Glad Tidings. always, I am available for the Mystery of Penance/ Confession by appointment. You may or call me to set one up.

Transcription

1 St. Paul, MN November 2009 Volume 15, Issue 10 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H Glad Tidings A Word from Father Rick Advent Change of Season Entering into the month of November brings a certain change of liturgical season. The weather season of Autumn brings the Fall color of turning leaves, perhaps most have fallen to the ground by now, and a significant dip in outdoor temperatures. So too, November hearkens a different way of worshipping God. The first big change will be Advent, starting on November 15 th it is the forty day period of fasting prior to the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord. The Advent Fast is less austere than Great Lent in that one may eat fish, except on Wednesdays and Fridays, and during the last week. Nevertheless, it is calling us to prepare our souls and bodies for the Incarnation of the Jesus Christ, so He may be born within us and through our words and actions may be experienced and known by others. This preparation of fasting from certain foods implies an increased effort in fasting from sin. Thus, the Sacrament of Confession is also encouraged as a tool for the cleansing and healing of soul and body. As always, I am available for the Mystery of Penance/ Confession by appointment. You may or call me to set one up. New Youth Minister Another change we anticipate in November is the work of our new youth minister, Rebekah Moll, who was recently approved by the parish council. She fills this important position that has been vacant for over two years. I have known Rebekah for several years beginning when she attended summer church camp, participated in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship at the University of Minnesota and most recently as she served as a counselor at summer camp. She is a lifelong, faithful and active member of St. Mary Orthodox Cathedral in NE Minneapolis where she has served as a reader and choir member for many years. In addition, she has taught Sunday School the last four years. She comes with stellar recommendations and I know Rebekah to be a person of high caliber, quality and caring. Rebekah currently teaches high school language arts and is a mock trial coach at Spring Lake Park High School. Please welcome Rebekah into this position and our community. The best way to help Rebekah be successful as our youth minister is to bring your children to church for worship and activities. This is how she will get to know the kids and they will get to know her. As parents and interested adults you can also volunteer to assist in youth oriented events. Rebekah will be the central catalyst in scheduling events, contacting youth and parents, and organizing volunteers. However, we don t expect the youth minister to do everything by herself. She is very excited and eager to begin working with our youth. Welcome Rebekah! Clergy-Laity in Milwaukee The Biennial Metropolis Clergy-Laity-Philoptochos- Choir Assembly will take place November 5-6-7, 2009 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The schedule includes a trip to the new St. Iakovos Camp & Retreat center. In addition, youth ministry training sessions titled Called to Protect and Nuts and Bolts are being offered. (Continued on page 6) Inside: Youth News pg. 2, Parish Announcements pg. 3, A Word from the President pg. 6

2 Glad Tidings Page 2 YOUTH NEWS UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS Faith 11/14 Rosedale Center GOYA Advent Kick Off- Twilight Discussion Junior Choir & Christmas Program Rehearsals, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13 SAVE THE DATES: Basketball Overland Park, KS- Don't fuss, ride the bus! 2010 GOYAL Western Region Basketball Tournament February 5-7 Overland Park, KS. Basketball practices will begin in late November. Watch the weekly bulletin for details on that and on riding the bus with St. George to Overland Park. Sign up on the poster in the social hall. GOYA November 14th, Advent Kick Off & Twilight Movie Discussion. Watch your inbox for additional upcoming events and activities. See Pres. Jane or Jean Pliakas for details or to register your . Birth to 3 Faith Group Upcoming meetings November 14th at Rosedale Center Adopt a Family shopping. Meet in the play area. December 19th, from 9:30-11:30 am, at the home of Jason & Kelly Barbes where we will be making Christmas cards for our homebound parishioners. For more information, contact Kelly Barbes at barbes11@msn.com.or JOY We are looking for parents to plan an adventure for our JOY aged kids in October to an apple farm. Please see Andrea Faches or Father Rick to volunteer in leading this important group of our young people. Christmas Program 2009 Planning meeting November 22nd. Rehearsals will be held December 6th & 13th, immediately following the Divine Liturgy. The program will be presented December 20th. Please mark your calendars so that your child will be prepared to participate. Junior Choir members plan to rehearse on November 15, 22, December 6 & 13th, in the choir loft immediately following the Divine Liturgy. Christmas Program, December 20th, immediately following Divine Liturgy GOYAL Chicago Metropolis Western Region Basketball Tourney-February 5-7, Kansas City, MO Youth & Family Ministry Meeting Monday, November 6:30pm. St. George Greek Orthodox Church -Monthly planning meeting. Sunday School Staff, Youth Workers, parents & others interested are encouraged to attend or participate: , participant code: #, to teleconference. Upcoming Youth & Family Ministry meetings will be on: December 14th January 11th February 1st (due to Basketball Tournament) Reminder Christmas Program 2009 will be Sunday, December 20th.

3 St. Paul, MN Page 3 (Continued from page 2) Sunday School Stewards Our goal for school year is to raise $400 in student support of the Church. If each student brings a quarter each week, we will come very close to making our goal! Please remember that the tray will be passed each week. Students, please talk to your parents before making your donations to St. George. Sunday School Supplies We are looking for a few supplies to support our Sunday School program. You can help by having your child bring in items listed in our posting., including Kleenex, colored pencils, chalk, chalkboard & whiteboard erasers. See the Youth Bulletin Board for additional items. We d like to get an electric stapler & pencil sharpener for each of the six classrooms. Thank you! Sunday School Reminder Remember Sunday School Classes Start at 9:30am. Please bring your child five minutes early so teachers can begin their lesson on time and maximize the full 30 minute class time. Also, we have a religious enrichment opportunity for 1-3 year-olds. If you are interested, please accompany your child from 9:30-10:00am in the youth room for educational activities. Parent participation is required. For info contact Kelly Barbes - barbes11@msn.com or Parish Announcements Intro To Orthodoxy Classes Have Begun This course is being offered by the MEOCCA clergy on Tuesday evenings 7-9pm through December 8th. You may register online: Annual Greek Bake Sale Come and join us for lunch featuring our famous spinach pie, feta cheese pie and pastitsio. November 21, 9:30am-4:30pm & November 22, 11:30am-3pm Sponsored by Philoptochos Society of Athena (Friends of the Poor) Loaves and Fishes Update Loaves and Fishes served 170 meals on Monday, October 12th. Thank you to all of our cooks, servers and clean-up crew who helped. We were blessed with great volunteers, young and old in serving those who are less fortunate than we are. We look forward to serve again on December 14th. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Sandy Thole or Sue Gnetz. Again, thanks to all our volunteers. Daughters of Penelope Update The Daughters of Penelope will be on vacation from November through January. At the Thursday, February 18, 2010 Greek lodge meeting, The Daughters of Penelope and AHEAPAns will celebrate the 75th birthday of the Eurydice Chapter 21. Philoptochos News Reminder: the next Philoptochos meeting is Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 1:00 pm. We will be on vacation during December and January to audit the 2009 books and prepare for Vasilopita Day Sincere wishes to Reva and Ron Adkins for many happy years in their new home. Everyone is invited to shop and dine at the Philoptochos Bake Sale and Boutique - Saturday and Sunday, November Join us for a delightful time! Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Holiday Events Family, friends and neighbors are invited to join Philoptochos members and the Daughters of Penelope at their annual Christmas Luncheon on Saturday, December 5 at the Lilydale Pool and Yacht Club. See Mary Georgantones for reservations Join the AHEPA Families of Grainfield District 174 for the Saint Paul/Minneapolis Christmas Holiday Party on December 27 at St. Mary s Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis. A special early bird price is available through Tuesday, December 15. For more information talk to Michael Manos.

4 Glad Tidings Page 4 Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours Mondays-Friday 9:00 AM--3:00 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) FatherRick@usa.com Lori Kurtyka, Administrative Assistant (651) Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President (507) chadwick@ptslaw.com Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Andrea Faches, Sunday School Director (507) afaches@msn.com Stella Hofrenning, Greek School Director Registry September 6, 2009 September 20, 2009 September 27, 2009 September 5, 2009 August 31, 2009 September 1, 2009 September 6, 2009 Baptisms Ciera, Maya, Hannah & Elena Stephanoff, daughters of Kevin & Brooke Huddleston - Sponsors are Mike & Nanette Gomez, Sandra Thole & Kathy Hinshaw Anna, daughter of Luis & Aleka Wakely-Pitsavas - Sponsor is Dimitra Kollias Elisavet Powell, daughter of Shawn & Aleka - Sponsor is Christina Halatsis. Wedding Niki Kontinakis & Brian Youso - Sponsor is Maria Kontinakis Births Georgia to Stavros & Olympia Haidos Aristea to Angie & Adam McMahon Memorials Yiannis Pitsavas (2 yrs) Jennifer Argeros, Glad Tidings Editor Sue Gnetz and Sandra Thole, Loaves and Fishes Coordinators suegnetz@yahoo.com, quadmom196@yahoo.com Submissions for upcoming issues are due by the 11th of the preceding month. Festal Icons Needed Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $50.00 per icon. The icons are displayed in the church nave and are put out for veneration on the Feast Day of the Saint or event they represent. To donate an icon, fill out a form (found on the bulletin board by the kitchen) and return it to the office. Appears on Road to Emmaeus Appears at Tiberias Sea St. Simon the Apostle May 10

5 St. Paul, MN Page 5 A Word from the President When I was a child, there was a public service campaign entitled Reading is Fundamental. It was designed to foster in children a love of reading. The hope was that by encouraging the development of a habit early, children would enjoy the educational benefits of reading and hence learning throughout their lives. As adults, we would do well to be mindful of the sound goals of that campaign, particularly in the area of spiritual education. Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to the book-on-tape version of a book by C.S. Lewis (I m too busy to read all the books I d like to). Of course, most of us recognize Lewis as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series including The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Perhaps fewer of us know him for the book I listened to, entitled Mere Chrisitanity. While the title could be viewed as a slight to the concept of Christianity, just the opposite is true. Indeed, the book examines the doctrines of Christianity that were common to the four predominant denominations in mid-20 th century Great Britain (Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic) in what many believe to be the most widely-read defense of Christianity of the last century. Lewis states that a goal of his book is to bring more individuals to Christianity. As such, he adopts the purposeful approach of avoiding doctrinal differences among denominations in favor of focusing on the common foundations of Christianity. Lewis is brief and clear in providing an outstanding work that urges the reader to really think about his faith. And far from being a personal interpretation of Christianity, his work simply examines and defends traditional Christianity against modern attack. I won t pretend to tell you that Lewis is Orthodox. He wasn t. Lewis belonged to the Anglican Church and, indeed, was atheist for most of his life. But for my purposes, these facts don t matter. What does matter (as I mentioned a couple months back) is that Lewis publicly professed his faith. And because he is such a talented author, he provides us easy access to examine our faith in a fundamental way that I suppose we don t often undertake. The ease with which he presents these issues in his book is something that cannot be said of a great number of other books, Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important. including some written by Orthodox Christian authors. At least two thoughts from Lewis are worth deeper reflection. First, Lewis said, As Orthodox Christians we know that Christianity is true. From that knowledge flows the reality that our Orthodox faith is of infinite importance. How could it be any other way? Things get tougher though when we ask ourselves whether we act as if our spiritual life is infinitely or only moderately important. Without doubt, the material world in which we live constantly pushes us to believe the latter. Often we are not even conscious of this. But we need to be. This leads us to Lewis second thought, which if kept in mind helps maintain the proper focus. You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. This realization places our very existence in the proper perspective. We are first spiritual beings created in God s image and likeness. We just happen to (for a very short time) be living in the material world. Yet, I would venture a guess that the vast majority of us think of ourselves as a body (earthly) first and a soul (spiritual) second if we ever even think of it at all. Given this, it is no wonder that we struggle to put emphasis in proper proportion to where it belongs. And this misconception about who we are tends to lead us to focus on earthly matters first and spiritual matters in our spare time. All of this might explain why we struggle to find time to reflect on, learn about and deepen our faith through some sort of spiritual education. To overcome this deficiency though, we must first become aware that a problem might exist. To do this requires that one take time to focus on spiritual matters. And this brings us full circle to the notion that reading is fundamental to continuing to learneven, or perhaps especially in matters of faith. So, if you ve not read Lewis book already, pick it up and give it a try. Lewis book will strike a chord inside of you that will lead you to seek a deeper knowledge of your Orthodox faith and relationship with God. That first step is infinitely important as we try to continue growing in faith. Your brother in Christ, Eric

6 Glad Tidings Page 6 Father Rick, continued from pg. 1 Several other educational workshops including one on chanting are scheduled. I am personally excited to attend as I have never been to the camp and retreat center. It s always good to see brother clergy and old friends from Chicago and from throughout the Metropolis. Each parish is allowed four official delegates including the priest and council president but many more can attend to be involved as observers as well as participants in the Philoptochos and Choir activities. In fact, Metropolitan Iakovos sent a fax recently reminding all the parishes that participation was not optional but mandated. Two years ago in Chicago, Eric Chadwick and Paul Pliakas attended with me. Let s bring more people this year. Come on ladies of Philoptochos and Choir and anyone else who is interested! What an excellent way for us to live as we are part of a larger community of faithful followers of Christ. Contact me if you re interested in more info. Thanksgiving Eve Liturgy Even though the Thanksgiving Holiday is a unique phenomenon in the United States celebrating the 17 th century pilgrims gratefulness for the their new home in North America, it aligns well with our own Orthodox Christian values. After all, the word we use for Holy Communion is Eucharist which means thanksgiving. We receive the Body and Blood of Christ with thanksgiving to God for the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. A longstanding tradition in the Twin Cities is for all the area Orthodox churches to gather for Divine Liturgy at our parish of St. George on Thanksgiving Eve. Unfortunately, many of our own parishioners to do not take advantage of this opportunity to worshipfully celebrate the holiday and to host all our guests. Thankfully, a small, faithful group does and does it well. Please mark your calendar for Wednesday November 25 th (also the Feast of St. Katherine) to worship here for liturgy at 6:00PM and to help host a light dinner afterwards. Thanks! Stewardship 2010 Our Stewardship 2010 program continues this month. First, thank you to everyone who pledged in Our community participated in several significant ways this current year. The 141 pledges is the highest number since 2005 and exceeds last year s number by 20 families. The amount pledged is a new record $158,314, smashing last year s record by over $20,000. The average pledge $1,122 is slightly under last year s record but this shows the power of what a few more people pledging can achieve. Of course, the stewardship committee will be working hard to build on the good foundation set over the past two years. We ask each of you to carefully consider how God has blessed you, and to generously and sacrificially return a portion (a tithe, 10%) of His blessings to Him to support the ministry of His Church to preach the gospel, teach the commandments, to sanctify the faithful, to pray for the world and to heal the sick. Please consider also how you will thankfully devote yourself to these core activities through a commitment of your Time and Talents. Although, think of it like the Treasure commitment: It is God s, not yours, Time and Talents, He has given them to you as His steward to take care of them, multiply and use them in the service of others for His glory. Think about it. Sunday Morning Reminder Sunday November 1 st marks the return to daylight savings time where we set our clocks back

7 St. Paul, MN Page 7 (Continued from page 6) one hour. Don t forget to reset your clock. We are several weeks into our new Sunday morning schedule with both children and adult educational classes beginning at 9:30AM and the Doxology and Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00AM. I can tell you it s been heartwarming to see 30 to 40 people at the beginning of the liturgy instead of our typical ten people prior to the change in September. However, since we have over 100 people by the end of liturgy it shows the work yet to be done to become truly unified as a community of faith worshipping the One, True God. So, this is a reminder to reset our alarms for the new start times of Sunday School and Liturgy. It is also an invitation to those who are still hesitant to give this a whirl. I was raised at a time when Sunday School began when Liturgy began and thus missed most of the Divine Liturgy years as a kid. I still remember the powerful effect of God s presence and grace I experienced when I was able to attend the Liturgy from the beginning, especially as a young seminarian. I am confident that you and your children will experience God s presence and grace more powerfully in our new format. Give it a try. National Clergy Retreat Speaking of seminary, I recently had the blessing to travel to Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston for our Archdiocese Presbyters Council Retreat. The workshops focused on the theme: The Art of Speaking. The participants listened to lectures on homiletics (crafting and delivering sermons) and were asked to prepare two (one adult and one children) sermons which we delivered before a small group. The sermons were videotaped and critiqued by everyone in the group which included one professor from the seminary and one communications faculty person from Emerson College. It was a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Please pray for me that I may carry these lessons forward and preach the gospel with great power. I was very grateful for the opportunity to interact with former schoolmates, many of whom are now working at the seminary, and catchup with old friends. I was happy to see that the campus is more beautiful than it was fifteen years ago and the school is keeping pace with technological advances to serve and teach the students, preparing them for serving the Lord wherever He calls them. Please pray for our seminary its faculty, staff and especially the students! Views from the Philoptochos Fashion Show Luncheon

8 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No. 177 Phone: Fax: Web Site: Weekday Worship Schedule REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES St. Nectarios Paraklesis Service with Unction Monday, November 9, 6:00pm St. Matthew Divine Liturgy Wednesday, November 16, 9:00am Thanksgiving Eve Pan-Orthodox Liturgy Wednesday, November 25, 6:00pm St. Andrew Divine Liturgy Monday, November 30, 9:00am Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: (September May) Saturday 5 pm Orthros: Sunday 8:30 am 8:15 am Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:45 am 10:00 am Sunday School: (September - May) 9:30 am

9 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday TH SUN. LUKE +FAST DAY +FAST DAY +STS. KOSMAS & DAMIANOS +Patriarchate Sunday November 2009 *5:00pm Radio Program KKMS 980am *7:00pm *1:30pm Cunningham +8:15am ORTHROS Philoptochos Mtg. Lecture at UMN +5:00pm VESPERS *9:30am Sunday School Classes +10:00am LITURGY *7:00pm Catechism Class + METROPOLIS CLERGY LAITY CONFERENCE TH SUN. LUKE +ST. NECTARIOS +FAST DAY +FAST DAY +STS. GREGORY PALAMAS & +ARCHANGELS VETERANS' DAY +ST. JOHN APOSTLE PHILLIP CHRYSOSTOM +8:15am ORTHROS NCC GENERAL NCC GENERAL NCC GENERAL *9:30am FAITH *9:30am Sunday +6:00pm ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLY Youth Group School Classes PARAKLESIS +10:00am LITURGY SERVICE w/ *7:00pm Catechism *12:00pm MEOCCA *5:00pm GOYA Unction Class Meeting Youth- Advent *11:30am Acolyte Kickoff Training *7:00pm Youth *7:00pm Bible *7:00pm Parish & Family Ministry Study at Fr. Rick's Council *5:00pm Radio Mtg. Home Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS TH SUN. LUKE +ST. MATTHEW +FAST DAY +FAST DAY +ENTRANCE OF +ADVENT BEGINS THEOTOKOS +8:15am ORTHROS +9:00am LITURGY *9:30am Sunday +9:00am LITURGY in Eau Claire, WI School Classes +10:00am LITURGY *5:00pm Radio *11:30am Choir Program KKMS Practice *7:00pm Catechism *5:00pm Spiritual +6:00pm VESPERS 980am *12:00pm Parish Class Life Cmte Assembly Mtg. +5:00pm VESPERS *6:00pm IOCC Benefit Dinner at St. Mary GOC * PHILOPTOCHOS BAKE SALE TH SUN. LUKE +FAST DAY +FAST DAY +8:15am ORTHROS +ST. KATHERINE THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving *9:30am Sunday DAY - Office Holiday - Office School Classes *7:00pm Closed Closed +10:00am LITURGY Stewardship Cmte *5:00pm Radio * PHILOPTOCHOS *7:00pm Catechism *6:00pm PAN- Program KKMS BAKE SALE Class ORTHODOX 980am LITURGY +5:00pm VESPERS THANKSGIVING PIE SALE TH SUN. LUKE +ST. ANDREW +8:15am ORTHROS *9:30am Sunday School Classes +10:00am LITURGY +9:00am LITURGY Coming in December St. Nicholas Orthodox and Catholic Conversation Loaves & Fishes / Youth Ministry Mtg Sunday Before Nativity / Christmas Program St. Anastasia Pharmokalytri Eve of Nativity NATIVITY OF OUR LORD St. Stephanos Protomartyr St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN Rev. Father Richard Demetrius Andrews -- Phone: (651)

10 St George Greek Orthodox Church 18 th Annual Fall Pie Sale Monday, November 23, am 6 pm Tuesday, November 24, am 6 pm St George Greek Orthodox Church 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN (located at the corner of Summit Ave & Lexington Parkway) Phone: Fax: St George Greek Orthodox Church 1111 Summit Avenue St Paul, MN Address Service Requested Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No 177

11 18 th Annual Fall Pie Sale Monday, November 23, am 6 pm Tuesday, November 24, am 6 pm Gourmet Pies $8.50 each Eli s of Chicago cheesecakes $9.50 each Advance Sale Order Form: Advance orders should be PRE-PAID and received by Friday, November 20th Please indicate pick-up time (am/pm) and date. Please make checks payable to St. George Pie Sale Dutch Apple Banana Cream French Silk Cherry Gourmet Lemon Meringue Turtle Cheesecake Strawberry-Rhubarb Cookies N Cream Sampler Cheesecake Pecan Pumpkin Holiday Cut-Out Apple Crisp Peach Crisp Cookie Dough TOTAL PIES TOTAL $ WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ON OUR FUTURE MAILING LIST? NAME ADDRESS /PHONE St. George Greek Orthodox Church 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN (located at the corner of Summit Ave & Lexington Parkway) Phone: Fax:

12 Sponsored by: Philoptochos Society of Athena (Friends of the Poor) Diples Baklava Galaktobouriko Kourambiethes Holiday Breads Spanakopita (Spinach Pie) Tiropita (Cheese Pie) Holiday Boutique and more St. George Greek Orthodox Church 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul Corner of Lexington & Summit Come and join us for lunch featuring our famous spinach pie, feta cheese pie and pastitsio.

13 COME AND SEE STEWARDSHIP 2010 A Reflection on our Theme In the Gospel of John we read of the calling of the disciples Philip finds Nathaniel, and said to him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathaniel said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see (John 1:45-46). Each of us is also called to Come and See the One who brings us peace and understanding. The One who came to be our great example in life. See the World as God s Gift to You Come and see God s many blessings in your life. What is your response to His gifts? In gratitude and thanksgiving, you offer your time, talents, and treasure in proportion to what you have been given. Gregory the Theologian writes, You will never overcome God s generosity, even if you give away all that you have. And however much you bring to him, always more remains. Nor will you give anything that is your own; for all things flow from God. See What the Church can Become Come and see what the Church can become not just maintaining current programs, but doing the ministries made possible by your support. In the early Church, every person coming to the gathering of the Church brought everything they could spare for the needs of the Church. They provided for the sustenance of the clergy, widows and orphans, for helping the poor, and for all the good works of the Church. This is the Church that we as Orthodox Christians claim to be. How much can your offering do for Christ? - Only as much as you empower it to do. It depends on your love, because we give to Christ and His Church not according to our means but according to our love for Him. We are called to love God with our entire being our time, talents and treasury. See God Work through You Come and see God work through you to serve His Church and those who seek His Truth. Remember the Samaritan woman at the well. After meeting Jesus The woman then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and said to the men, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came to him (John 4). God will place you in situations to share your faith. As He called upon His disciples on the day of His Ascension, He has also called upon you to be His witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. In the Gospel, we read of people coming to see Jesus. There were four men who also brought their friend, a paralyzed man, to be healed. When they found the place so crowded that they couldn t get close, these friends removed part of the roof, and lowered their friend down on a stretcher and laid him at Jesus feet. We also begin by bringing ourselves to Christ. But it doesn t stop there. After we have brought ourselves, we bring others. The greatest gift we can give to another person is Christ, and the ministries of the Church provide the opportunity to do so. But these ministries require your support.we are able to fulfill God s mission for the Church only to the extent that we support it. We do this by our physical, spiritual and financial support. Did you know that there are some 500 references in the Bible about prayer? But there are some 2300 references in the Bible about offering financial assistance to the Church to assist in transforming people. Come and See This Phrase is simple yet powerful. It calls us to change our location physically and spiritually. If we want to find Christ, we must move toward Him. We must grow and mature in our faith. Giving to the Church is an opportunity an opportunity to examine our priorities and values. It is an opportunity to express our thankfulness, to give of ourselves and to grow in grace. It is an opportunity to participate in the work of God. Come and see what we can do together with your support. A check mailed to the church is meaningless unless it is accompanied by our presence, by our willingness to serve, by our prayers, and by our commitment. Giving is not a substitute for our commitment it is an expression of our commitment. Come and see how you can grow through service to the Church. Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome (Psalm 66:5).

14 Please Join Us in Welcoming Dr. Tony Vrame, Ph.D., Director of Religious Education for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America On Saturday, November 7, 2009, for a day of enriching seminars. Morning Seminar: 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (Lunch will be served) This session is for church school teachers only. Afternoon Seminar: 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. All parishioners are welcome at this seminar! Please r.s.v.p. to Katie Possis k3poss@frontiernet.net or Dena Tortorelis dtortorelis@comcast.net Anton C. Vrame, Ph.D., is Director of the Department of Religious Education of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. He is the author of The Education Icon: Teaching the Wisdom and Holiness in the Orthodox Way (Holy Cross Orthodox Press). In this book, he proposes a theory or theology of education for the Orthodox Christian Church based on the art, theology, and life of the Byzantine icon. He is also the editor of three other books, and the author of journal articles and chapters in books on Orthodox Christian Religious Education, published both in English and Greek. From , he was Director of the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkley, California. He was an Associate Professor of Orthodox Studies at the GTU. From , he was Managing Editor of Holy Cross Orthodox Press and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, teaching courses in Religious Education. From , he was Lecturer in Religious Education at St Vladimir s Orthodox Theology Seminary.

15 Please join fellow Orthodox Christians Sigurd Hanson IOCC Head of Office Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA & Other Special Guests For the Annual Twin Cities IOCC Dinner Sunday, November 15, :45 PM Advent Pan-Orthodox Vespers 6:15 PM 7:00 PM Reception & Information Stations 7:00 PM 8:30 PM Dinner & Talk $35 Donation St. Mary s Greek Orthodox Church 3450 Irving Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota RSVP to Barb Dovolis at: Barbdov@yahoo.com (or for questions) To confirm your reservation send a check by November 10, payable to IOCC to: Barb Dovolis 6805 Dakota Trail Edina, Minnesota All Proceeds to benefit the IOCC International Orthodox Christian Charities, Inc. is the Official Humanitarian Aid Agency of Orthodox Christians in North and South America and is a 501(c)3 organization eligible to receive tax deductible contributions.

16 Modern Greek Studies, The University Libraries, The European Studies Consortium, The Department of History, and The Institute for Global Studies cordially invite you to The Fifteenth Annual James W. Cunningham Memorial Lecture on Eastern Orthodox History and Culture In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain, Athos Presented by Theofanis G. Stavrou Professor of History University of Minnesota Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Institute University of Minnesota th Avenue South, Minneapolis 7:30 p.m. Friday, 6 November 2009 A RECEPTION WILL FOLLOW THE PRESENTATION RSVP by 31 October 2009: Voice: (612) mgsp@umn.edu

17 Pan-Orthodox Thanksgiving Eve Divine Liturgy Wednesday, November 25th 6:00 pm Liturgy Reception immediately following. St. George Greek Orthodox Church 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul MN NW corner of Lexington Pkwy and Summit Ave The Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Christian Clergy Association (MEOCCA) invites you to the annual Pan-Orthodox Thanksgiving Eve Divine Liturgy. Please join us for what always proves to be an enjoyable gathering that ties the American holiday of Thanksgiving to our Orthodox Eucharistic celebration. For more info visit: and We look forward to seeing you! Pan-Orthodox Thanksgiving Eve Divine Liturgy Wednesday, November 25th 6:00 pm Liturgy Reception immediately following. St. George Greek Orthodox Church 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul MN NW corner of Lexington Pkwy and Summit Ave The Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Christian Clergy Association (MEOCCA) invites you to the annual Pan-Orthodox Thanksgiving Eve Divine Liturgy. Please join us for what always proves to be an enjoyable gathering that ties the American holiday of Thanksgiving to our Orthodox Eucharistic celebration. For more info visit: and We look forward to seeing you!

18 October 26, 2009 Demetrios the Great Martyr Dear Parishioners: Enclosed please find an Application for Nomination to the Parish Council. Nomination forms must be received by the Board of Elections before the Parish Assembly meeting on Sunday November 15, The agenda for this meeting includes: 1) approval of the 2010 operating budget, and, 2) nomination of candidates for the next term of parish council. The elections to the Parish Council are set to take place on Sunday December 6, If you have any questions concerning the nomination process, please contact one of the Board of Election members below. Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrios Andrews, Presbyter Board of Elections Mary Makredes, Chair Jim Andrews Kalley Johnson Wendy Loudas Sofia Pitsavas

19 APPLICATION FOR NOMINATION TO THE PARISH COUNCIL Qualifications to be a Candidate for the Parish Council 1. Must be spiritually, canonically, and financially in good standing. A. Spiritually- Attend divine services regularly and receive the sacraments. Uphold the teachings and traditions of the Church. B. Canonically- If married, married in the Orthodox Church. If divorced, have an ecclesiastical divorce. Must live his/her life and activities in accordance with the faith and canons of the Church. C. Financially- Must be a member of the Parish for at least one year immediately preceding the date of elections. 2. Must be willing to take the following oath: I do solemnly swear that I will uphold the dogma, teachings, traditions, holy canons, worship, and moral principles of the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as the constitutional charter, discipline, and regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and that I will fulfill, faithfully and sincerely, the duties and obligations required of a member of the Parish Council. So help me God. Additional Responsibilities 1. To participate in the sacramental life of the Church, thereby setting an example for the parish, to collect the revenue of the Church and to administer the affairs of the parish in such a manner as to aid the Priest in the fulfillment of its aims and purposes. 2. After appropriate discussion, to support and cooperate with all majority decisions of the parish council. *********************APPLICATION******************** I wish to place my name in nomination for election to the Parish Council of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church of St. Paul, Minnesota. As required by the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, I hereby declare that I have been a member in good standing for at least one year prior to date of elections, and I understand the duties and responsibilities which are expected of the members of the Parish Council. PLEASE PRINT: Name Address City State Zip Phone h) w) Signature Date Please return this application to Board of Elections Application must be received by: November 15, 2009 Elections will take place on: December 6, 2009

20 St. George Greek Orthodox Church Parish Council Meeting Minutes September 10,2009 I. Call to Order-meeting was called to order at 7:15pm. In attendance were Eric Chadwick, Frank Mortari, Joe Weiser, Paul Pliakas, Jason Barbes, Jim Theros, Stacy Katsiyiannis, and Father Richard Andrews. Tom Lampros was present for the second half of the meeting. II. Opening Prayer- Father Rick led the council in an opening prayer. Jason Barbes read the Epistle and Paul Pliakas read the Gospel readings for the day. III. Submission of Minutes- Joe Weiser made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 2009 meeting, Stacy Katsiyiannis seconded and the motion was approved. IV. Treasurer s Report- attached. Frank Mortari presented the monthly Treasurer s report including all bank account summaries. V. Father s Report- Father Rick instructed the council to constantly examine and test ourselves in maturity and faith. We need to stop and appreciate what is important; i.e. prayer, reading the scriptures, and attending services. Father Rick showed the council a video by FOCUS North America. This is a leadership group that embodies the cultural relationship the church should have. It showed that we need to be involved in the lives of all around us and we need to relate to how we treat other people. We need to think of ways we can be a ministry in our own neighborhood-donate, volunteer, pray and serve. VI. VII. Committee Reportsa. Stewardship-attached. Father Rick presented and reviewed the stewardship report b. Greek Festival-attached. Paul Pliakas presented a handout with revenue totals. Father Rick commended the committee on a job well done. c. Building & Grounds-Jim Theros informed the council that they have completed the brick work on the church. He also noted that we may need to seal coat the north end of the building. New Business a. Metropolitan Iakovos 30/40 Celebration- table until next month b. Applicant for Youth Director- Father Rick informed the council that there is a current applicant who has applied for the position. He is moving forward with the interview process. VIII. Unfinished Business a. Parish Assembly Preparation-Paul Pliakas is presenting a power point presentation on October 4, Key items are the Parish By-laws and the length of service term for parish council members. b. Capital Improvement Update- Frank Mortari presented a handoutattached-that shows the projects along with their physical and financial status. Father Rick suggested that we put this in the next monthly Glad Tidings. IX. Adjournment and Closing Prayer- Father Richard Andrews led the council in a closing prayer. Meeting adjourned at 9:28pm.

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22 Greetings to the community of St. George s Orthodox Church! My name is Rebekah Moll, and I am excited to serve you as a youth minister at St. George s Greek Orthodox Church. I have grown up in the Orthodox faith, actively attending St. Mary s Orthodox Cathedral in Northeast Minneapolis, where I was both a Sunday school teacher and member of the church choir. I am also currently a high school English teacher at Spring Lake Park High School in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. I have numerous other experiences with youth including recently teaching art for two weeks in the Dominican Republic, coaching high school Mock Trial and Speech teams, working as a camp counselor for three summers in Northern Wisconsin, and several additional volunteer outreaches with youth at St. Mary s. I very much enjoy working with youth, and am excited to share this passion as we get to know each other better! One of my main goals in working with you is to make the knowledge of and experiencing the Orthodox Faith relevant to our youth. During all my teaching experiences, whether in public schools or within the church, I have found that kids learn best when knowledge is made relevant to their daily lives. This will help to establish confidence in God and themselves. Another main goal I have is to help to build an even stronger church community. This includes sharing the Faith within our own parish through retreats and activities, but also through interaction with our neighboring Orthodox churches. This will strengthen the bonds of Orthodoxy and help youth find unity amongst themselves in our secularly-minded world. As your youth minister, I will work to organize common activities with neighboring churches so that our youth can learn about Orthodoxy through its different lenses, thus enriching their faith. Finally, I would like to take the building of church community one step further. I will be on the look for opportunities to outreach to the people, especially those in need, in the neighborhoods of our city. Outreach begins in the Church, but needs to extend into the community. Outreach through service activities will help share the Light of Orthodoxy throughout the Twin Cities. Hopefully, through our efforts, others will see our Light and walk in the path that Orthodoxy provides to the fullness of the Truth. I am excited to serve you as the youth minister. I relish the opportunity to grow in my faith by sharing the Church s teachings in a meaningful and relevant way to youth. I look forward to becoming a member of the parish community of St. George and help others do the same. I am anticipating our work with surrounding Orthodox churches while looking for new opportunities for outreach in the Twin Cities area. I look forward to getting to know each of you as I embark on this adventure! Rebekah Moll