Anchor of Your Fami- The beginning of January, as a family should civil calendar, is a traditional. Praying Together effect.

Transcription

1 1 SAINTS CONSTANTINE & HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 501 West 27th Street Cheyenne, Wyoming (307) Inside this issue: Family Resolutions? 1 Parish Life 2-3 Stewardship 5 Community Snapshots 7 You appeared today to us on earth, O Master, and Your light was signed on us who cry aloud to You and say with understanding, O Christ our God: You came and shone forth, O Light unapproachable. - Kontakion of the Epiphany New Year Edition Family Resolutions: New Year, New You? by. George Tsongranis The beginning of January, mentalized from the rest attending the Divine Lit- the first month of the of our lives. Regular litururgy as a family should civil calendar, is a traditional gical participation in the be a priority. The Lord s time in our society when parish and consistent faith Day isn t merely the day people take something of practices at home are not we go to church, it is an inventory of their lives, disparate elements. Both how we become the resolving to implement are necessary for spiritual Church the people of changes in the hope of advancement. God. bringing about the desired Between the busy nature Praying Together effect. Most of us are of work and school The parents of a fami- probably familiar with schedules that occupy a ly should model prayer some of the more popular significant portion of a for their children, reflecting New Year s resolutions family s time, here are its indispensabil- ones such as exercising some potential resolutions. ity in the lives of Chris- As you begin, keep more, eating healthier, quitting tians. Mornings, eveity smoking, putting finances your goals modest. Lead nings, and meals are in order, etc. by example and be pa- great times to start. What might an Orthodox tient with the children in Prayers needn t be ex- Christian household your care. Consult with cessively long; they resolve in order to grow in your parish priest or spiritual should, however, be fo- their faith? The Orthodox father for further cused, frequent and Christian ideally reflects an guidance. consistent. If you don t image of the church. The Prioritize Sunday as the have a home iconostasis, more the life of the Church Anchor of Your Fami- take some time to create is communicated outly s Week one. Iconography in the side of the church, the The Divine Liturgy is home communicates more natural it will be to the primary worship service your family s identity as in the life of the Or- your family. If our children Orthodox Christians. find Orthodox Christian thodox Church. It is Family prayer will also practices in the home, it where the Body and foster personal prayer as might be due to our having Blood of our Lord and each member matures made Sunday worship an Savior is offered for the in faith. infrequent, isolated forgiveness of sins and event one compart- eternal life. Simply put, Cont on pg. 4

2 Pastoral Visits Office Hours 2 If you or or a loved one is in need of pastoral care, please call the Church office. In the event of an emergency, Father Jason can be reached on his emergency cell phone number: (219) Also, if you have a scheduled surgery or doctor's appointment, please ask Fr. Jason for the sacrament of Holy Unction following Divine Liturgy. Π Ρ Ο Σ Χ Ω M Ε Ν : P l e a s e Never text your priest in the event of a pastoral emergency. Call his emergency cell phone number. Home Blessings Epiphany Season is upon us! Father Jason would love to come by for a visit at any time of the year! Please see the sign up sheet in our fellowship hall to schedule a time to have your home blessed. If there is a specific time that is not on the sign up sheet, please call Fr. Jason to arrange a different ime. Here are some helpful guidelines for having your home blessed: A candle with an icon should be placed somewhere suitable, such as the kitchen or dining room table, or a home altar (i.e. a prayer corner). Other helpful items should include a bowl and a towel. A list of first names for whom prayers can be offered, including members of the family and all those living in the house. The list should have a clear distinction between the living and the dead. Father Jason s Office Hours are: Monday Thursday (9:00 am 4:00 pm) If you would like to speak with Father Jason during the week, please stop in or call and set up an appointment. Our secretary Gerrie is in the office on Monday, Wednesday & Friday from Memorials If you would like to arrange for a memorial service, please contact Father Jason. Please also let him know whether or not you would like a graveside Trisagion in addition to the memorial that will be taking place at the Church following the Divine Liturgy. The Sacrament of Confession Confession is necessary for our healing, and for the repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is also a part of our Lord s Commission to us for the life and growth of the Church. Please speak to Father Jason to make the necessary arrangements. Prayers Cards Please take a moment to fill out one of our prayer cards in the narthex or front office so that Father Jason can commemorate your loved ones so that we can pray for those "whom each of us has in mind, and all people everywhere." If you require assistance, a parish council member will be happy to assist you.

3 Good News at Saints Constantine & Helen Parish Council On behalf of the Parish Council I want to personally thank everyone who helped prepare for our Christmas services. It was a parish wide effort that included everyone young and young at heart! It was incredible to see both new faces along with members of our parish who were in town visiting family! Also, thanks to Tony Kledaras, and all of you who worked so hard, it was also a wonderful blessing to start of the year with our New Year s Eve party downtown! 2019 is going to be another great year here at Saints Constantine and Helen. We hope that you will all join us in serving our Lord. -Jim Messer Parish Council President Saint Macrina's Academy Many thanks goes out to all of our parents and Sunday School teachers who helped with our pagents. Classes will begin a week after the Epiphany where we will continue learning about the Divine Liturgy! Please remember that registration forms are mandatory for all youth ministries at Saints Constantine and Helen. The small steps that we are taking at our parish are designed to help us comply with the mandatory guidelines that will take affect at the archdiocese level by the end of Altar Boys As usual, our Altar Boys are doing a wonderful job serving in our Holy Altar! A special thanks goes out to our All Saints Foundation, the parents, and volunteers who support this incredible ministry! Serving as an Altar Boy requires the following: The permission of Father Jason to serve in the altar. Regular attendance of Church services. Love and Respect for all who serve in the altar (i.e. clergy and altar boys) Attendance of educational sessions throughout the year! We also need adults (i.e. Fathers & altar boy alumni ) who are interested in helping Father Jason and our altar boys during Church services. Don t worry if you re a little rusty! We re happy to have you help!!! Philoptochos Whether it was helping local charities in our local community, decorating our church for the Nativity, or visiting the homebound, the ladies of our Philoptochos had a Christmas Season that should make our parish family thank God, and give everyone else a standard in which to live up to! (Fr. Jason) Please join us for our Ladies Philoptochos for the following dates for the month of January! Saturday, January 12th at 9:00 - Baking Vasilopita Sunday, January 13th - Cutting Vasilopita after Liturgy Tuesday, January 15th at 6:00 - Philoptochos Meeting in Church Fellowship Hall Thursday, January 17th at 6:00 - Women s Study Group at Church Sunday, January 27th - Community Breakfast to celebrate Three Hierarchs Name Day Philoptochos would like to wish everyone a joyous 2019! Please remember that we can always be reached at philopwyo@gmail.com Philoptochos will meet on Tuesday, January 15th at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. 3

4 Studying the Bible Relative to prayer is studying the Bible which teaches, strengthens, and shapes Orthodox Christians. Expert biblical knowledge is not necessary just a firm commitment to grow closer to God through familiarization with Holy Scripture. Find time during the week where the family can gather to preview the coming Sunday s epistle and gospel readings. When you encounter challenges that require explanation, talk to your priest for further guidance. Talking about God and His Church at Home Talking about God and His Church at home helps to make faith tangible in our lives. Meal times provide valuable opportunities for spiritual conversations. Parents can pose questions such as: What can we thank God for today? Can we remember to pray for your friend s sick grandmother? Why do we kiss our icons? These topics can stimulate very edifying discussions. Active Participation in Your Parish If your family isn t involved in the ministries of your local parish, consider ones that are appropriate. Young people can enroll in church school and youth programs. Boys may have an interest to be altar servers. Likewise, adults can look into Bible studies, Ladies Philoptochos Society, and men s groups. Service on parish council, church school staff, and as a youth adviser might be options, as well. Make your parish an extension of your family household build Orthodox Christian community and get to know others. Fasting as a Family If abstaining from certain foods on fast days isn t practiced in the household, parents may want to discuss how this spiritual benefit might be initiated. Fasting is an aid given to us by the Church to keep our bodies and our minds focused more upon God at certain points on the Church calendar. The strictness of the fast depends upon the physical condition and spiritual development of an individual. What is sufficient for one person may not be for another. Talk to your priest for further guidance. Practicing Generosity as a Family Assess your family s finances and determine if you re offering a fair amount of stewardship to your parish and other worthy efforts. Ministries and parish facilities require funding. Remember, too, that charity goes well beyond financial donations. Seek opportunities to volunteer time and talent for people and causes in need. Generosity takes many shapes and sizes, but is all blessed when done for the glory of God s. The earlier children learn to be cheerful givers, the better! Participating in Other Services and Sacraments Look for opportunities to attend services outside of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday as your family schedule permits Vespers for feast days or Holy Unction, for example. When invited to a Baptism or Marriage, be there to pray for and with those persons. And while not a family activity, encourage participation in the Sacrament of Confession for those of appropriate age. Confession allows us to examine our consciences and openly confess our sins so they are forgiven. Talk to your priest for further guidance. Forgiveness Family dynamics are complex! Personalities can clash, living spaces can get crowded, and, along the way, feelings can be hurt. It s so important for family members to ask for forgiveness when an offense is committed. A significant part of our Orthodox Christian journey is acknowledging our shortcomings and admitting when we re at fault. There is no better place to practice forgiveness than within your home. Again, parents should especially model this as a loving example for their children. 4

5 5 ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP is a way of life. It acknowledges accountability, reverence, and responsibility before God. A primary goal of Stewardship is to promote spiritual growth. Becoming a Steward begins when we believe in God, to whom we give our love, loyalty and trust and act on those beliefs. As Stewards, we affirm that every aspect of our lives comes as a gift from Him. Stewardship calls on the faithful to offer back to God a portion of the gifts with which they have been blessed. AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN STEWARD is an active participant in the life of the Church. The parish encourages all who accept the Orthodox Faith to become practicing Stewards. Each year the Steward is expected to carefully review his or her personal circumstances and make a commitment of time, talent, and treasure to support the Parish and her Ministries. EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY is not a single event or project. Rather, it is going out to our people wherever they are in their walk with Christ, listening to their concerns, helping them to realize their importance as branches of the True Vine and encouraging them to offer their gifts in His service. We use various resources to support our efforts, but unless we meet with our people personally, sincerely listen to their ideas and concerns, and share a vision for the future of the parish, our efforts will not reach their full potential. STEWARDSHIP is devotion and service to God and His Church. Stewardship is our active commitment to use ALL our time, talent and treasure for the benefit of humankind in grateful acknowledgement of Christ s redeeming love. Stewardship is caring for the needs of others. Stewardship is offering one's self to God as He offered Himself to us. Stewardship is what a person does after saying "I believe" as proof of that belief.

6 METROPOLIS NEWSLETTER Are you interested in receiving the latest news from the Metropolis of Denver? Visit where you can subscribe to their latest newsletter and read about the latest Metropolis and archdiocese news and events. CHURCH DIRECTORY UPDATE 6 DENVER Proofs for editing will soon be going out to those who have participated in our directory program. For more information, please contact Dawn at Dhatan@hotmail.com This year s Metropolis Clergy Laity Congress will be held from June in Tulsa Oklahoma. It s important that Saints Constantine and Helen (like all other parishes in the Metropolis of Denver) send it s required number of delegates to every Clergy-Laity congress whether it be at the Metropolis or Archdiocese level. Please keep this in mind this year as you are making your plans for the summer.

7 COMMUNITY SNAPSHOTS 7

8 Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church 501 West 27th Street Cheyenne, Wyoming (307) NON-PROFIT ORG. 8 U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 148 CHEYENNE, WY Return Service Requested Address Label... His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver Rev. Father Jason Dickey Proistamenos Our Parish Council President Jim Messer (307) Vice President Charlie Radich (307) Treasurer Bill Harrison (307) Secretary Stephanie Lindholm (307) Gust Hatanelas (307) Betty Morgando (307) Taylor Olson (307) Linda Panopoulos (307) Katerina Andrikopoulos (307) Saints Constantine and Helen is the spiritual home for Orthodox Christians in Cheyenne where we not only strive for our own salvation, but for the salvation of every person in Jesus Christ. This is how we share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and preserve the pure and undefiled faith as it has been handed down to the apostles by the Lord himself who commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded. (Matthew 28:18) Whether you are looking for a spiritual home, or you are currently a parishioner of Saints Constantine and Helen, join us for worship. If you have any questions about the Orthodox Faith, our ministries, or upcoming events, please feel free to contact us. Sunday: WORSHIP SCHEDULE Orthros (Matins) 8:30 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am Weekday Services: Divine Liturgy 9:30 am Please see our Monthly Calendar or visit us online at