April 2019 COFFEE HOUR PARISH DUTIES. APRIL 7 Kristin Kolostroubis Laura Kolostroubis Maria Lagoutaris

Transcription

1 April 2019 COFFEE HOUR APRIL 7 Kristin Kolostroubis Laura Kolostroubis Maria Lagoutaris APRIL 14 APRIL 21 Palm Sunday Luncheon APRIL 28 PASCHA Picnic Ramallah Club PARISH DUTIES APRIL 7, 2019 Ushers: Pete Carantza, Anthony Hicks, David Moody, Nassim Elias, Lewis Preddy Prosforo: Marlene Bateh Epistle Reader: Lewis Preddy APRIL 14, 2019 Ushers: Bill Toundas, Tony Attanasio, Victor Kassees, George Maillis, Nick Furris Prosforo: Kay Carantzas Epistle Reader: Lloyd Regas APRIL 21, 2019 Ushers: George Stavros, Nick Theologis, Norman Bateh, Michael Jacobsen, Stephanie Petty Prosforo: John Demopoulos Epistle Reader: Pete Carantza APRIL 28, 2019 Ushers: PASCHA Prosforo: Efi Elkins Epistle Reader: Anthony Megas Celebrating over 100 years of ministry in Jacksonville METROPOLIS OF ATLANTA 3850 Atlantic Boulevard Jacksonville, FL Office (904) Rev. Dr. Nicholas G. Louh, Priest Rev. Dr. Milton A. Magos, Priest Deacon Athanasios Kartsonis Pastoral Assistant: Alyssa Kyritsis Administrative Assistant: Sharon Gutteridge St. John the Divine Mission Statement: To proclaim the Holy Gospel by teaching and spreading the Orthodox Christian Faith in a dynamic and welcoming community devoted to serving all people who seek a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

2 FAMILY NIGHT Dinner will begin at 6:00 pm and break out into groups at 6:30 pm. We have something for everyone. Please plan for your family to be with us on Wednesdays. FAMILY NIGHT LOCATIONS Bible Study: Church Catechism: Chapel HOPE and JOY: Classrooms Greek School: Classrooms GOYA: Youth House Greek Dance: Church Hall MEN S BIBLE STUDY Tuesdays in April the men of our Church Family will meet at Athens Café. Bible Study will start at 11:30 am. WOMEN S BIBLE FELLOWSHIP Tuesdays in April Women s Bible Fellowship will meet at 10:30 am in the Hall, then 11:00 am in the Chapel. All are welcome. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS If you know of a High School Senior who is graduating this year please contact Alyssa at ext. 12 or pastoral.assistant@stjohnthedivine.com UPCOMING EVENTS SERVICES IN APRIL Monday, April 1 6:00pm Compline Services (Chapel) Wednesday, April 3 5:15 pm Pre-Sanctified (Chapel) Friday, April 5 6:00 pm Akathistos Services (Church) Monday, April 8 6:00pm Compline Services (Chapel) Wednesday, April 10 5:15 pm Pre-Sanctified (Chapel) Friday, April 12 6:00 pm Akathistos Services (Church) Saturday, April 20 9:00 am Divine Liturgy Saturday of Lazarus April 21, 2018 Palm Sunday 9:00 am Orthros - Morning Prayers 10:00 am Divine Liturgy 5:30 pm - Nymphios Service Bride/Groom Service Holy Week Schedule Included in Bulletin GOOD FRIDAY We need everyone to assist us on Friday, April 26 in decorating and preparing the church for the Resurrection of our Lord. All are welcome. We will begin after 9am Divine Liturgy. GOYA Pascha Luminaries GOYA will be selling Pascha Luminary Memorial Bags. Each luminary bag will be beautifully decorated with an Orthodox Cross and the name(s) of those who you would like to remember. The GOYANS will have a table set up in the Church hall where you may sign up. The cost is only a love offering and the money raised will go towards various GOYA projects. AHEPA SCHOLARSHIP Application for A.H.E.P.A. District #2 Scholarship may be picked up at the Church Office starting May 1. Deadline for submission is June 1. Please contact Gem Mann if you have any questions. YOCAMA - Mission Trip We will be taking a mission trip to New Mexico through the YOCAMA Organization on July Please contact Alyssa Kyritsis at pastoral.assistant@stjohnthedivine.com if you're interested in attending!

3 Youth & Young Adult Programs Youth Choir: For all children Pre K-6 th Grade. If interested, please contact Stacy Kokkinos at SJTD Mom s Ministry: If you have kids of any age, check out this group and feel free to bring a friend! They will meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday each month at 9:30am in the church hall. The best part is child care will be provided in the church nursery. This will be a place for women to gather and take some time for themselves to enjoy fellowship with other mothers while discussing all kinds of life topics, scripture, learn new skills and just relax! For more information, please contact Lee-Catherine Hicks at lbateh@gmail.com. Youth Groups: HOPE (PK-4 through 2 nd grade), JOY (3 rd -5 th grade), and GOYA (6 th -12 th grade) meet monthly and offer many programs based on fellowship AND fun! If interested in any of these ministries, please contact our Pastoral Assistant, Alyssa Kyritsis, at pastoral.assistant@stjohnthedivine.com or , x12. Orthodox Christian Fellowship: OCF is the official collegiate campus ministry program under the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. OCF is charged with connecting Orthodox college students and those interested in the Orthodox Christian faith to Christ and His Church. If interested, please contact our Pastoral Assistant, Alyssa Kyritsis, at pastoral.assistant@stjohnthedivine.com or , x12. Young Adult League (YAL): YAL is a group for young adults, ages Whether social or religious, the group meets at least once a month. If interested, please contact Alyssa Kyritsis at pastoral.assistant@stjohnthedivine.com. American Heritage Girls: AHG is a Christ based scouting program for girls affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. It emphasizes experiences and a merit badge program in areas od life skills, leadership, team work, character development, social development, and spiritual development. For more information, visit the website at or contact Robin Dewey at robindewey@usa.net. March Youth and Young Adult Events OCF (College Students) and YAL (Young Adult League) Jon us on Saturday, April 20 for Saturday of Lazarus and Making of the Palms. We need everyone to assist us on Friday, April 26 in decorating and preparing the church for the Resurrection of our Lord. Mom s Ministry Join us on April 9 in the Church Hall at 9:30 AM for a talk with Pres. Helen Magos on Raising Children Greek Orthodox. GOYA (7 th -12 th grade) SJTD will also be hosting a District Lenten Retreat on April 5-7, the YES Program, where youth will work with the homeless of Jacksonville. Please see Alyssa for more information! We will have a GOYA Meeting on April 3 at 6:30 PM in the Youth House lead by Fr. Nick Louh. And a GOYA Service meeting on April 10. Our Good Friday Lock-In and Decorating Day will take place on April 26. Please let Alyssa know if you plan to spend the night in the church. JOY (3rd-6th Grade) Please join us on April 13 at 5 PM for a mini retreat on Holy Week at SJTD! We will also have JOY Sessions during Family Night on April 3 and 10. Dinner will be at 6 PM and Sessions at 6:30 PM. HOPE (PK-4-2 nd Grade) Please join us on April 19 at 6:30 PM for a mini retreat on Friendship at SJTD! We will also have HOPE Sessions during Family Night on April 3 and 10. Dinner will be at 6 PM and Sessions at 6:30 PM. American Heritage Girls We will be meeting on April 14 after Church in the Sunday School Classrooms. On April 26 we will help out at the Church to prepare for Holy Friday then serve as the myrrh bearers. Sunday School (3 years-12 th grade) We will not have class on April 21 (Palm Sunday) or April 28 (Pascha). Classes will resume on May 5. Don t forget Penny Wars ends on April 28!!

4 Jesus Meets the Desperate Father (John 4:46-47) And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. This highly known noble man lived about twenty miles from Cana, where Jesus was now staying. Suddenly his precious son became ill, and soon there was no hope for his recovery. The royal official came himself to Jesus, the former carpenter of Nazareth for help. He arrives in Cana, possibly expecting special treatment from Jesus because he was a royal commander and to see some convincing sign as the miracle of the Syrophoenician mother (Luke 7:11-15). The officials request was that Jesus Himself would go down twenty miles from Cana to Capernaum to heal his dying son. Jesus said, Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe (John 4:48). We need to realize that Jesus did not intended to go Himself to Capernaum, but He needed to awaken confident faith in the father in order to heal his boy. When Jesus spoke to the nobleman, He also addressed the unbelieving population of Galilee, and unbelievers among those leading officials represented in this man before him. It was the attitude of the people around who had to see the evidence before they would believe Jesus. It was really Jesus deep challenge to the higher quality of faith which He wished to arouse in this man. The father felt the sympathy and concern in the words of Jesus. He knew well that this was not a refusal to help, but an encouragement to take the next step. The desperate nobleman with anguish in his eyes, looked straight into the heart of Jesus, to the compassion he sensed that he could touch. He said in effect, Lord, please come. If only you are there my child will not die. The nobleman moved from his desire to see signs and wonders, and instead fastened his faith upon the Person of Jesus, as he pleaded with Him on a person-to-person relationship. The Lord answered his prayer by calling him to the highest possible faith. He must not first see, but first believe the word of Jesus without any outward proof. The father had said. Lord, come down to Capernaum with me. Jesus replied in effect, I am not coming. I am not going to answer your prayer in your way. I will answer it My way, but you must cooperate with Me in obedient faith. Go home. Your son will live. The man acted out his faith. Faith always involves an action. Had he continued asking the Lord to come down instead of acting upon the promise, there would have been no real faith. Some of us, after having read the promise and prayed, we begin to ask all over again, or we say, Well, I hope He has heard me, but I feel nothing. This is not faith. To believe is to act. This is exactly what this man did. He returned home to see his son, knowing that he was better. The servants met him saying, Your son lives. Signs and wonders, which are miracles because only God can perform them, always follow faith. We believe in the existence of heaven now. We shall one day see it. The man believed (without seeing) on Jesus word (John 4:50). After he saw the results of faith in the Lord s promise, all of the nobleman s house believed. Hebrews 11:6 says, without faith it is impossible to please God Jesus was looking for faith, not for signs and miracles. The question is not can God provide to meet my crisis situation. The critical question is where is God at work in my life? God will provide because He is faithful to accomplish His will. The great thing is that when we choose the faith route in our lives, God many times gives us something good, for every good thing comes down from Him. In His Name, John Stavros. YES (Youth Equipped to Serve) is the youth program of FOCUS North America. YES is coming to your community! WHEN? Friday- Sunday, April 5 th 7 th, 2019 WHAT? WHO? A wonderful opportunity to serve and love the people of Jacksonville, Florida. 13 years old High School Students WHERE? We will meet at 5pm and stay Friday and Saturday nights at: St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church, 3850 Atlantic Boulevard, Pick up will be following Divine Liturgy on Sunday. HOW DO I REGISTER? ANY QUESTIONS? Please contact our Trip Leaders, Larissa Hatch larissahatch07@gmail.com and Rob Neda robertneda@gmail.com, Or Katrina Bitar, YES Program Director: kbitar@focusna.org

5 Fr. Nicholas and Fr. Milton would like to congratulate Niko and Alyssa Kyritsis on the birth of their new baby boy. Nicholas Dimitrios Born March 12, lbs 5 oz May God bless the newest member of our St. John the Divine Family. May they have many years of good health and happiness. Scouts, Military and Archons During this special time of the year, we would like to honor our scouts, military, and Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Holy Friday, April 26, the first 6 pews on the right side of the Church (the Bishop's Throne side) will be reserved for the Cub Scouts, Military, Archons, and their families. We ask that the Scouts please wear their uniforms, the Military their service dress blues, and Archons please wear their ribbons. In the procession of the Epitaphios, the clergy will be joined by the Parish Council President, Pete Carantza. All Archons, all Military, and Cub Scouts and their families will follow directly behind the clergy. The Military will have the blessed honor of carrying the Epitaphios. Holy Saturday, April 27, at the Resurrection Service, once again those same pews will be reserved. We ask that the Scouts please wear their uniforms, the military wear service dress blues, and the Archons wear their ribbons. The Holy light will be given from the clergy, to the Parish Council President, then to the military in honor of all our men and women in the armed forces, and they in turn, will pass the holy light to the faithful. Good Friday We need everyone to assist us on Friday, April 26 in decorating and preparing the church for the Resurrection of our Lord. All are welcome. We will begin after 9am Divine Liturgy. Please bring a Lenten dish to share for lunch. Dear Church Family, Please accept our heartfelt appreciation for the sympathy cards, meals, and visits at the loss of my beloved husband, John. We are blessed to be a part of such a loving community. Thank you! The Amorgianos Family

6 NAMES OF THE FALLING ASLEEP IN THE LORD TO BE COMMEMORATED HOLY FRIDAY AT THE EPITAPHIOS SERVICE NAMES OF THE LIVING TO BE COMMEMORATED AT THE RESURRECTION SERVICE If you would like to make a Love Offering, please do so to the Discretionary Fund, a fund that assists those who are in financial distress in our community.

7

8 On Saturday, April 27 at approximately 11:30 am we will have the Blessing of the Foundation of our new church on Beach Blvd. At this service, Fr. Nicholas Louh will provide you a commemorative marker so you can sign your name on the foundation. Please be part of this historical day in the life of our Church Family.