S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H. Glad Tidings

Transcription

1 St. Paul, MN May 2008 Volume 14, Issue 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 Glad Tidings Pan-Orthodox Prison Ministry Brings the Love, Light, Peace & Joy of Christ to MN Prisons! The mission of the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry of Minnesota is to love prisoners in the name of Jesus Christ, help them grow in their Christian faith, and assist them in their preparation for transition into society with prayer, and guidance from the Holy Spirit. More than four years ago, Lay Chaplain, Paul Hatjistilianos and his assistant, Sandra Anderson began to establish the Pan-Orthodox Prison Ministry to bring the Love, Light, Peace & Joy of Jesus Christ into the lives of prison inmates in Minnesota. Since their work began, the Lord has greatly blessed their ministry, and called on them to expand their outreach into several correctional facilities in the Twin Cities area and surrounding communities. The ministry began in the Fall of 2003 with the blessing of Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago, and spiritual support from Father Harry Pappas of St. Mary s Greek Orthodox church, and the Pan- Orthodox endorsement & support the Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Christian Clergy Association (MEOCCA). In 2004, Paul and Sandra visited Orthodox parishes throughout the Twin Cities to bring awareness for the need of Prison Ministry using Biblical references such as Matthew 25: They also tried to inspire people, to prayerfully consider if they had a calling for the budding ministry. The Orthodox Prison Ministry s volunteer recruiting and training process includes a 3-page written application, a 1-hour individual interview, a threehour prison ministry training class, and a second three-hour prison orientation class. The goal of this rigorous process is to ensure that all potential volunteers understand the goals and objectives of the prison ministry and will be comfortable during their visits, and that they become familiar with the rules and regulations of the correctional facilities that they will be visiting. Volunteers who complete this process are also offered training on how to participate in, or conduct, a Bible Study session in prison, depending on their gifts or calling! The Ministry Expands to Several Facilities in the Twin Cities The first prison facility that the ministry visited is the Lino Lakes Minimum Security State Prison. Paul, Sandra, and a first group of volunteers began holding weekly one-hour Bible Study classes at Lino Lakes in February of Within a few months, the inmates requested that the Bible Study expand to 90 minutes, and soon after the Sergeant in charge suggested to the ministry's leadership, and they accepted, to expand the Bible study to 2 full hours! Typically, each weekly Bible Study at Lino Lakes is attended by four to eight volunteers, and six to twelve inmates. Since the establishment of the weekly Bible Study at Lino Lakes in 2005, God has opened many more doors for the ministry at prisons and work release programs throughout the Twin Cities. Ongoing Ministries and Activities of the Pan- Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry of Minn. include: Weekly Bible Study sessions at Lino Lakes Minimum Security State Prison Weekly Bible Study sessions at Shakopee Women's Prison Mentoring ministry with newly released prisoners at three work release facilities An after-release mentoring ministry One-on-one mentoring with inmates at a Medium facility Quarterly Orthodox Prayer and Healing Services at Lino Lakes Medium Security Prison Bi-Monthly Reunions of former inmates at one of the churches Prison Ministry con t, page 6. Special articles: Cover article continues on p. 6; pictures from Great Lent on pg. 7

2 Glad Tidings Page 2 From the Desk of the President I had a pretty informative article pulled together for this month, detailing the specifics about the Social Hall renovation and some other issues about the church (that I ll get to later). But, when I was just about finished with my comments for this month and was ready to forward them to the editorial staff an unfortunate thing happened. That s right, somehow I forgot to save the document or deleted it and all of my work was lost. So, if the article seems a little rough around the edges this time, you ll know why. I looked furiously for my lost article. And after awhile it began to sink in that it was gone forever. At first, I was frustrated. Soon after that, I became disgusted with myself for being so irresponsible. I thought to myself, You idiot, you don t have time to write a whole new article and you ll never remember what you said the first time around either! Ugh! So, as I sat down to right this column, I thought I d try to make lemonade out of a whole lot of lemons and see if maybe I could pull a positive or two out of the situation. I once heard that if we pray for patience, God may not necessarily give it to us but rather he may give us the opportunity to be more patient. Perhaps that s what this event was for me. It also reminded me that despite what I may like to think, I ultimately don t have complete control over what happens in my life. Stated another way, this is merely a recognition of my dependence on God. Well, as you can imagine, my whole perspective and attitude changed when I starting thinking about my dilemma this way (in fact I even smiled at the comedy of the whole fiasco). It also caused me to consider that maybe I should strive to be more consistently aware of this fact and apply it to the things that befall me on a daily basis. So with that thought firmly in mind, I can turn to recounting the other things that I wanted to say in this month s article. As we all know, the community approved renovation of the Social Hall at the February Parish Assembly meeting. Work on the project will commence in early June after the Sunday School year is over and as things quiet down for the summer. Presently, we anticipate that the work will be completed and we ll have a nice, new Social Hall to enjoy by the end of June. During the renovation, it may be a little cramped or disheveled at the Coffee Hour. But, the inconvenience will be short-lived and the outcome will be something we will enjoy together for a long time to come. In addition to the Social Hall, we continue to anxiously await installation of the new iconostasis. Committee members and the Parish Council have met and discussed the efforts that will be needed to pull off this project with the least amount of inconvenience. Early summer seems to be the most likely time frame for this project to occur, however, we will need to remain flexible on, given the Social Hall renovations, so as to allow ourselves a place to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. More recently, a lot of thought has gone into the issue of whether the flooring on the solea and altar area should be changed when the iconostasis is replaced. Members of the Capital Improvements and Iconostasis Committees have met to discuss whether it would be feasible and advisable to present a plan to the Parish Assembly for installation of marble flooring. While this project remains unresolved at the time of this writing, it is something that will probably be coming before the community for a decision at some point in the not too distant future. I m excited about the changes to the church facilities. And I once again invite each of you to voice your opinions about this and other potential projects. As I ve said before, we all benefit when we receive input and different perspectives on the front end, before decisions are made that affect us all. A final note about the new iconostasis: As a part of the project, we will be donating the current iconostasis. Of course, that iconostasis has a history of its own. It is part of who we are at St. George and has ties to many former and current members of the parish. I encourage everyone to be mindful of respecting that history as we discuss what the ultimate disposition of the iconostasis will be. I would also ask folks to consider this. Stop for a moment and consider the larger ramifications of what we are going to do. We are blessed at St. George to be able to afford to install a new iconostasis. We are also blessed to be able to afford donating our current iconostasis to another church. We will likely end up donating the iconostasis to a church not as financially well off as we are. And that church, while Orthodox, most likely will not be Greek Orthodox. From my perspective, however, our generosity is merely an extension of the practice of the early Christians (as retold in the Acts of the Apostles), when they made donations to the church in Jerusalem during a time of great need. We should take great joy from this opportunity that God has given to us. Christos Anesti!. Christ is Risen! Eric

3 St. Paul, MN Page 3 Parish Announcements Mothers Day is May 11 Once again the St George Greek School will host Mothers' Day in the Social Hall with a short program of songs and poems and graduation acknowledgment. Please plan to be our guests in this joyful Spring event! Festival of Nations Children's Dance Performance Thursday, May 1st 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 3rd, 12:30 p.m. Greek Dancers of Minnesota Saturday, May 3rd, 3:00 p.m. Greek Festival Committee Paul and Jean Pliakas will be cochairing the Greek Festival again this year along with the devoted Greek Festival Committee. We meet every Wednesday evening through June and July. Please consider joining this fun group of people and share your ideas. OPA! SAVE THE DATE St. George Annual Greek Festival August 16-17th (rain or shine) Recycle Here Two new blue recycling bins have been purchased for the church. One bin in the Social Hall is marked for "Cans Only". Please use this bin for aluminum soda cans. The second bin is in the kitchen and should be used for #1 and #2 plastics (which are most juice and milk containers) and tin cans (which are food and coffee cans). Please be stewards of the environment and use these blue bins when you are at church. Junior Choir The Junior Choir practice for May 4 will be postponed to May 11 due to the Festival of Nations. Junior Choir practices will continue throughout the summer, following its regular schedule of 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. A group picture is planned for Sunday, June 1. Please watch for details or contact Andrea Faches. Greek Dancers of Minnesota Practice There will be no dance practice for the Greek Dancers of Minnesota until Sunday, May 11, when summer hours begin: 6:30-8:30PM. Social Hall Remodel Approved! At the February General Assembly, the Parish approved the remodeling plan of the Social Hall. This project includes improved lighting & acoustics, fresh paint, new banquet style chairs, tables and updated window coverings. Work will begin in June. A special Fund Drive has been set up and donations are greatly appreciated. Philoptochos-Fabulous at Any Age St. George Ladies Philoptochos Society extends an invitation to members and non-members alike, to celebrate at the Deaces Birthday Brunch, 11:30 am, Saturday June 7, 85 Many Levels Rd., Dellwood, MN. RSVP to Evelyn Boosalis: or Reva Adkins: John W. Lambros Scholarship Foundation This scholarship has been established to recognize and foster academic achievement within the St. George Greek Orthodox Community and the AHEPA family. Annual stipends in the amount of $ will be awarded to undergraduate students attending accredited universities, colleges or technical training institutes. Awards are made only to students who are active, paid up members of St. George Greek Orthodox Community of St. Paul, MN and the Order of AHEPA or one of its ancillary, organizations, who are entering into college or are in undergraduate work. Deadline for applications is June 30, Forms are available by calling Salvation Army in Greece Many of us are familiar with the work of the Salvation Army, but did you know that Greece is the most recent (113th ) country to join the family? Based in Thessaloniki, the office started operations in October of Ideas or questions can be mailed to Captain Polis Pontelios: polis@salvationarmy.gr. Loaves and Fishes Thank you to all who volunteer for Loaves and Fishes. On April 14 we had 21 people who cooked, set up, served and cleaned. There was an abundance of humor, chatter and food. The next serving date is Monday, June 9!

4 Glad Tidings Page 4 Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours Mondays 10:00AM-12:30PM, 1:30PM-4:30PM Tue. Thurs. 8:00AM-12:30PM, 1:30 PM-4:30 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) FatherRick@usa.com Fiona Eustathiades, Administrative Assistant (651) Registry Day Churchings Fotini Donnelly (Joseph) Memorials Dimitrios Hatzistamoulos (9 months) Maria Iliopoulou (40 days). Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President (507) chadwick@ptslaw.com Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Andrea Faches, Sunday School Director (507) afaches@msn.com Festal Icons Needed Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $50.00 per icon. The icons are displayed in the church nave and are put out for veneration on the Feast Day of the Saint or event they represent. To donate an icon, fill out a form (found on the bulletin board by the kitchen) and return it to the office. St. Agnes (Agnea) June 14 St. Anastasia the Martyr October 12 St. Christina the Martyr July 24 Anna Christoforides, Greek School Director (651) Diane Anastos Glad Tidings - Editor Christos Anesti! Alithos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Truly he has Risen!

5 St. Paul, MN Page 5 YOUTH NEWS SUNDAY SCHOOL GRADUATION June 1, 2008 The Sunday School invites you to the social hour celebration immediately following the graduation in the Social Hall. Again this year teachers will be available to answer questions about our programs. We will also be recruiting teachers for next year s program. If you have an interest in offering your talents to teach and touch the hearts of our youth, please contact Andrea Faches at (507) SUNDAY SCHOOL Mark your calendars. The first day of Sunday School will be on Sunday, September 7th. Please register your student e a r l y o n l i n e a t h t t p : / / w w w. s t g e o r g e g o c. o r g / SundaySchoolForm.html. We are excited to announce that a Senior High program will be reinitiated this fall. Please encourage your High School students to sign up. St. Mary s Summer Camp-June 29 July 6, 2008 at Camp Wapo St. Mary s Summer Camp has moved from Big Sandy Camp in McGregor, MN to Camp Wapogasset (Wapo) in Avery, WI. The facility is in a location where the camp program can continue to grow and expand. For more information, please check the web site: UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS FAMILY NIGHT Friday, May 16th 6:30 p.m. Meet for potluck and planning for Mission Possible. Host family: Bruer-Panopoulos 130 Sunrise Court Medina, MN RSVP to Georgia by May 11th GRAND OLD DAY Sunday, June 1st 12:00 noon 4:00 p.m. GOYA Youth will be collecting a fee to park in the St. George parking lot. All proceeds will be donated to Trinity Mission. GOYA Saints Game Sunday, June 8th Enjoy the St. Paul Saints play the Wichita Winguts Game starts at 1:05 p.m. GOYA Summer Program We are looking for parent volunteers to help with the GOYA group in a service project in the morning and then spend the afternoon having fun together. The first date would be a Monday in June. Please contact Jane Andrews at janedono@usfamily.net or Jean Pliakas at jwpliakas@aolcom. We will have a tailgate lunch before the game. SAVE THE DATE Friday, June Family Night Need host family.

6 Glad Tidings Page 6 Book Store New in the Bookstore... Encountering the Mystery by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Found on the dust jacket: As Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew is the symbol of unity for the self-governing national and ethnic Orthodox Christian churches throughout the world. He is well known for his commitment to protecting the environment - his efforts for raising environmental awareness global have earned him the title "Green Patriarch" - and for opening communications with other Christians as well as with Muslims and other religious groups. This book is written with personal warmth and great erudition. " Encountering the Mystery" illuminates the rich culture and soul of Orthodox Christianity. Bartholomew traces its roots to its founding two thousand years ago, explores its spirituality and doctrine, and explains its liturgy and art. More especially, in a unique and unprecedented way, he relates Orthodox Christianity to contemporary issues, such as freedom and human rights, social justice and globalization, nationalism and war. With a recent rebirth of Orthodox Christian churches there has been great interest in understanding this important branch of Christianity, with its close ties to the traditions of the early church; a rich spiritual source that draws upon the wisdom of millennia. Prison Ministry Continued from pg. 1. Although the ministry s growth is gratifying, it is even more important that the ministry not try to expand too fast. The ministry s leadership always makes sure that it has enough volunteers to support any new facility or activity that it commits to; because once a new commitment is made it must be supported with volunteers. For this reason, the prison ministry is regularly accepting applications from potential new volunteers who would like to join the team. Why Do So Many Volunteers Commit Their Time to this Pan- Orthodox Prison Ministry? There are many reasons that volunteers join the ministry; but the central reason is based on the Gospel of Matthew 25. "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, you ca me I was in prison and you came to me....truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." Matthew 25:35, 36, 40 In addition to this passage from Matthew, volunteers participate in the ministry because they want to share the Love & Light of Jesus with the inmates, and because of the positive impact that they believe the ministry has on the prisoners. Also, the volunteers feel they receive a great spiritual reward from their participation, and the Bible Studies become an important part of the volunteers lives. If You Would Like to Learn More If you would like to learn more about the Pan-Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry of Minnesota, please visit their website at or call Lay Chaplain Paul Hatjistilianos at Editor s note: Article contributed by Paul Pliakas and Paul Hatjistilianos.

7 Metropolis & Archdiocesan News Clergy-Laity Congress Preparations for the Clergy/Laity Congress are well underway and are progressing in a manner which will focus and develop the theme of the Congress Gather My People to My Home. The 39 th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress and National Philoptochos Convention will be held July at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC. In reflecting on the theme of the Congress, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, spiritual leader of 1.5 million Greek Orthodox Christians in America, said: This Congress comes at a very critical time. People, families and communities throughout this country and the world are facing serious challenges and struggles and are in need of love and ministry. The Clergy-Laity Congress is convened biennially and is concerned with all matters, other than doctrinal or canonical, affecting the life, growth and unity of the Church, her institutions, her finances, her administration, educational and philanthropic concerns and her growing role in the religious life of the nation. Congress details will be available at St. Paul, MN Page 7 St. Isaac Open House The 8 th Annual Open House of St. Isaac Skete will take place June There is no cost to attend and food as well as beverages will be provided. Highlights include: formal tours and access to the Mission Center and Skete Valley. demonstrations by iconographers; access to St. Isaac s Orthodox Bookstore; formal lectures (from Orthodox guest speakers from U.S. and Canada). This year s theme is The Sacred Image in Youth. Saturday, June 21, 2008 Morning Service/ Breakfast/ Lectures & Tours/ Noon Meal/ Lectures & Tours/ Supper/ Evening Service. Sunday, June 22, 2008 Hours & Liturgy/ Noon Meal/ Lectures & Tours/ Evening Service/ Supper/ Fireworks Display. Where? St. Isaac of Syria Skete, Pilgrims Way, Boscobel, WI, (70 miles south of La- Crosse, WI. 70 miles west of Madison, WI. 70 miles north of Dubuque, IA. 2 miles off US Highway 61). Map to St. Isaac Skete: will be available on our Announcement page in May (specific times and lecture speakers/ titles). For highlights and photos from last years Open House see: fuseaction=page.display&page_id=95. Pilgrims normally come for one day, two days, or part of either day. Many activities took place during Great and Holy Lent. Thank you to our various Friday Lenten speakers, especially world renowned author, Kyriacos Markides, and those who participated and attended the services and workshops

8 S T. G E O R G E G R E E K O R T H O D O X C H U R C H 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No. 177 Phone: Fax: Web Site: Weekday Worship Schedule REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES St. Irene Monday, May 5, 9:00am Divine Liturgy Wednesday, May 8 9:00am Divine Liturgy Sts. Constantine and Helen Wednesday, May 21, 8:00am Liturgy Saturday, May 3 & 31 9:30am Liturgy in Eau Claire, WI Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: Saturday 5 pm (September May) Orthros: Sunday 8:30 am Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:45 am Sunday School: (September through May) starts after administration of Holy Communion

9 May 2008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Coming in June Sunday School Graduation 5 - ASCENSION of our Lord, MEOCCA Choir Concert 8 - Orthodox-Catholic Conversion 9 - Loaves and Fishes Youth & Family Ministry Mtg Parish Family Night 15 - PENTECOST, St George Antiochian 22 - ALL SAINTS 28 - Liturgy in Eau Claire, WI Summer Church Camp (thru July 5) 29 - STS. Peter & Paul BRIGHT/RENEWAL WEEK NO FASTING FESTIVAL OF NATIONS +9:00am Liturgy in Eau Claire, WI *12:00pm Fr. Paul Tarazi Lectures *5:00pm Radio Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS *6:00pm Fr. Paul Tarazi w/ Clergy ANTIPASCHA- +ST. IRENE +FAST DAY +FAST DAY ST. THOMAS +8:30am ORTHROS +9:00am LITURGY +9:00am LITURGY +9:45am LITURGY *12:00pm MEOCCA *12:00pm Junior Choir Practice *6:15:00pm Greek *6:30pm *6:30pm Missions *7:00pm Parish *5:00pm Radio School Philoptochos & Benevolence Council Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS FESTIVAL OF NATIONS RD SUN. +FAST DAY +FAST DAY PASCHA Mother's Day +8:30am ORTHROS +9:45am LITURGY *12:00pm Acolyte *6:15:00pm Greek *5:00pm Spiritual Training School *7:00pm Bible Life Cmte *6:00pm Parish *5:00pm Radio Fr. Rick's Family Night Program KKMS 980am *12:00pm Greek *6:30pm Youth Home *7:00pm Ahepa +5:00pm VESPERS School Graduation & Family Ministry Mtg Meeting TH SUN. PASCHA +FAST DAY +FAST DAY +8:30am ORTHROS +9:45am LITURGY *12:00pm Choir Practice +STS. CONSTANTINE & HELEN +8:00am LITURGY *12:30pm Parish *6:15:00pm Greek *5:00pm Radio Assembly School Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS TH SUN. MEMORIAL DAY +FAST DAY +FAST DAY PASCHA - Office Closed +8:30am ORTHROS +9:45am LITURGY +9:30am Liturgy in Eau Claire, WI *7:00pm Stewardship*7:00pm Welcome Cmte & Outreach Cmte. *5:00pm Radio Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN Rev. Father Richard Demetrius Andrews -- Phone: (651)

10

11 St. George Greek Orthodox Church, St. Paul, MN Parish Council Meeting Minutes March 13, 2008 Attendees: Absent: Fr Richard Demetrius Andrews, Eric Chadwick, Christ Kontenakos, Pendy Eliou, Ann Woods, Diane Anastos, Georgia Bruer-Panopoulos, Jim Theros, Paul Pliakas and Frank Mortari Stacy Katsiyannis The meeting was called to order at 19:10. Fr Rick opened the meeting with a prayer followed by 4 bible readings. Changes were requested to the minutes of the February 13, 2008 Parish Council Meeting as well as to minutes of the Parish Assembly meeting of February 24, Frank Mortari will submit the amended minutes at the April 10, 2008 Parish Council meeting for approval. TREASURER S REPORT A report was submitted of the finances for the month of February 2008 as well as for the January to February 2008 period (the reports will be attached to the minutes). For the January to February 2008 period, overall actual expenses exceeded actual income by $6, There were discussions on how the Treasurer can best balance the choice between keeping funds in the checking account versus the money market account. Eric Chadwick suggested that this matter of funds in different accounts be discussed in more detail at the next Parish Council meeting.. Father Rick s Report Fr Rick presented a detailed report (the report will be attached to the minutes). Fr Rick also discussed thoughts that we should all keep in mind during Lent: specifically Fasting, Prayer, Almsgiving, Spiritual Reading, Quiet Time and Repentance. COMMITTEE REPORTS Spiritual Life Ann Woods reminded Council members of the upcoming Lenten lectures and the St Gregory Palamas Festival of Light Lenten Retreat on March 21-23, 2008, featuring Professor Kyriacos Markides (flyers available in Social Hall). Fr Rick encouraged Council members to attend the Lenten Retreat as well as inviting other participants. Capital Projects Paul Pliakas submitted a report from the Capital Projects Committee (the report will be attached to the minutes). Paul Pliakas raised the question of what mechanism is to be used to track donations to the Social Hall improvement project. Christ Kontenakos pointed out that the only funds for the Social Hall improvement were approved to be raised at the February 24, Parish Assembly meeting. Three financial pledges towards the Social Hall improvement project have already been received (Arsenault, Theros and Kontenakos). Stewardship Committee Pendy Eliou provided a report comparing current pledges to past years (the report will be attached to the minutes). The total number of pledges for 2008 are down compared to 2006 and 2007 but the total amount pledged to date as well as the average pledge amount is up compared to 2006 and The Stewardship Committee will contact those pledgers who have not yet pledged this year. Pendy Eliou encouraged Parish Council members to attend the next meeting of the Stewardship Committee, which will be held March 25, Fr Rick reminded the Parish Council to attempt not to schedule meetings that may conflict with other spiritual activities, especially during the Lent period.

12 Building & Grounds Fr Rick pointed out concerns with the current provider of our snow removal services: issues include accumulation of snow in the parking lot that restricts car parking at the Church. The question is: are we getting value for what we are paying? Christ Kontenakos indicated he had knowledge of another provider of snow removal services and would contact them to get a bid in order to compare the value of the current ground services we are receiving. Festival of Nations Paul Pliakas indicated that all the paperwork for booth attendance at the Festival of Nations has been filed. The need now is for volunteers during the May 1-4, 2008 period and is asking for people to help with this event. NEW BUSINESS Church Anniversary Recognitions Frank Mortari reported that the Church has received invitations to participate and support, through the taking out of ads, 2 anniversary celebrations: 90 th anniversary for SS Constantine & Helen GOC in Rockford, Illinois and 100 th anniversary for St John the Baptist GOC in Omaha, Nebraska. Motion: Georgia Panopoulos-Bruer moved for the Parish Council to support both events with a $50 contribution to each celebration in the form of either ads (if the deadline has not expired) or as a contribution. Pendy Eliou seconded the motion. The motion carried. Financial Software Upgrade Eric Chadwick highlighted the limitations associated with the current booking software that the Church uses (Quicken). Diane Anastos and Ann Woods also pointed out concerns with Quicken to generate end of year Tax statements. A better software addresses business needs is QuickBooks, which costs $300. Motion: Ann Woods moved that Council purchase QuickBooks to replace the current Quicken software used to track Church finances. Diane Anastos seconded the motion. The motion carried. Recommendation Letter Ann Woods has been accepted to a PhD graduate program at Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. Ann Woods asked the Parish Council for support in her efforts to apply for scholarship funds from the S. Gregory Taylor Scholarship. She feels that a letter highlighting her involvement in Church and Parish Council activities would lend strong support to her bid for this scholarship. Motion: Pendy E. motioned that Parish Council draft a letter in support of Ann Woods. Diane Anastos seconded the motion. The motion carried. Paschal Dinner The Church has traditionally held a dinner after the Resurrection Service. At the moment we are in need of volunteers. Fr Rick encouraged Parish Council members to be involved. Georgia Panopoulos-Bruer and her husband, Kyle Bruer, have offered to coordinate the dinner. Parish Assembly Recap and Rescheduling Eric Chadwick expressed some frustration with the inability to get the financial reports approved at the February 24, 2008 Parish Assembly meeting due to a lack of a quorum. These issues need to be approved and therefore a May, 2008 Parish Assembly meeting needs to be scheduled and the agenda will be set at the April 10, 2008 Parish Council meeting. Eric Chadwick also expressed concerns about going ahead with planned renovation of the library in the basement of the Church when it is not clear that water seepage related issues have been fully addressed. 2

13 Eric Chadwick pointed out that the Service door installation under the outside stairway mentioned in the Capital Report was approved at a previous Parish Assembly meeting and therefore does not need further action in order for the project to proceed. Council had a long discussion on how to best coordinate the actions of different committees and the need for a Long Term Capital Improvement Plan. Fr Rick suggested that Parish Council consider having a yearly meeting focused exclusively on long range planning. Fr Rick suggested that there needs to be better communication between the following committees: Capital Projects, Long Range Planning and Iconostasis. Eric Chadwick urged to get a meeting of the above three Committees as soon as possible. Georgia Panopoulos-Bruer favored dividing the projects (Iconostasis and Other Capital Improvements) to better identify the funding needs. She also favored informing the Church community more frequently. Jim Theros and Christ Kontenakos pointed out the need for having a project coordinator to supervise each project. The Iconostasis project is a most immediate concern, given that it will require coordination of: take down of the existing Iconostasis, installation of new floor in the Solea, installation of wiring for audio system and finally installation of the new Iconostasis. Fr Rick spoke to the two individuals involved with creating the new Iconostasis and a more realistic time frame for completion of the project is after Pascha (May, 2008). Fr Rick indicated that he had discussions with the Church who has agreed to take the old Iconostasis and their willingness to hire a work crew to tear down the old Iconostasis from St George GOC. Christ Kontenakos pointed out that efforts should be made to complete by the end of 2008 the following two projects: the new altar table and the monument at the cemetery. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Pan-Orthodox Vespers Dinner The Pan-Orthodox Vespers dinner on March 23/08 will he coordinated by Paul and Jean Pliakas. Additional help is highly appreciated. Land Development Completion Efforts to schedule the replacement of a new electrical transformer and have electrical cable buried in a manner that would not disrupt Church activities continue. Upon completion of this final phase of the project, the final payment, of about $17,000, will be made. Parish Council Vacancies The current Parish council has 2 at the moment with a potential additional one coming up later this year. Fr Rick simply asked Council to make a decision to either seek additional members or continue on with the current group. Christ Kontenakos favors adding additional members in order alleviate the workload on current members. Eric Chadwick encouraged all Council members to approach other individuals to determine if they wish to serve on the Parish Council and at that time the Council would review all possible candidates. James Nickitas Estate Donation Eric Chadwick reminded Council that he had written a letter to the estate of James Nickitas asking to address interest associated with the delayed donation of funds to the Church. No response has been received so far to this inquiry and Eric Chadwick will phone the estate representative to get a clarification of this matter. Christ Kontenakos asked if any uses of the Nickitas funds had been designated. Council will draft a list of uses with money collected in the Memorial Fund. The meeting was adjourned at 22:10. Fr Rick led the congregation in a closing prayer. 3