Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

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1 The EPISTLE August 2018 Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 573 N Highland Street Memphis, TN Contact us at: (901) phone (901) fax annunciationmemphis@gmail.com Sunday Services: Orthros 8:45 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Church Office Hours: Mon Thurs 8:30 am 4:30 pm Friday 8:30 am 12:30 pm Supplication Services Aug 1 st -13 th 6:30 pm Supplication Services to Mary, the Mother of God, begin August 2 nd. Submit names to Father Simon in the Church Office, by , or at the service. Dormition Feast 6:00 pm Orthros 7:00 pm Liturgy Commemorate the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God in worship on Tuesday, August 14 th. Dormition Coffee Hour Sunday, August 19 th Cotros Hall Join us for our annual Coffee Fellowship honoring the Dormition of the Theotokos, sponsored by the Elpis. This Feast has always been special to our Parish, as we honor the falling asleep of our patron saint, the Theotokos. Featured Activities this Month Human Trafficking Awareness Saturday, August 18 7:00 pm Cotros Hall Shelby County has one of the highest rates of human trafficking in Tennessee. Community leaders and law enforcement officials will give a presentation on this problem, and what we can do about it. This is a free event sponsored by the Elpis, and is open to everyone in the parish. Heavy hors d oevres will be served. St. Nicholas Uganda Children s Fund Sunday, August 26 th Church Sanctuary Peter & Sharon Georges founded the St. Nicholas Uganda Children s Fund in This ministry provides for the education, health, and welfare of Ugandan children, teens, and young adults. Starting with just three orphans 14 years ago, there are currently more than 250 children in school through this fund. More than 75 students have completed university or vocational school, and are now gainfully employed. Come meet Peter & Sharon as they give a presentation on this Orthodox ministry in central Africa. Religious Education Sunday School Resumes Sundays, following Divine Liturgy Classroom Building Sunday School registration has already begun. The first day of classes is August 12 th. Please contact Anna Paris for more information, or to register your child(ren). Bible Study Resumes Wednesdays, 6:30 pm Cotros Hall We will resume our weekly Bible Study on Wednesday, August 22 nd. Bring your Bible, or borrow one from our Parish Library. Youth Activities Acolytes All young men in the Parish aged 7-18 are encouraged to assist Father Simon in the Altar as Acolytes. Please contact Father Simon or Daniel Shipman for more information.

2 Hierarchs of the Parish Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople Archbishop Elder Demetrios of America Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit Parish Clergy Rev. Father Simon Thomas, Parish Priest Rev. Father Nicholas Vieron, Pastor Emeritus Office Personnel Erin Bobbitt de Padilla, Office Assistant Parish Council Ted Poplos President John Kay Vice President Endy Carter Secretary Naji Nassif Treasurer Chris Apalodimas Demie Bitinis Madeleine Donnelly Bill Joyner Diane Kavaleras Vasili Semos Harry Sinis Music Ministry Choir Director & Organist...DoraThea Barre Chanter Director.Andrew Horvath Youth Ministries Acolytes..Daniel Shipman Sunday School Director..Anna Paris Pre-K/K.. Anna Paris, Naji Nassif 1-2 Kristine Wagner, Christina George Stephanie Johnson, Pannay Guigley Renee Graves, Alexia Loughman 7-8. Ken Hoover, Gabriella Stroplos Ted Poplos, Elizabeth Hawkins, Chris Apalodimas, and Brian Berretta GOYA Coordinators..Andrew & Tina Douglas JOY Coordinator.....Kellye Farris Oratorical Festival...Kathy Zambelis Athenian Dance Troupe Andrew & Leah Horvath Christmas Program Ken Hoover St. Nicholas Summer Camp Father Simon Young Adult Ministries Young Adult League..Alexis Moore Ole Miss..Blaise Brackett Seniors Ministries Young at Heart Kathy Zambelis Elpis Philoptochos President..Elizabeth Hawkins Vice President...Marianthe Pilcher Secretary..Joanne Gikas Treasurer.Anne Schmitt Committee Leaders: Altar Committee..Laura Couloubaritsis Cookbook Elaine Otto Elpis Bookstore.Angela Tobias & Connie Apalodimas Food Pantry.Anna Paris Makaria Coordinator Marianthe Pilcher More Than a Meal.Cyndi Detty Prayer Circle Luane Semos Sunshine Committee.Zoe Futris Visitation Committee..Kristine Wagner Memphis Greek Festival Festival Director..Todd Bagatelas Greek Language Greek School Teacher Despina Karas Adult Greek Class Father Nicholas Vieron Organizations AHEPA..John Kay DOP..Phani Mitchell Parish Library Docent..Billy Benson

3 Reflections on Summer Greetings in Christ! It has been an enjoyable summer, with lots of travelling and visiting with friends and family. Although much of it was vacation time, there was work involved in some of the time away as well. Perhaps it is just in my nature, but I couldn t help but make some observations during my trips. My summer began and ended with time spent with young people. I cherish the time I had with my children in Greece. We do not usually get an opportunity to spend several days together. But what stood out for me was the Liturgies on Sundays in Greece. Our kids made up a large portion of the young people in church. Maybe it was just the two parishes we happened to attend, but few young families were present. Both times, however, the priests were patient and overjoyed at having children, and especially baby Christos brought for Holy Communion. Clearly the priests wanted more children in church. Last week was spent at St. Nicholas Camp with 81 youths (18 from Memphis) and about 20 young adults. I was struck by the fervent desire of the kids to grow closer to the Church and to God. They not only attended services twice a day, but participated by chanting and reading the services. They contributed daily to Orthodox Life sessions. They asked thoughtful questions at Cabin Talk. They participated in the Sacrament of Confession. They are dealing with what all teenagers and young people are dealing with in the world today, but the desire to acknowledge and take responsibility for past mistakes, and to make better decisions in the future, was refreshing. The national Clergy-Laity Congress took place in Boston at the beginning of July. There is all sorts of information out there about what happened, but what I was encouraged to see was the unity shared by both the clergy and the laity of the parishes. Although the decisions made may not have been what those at the Archdiocese wanted, almost every vote was unanimous, both at the plenary (main meeting) and in the committees. In essence, the parishes finally had a say in the direction the Archdiocese is going, and that voice was one. I have never spent as much time in meetings at Clergy-Laity as I did at this one, but it was time well spent. Literally hundreds of faithful clergy and laity shared their commitment and dedication to the Orthodox Church. The work we are doing in our parish is being done across the country. As we continue to work with the Holy Spirit, the Church will continue to grow to the glory of God. With Love in Christ, Rev. Father Simon Thomas Parish Priest The primary lesson for life must be implanted in the soul from the earliest age. The primary lesson for children is to know the eternal God, the One Who gives everlasting life. ~ Saint Clement of Alexandria What saves and makes for good children is the life of the parents in the home. The parents need to devote themselves to the love of God. They need to become saints in their relations to their children through their mildness, patience, and love. They need to make a new start every day, with a fresh outlook, renewed enthusiasm and love for their children. And the joy that will come to them, the holiness that will visit them, will shower grace on their children. St. Porphyrios (+1991)

4 President s Message August 2018 Everything you do either adds to the beauty of the world or takes away from it. (Mother Antonia) So, in every test, let us say Thank you my God, because this was needed for my salvation. (St. Paisios) The lines above are a few of the reflections that we pondered during our quiet time at Project Mexico. I was blessed to take three of our young adults, Constance, Megan and Mia (we still claim her) to Rosarito Mexico to build a house for Project Mexico. I could tell you that we built a house from the ground up in 4 days, I could tell you that I had a reunion with 2 priests, or that I spent a week living in a tent, or that the showers were not always warm but none of these things will be further discussed. I would like to take a moment to reflect on some of my observations made during the project. There were 125 of us who traveled from all over the country and from Canada to volunteer to build 4 houses. We came as strangers and left as friends. I can t help but think of all the things we could accomplish as a community if we all came together as one for one purpose. There would be nothing that we could not do. I often hear people talk about the state of our youth and how they don t have to work as hard as we did in the old days. Quite true in one sense. But having sat and talked with young people this past week, I am not concerned. I sat and listened to them in conversation, talking about the plans for their future and all the future mission related work that they have planned and here is the kicker, they are still in high school, or have just graduated from high school. Our project leaders or interns as they are called were all under the age of 25 and most were in the range. We were instructed by these young interns who have volunteered their time for the Summer to lead the house builds. I was blown away by their piety and drive. I can honestly say that this type of mission work was not even in my wildest thoughts. Am I worried? Far from it. I am encouraged that they get it. It often takes a trip like this to put things into perspective. We have so much that we don t realize that we can survive without most of it. How beautiful it was to start each day with morning prayers and quiet time to reflect on the verse of the day and listen to the voice of the Lord instead of checking s. We completed the day with evening prayers to thank the Lord for the day and all of our works and to grant us a peaceful night s sleep instead of turning on the TV. It is amazing what you can hear when all the outside noise is removed. It is very difficult to hear when we keep talking. Try a little quiet time spent pondering the word of God and see what happens. That call, or text can wait a few minutes. I will try to take the unity and enthusiasm of these young people and work it into my daily life and hopefully you will too. I hope that as a community we can say that we have added to the beauty of the world, not taken away from it. I will end with this thought for you to ponder, Everything is for man to love Christ and all the other problems are taken care of. (Elder Porphyrios) In His Service, Ted Poplos

5 Annunciation Prayer List Pray for one another, that you may be healed (James 5:16). Prayer is an important resource for those who are in need. Please contact Father Simon or the Church Office to add/remove someone from the list. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Archbishop Demetrios of America Metropolitan Nicholas of Detroit Father Simon & Presvytera Stephanie and children Father Nicholas & family Parishioners of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Metropolitan Paul (Yazge) of Aleppo Archbishop Youhanna Ibrahim (Syriac) of Aleppo Nick, Helen, Alec, Maria, Zoe, Ronnie, Jeffrey, Toni, Sandy, Cornelia, Kosta, George, Sarantos, Alex, Nicholas, Vicki, Marcy, Cyndi, Georgia, Jimmy, Semos family, Volunteers for August Acolytes: Lee Couloubaritsis Austin Detty Jackson Detty John Donnelly Nick Douglas John Eramo Luke Farris Max Graves Jonathan Holland Vasili Johnson Jonathan Mehrotra Eli Morris Jack Shipman Abiel Tesfazion Demetri Thomas David Wassef Epistle Readers: August 5: Kathy Zambelis August 12: Endy Carter August 19: Maria Moore August 26: Scott McKee Prosphoro Maker: Enosis Touliatos Ushers: August 5: Team 3: Chris Apalodimas, John Kay & Harry Sinis August 12: Team 4: Endy Carter, Vasili Semos, & Ted Poplos August 19: Team 1: Madeleine Donnelly & Bill Joyner August 26: Team 2: Naji Nassif, Diane Kavelaras, & Demie Bitinis Coffee Fellowship Hosts: August 5: hosted by family of Katherine Futris for her 1 Year Memorial August 12: OPEN August 19: hosted by Elpis for the Dormition of the Theotokos August 26: hosted by DOP for St. Phanourios

6 The Holy Priest Martyr Cosmas of Aitolia, Equal to the Apostles August 24 th The New Priest Martyr Cosmas, Equal to the Apostles, was a native of Aitolia. He was named by his parents, Constas. He studied at first under the guidance of the archdeacon Ananias Dervisanos, and afterwards continued his education on Mount Athos, at the Vatopedi school renowned for teachers such as Nicholas Tzartzoulios (from Metsovo) and Eugenius Voulgaris (afterwards in the years the archbishop of Ekaterinoslav and the Chersonessus). Remaining on Athos at the Philotheou monastery to devote himself to spiritual labors, he was tonsured a monk with the name Cosmas, and later was ordained a priest-monk. The desire to benefit his fellow Christians, to guide them upon the way of salvation and strengthen their faith, impelled St Cosmas to seek the blessing of his spiritual fathers and go to Constantinople. There he mastered the art of rhetoric and, having received a written permit of Patriarch Seraphim II (and later from his successor Sophronius) to preach the Holy Gospel. So the saint began to proclaim the Gospel at first in the churches of Constantinople and the surrounding villages, then in the Danube regions, in Thessalonica, in Verroia, in Macedonia, Chimaera, Akarnania, Aitolia, on the islands of Saint Maura, Cephalonia and other places. His preaching, filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, was simple, calm, and gentle. It brought Christians great spiritual benefit. The Lord Himself assisted him and confirmed his words with signs and miracles, just as He had confirmed the preaching of the Apostles. Preaching in the remote areas of Albania, where Christian piety had almost disappeared, St Cosmas led them to sincere repentance and improvement with the Word of God. Under his guidance, church schools were opened in the towns and villages. The people offered their money for the betterment of the churches, for the purchase of Holy Books (which the saint distributed to the literate), for prayer ropes and crosses (which he distributed to the common folk), and for baptismal fonts so that children could be baptized in the proper manner. His preaching also aroused the opposition of the powerful and those who felt their high position threatened. Cosmas was also viewed with suspicion by officials of the Venetian Republic, then in its final stages of decline, which ruled parts of the territory where he was active. The Venetians' suspicions are attested in spy reports about Cosmas preserved in the Venetian archives. In contrast, Cosmas had considerable support from other Christians and even from some Turks. Since the churches could not accommodate everyone wanting to hear the wise preacher, St Cosmas with forty or fifty priests served the Vigil in the fields, and in city squares, where thousands of people prayed for the living and for the dead, and were edified by his preaching. Everywhere that St Cosmas halted and preached, the grateful listeners set up a large wooden cross, which remained thereafter in memory of this. The apostolic service of St Cosmas was brought to a close in the year 1779 when he was martyred for the faith. At 65 years of age, he was seized by the Turks and executed. His body was thrown into a river, and after three days, was found by the priest Mark and buried near the village of Kolikontasi at the monastery of the Entrance into the Temple of the Most Holy Theotokos. Afterwards, part of his relics were transferred to various places as a blessing. He was glorified by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in In 1813, Ali Pasha, the de facto independent Muslim Albanian ruler of Ottoman Epirus, southern Albania and Macedonia, and an enemy of the Sultan managed to have a church built near the site of Cosmas' execution, in which the remains of Cosmas were placed. Ali Pasha went as far as having a date of celebration set in Cosmas' honor. Some other Muslims disliked Ali Pasha's honoring a non-muslim, to which the Pasha reportedly replied: "Bring me a Muslim like him, I would kiss his legs."

7 Liturgical Calendar for August Wednesday, August 1st, Small Paraklesis Supplication Service 6:30 pm Monday, August 13th, Small Paraklesis Supplication Service 6:30 pm Friday, August 3rd, Small Paraklesis Supplication Service 6:30 pm Sunday, August 5th, Tenth Sunday of Matthew Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:45 am Monday, August 6th, HOLY TRANSFIGURA- TION Orthros 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am Supplication Service 6:30 pm Wednesday, August 8th Supplication Service 6:30 pm Friday, August 10th, Small Paraklesis Supplication Service 6:30 pm Sunday, August 12th, Eleventh Sunday of Matthew Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:45 am Visitation Committee August: Elaine Daniels & Maria Wasserman September: Susanna Peters & Cathe Skefos October: Sophie Theodore & Kristine Wagner November: Loretta Taras & Tasia Vergos December: Anastasia Terranova & Athena Jamison Tuesday, August 14th Orthros 6:00 pm Divine Liturgy for the Dormition of the Theotokos 7:00 pm Sunday, August 19th, Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:45 am Sunday, August 26th, Thirteenth Sunday of Matthew Orthros/Divine Liturgy 8:45 am Wednesday, August 29th, Beheading of John the Baptist Orthros 9:00 am Divine Liturgy 10:00 am June: Despina Karas & Angela Tobias July: Maria Moore & Diane Kavelaras The following members of our parish family have requested visitation. For address and/or contact information please check your parish directory or contact the Church Office. January: Nancy Tashie, Jan Futris & Tina Liollio February: Vicki Hoover & Family Alec Collis Maria Hetos Stella Nichols Kosta Taras Georgia Smith Jimmy Smith March: Linda Nichols, Anne Schmitt, & Debi Bookas April: Cary Chiungos & Mary Katherine Taras May: Demie Bitinis, Tricia Grantham, Emily Capadalis Love, Georgia Karris Please contact Kristine Wagner if you would like to volunteer to be on the Visitation Committee, a ministry of the Elpis Philoptochos.

8 2018 CLERGY-LAITY CONGRESS DELEGATE REPORTS Delegate Report for Demetra Bitinis First, I would like to thank the fine and generous stewards of our beloved Annunciation Parish for the opportunity and honor to once again represent all of you at the 44 th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress in Boston. It is my hope that perhaps in 2 years someone who has never attended a CLC will step forward and want to participate in this awesome process of supporting and growing our Orthodox Church in America. It was also suggested that if each parish would send one young person from age 18 to 25 to the Congress, it could have a great and wonderful effect on the enrollment at Hellenic College/Holy Cross in the future. I feel like this is a good idea and hope to see more young adults at these gatherings. I have to believe that voices were heard and steps are being take to place the Archdiocese on a right and stable path toward a solution to the Financial Situation. I also heard that we must open our hearts and minds to the look and feel of a more diverse parish through Stewardship, Outreach, and Evangelism. We must be ready to hear the will of God in all things and then be obedient to his call. I will close with the theme of this year s Congress. All Things are Possible to the One Who Believes in Christ. Mark 9:23 Love and Thanks, Demie Bitinis Delegate Report for Endy Carter Our President, Ted Poplos, had a family obligation this year over the 4 th of July weekend so as a fellow officer of the church he appointed me to attend in his place. Thank you, Ted. I am humbled by your faith in me to be the alternate and represent our parish. There was a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday Morning at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral of New England. The cathedral itself was unbelievably beautiful! The mosaics were simply exquisite! A new version of the Liturgy was sung angelically and the mesmerizing chanting gave the Liturgy a lovely peaceful atmosphere. I have never participated in this kind of Liturgy before and I was completely fascinated and grateful for the experience. I was particularly intrigued by Metropolitan Nathaniel s vestments. The color scheme was captivating. After the Liturgy we had the rest of the day with no obligations or classes so my parea and I took to the subway and explored the great city of Boston! What an adventure! The opening breakfast took place the next morning where Archbishop Demetrios gave the keynote address. This year s theme was Mark 9:23 All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ! This is a personal favorite of mine as I am still astonished some years later that somehow the God of the Universe drew me to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church and that I am now an Orthodox Christian, however good or bad at it I may be on any given day. It s mind-blowing and if that can happen to me, then truly anything is possible. My intentions were to attend the workshops regarding Religious Education and Inter-Orthodox Relations but I only made one class. As I am on the finance and budget committee at the parish, I felt responsible to be in all of the finance meetings which were supposed to only be a couple of hours but ended up taking up the majority of the time. I won t bore you with the details but it was quite a task to endure all of the fasaria.

9 Delegate Reports Continued I had hoped to come away with a sense of peace about all of the goings on at the Archdiocese as I did last year about our Metropolis, but instead left with a great sense of trepidation regarding the future. The finance committee should be given the opportunity to right the shop and we are hot there yet but we the people have a duty to stay informed and trust but verify. I leave you on a positive note, our Metropolis and Parish are solid so rest easy but my dear brothers and sisters please stay in prayer for OUR Archdiocese and those who labor to heal it. As long as they focus on our Lord, truly, All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ. Again, I am deeply grateful for this journey and I appreciate your faith in me to represent you. Handmaid of Christ, Endy Carter Parish Council Secretary Delegate Report from Scott McKee The Clergy-Laity Congress began with beauty, pageantry, prayer, and thanksgiving with the Divine Liturgy at Boston s Annunciation Cathedral. The pictures of the church do not do it justice. Archbishop Demetrios encouraged us for the important work that we faced. I had planned to attend some of the finance committee and then concentrate on the Inter Orthodox, Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations meetings. However, from the beginning I could tell that the finance committee was going to be the focal point of the Congress. Additional time and additional sessions were added to do the work of the finance committee. The new Archdiocesan finance committee has done an incredibly difficult job in amazing fashion to reconstruct the financial records of the Archdiocese. I think that they are to be commended and gratefully thanked for the mighty work they have done in getting the Archdiocese back on the road to financial viability. All of the money taken from restricted accounts over the years and used for operations has been repaid. These repayments however are made from money coming from an $8,000, loan and line of credit obtained against the Archdiocesan property in New York City. The offered budget was in balance with the potential of a surplus to be applied to past obligations. The Archdiocesan finance committee s presentation to the congress, however, was problematic in several ways. Before the balanced budget was offered, none of the department heads nor representatives of Hellenic College / Holy Cross were consulted. The requested Archdiocesan contribution to the clergy / staff pension fund was off budget. The committee was requesting an increase in the parish Total Commitment specifically to fund the pension fund contribution. The discussions were direct and sometimes sharp. Numerous people expressed their anger, frustration, and even sense of betrayal over the mismanagement of Archdiocesan finances going back almost a decade. In all of this though, very few people crossed the line of acceptable, respectful, and civil discourse. It should be noted that all of the current Archdiocesan finance committee members who presented to the congress came to their positions consequent to the mismanagement. From the beginning an increase in the parish Total Commitment seemed to be a non-starter. Many concerns were expressed about the direction and effectiveness of Archdiocesan ministries. People really want the programs and expenditures of the Archdiocese to help them deliver effective ministries back home in their parishes. The Archdiocesan council committed to a complete top down and bottom up evaluation by an independent source of the effectiveness of all Archdiocesan ministries.

10 Delegate Reports Continued The biggest efforts were to include a $1,000, contribution to the underfunded clergy / staff pension fund in the budget, and to restore $500, to the Archdiocesan commitment that had been cut from Hellenic College / Holy Cross. The Archdiocesan finance committee initially ruled these proposals out of order because according to their rules additional funding had to be offered in the proposals to cover the any increased expenses. This was ruled even though it was stated in the motions that these additional expenses were to be offset by cuts in other places of the budget. Eventually the congress body over ruled the chair and the additions to the budget were made with the specific stipulation that the budget was to be brought into balance by making cuts in other areas. It has been represented that the congress passed an unbalanced, deficit budget. This appears to be true if the passed motions are taken out of context. In the motions passed in the committee and in the plenary session, the additional money for the clergy / staff pension contribution (which was reduced to $500, for next fiscal year in the plenary session), and the restoration of full funding for Hellenic College / Holy Cross is specifically to come from cuts made elsewhere in the budget. Many representations of this process and struggle have been offered from various quarters. In my opinion what was really taking place in the finance committee was a struggle over priorities between the Archdiocese operational and financial leadership and the clergy and laity. The real message in all of this is that the church wants its priests and staff taken care of and we want the life line source of future priest and lay leaders of the church maintained as a first priority; and we want the Archdiocese to frugally be good stewards and conduct their necessary business with the remaining amount. I heard no one promote an unbalanced budget. Additional items were on the agenda of the finance committee but were tabled until the next Congress. Outside of the finance committee, I was able to attend a few other presentations. Tuesday we visited the beautiful campus of Hellenic College / Holy Cross School of Theology. It was a wonderful and informative day. I was able to view a short film on the refugee crisis in Greece and attend an afternoon panel discussion on Are We Doing Ministry Correctly. In the plenary session, most of the time was devoted to financial issues. We were able to address a few other matters. We adopted a robust if imperfect youth protection policy. Additionally several regulation amendments and resolutions were passed. Respectfully submitted, Scott McKee

11 Book Review by Billy Benson Beginning to Pray by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom Paulist Press, Publisher In our daily struggles, most often our biggest struggle is building and maintaining an active prayer life. Those who have come out of different faith traditions into Orthodoxy often struggle in understanding the difference between corporate and personal prayer since they have had little experience beyond childhood prayers, and what they were taught wasn t always sound in doctrine. In this easy to read book, Metropolitan Anthony Bloom explains to us in a very pastoral way the importance and need of developing an effective prayer life. The first chapter (after we are introduced to Metropolitan Anthony in the introduction) is on The Absence of God. The beauty of this chapter is that all of us have struggled and suffered under the feeling that God is nowhere to be found when we pray. In this chapter we are reminded that we are in a very real relationship with God, one of freewill and reality. It would be foolish to cover this area in my own words since Met. Anthony goes through the reality and the presence of God in a thoughtful and detailed understanding. This chapter alone is worth reading several times, the fruit is beneficial to our lives. But then again, this is one of those books that all Orthodox readers could benefit from reading on a yearly basis to help us grow in our journey and communion with God. Throughout this book we are given examples on how to understand the importance of prayer and how to incorporate it in our daily lives and activity. We learn both the beauty of continual prayer and the practical applications. As with all books, I would suggest and encourage to include your father confessor in any questions and development of a prayer rule since he has a good understanding of where you are in your journey. So often when we say 'I love you' we say it with a huge 'I' and a small 'you'. We use love as a conjunction instead of it being a verb implying action. It's no good just gazing out into open space hoping to see the Lord; instead we have to look closely at our neighbour, someone whom God has willed into existence, someone whom God has died for. Everyone we meet has a aright to exist, because he has value in himself, and we are not used to this. The acceptance of otherness is a danger to us, it threatens us. To recognise the other's right to be himself might mean recognising his right to kill me. But if we set a limit to this right to exist, it's no right at all. Love is difficult. Christ was crucified because he taught a kind of love which is a terror for men, a love which demands total surrender: it spells death. -Beginning to Pray One of the dangers in prayer is to try to find words that will be somehow on the level of God. Unfortunately, as none of us are on a level with God, we fall short and waste a great deal of time in trying to find the right words. -Beginning to Pray Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of Sourozh ( )

12 Parish Ministries PHILOPTOCHOS, ELPIS CHAPTER #7041 After a busy summer behind the scenes, we are excited to begin the year! First, last Sunday we hosted Mr. Louis Zagami from IOCC. I want to thank everyone for the warm hospitality we showed Mr. Zagami on Sunday! In true Annunciation style, everything looked beautiful and we were very generous! We collected nearly $1,200 for IOCC! Also, many of you shared that you would mail in a donation or make one online. Thank you, thank you! Thanks, especially, for Stephanie Poplos and her work coordinating the coffee hour. We had so many wonderful treats! Thanks to Linda Nichols for the big cake, Maria Popa for her delicious Romanian salad, Jan Futris for her delicious sandwiches. I can't thank everyone, but it was all delightful! This month we will host our kickoff event to learn more about human trafficking and how we can be an advocate for change! When: August 18th, 7pm What: It Happens At Home: An Evening of Education and Action Surrounding Human Trafficking It may be easy to relegate the issue of slavery to the history books, but the truth is it exists today in ways most of us don t even realize. Human trafficking continues to plague our society, not only in the farthest reaches of the developing world but also here in America, and right here in the Mid-South. It has been described by our Ecumenical Patriarch as Old Problems in A New World. Join us for an evening of education with community members working alongside survivors of human trafficking. This event will be free; however, sponsorship opportunities are available to support local organizations. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Hawkins Dormition Coffee Hour Reception On August 19 th we are hosting Coffee Hour in honor of the Dormition of the Theotokos. We will be collecting contributions for oud Social Services Fund. Please bring something for the reception table, and remember that these funds go directly to help those in need and serve to further our mission as friends to the poor. More Than A Meal We will be serving again at Grace-St. Luke s More Than A Meal on August 19 th. Please meet at Grace-St. Luke s at 3pm if you d like to lend a hand to this important ministry. Save the Date! Our annual membership luncheon at Chickasaw Country Club will be held on September 16 th. Women s Heart Health We are pleased to announce that our National Philoptochos Women s Health Initiative has just launched its first informational program: Heart Disease in Women. Stay tuned to learn more about this important cause!

13 It Happens at Home: An Evening of Education and Action Surrounding Human Trafficking It is impossible for the Church to close its eyes to evil, to be indifferent to the cry of the needy, oppressed, and exploited. True Faith is a source of permanent struggle against the powers of inhumanity. - Patriarch Bartholomew, Joint Declaration on Modern Slavery, 2017 $32 billion industry worldwide 40,000 cases reported nationally Second-fastest growing crime in Tennessee Join us in Cotros Hall on Saturday, August 18th, at 7pm as we hear from community leaders and law enforcement officials about the realities of human trafficking -- and what we can do about it. Contact elizabeth.r.hawkins@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities for this free event. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. Brought to you by Elpis Philoptochos Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 573 N Highland Street - Memphis, TN

14 2018 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ (Mark 9:23) July 1-5 Boston, Massachusetts It was a unique honor and privilege to serve as a delegate and represent our chapter at the 2018 convention! Some quick facts: We are one of 400 chapters nationwide and we number over 25,000 women strong! Philoptochos is more than 87 years old Nationally, we distributed more than $3.8 million in This included more than $100,00 to support those affected by the hurricanes in the Gulf More than $250,000 to pediatric hospitals In 2017 we had an operating surplus of $78,000 76% of spending goes directly to charitable services Some highlights: A continued focus on hands-on philanthropy Including our chapter s ongoing participation in More Than A Meal Chapters have served more than one million meals since 2014 At the convention we packed food to be sent to Africa The particular organization we worked with often gives food to organizations, such as schools. Thus, it encourages children to continue their education and eradicate the cycle of poverty We heard from Chick-fil-A president and CFO Tim Tassopoulos talk about leadership How well you lead determines how well you serve. We heard presentations from many different organizations which benefit from Philoptochos St. Basil s Academy Philoptochos is the land owner of the property and buildings. Chapters throughout the country assist through their commitments from Vasilopita and the Sisterhood for the maintenance of the entire facility, salaries and most importantly the care of precious lives. IOCC OCF We learned about what things other chapters are doing to raise funds, increase membership, and positively impact their communities One parish in New Jersey partnered with Ark of the World and Cyprus Children s Fund to support children in need in Greece and Cyprus One parish in New Mexico supported residents on a Native American Reservation One parish in Florida built a greenhouse for disadvantaged adults There was a whole lot more packed into these busy five days! If you have any questions or would like to learn more, your delegates (Elizabeth Hawkins and Marianthe Pilcher) would be happy to help!

15 2018 PHILOPTOCHOS CONVENTION BOSTON, MA ************************************************************************************** IOCC LUNCHEON JULY 29TH. 2018

16 ELPIS PHILOPTOCHOS BOOKSTORE Late Summer Offerings in the Elpis Bookstore! Familiar to most Christians as one of the gifts the Three Kings presented to the Christ Child, the burning of frankincense has been part of cultural and religious ceremonies for millennia. Frankincense is a resin from the Boswellia tree which is made into oils, incense, and used in everything from worship to medicinal uses. Its name originates from the old French franc encens, meaning quality incense. Divine Aromatherapy Johns Hopkins University teamed up with researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to explore frankincense to see what kinds of effects it has on the mind. To measure the effects on the mind, researchers used some of the resin from the Boswellia tree known as incensole acetate and gave it to some mice. This test showed them that incensole acetate affects the area of the brain where emotions reside. In spite of information stemming from ancient tests, constituents of Boswellia had not been investigated for psychoactivity, said Raphael Mechoulam from the study. We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice, lowers anxiety and causes antidepressivelike behavior. Apparently, most present-day worshippers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning. They concluded that when someone comes in contact with frankincense it has a strong anxiolytic ( anxiety decreasing ) effect and acts as an antidepressant, leaving a person feeling relaxed and open which can be very soothing. Stop by the Elpis Bookstore on Sunday to see our newly stocked incense assortment! THE PLANNER Ecclesiastical Calendar Orthodox Planners are available for preorder and must be prepaid. Cost is $15. Please place your orders not later than August 15th if you would like one for the start of the Ecclesiastical Year.

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18 Young at Heart YOUNG AT HEART CALENDAR We meet at 11:30 in Cotros Hall unless otherwise noted Lunch: $4.00 September 20: Kick off Luncheon with Ice Cream Sundaes October 18: Lunch with Fall craft November 15: Thanksgiving Luncheon December 17: Christmas Party at Chickasaw Country Club *Note this is a Tuesday gathering January 17: February 21: March 21: April 18: Luncheon with Bingo Valentine s Party Luncheon with TBA Luncheon with TBA May 20: Luau and Costume Contest *Note this is a Tuesday gathering

19 IF YOU ARE IN YOUR 50S, 60S, 70S, 80S OR 90S PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN AFTERNOON OF FOOD, FUN AND FELLOWSHIP. YOUNG AT HEART THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH 11:30 AM IN COTROS HALL Time to get back together with our great friends in our church community! Join us for a Luncheon and Ice Cream Sundaes! If you are working, please feel to stop by during your lunch hour and join in on the FUN!

20 YOUTH MINISTRIES SUNDAY SCHOOL Reminder to parents: Sunday School Registration will be held Sunday, August 5th. Sunday School will begin after communion on August 12th and will continue through April 21st, 2019, excepting Holiday weekends listed. We have outstanding teachers waiting for your children. Sunday School Calendar (Notable Dates) for August 5th: Sunday School Registration August 12th: Sunday School Begins November 26th: NO Sunday School (Thanksgiving Weekend) December 10th: Practice for Christmas Program December 16th: Dress Rehearsal for Christmas Program December 17th; Christmas Program December 23rd Dec 30th: No Sunday School (Christmas Holidays) January 6th: Classes Resume February 17th: Sunday of Orthodoxy Meet in Cotros Hall April 21st: Last Day of Sunday School April 26th: Good Friday Activity ( TBD) April 28th: Pascha May 19th: Graduation Sunday Teachers Pre-K /KK Anna Paris, Naji Nassif 1st/2nd Kristine Wagner, Christina George 3rd/4th Stephanie Johnson, Pannay Guigley 5th/6th Renee Graves, Alexia Loughman 7th/8th Ken Hoover, Gabriella Stroplos 9th-12th Ted Poplos, Elizabeth Hawkins, Chris Apalodimas, and Brian Berretta Note from Father Simon: It is important that the children and their teachers receive Holy Communion first, so they may have as much time as possible to learn about our precious Faith. Parents, since we are now saying the Prayers Before Holy Communion together, please wait until these prayers have been completed before taking your children to the Narthex to line them up for Holy Communion. Once our youth have received, the ushers will dismiss the faithful row by row. Thank you for your assistance! HOPE/JOY Welcome to all the HOPE/OY families at Annunciation! HOPE & JOY are the children s ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. HOPE is the ministry for the Kindergarten through 2nd grade children, & JOY, the Junior Orthodox Youth, is the ministry for the 3rd through 6th grade children. Since HOPE & JOY are ministries, the programs reflect the Orthodox Christian Faith, Tradition and Life. Please watch the weekly bulletin & the monthly Epistle for upcoming events! GOYA GOYA will have a Parent & GOYAN informational meeting after church August 19th to talk about the calendar year ahead. We look forward to meeting with you and your GOYAN then!

21 PROJECT MEXICO 2018 Annunciation Family, As many of you know, Megan Wassef, Mia Obradovic, my father Ted Poplos, and myself had the opportunity to travel to Rosarito, Mexico for a week to participate in Project Mexico. This is a program that helps families in the local area who are less fortunate while also aiding in the support of St. Innocent s Orphanage, an allboys Orthodox orphanage on the grounds of which we were staying. While there, in the short span of four days, we were able to build a home from the ground up, meet Orthodox youth from all over the United States and Canada, and grow in our faith. This amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the support of our church family, though. We held a coffee hour in March for this trip, and with the donations we not only had enough to cover each of our trips in full, in addition to transportation, but also had an excess which we plan to donate to St. Innocent s Orphanage, which runs solely on donations. This donation will help support education and clothes for the boys as well as general upkeep of the grounds. I would like to say thank you not only for your monetary support but also for all the prayers and well wishes we received from you all. I speak for all of us when I say that this experience will not be forgotten. I have included two pictures so that you can see the progress of our work. The first picture is from the end of day one when all that was there was a slab of concrete. The second picture is from the final day with David, his family, and the house we built behind us. If you would like to hear more about this experience, I would be more than happy to talk with you. In Christ, Constance Poplos

22 YOUNG ADULT LEAGUE Since 2013, we have been on the forefront of creating and shaping Christ-centered, Kingdom-oriented ministry that's been helping generations of Orthodox Christians around the world. Our Mission Y 2 AM helps introduce youth and young adults to Christ. Y 2 AM inspires them to live out their relationship with the Lord and His Church on a daily basis. We are a ministry team of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Take some time and listen to our Pop Culture Coffee Hour Podcasts at podcasts/popculture. Steven Christoforou and Christian Gonzalez talk about pop culture, theology, and whatever else is on their minds. They might even make you laugh. Maybe. Pop Culture Coffee Hour is a joint production of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and Ancient Faith Radio. Other Y 2 AM great resources: The YouTube Channel series: The Trench The Ladder: a Blog We ESCAPED!! On June 30th, we did an Escape Event at Escapology! Watch and see what we do next! Come & join us on our next outing. Please check back here and on the YAL Memphis Facebook Page for future events for our Young Adults.

23 PARISH NEWS & EVENTS St. John Chrysostom National Oratorical Festival On the weekend of June 9th, Sophia Douglas and her family traveled to Chicago to represent the Parish & the Metropolis at the National level of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival. We are so proud of Sophia as she received Honorable Mention in the Senior Division. Congratulations Sophia! Orthodox Observer At the Clergy-Laity Congress last month, one of the things expressed was the desire to have the newspaper of the Archdiocese, the Orthodox Observer, be distributed electronically instead of through the mail. This would save the Archdiocese at least a quarter of a million dollars annually. Please see the July/August addition at: Further, if you turn to page 24, for you find our own Sophia Douglas representing our parish at the national St. John Oratorical Festival and, on page 11, you ll see Luane Semos, Endy Carter & Scott McKee at the Clergy-Laity Congress! June/July Notices Weddings: Chris Zambelis & Lauren Wilson, June 9, 2018 Births: Camille Hinson, daughter of Monica & Evan Hinson, June 4th Ava Grace Hong, daughter of Ramona & Tony Hong, July 2nd Beatrice Paulus, daughter of Bethany & Basil Paulus, July 6th Baptisms: Samuel Burnette, son of Christopher & Patricia Burnette, June 3rd John, Tessa, Eadlin, Liam, & Olivia Merten, June 2nd Deaths: Stephan Koskinas, July 13th Connie Ray, July 31st, mother of Luane Semos (Vasili) & grandmother of Rachel Memorial Contributions (In Memory Of): Morphi Samonides Belz by: Albis Samonides Maria Futris Griffin by: Charles & Connie Cotros, Dimitri & Mary Katherine Taras, Katherine Skefos by: James & Susan Meng, Robert & Elizabeth Dinkelspiel, Jim & Sophie Sousoulas, Alan & Marilyn Magnus, Angie Buchanan, Pete & Jan Futris, Winifred Cocke, Diane Kavelaras, Ted & Stephanie Poplos, Einir Valdimarsson & Chrysanthe Preza, William & Mary Ellen Chase, Frederick H. Leasure, Ellen Cooper Klyce, Andrew & Tina Douglas & Family In Honor Of: Elpis Philoptochos Women s Prayer Group by: Mr. & Mrs. Carl Behrens Dave Thomas & in Memory of Georgianna McDonald by: Ted & Stephanie Poplos Fr. Vieron by: Mr. & Mrs. Harry Samuels

24 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AHEPA/MEN S GROUP Welcome to AHEPA! AHEPA Mission statement: To promote the ancient Hellenic ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, integrity, and family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism. On September 23rd, AHEPA will be hosting the Annual Community Picnic & Softball game. Also, AHEPA will hold their annual Pancake Breakfast Scholarship Fundraiser in December. Please watch for details in the upcoming Epistles. DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE Here are some of the upcoming dates of activities for the Daughters of Penelope. We encourage and invite members to join us. If you would like to learn more about our organization, please contact President Phani Mitchell, Vice President and Membership Chairman Maria Moore or any board member. We would LOVE you to be a part of our wonderful SISTERHOOD! We will be celebrating our 40th Anniversary of the reactivation of our Chapter in 2019! Exciting things are happening! Please join us! Tuesday August 7 Board Meeting 6:00pm, Phani Saudi, Maria M. Panera s Germantown Sunday August 26 Host Coffee Hour Feast of St. Phanourios (8/27) Host Coffee Hour Sunday September 9 General Meeting after liturgy Library Sunday September 23 AHEPA/DOP Comm. Picnic Houston High DOP watermelon Sunday September 30 Sisterhood Luncheon Installation Officers Phani s House 1:00pm

25 Stewardship Report Our Archdiocesan Regulations and Parish By-Laws define Stewards as those who participate regularly in the life of the Parish, as well as contributing towards the financial well-being of the Parish by offering stewardship and/or filling out a Stewardship Card. Below is a list of all Stewards of the Annunciation. Those denoted with an (*) have submitted their Stewardship card to the Stewardship Committee. If you have not submitted a Stewardship Card, please contact the Stewardship Committee or the Church Office List of Stewards Katherine Abraham Tiffany Adams *George & Theodora Alekos Zoe Anaston Speros Angelakis *Chris & Connie Apalodimas *Maria Apalodimas Michael & Annie Arcamuzi Nick & Anne Argol *John & Diane Avgeris Todd & Cyndi Bagatelas *Steven & Anastasia Barlow Matthew & DoraThea Barre James & Olivia Beard, II Frank & Penelope Bennett *Billy & Carri Benson *Demetra Bitinis *John & Deborah Bookas Janet Boosalis *Shawn Branum *Angela Buchanan Claude Burdikoff Jacob & Michele Buring *Richard Caldwell Dean Carayiannis *Endy Carter *Mary Chagaris Catalin & Anca Chelsoi Cary Chiungos *John Chulos *Charles & Connie Cotros George & Laura Couloubaritsis Jerry & Julia Couloubaritsis *Elaine Daniels George Deitz & Kristine Wagner *Helen Demas Chris & Shawn Demos Alexander Denton Anna Denton *Greg & Cyndi Detty *John & Madeleine Donnelly Andrew & Christina Douglas *Vasilios & Georgia Douklias Ioiannis Drosos & Regina Kolaitis Bruce & Helen Erskine Phillip & Kellye Farris *Nick & Marty Fox *Pete & Jan Futris Steve & Zoe Futris *Evangelia Gallagher *Christina George *Bill & Niki Gikas Joanne Gikas Ronald & Patricia Grantham Alan & Renee Graves Kevin & Pannayiota Guigley Sarantos & Catherine Hatzigeorgiou Charles & Elizabeth Hawkins Laurentiu & Mihaela Herbei *Sandy E Herbert *Maria Hetos Spence Holland Nathan & Stephanie Hooker Ken & Vicki Hoover *Andrew & Leah Horvath Ann Alexander Howard Koula Hristopoulou *Cristina Hunter Dorothy Huston *Athena Jameson Al & Tina Jennings *Bill & Denise Joyner George & Dimitra Kakales Vasilios & Stavroula Kakales *Mary Kapos Jim & Despina Karas Antonios Karaziotis & Beverly Sanderson *Georgia Karris *Diane Kavelaras Erin Kay *John & Nancy Kay Maureen Kay *James Kennedy Nadar & Toni Khalaf Sarkis & Jenny Kish Bessie Kolapanas Harry & Jenny Koniditsiotis John & Cornelia Koniditsiotis *Kalliope Lefes *Tina Liollio Kevin & Alexia Loughman Samya Louza Tom & Emily Love *Aklilu Maasho & Nigisti Amdetsion Irini Manousakis Pete & Amelia Maragos