Agape 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 J U N E

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1 S T. G E O R G E Agape G R E E K 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 J U N E Let s Go Saints! The coming summer months are replete with feast-days honoring some great Saints and I encourage you to take the time and prayerfully read the accounts of their lives. The Saints are people who heard and obeyed God s calling for their lives; namely, to be holy as God is holy, and perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. They are people, just like you and me, who took their calling seriously and made it the most important things in their lives. We tend to think of the Saints as exceptions and different from us. We easily forget that we too have this same calling and the same opportunity/potential, this same vocation. We forget that God has created us with all sorts of potential and we all too often forget that God has provided us with all we need to fulfill that potential. With the sending of the Son and the Spirit, God provided all of us with the means to become Saints. There is nothing we lack, all is given; the rest is up to us. Many people struggle with knowing what God is calling them to do or be. Even more people struggle with knowing what God s will is for their lives. Why am I here, is the great existential question many people asked themselves. We would say in answer to these questions, that our vocation is to love and serve God, and love and serve others. Certainly this love is evident in the lives of the Saints, and evident in the lives of people who we consider saintly. Even those born with a disability such as mental retardation, provide evidence of this truth. And if it is true for them, it is true for the rest of us. Indeed the rest is up to us; no excuses, no exceptions. In facing the challenge to live up to our potential and fulfill our calling, we are not alone or on our own. In prayer we can ask God and His Saints for help, guidance and illumination. In our relationships with others who are more experienced in God s ways, we can ask for guidance and direction. In the Church, we can participate in the Sacraments, better understand Scripture, and reflect on the lives and teachings of the Saints. If God remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, He will always grant the prayers of those who seek Him. God, prayer, the Church, Scripture, etc. are constants. The rest is up to us. Then there is Divine Providence! A holy monk wrote, Why do you worry and grieve more than necessary for the various incidents? We are not outside of Divine Providence so as to be directed by mere chance. Therefore, whatever happens to us happens with God s knowledge. Let those who do not believe in Divine Providence drown in worry-they are justified. But we are not justified when we worry more than necessary, for through this action we show lack of faith and illumination. You and I are not outside Divine Providence. The rest is up to us. Hall of Famer Larry Bird was asked what his definition of a winner is. He said, A winner is someone who recognizes their God-given talents; works his tail off to develop them into skills; and uses them to accomplish his goals. At the very least, each believer is given what we need to become Saints. Let us then work our tails off and turn those talents into skills. Then let us use those skills to accomplish our goal of fulfilling our vocation, and become Saints. For the glory of God and the benefit of our souls. Fr. Jerry Building a Stronger Orthodox Christian Community by: Spiritually growing together; Sharing the Orthodox Faith through fellowship, outreach, and philanthropy; Worshipping in a traditional Byzantine church; Supported through Stewardship 202 Hillview #1 Eugene, Oregon Website: Phone: (541) frgerasimos@sntgrg.org

2 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 Page 2 Parish Council Report This past month, St. George s Parish Council met for our monthly meeting. In addition to the usual recurring reports we discussed: The Palm Sunday luncheon; Paschal services and luncheon (reflection and ideas for next year); Carpet in the nave and narthex; Having a recurring Saturday Great Vespers potluck; Opportunities to share Orthodox customs and traditions; and St George s relationship with the Roseburg Mission. If you would like additional details regarding any of these topics, or would like to a copy of the minutes from the meeting, contact Nektarios Kaelin at bkkaelin@yahoo.com. Members of our parish are always welcome to attend Parish Council meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday June 4 th. Over this past year, members of the Parish Council have discussed possible strategies and ideas for evangelism and church growth. Through our discussions, we have considered ways to increase visibility and engagement within our community. I would like to encourage you to consider speaking with members of the evangelism committee regarding how you might support our local evangelism efforts. As I was reflecting on strategies related to evangelism within our community, I came across the idea of Family Outreach Sunday on the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website. In cooperation with the Ladies Philoptochos Society and the Center for Family Care at Saint Basil Academy, the Archdiocese Department of Outreach & Evangelism has developed a program in which active members of a church are encouraged to bring family members and other Orthodox Christian friends for a special day of fellowship and spiritual renewal. According to the website, the purpose of Family Outreach Sunday is to bring inactive Orthodox Christians back to the Church, reinvigorating their Orthodox Christian faith, making them aware of the need for Christ in their everyday life, and their importance as individual members of the body of Christ. On the goarch.org website you will find links to materials for organizing a Family Outreach Sunday. This program is modeled on successful programs that have been carried out in Birmingham and Milwaukee parishes. If anyone is interested in discussing the possibilities of hosting such an event, please contact Bob Graham or a member of our evangelism committee. Treasurer s Report Presently, there is $1,475 in the dedicated account. Most of the funds are earmarked for unexpected maintenance projects. There is also $100 for the church school. The operations account has $15,928 as of May 26. While this should be sufficient to cover our expenses for the month of June, the surplus we realized at the end of 2013 continues to shrink. This is a direct result of pledged stewardship not being given in a timely fashion. May 25 th represented week twenty-one for the calendar year. In order to fulfill the pledged amount to the parish ($131,100), we should be receiving $2,521 per week. If that were the case, total stewardship received through May 25 would have been $52,941. The actual stewardship given through that date is $48,050. Please make every effort to stay current with your stewardship giving. If circumstances have arisen which will prevent you from fulfilling your pledge for 2014, please speak to a member of the parish council; so the council can look into alternatives to sustain our budget and parish. Thank you for your understanding and support. From the Mission in Roseburg It is hard to believe summer is almost here! While it is tempting to see summer as a time to unwind and relax, the Roseburg Mission hopes to continue our 'upward' momentum by keeping our hands to the plow this summer. We are currently honing in on our stewardship goals, making sure every parishioner is connected with a ministry that utilizes their skill set and giving sacrificially of their time, as well as of their finances. Strategic planning is ongoing, a new Sunday school class for youth is off to a successful start, the beautification team is working on making or acquiring several liturgical times, and the steering committee meetings are full of serious discussion, enthusiasm, and ideas. Glory to God! We are also thankful to announce the Chrismation of Sarah Calloway on June 24. May she live for us! We would like to extend a special thank you to St. George for contributing to the Project Mexico team that will be headed out on June 25. Please keep Barron and Sam Black and Michael and Lenny Buck in your prayers as they build homes for needy families in Mexico. We invite you to come join us for Divine Liturgy every second and fourth Saturday of the month. For details and driving directions, see Barron Black or Father Jerry. We look forward to seeing you! Lisa Buck

3 A G A P E Page 3 STEWARDSHIP REPORT The following families and individuals are supporting Saint George through freewill giving, stewardship and the offering of their time and talent. The amount pledged in stewardship to date is $131,100. The average pledge of our stewards to Saint George is $2,474. Please remember your commitment of time and talent is just as important as your offerings of treasure. Get involved with our many ministries and feel the satisfaction of knowing you are growing Orthodoxy in the Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon. Our 2014 supporters are: Diane Banos Tatyana Bartrum Brett & Cassandra Batterson Rickey Beauchamp & Sandra Pisarski Barron & Cheri Black Adrienne Bonosevich Nick & Eleni Boston Ann Campbell Arin Carmack Stephanie Carroll Marie Cominos Michael & Liana Creech Nick & Elena Diamond Froso Drakatos Joseph & Anna Drakatos Peter & Katharine Drakatos Robert & Leah Essa Alexis Gavriilidis & Jessica Shotts Robert & Bonnie Graham Richard & Melita Green Leo & Debra Hall Mark & Maria Hauser Stella Hayes Cristian Hutanu Monica Hutanu Connie Janis Emiley Jensen Brian & Ann Marie Kaelin Panayotis Katsoyannos & Ann Leith George & Kathy Kleinert Jo Ann Kluge Sarah & Raymond Knerl Andrew & Jody Kokkino Elena & Dimitri Kokkino John E. & Georgia Lallas Julie Lenkoff Andrew & Larisa Lilles Lisa & Bill Lilles Leda Litke Father Jerry & Pres. Maria Markopoulos Charles & Veronica McGlade Art & Kay Mehas Devin & Sonia Merritt Gus D. Mikilas Diane Monger Marvin & Carol Nichols Ty & Maria Pos Bill & Helen Radcliffe Joan & Jerry Rundt Jan Schmidt Greg Sebastian Judy Sebastian David & Sarah Shafer Chris & Barbara Skrepetos Jerry & Sharon Smith James Stephensen Bradney Thomas John & Gloria Timmons Lester & Debi Wilson Urania Yost Neal & Yvonne Zoumboukos FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE Thank you to all who helped put on our first Gyro-fest of the year. Despite several downpours of rain, we managed to have a profitable fundraiser! Our crowds were smaller, due to the weather, but those that came were very enthusiastic. Many of the visitors toured the church and asked lots of questions. Our next Gyrofest is July 28. Please let Presvytera Maria know if you'd like to help. Also this summer we will have our gyro booth at three Dexter Lake Boat Races. Thanks, too, for the support of our parishioners who come and buy food at our events! Presvytera Maria

4 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 Page 4. PHILIA Unfortunately Philia s plans to enhance the May 18 th Gyro-fest were somewhat dampened by the showers of the day. Luckily, we paid attention to the forecast and were able to move the craft and eating tables inside. Despite the rain our visitors enjoyed what we had to offer, but we still have a few bags of Father Michael s (Goldendale monastery) roasted coffee left. They sell for $14.00 apiece. Please let me know if you are interested. St. George celebrated its 20 th anniversary on May 8. I had created a historical video, featuring several of our parishioners who retold the story of how it all came about. I would encourage all to see it, to find out what our founding fathers had to go through to establish an Orthodox church in Eugene. The DVD is 53 minutes long and is entertaining as well as informative. You are welcome to watch it in the library or the conference room. Or if you would like to own a personal copy, please let me know and I will be happy to make one for you. A contribution to Philia, would be much appreciated. For info on wedding or baptismal items contact Gloria at or via at zeazeastimmons@gmail.com. And check with Melita if interested in Rada products. Plans for the future: Craft tables at the Gyrofest on July 27. International Luncheon and Show on November 2. Next meeting is on June 1, 2014, followed by one on July 6, Reminder: Philia is a philanthropic organization open to ALL women in the parish. Come and join us! We could always use helping hands and helpful minds. Julie Lenkoff, Philia Coordinator COFFEE CHAT : Thanks to Ricky Beauchamp s excellent coordinating efforts and our Dad cooks, we were presented with a lovely Mother s Day luncheon which we all enjoyed and appreciated! A few reminders: June 8 -- Pentecost Charity Luncheon, hosted by Pete Drakatos. June 15 and July 6 are potlucks. It does not matter how many are in attendance as long as they all remember to bring something to share on those days. Please mark the dates on your calendars. Thank you. Julie Lenkoff, Fellowship Coordinator CLEANUP CORNER: As summer nears and you find that your vacation or weekend plans interfere with your scheduled Saturday cleaning, do not despair, it is okay to do it during the week. Thank you. Julie Lenkoff, Cleanup Coordinator

5 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 Page 5 M/E Committee Report I was welcoming visitors to the Gyro-Fest and sat down with a father and son. The son had seen a flier on a bulletin board. He said, I didn t know there was a church back here. Are you trying to get the word out about your church? They went on a church tour. Neighbors living on Hillview decided to come over and eat a gyro. They didn t know anything about the Orthodox Church. Ricky and I told them a little and invited them to take a church tour. We had many church tours that day. Evangelism committee members circulated among the guests welcoming, chatting and informing them about the church tours. We also handed them a newly developed brochure about St. George. (Please pick one up in the Narthex.) We improved the signage for church tours and Inquirer s Class. The Register Guard DISCOVERY magazine was published in May with an ad for St. George in the Worship Directory. This magazine is published once a year and is circulated to the Chamber of Commerce, visitor s centers, and motels and is an RG insert. Do you ever wonder what it is like for a first-time visitor to St. George to experience the Liturgy? According to recent converts, it can be very confusing. Ricky and Sandra worked with Father to develop a booklet for our visitors: The Divine Liturgy for Our Visitors. This booklet gives a brief introduction to the Orthodox Church, informs about some common practices and follows Liturgy. Take a look at it in the Narthex (but leave it for our visitors). In Service, Melita Green Special Event: Please join us on Saturday, June 21st for Great Vespers at 5:30 pm, followed by a potluck meal and showing of the 20 Years of St George DVD. Special invitations will be sent to inactive members who were active 20 years ago. Please consider reaching out to people you know that might be in this category and invite them on the 21st. June Celebrations Birthdays June 8th-Jim Stephenson June 9th-Paraskevi Markopoulos June 10th-Elias Groomer June 16th-Larissa Lilles June 18th-Julie Pope June 25th-Ashley Knerl June 27th-Sharon Smith Feast Days June 3rd-St Kevin of Ireland Kevin Kaelin Deacon Kevin Haan June 27th-St Joanne the Myrrhbearer Jo Ann Kluge June 30th-Sts. Peter & Paul Gwen Knerl Wedding Anniversaries June 6th Bill & Lisa Lilles June 15th John & Georgia Lallas June 27th Mark & Maria Hauser Baptized in Christ/Chrismated June 2nd Ashley, Joshua & Ray Knerl June 14th John Timmons June 26th Lester & Debi Wilson Many Years! Chronia Polla!

6 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 Page 6 News and Events What s New! First Saturday Breakfast: The dates for this month s First Saturday Breakfast events are Friday, June 6th and Saturday, June 7th. Many hands make for light work so please consider lending us yours. Memory Eternal: Socratis Nick Katsikis of Coos Bay, reposed in the Lord on Wednesday, May 21st. His funeral was Monday, May 26th, in Coos Bay. May his memory be eternal! Farewell: Please bid Jerry & Sharon Smith a fond farewell this month as they move back to the Albany/Corvallis area. Jerry & Sharon have worked tirelessly for our parish and we will miss them very much! Congratulations Graduates!: Congratulations to the Class of 2014: Alexis Drakatos, Kevin Kaelin, Rachel Hauser, Nick Markopoulos, and Paraskevi Markopoulos. Bible Study: Ever wondered about the Old Testament and its place in the Church? Both Bible Study classes are making their way through the Old Testament and we invite you to join us. The classes take place Tuesdays at 7 pm and Thursdays at 10 am. Discovering Orthodox Christianity is a series of talks, shows, and presentations designed to introduce and explain the basic teaching of Orthodox Christianity. The series will be shown here at St. George on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm (except for the first Wednesday of each month). Thank You! : We received several donations recently and we d like to acknowledge them here: Christina Booth gave $100 to purchase a sheet-pan cooling rack; Jim Stephenson also gave an $80 donation in memory of Angel, for the cooling rack; an anonymous donor gave $50 for a kitchen scale; and Andrea Pace made a general donation of $100. We thank them for their generous gifts! Monastery Feast Day: St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Monastery in Goldendale, WA., invites you to celebrate with them, the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Forerunner. Great Vespers & Orthros will take place at 6 pm on Monday, June 23rd, and the Hours & Divine Liturgy will take place on Tuesday, June 24th, beginning at 8 am. For additional info please see the flyers posted around the church. St. George Day at the Grassroots Garden: Please save the date and plan to join us on Saturday, July 19th, from 9 am to 4 pm, for a work day at the Grassroots Garden. This garden provides tons of food for the homeless in our community under the auspices of Food for Lane County. This unique service opportunity is fun for the whole family. You ll get fed lunch and be able to take some veggies home as well. For more information please see Sharon or Jerry Smith. In our prayers: Pray for one another that you might be healed (James 5:16)-Jim, Eleni,, John, Yelena, Sarah, Sharon, Alexandra, Christopher, Ruth, Elaine, Presbytera Krissy, Fr. Constantine, Fr. James, Kevin, Lisa, Eugenia, Niko, Rebeca, Maria, Anastasia, Zinaida, Katherine, Rachel, Nektaria, Leda, Presbytera Valerie, Jesse, George, the Orthodox Christians in Egypt, Syria and the Ukraine, the unborn, pregnant women contemplating abortion, & those who pray for the end of abortion.

7 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 Page 7 6/1 6/8 6/15 6/22 6/29 FELLOWSHIP Beauchamp Pete Drakatos Potluck Batterson Lilles GREETER Sharon S Ann L Liana C Larissa L Ann C PROSFORON Beauchamp Hauser Lilles Creech Beauchamp FLOWERS OPEN OPEN OPEN OPEN OPEN READERS Brad Thomas Brad Thomas Brad Thomas Brad Thomas Brad Thomas CLEANING CREW 5/31 Hauser 6/7 Zoumboukos 6/14 Hauser 6/21 Batterson 6/28 Carroll & Hall GET INVOLVED!!! Look through this list of organizations, programs, and ministries at our parish, then call the contact person and get involved!!! PARISH COUNCIL Nektarios Kaelin ACOLYTES Bob Graham BOOKSTORE Your name here??? PHILIA WOMEN S GROUP Julie Lenkoff CHURCH SCHOOL Brian Kaelin CHANTER/CHANT GROUP Brad Thomas , Ann Marie Kaelin FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN CONVENT Art Mehas FELLOWSHIP Julie Lenkoff STEWARDSHIP Neal Zoumboukos GREETERS Your name here??? OUTREACH/1ST SAT. BREAKFAST Bonnie Graham FLOWERS Diane Monger MISSIONS & EVANGELISM Melita Green FUNDRAISERS Presbytera Maria

8 Saint George Greek Orthodox Church 202 Hillview 1 Eugene, OR A word from the Fathers Saint Symeon the New Theologian s invocation to the Holy Spirit Come, true light. Come, life eternal. Come, hidden mystery. Come, treasure without name. Come, person beyond all understanding. Come, rejoicing without end. Come, light that know no evening. Come, unfailing expectation of the saved. Come, raising of the fallen. Come, resurrection of the dead. Come, all-powerful, for unceasingly you create, refashion and change all things by your will alone. Come, invisible whom none may touch and handle. Come, for you continue always unmoved, yet at every instant you are wholly in movement; you draw near to us who lie in hell, yet you remain higher than the heavens. Come, for your name fills our hearts with longing and is ever on our lips; yet who you are and what your nature is, we cannot say or know. Come, Alone to the alone. Come, for you are yourself the desire that is within me. Come, my breath and my life. Come, the consolation of my humble soul. Come, my joy, my glory, my endless delight. The Feast of Pentecost will be celebrated this year on Sunday, June 8th. We will be joined that day by the faithful of St. John the Wonderworker, Serbian Orthodox Church. Father Daniel Mackay will be the homilist. Following Divine Liturgy will be the Kneeling Prayers of Pentecost. Following the Kneeling Prayers will be a charity luncheon hosted by Pete Drakatos. Proceeds from the luncheon will go to support Missions and Evangelism. Please join us!