Wednesday (April 8th) Presanctified Liturgy 9am Holy Unction 7pm Holy Thursday (April 9th) Vesperal Divine Liturgy 9am 12 Gospels 7pm Holy Friday (April 10th) Royal Hours 9 am Taking Down from The Cross 3 pm Lamentations7 pm Holy Saturday (April 11th) Vesporal Liturgy (1st Announcement of the Resurrection) 9 am Paschal Office 11:30 pm Holy Pascha (April 12th) Agape Vespers & Fellowship 12 pm 19

20 Mobile Apps & Mobile Technology Technology and Prayer in the Palm of Your Hand Since the beginning of this millennium, computing has rapidly broken free from the desktop computer and has extended to mobile phones and tablet devices. The Department of Internet Ministries now makes available easy-to-access content for mobile devices for daily scripture readings, fasting guidelines, saints, feasts, prayers, hymnology, and popular Orthodox Christian texts. The Daily Readings App on your mobile device is the easiest way to access the day's Bible readings prescribed by the Lectionary of the Greek Orthodox Church. The Daily Readings App also lets you read the lives of the saints or lookup fasting guidelines for each day right on your device. Archdiocesan School of Byzantine Music s Byzantine Music and Theory Guide for ipad An interactive edition of the Byzantine Music and Theory Guide is now available for Apple s ibooks on the ipad. Embedded audio examples accompany the music and text to assist you in learning Byzantine chant. My Orthodox Prayer Book - ebook Edition The ebook edition of the top-selling My Orthodox Prayer Book is now available. The cover was given an upgrade to match its new digital platform, but it contains the same great content. Full of the beautiful prayers of the Orthodox church, you can take it with you on your iphone, ipad, Kindle, Nook and more! ebook edition of Archbishop Demetrios Ways of the Lord Ways of the Lord: Perspectives on Sharing the Gospel of Christ by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios is available for all major ebook platforms such as the Kindle, Nook, ipad and iphone, and Sony ebook Reader. Ways of the Lord is available at the Orthodox Marketplace, the official online store of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Go to to download or for more info Feedback: Please send your comments and your suggestions to internet@goarch.org Support This Ministry: If you like these apps and ebooks, please support future development by making a donation at: idonations.goarch.org 20

21 News & Events Wednesday Morning Bible Study March Schedule Wednesday 10 am March 4th, 11th, & 18th Please join us for Morning 9 am followed by Bible 10 am. Bible Study is open to all adults, both Orthodox and inquirers. We will study the scriptures dedicated to special feast days, the lives of Saints and Sacraments. Class will meet in the back room of the church. Presanctified Liturgy & Lenten Potluck Dinners Wednesday, March 11th & 6 pm There will be a Lenten potluck dinner following Presanctified Liturgies on Wednesdays during Lent. Please join us for liturgy at 6 pm and stick around for potluck, fellowship, and spiritual discussion. Monastery Pilgrimage Meeting Sunday, March 12:30 pm Father Jordan will be hosting a meeting to discuss the upcoming monastery pilgrimage retreat.to the Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery located in Kendalia, Texas (near San Antonio). The Monastery Pilgrimage is open to all men and women of our parish. The pilgrimage will take place from May 15th - 17th. Please plan on attending this meeting to learn more about the pilgrimage. Men s Group Saturday, March 8am Group meeting will start with prayer followed by breakfast and discussion in the fellowship hall. 21

22 News & Events Annual Lazarus Saturday Pancake Breakfast Saturday, April 4th Our annual pancake breakfast will be held on Saturday, April 4 directly after the services for Lazarus Saturday. Orthros starts at 9:00am, Divine Liturgy at 10:00am After breakfast, we will be folding palms for Palm Sunday and decorating the church for Pascha. No experience necessary! Come and see the world s smallest palm cross! This event is always a lot of fun, so please join us! Questions? Want to help? Candy Soulakis at m.soulakis@yahoo.com or Nicole Tsiouvaras at tsiouvaras@msn.com. Byzantine Iconography Workshop June 15th-20th Join us on this six-day intensive course where we will immerse ourselves in the painting techniques of Byzantium. The subject of the icon of "Jesus Christ" will come alive before you as the instructor, Theodore Papadopoulos, guides you, step by step, through the ancient techniques of Byzantine Iconography. Tuition: $680. Price includes the materials which will be used by the students, (brushes, pigments, boards). A non-refundable deposit of $230 is required to reserve a place in this workshop. The balance is due on June 15, Location: St. Mark Antiochian Orthodox Church, Denver, Colorado. For enrollment or information, please contact Mr. J.P. Andrews; (303) ; 22

23 News & Events Great Compline Home Service & Fellowship During Great Lent we will have the opportunity to get closer with our neighbor. Work and school schedules at times can make it a challenge to participate in the weekday lenten services. On the Mondays of Great Lent, you will have the opportunity to travel close to home to attend the Monday Compline Service. Parishioners have been gracious to open their homes to their church neighbors. Service will 6:30pm followed by a lenten meal, discussion and fellowship. March 9 (Parishioners in the Louisville area) Host: Liz & Kurt Soderberg, 542 W. Sycamore St, Louisville, March 16 (Parishioners in the N. Boulder area) host home: Dana & Ludwig Gall, 3988 Campo Ct, Boulder, March 30 (Parishioners in the Broomfield area) Host: Nancy & Guillermo Houghton 3229 Traver Dr, Broomfield, This is a wonderful opportunity during the Lenten Season to come together with our neighbor in prayer and fellowship. If you have any questions, please contact Father or frjordan@stspeterandpaulboulder.org 23

24 News & Events Pan Orthodox Sunday Lenten Vespers Schedule March 5:30 pm Host Parish: Holy Transfiguration OCA Cathedral, Denver March 5:30 pm Host Parish: Sts Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church, Boulder March 5:30 pm Host Parish: St Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, Greenwood Village March 5:30 pm Host Parish: St. James Antiochian Orthodox Church, Fort Collins 24

25 Orthodox Campus Fellowship Attention College Students! Please join us for dinner, discussion, and fellowship on the following days: Tuesday, March 10th, 6:00pm Tuesday, March 31st, 6:00 pm The OCF will have a new meeting place for fellowship! St. Thomas Catholic Student Center (located on the corner of 15th and Euclid) 25 Questions? Need a Ride? Please contact: Lia Peulen (OCF President);Evangelia.Peulen@colorado.edu OR Fr. Jordan Brown (Spiritual Advisor); frjordan@stspeterandpaulboulder.org);

26 Youth Ministries MARCH SUN 1 FRI 6 SAT 7 SUN 8 12:30 1:00 pm Sunday of Orthodoxy All Youth: Prepare Lenten Care Packages (K-12 th ) Service activity assembling care packages for shut-ins. 6:00 8:00 pm JOY: Salutations Service (K-5 th & Families) Salutations service and simple Lenten potluck with families. 10:00 1:00 pm Saturday of Souls All Youth: Senior & Shut-In Visitations (K-12 th ) Visitations to sing Lenten hymns and deliver care packages. Youth Ministry Parent Meeting (6-12 th ) We will have a special meeting for parents of goya age children (6th-12th grade), and grade school children after church and fellowship. FRI 13 to SUN 15 GOYA Cathedral Lenten Retreat (6-12 th ) Contact Liz to sign up for a Lenten retreat with youth from our local parishes. Registration deadline: March 9th. Hot Sulphur Springs, CO APRIL SAT 4 FRI 10 SAT 25 Lazarus Saturday Palm Sunday Preparation (K-12 th & Families) Annual pancake breakfast, palm folding, and church decorating. 10:00 3:00 pm Holy Friday Youth Retreat (K-12 th ) Youth will reflect on the meaning of Holy Week through guided activities as we prepare for the arrival of Pascha. 6:00 9:00 pm (tentative) GOYA Spring Dance at St. Luke s (6-12 th ) Come join the youth group at St. Luke s for an evening of music, dancing, and fellowship! 26

27 Youth Ministries Mark your calendars! 2015 Youth Retreats MAR JUNE 13-15th Cathedral Lenten Retreat (6-12 th ) Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 7-12th Juniors Camp Emmanuel (6-8 th ) Manzano Mountain Retreat Torreon, NM 14-19th Seniors Camp Emmanuel (9-12 th ) Manzano Mountain Retreat Torreon, NM AUG 2-5th (rescheduled) Rocky Mountain Orthodox Camp (K-8 th ) Buckhorn Camp Bellvue, CO 10-14th (rescheduled) Vacation Church School (K-8 th ) Sts. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Boulder, CO Further details to follow. Contact Liz Soderberg: lizsoderberg@outlook.com or (530)

28 Youth Ministries 2015 Hot Sulphur GOYA Lenten Retreat TUBING ICE SKATING FELLOWSHIP Friday, March 13 th to Sunday, March 15 th The Assumption Cathedral of Denver would like to invite all Jr. and Sr. GOYANS to our annual GOYA Lenten Retreat in Hot Sulphur Springs, CO. This year we have invited Ambassadors from Holy Cross Hellenic College to facilitate the retreat. It should be a fun filled weekend of fellowship, with snow tubing and ice skating as well. The cost of the retreat is $74 per person. We have limited space so please register as soon as possible. For more information please contact the Assumption Cathedral Youth Director, Peter Latsonas at (303) The registration form and payment must be received no later than March 9th. Please submit registration and payment to: Assumption of the Theotokos Hellenic Orthodox Cathedral 4610 East Alameda Avenue, Denver CO, platsonas@assumptioncathedral.org platsonas@assumptioncathedral.org 28

29 Youth Ministries 2015 February Youth Activities SouperBowl of Caring (Feb 1) Thank you to everyone who supported the 25 th Annual SouperBowl of Caring. Through your generous giving, we delivered $240 and 114 canned goods and toiletries to Sister Carmen s Food Bank in Lafayette. Glory to God! Empty Bowls Fundraiser We had a wonderful time painting bowls together at Crackpots Pottery Studio for their 12 th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser. Please consider attending the next fundraiser! DATE: Saturday, March 28, 2015 TIME: 10:30am to 1:30pm LOCATION: Longmont High School COST: $20 per ticket ($25 at the door) includes a beautiful, handpainted bowl made by generous local artists and a hearty meal of soup and bread donated by your favorite local restaurants. Enjoy music and the company of friends and neighbors. All proceeds benefit the OUR Center and their amazing work fighting hunger right here in our community. All proceeds benefit the OUR Center's food program. For more information and tickets, visit the event website at: events/empty-bowls. 29

30 Sts. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church The mission of Sts. Peter and Paul is to be a beacon of Orthodox Christian spirituality in the greater Boulder area. Our diverse church family encompasses many converts to the Faith, as well as Greek, Arab, Romanian, Serbian, and Russian Orthodox members. We strive together to live our Orthodox Christian Faith by having a devoted prayer life, through fasting and almsgiving, and by participating regularly in the services and Sacraments of the Holy Orthodox Church. We welcome everyone to visit our parish to experience the ancient forms of worship that existed in the early centuries of the Christian Church - which we continue to practice unchanged today. Please take a moment to look through our website to learn more about our parish and our Faith, and if you have any questions, feel free to call Fr. Jordan at Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church 5640 Jay Rd. Boulder, CO