SS. PETER AND PAUL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH DECEMBER 2014

Transcription

1 SS. PETER AND PAUL GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH DECEMBER 2014

2 Saints Peter Paul Greek Orthodox Church 1401 Wagner Road Glenview, Il Phone: (847) Fax: (847) Rev. Father Panagiotis Boznos, Proistamenos Deacon Vasilios Smith Sunday &Weekly Services Matins 8:15 am Divine Liturgy 9:30 am Church Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am-4:30pm Fri. 8:30am - 3:00pm Office Administrator: Jeannine McIntyre Office Assistant: Toula Garbis Bookkeeper: Diane Bravos 2014 PARISH COUNCIL Rev. Father Panagiotis Boznos, Proistamenos James Santos, President Jim Gottreich, Vice President Steve Koulogeorge, Treasurer Demete Papson, Assistant Treasurer Therese Speropoulos, Assistant Treasurer Keith Anderson, Recording Secretary Christy Gouletas, Corresponding Secretary Chris Atsaves Athan Demakos Fritz Freidinger George Kirie Bo LaMotte Mary Ann Langas Nicholas Mechales George Nassos John Nikitas Nicole Olds Nick Paterakos PARISH MINISTRIES Agape Preschool: Renee Tzakis (847) Altar Boys: Dr. Ted Saclarides, Elias Papadakis Athletics: Chris Atsaves Book & Icon Store: Pat Nassos Choir Director: Therese Speropoulos Church School Coordinators: Cynthia Olson Angela Schmidt Louis Pappapichiel Coffee Fellowship: Lucy Economos (847) Dynamis Group: Gail Kachoyeanos Georgia Photopulos Cancer Support Group: Bud Photopulos and Phyllis Perivolidis Greek School: Stella Theoharopoulos (847) Morning Bible Study: Dr. Helen Theodoropoulos OPA: Rev. Fr. Panagiotis Boznos Organist: Helen Mariano Outreach: Mary Ann Langas Philoptochos President: Pat Nassos PROSPHORA: Calliope Prekezes Stewardship: Chris Atsaves Ushering: Jim Gottreich and Bo LaMotte PASTORAL NOTE Please telephone the Church office (847) during daytime hours for all spiritual emergencies. For evening emergencies contact Fr. Panagiotis at (630) God bless you always!

3 PASTORAL MESSAGE Let us try an experiment. Before continuing to read the remainder of this article, spend some time examining and reflecting on the Nativity Icon. What do you see? Can you identify all those present? Where are you most drawn? Perhaps no Icon in Orthodoxy is as densely composed as the Nativity Icon, and our limited space here does not allow me to expand each of the motifs in this Icon. However, there is one aspect that I would like to ask each of us to remember and focus upon during our Fast in preparation for Christ s birth. Notice that Christ is wrapped not in a large swaddling blanket, but rather in thin strips of material resembling bandages. See how the cave is dark, and his bed appears more like a coffin than a crib. Each of these small details points to the essential truth that Christ, the Son of God made flesh, became incarnate in order to die. In fact he is the only human who was born for that explicit purpose. St Cyril even goes as far as to call Christ s incarnation the first nails of the crucifixion. We are born to strive and peruse eternal life, Christ being Life Eternal was born so that through His death and resurrection we might all share in His Life. It is for this reason that the Church asks us to prepare for Christmas with a period of fasting. Through our sacrifices during Advent, we can meditate on and appreciate the sacrifice that Christ undertook, not only at the time of His crucifixion, but from the very beginning of His earthly life. This Christmas season I ask that we not only focus on the joy of our salvation (the end result), but also upon the process by which we are saved. God, who does not suffer by His nature, voluntarily became a man so as to share in the suffering of the pains of human life and thereby raise us out of our suffering. The greatness of the incarnation is found in the fact that out of God s immeasurable love for humanity He chose to lead us by joining Himself to us. Who around you is suffering? Who do you see in need? Who in your life could use a companion to lead them to refreshment by joining in their pain? Let us use Christ s incarnation as our example during the season of Advent to set aside a portion of our merriment in favor of joining and easing the distress of those in our midst. This way we complete the second portion of the traditional Christmas greeting in our words, and more importantly in our actions +Fr. Panagiotis CHRIST IS BORN GLORIFY HIM

4 We all share dreams for our church. There are countless missions to serve others in our community and beyond. In seeking to meet these needs we have a simple reality, fulfilling the multitude of needs depends on stewardship contributions. Hopefully, you will invest a few minutes to read about a couple more efficient methods of giving. It isn t required that you even fully understand them, as it is meant to trigger a deeper conversation with your accountant or financial advisor that best suits your situation and family needs. Cash and checks represent nearly all St. Peter and Paul s income, but we will review a couple other common giving strategies. They are used frequently in other charitable organizations, and are a win-win, with substantial benefits for both the church and the steward. Donors can often save on taxes by directly donating non-cash gifts like stocks, land and other assets. For example, if the donor sells a stock, they might have to pay a capital gains tax, which could take a significant bite out of the total proceeds. The amount of the tax will depend on the time period held and the amount of the gain. However, if the stock is donated directly to the church, the donation avoids the capital gains tax. More importantly, the entire fair market value of the stock can be taken as a charitable contribution on their income tax return. While the entire market value can be realized by the church, the significant tax advantage of the deduction benefits the donor. An interesting twist on this strategy is to establish a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). As markets reach new peaks, donors are increasingly giving appreciated assets as contributions to their donor-advised funds. This is how it works. Instead of donating directly to the church, donate into a DAF account. Setting up this account can realize the tax deduction, but can stretch the timing of donations. There are firms offering varying versions of this form of giving. Ideally, you can fund it with appreciated securities, to save on the capital gains tax that would be due if sold, but cash can be contributed as well. You receive a charitable donation deduction immediately, but can spread the donations to your favorite church or charity over years. Meanwhile the assets in the DAF can continue to grow so your contributions can increase over time. Depending on the DAF, you can control when you write actual checks to the church. Summary of the benefits: You can take a tax deduction in the year you set up the DAF, which allows flexibility on your deduction. You can choose the charities you want to support over time. You can support any number of charitable organizations and make those contributions without having to retain records for separate contributions. You can start a tradition of giving for your family. Given the blessings we've all been given, it could be a huge benefit to teach our children the value of philanthropy. We can involve them in the decisions about what charities, along with our church, to support. Though many financial institutions manage Donor Advised Funds, one of the more popular is the Fidelity Charitable fund. Their website is included below. On their home page is a section that more fully explains the workings of this type of account. Though similar to a foundation structure in some respects, it is far simpler, flexible, and cheaper. Not all of the DAF are the same, so it does make sense to investigate further or approach the parish council with any questions if you wish to explore this path for giving. Fidelity Charitable: Some other sites to learn more about giving: The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Foundation Source: National Philanthropic Trust: The parish council would like to thank you for your ongoing support of our church community. We take great care of our members' contributions. While it is imperative that we spend our funds wisely, it is also important to learn how to give wisely.

5 What Kind of Steward can I be? In the November issue of The Messenger an article was written titled What Kind of Steward am I? In this article you were asked to reflect upon yourself and asked to answer how you contribute and participate in the life of the Church. How are you Stewarding the gifts you have been given? Considering the treasure or financial aspect of Stewardship, are you a dues paying steward or are you giving proportional to your means...and is it sacrificial? Stewardship is not just about the money. Are you contributing your time and are you contributing your talents to the life of the Church or are you disengaged? Are you the type of Steward who accepts the responsibility to faithfully protect the Church and prudently care for its gifts? These are some very difficult questions to reflect upon, indeed. We all have been blessed with amazing gifts from God. Everything comes from God and it should be our natural reaction to give thanks for these blessings. We have also been given our beautiful Church building and our community center where we come to pray, to learn, and to share fellowship with one another. It is our community. Our forefathers, with the blessings from God, built this beautiful church and community center and passed it on to us. We as stewards of SS Peter and Paul, are not only called upon to faithfully Steward these gifts, but also to nurture and grow them as well. It is also the Church's responsibility to steward us. The Church must provide different ministries to the faithful to help nurture us and help us grow in our faith. Although attending, worshiping, and participating in Divine Liturgy every Sunday should be first and foremost, our parish offers so much more for us. Here is a list of the different ministries offered at SS Peter and Paul: Parish Council, Philoptochos, Choir, Chanters, Prosphoro makers, Readers, Ushers, Dynamis, Cancer Support, Divorce Rebuilders, Coffee Hour Fellowship, Bookstore, Men s Bible Study, Greek Fest, Coffee Connection Adult Education, Outreach Programs, Feed the Homeless programs, Christmas Gift projects, Morning Bible Study, Orthodox Parent Association (O.P.A.), Church School Teachers and Directors. Also the ministries for our youth: Acolytes (Altar Boys), Agape Pre School, Hope Group, Church School, Greek School, Youth Group, Faith Love and Joy, Jr GOYA, Sr GOYA, Basketball (six different age groups), Junior Olympics, Project Mexico, St Nicholas Gift Project, Christmas Pageant. As you can see, the church has many different ministries and ways for us to stay connected to our community. Do we participate in them? How can we use the Church and its ministries to grow deeper in our faith and to grow closer to God? How can I use my time and talent to grow the church ministries and to make them stronger? Every member of the parish should have already received your Stewardship Pledge Cards. Prior to filling them out, please take some time and consider these questions: What gifts has the Church entrusted to me? How am I fulfilling my role as a steward of these gifts? What sacrifices can I make (both financial and my time and talent) to help my church community grow? What Kind of Steward can I be?

6 SACRAMENTS +Baptisms James, son of Brian and Jaclyn (Govostis) Penar Sponsor: Jennifer & Jason Moore Dean, son of Jason and Jennifer (Govostis) Moore Sponsor: Jaclyn &Brian Penar GOD S BLESSINGS AND LOVE! +Funerals Our Condolences to the family of: Panagiota Karcazes. MAY HER MEMORY BE ETERNAL! PARISH NEWS Christopher and Annie Bertsch Stavros and Dina Konstantopoulos Welcome to our New Members!

7 HOLIDAY EVENTS DECEMBER 2014 Philoptochos News by Milly Pappas 06 - Saturday - JOLLY OLD ST. NICHOLAS HOLIDAY FAIRE 10:30 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. HOLIDAY RAFFLE More Gifts Added. NEW: 4 Center Court Bulls tickets. Meet friends for Coffee, Meet friends for Lunch, Meet friends to Shop. A Galleria of unique gifts, featuring: monogrammed Christmas ornaments, Holiday wood crafts, women s accessories, ladies leather handbags, jewelry, handmade soaps by Sweet Thyme, customized frames, visit our Greek Store (gifts by Panos), monogrammed candles, stationery, wine bags, and more. SEE YOU THERE Sunday - METROPOLIS OF CHICAGO OPEN HOUSE Metropolis Home, 40 East Burton Place, Chicago. Everyone is Welcome. 16 Tuesday - PHILOPTOCHOS CHRISTMAS DINNER PARTY Social Hour: 6:00 p.m. (cash bar) Dinner: 7:00 p. m. Place: The Glen-View Club, 100 Golf Road, Golf, IL Donation: $45.00 Checks payable to: SS. Peter and Paul Philoptochos. Please mail by December 11 th to: Peggy Vranas, 6907 North Lockwood Avenue, Skokie, IL Gentlemen are welcome. Chairlady: Patty Damisch On September 23, 2014, SS. Peter and Paul Philoptochos hosted a beautiful Stewardship Reception. Thank you to Chairladies Eleni Soukoulis and Peggy Vranas. Our chapter membership has a little over 345 members and is the largest chapter in the Chicago Metropolis. On October 17 and 24, the Philoptochos ladies met to prepare the Tiropites and Spanakopites for our Holiday Faire. They made 167 dozen spanakopites and 242 dozen tiropites. Our many thanks to all for your help and support. In addition, we also collected hundreds of suits and business clothing items during our Dress for Success Drive. As well as, 294 sets of pajamas and 1,200 pairs of socks for the Ark of the World, an orphanage in Athens, Greece. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

8 In addition, we also collected hundreds of suits and business clothing items during our Dress for Success Drive, as well as 294 sets of pajamas and 1,200 pairs of socks for the Ark of the World, an orphanage in Athens, Greece. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

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10 SS. PETER & PAUL CHURCH SCHOOL PRESENTS: ST. NICHOLAS GIFT PROJECT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 Immediately following the Divine Liturgy The Saint Nicholas Gift Project invites Church School children of all ages to place a small wrapped Christmas gift at the icon of St. Nicholas to be blessed and distributed to area orthodox and civic charities. Please tag your gift for a girl or boy and include the appropriate age-range for the gift. Thank you. CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 Immediately Following Divine Liturgy There is a required dress rehearsal for ALL Pageant participants on Saturday, December 13 th from 9:30am until 11:30am Nursery 3, 4 & K from 9:30am until 10:30am Grades 1-12 from 9:30am until 11:30am If you are interested in helping with the pageant, please contact Maryann Rasmussen at maryannpr1@aol.com If you are interested in helping with the St. Nicholas Gift Project, please contact Angela Schmidt at aschmidt@viliving.com

11 AGAPE PRESCHOOL MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ALL OF US AT AGAPE! For questions regarding the Agape Preschool & Kindergarten, please call Renée at

12 Youth Corner Attention all Families and Youth participants of Saints Peter and Paul: For December we are going to have one big night of fellowship by taking a trip to Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo on Sunday December 20 th. It will be a great opportunity for all our parish families and young members to spend some time together in the Christmas Spirit, surrounded by beautiful Christmas Lights and an outdoor Ice Skating Rink. HOPE Group: The HOPE Group is up and running and the kids are really enjoying their playtime each week. The HOPE Mothers and Yiayias will be starting an outreach to new mothers in the community by putting together care packages to give on the occasion of their 40 day blessing starting in the New Year. HOPE will be taking a few weeks off around Christmas, and will not be meeting December 23 rd or 30 th. Faith/Love/Joy: Faith Love & Joy had a great meeting in November. It is beautiful to see this ministry grow to the size it has. In honor of the Feast of the Archangels on November 8 th, we made beaded angels in our craft session, and lost count of just how many angels we could find in the iconography of our church, before talking about the different roles of angels in our lives. Our next Faith Love & Joy night will be Monday, December 1 st. Jr. G.O.Y. A. / Sr. G.O.Y.A.: November was an action packed month, between our two Jr & Sr GOYA meetings, our Fellowship event at Jump Sky High, and packing meals at Feed My Starving Children. We look forward to just as much fun and activity in December. Our December events are: Dec 8 th Jr GOYA Meeting 6:30 p.m. Dec 15 th Sr GOYA Meeting 6:30 p.m. Dec 20 th Zoo Lights and Skate at Lincoln Park Zoo

13 December 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 4:30 pm Greek School 6:00pm Faith, Love & Joy 2 11:30am HOPE Group 3 10:00am Adult Bible Study 7:00pm Gospel Challenge Discussion 7:00pm Choir Rehearsal 4 6:30am Men s Bible Study 8:30am Matins 9:30am Divine Liturgy St. Barbara/St. John of Damascus 4:30 pm Greek School 6:30pm Philoptochos Board Meeting 5 Vespers at St. Nicholas in Oaklawn 6 8:30am Matins 9:30am St. Nicholas Divine Liturgy 10:30 Philoptochos Holiday Faire 7 8:15 am Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy +Sacrament St. Nicholas Gift Project 8 4:30 pm Greek School 6:30pm Jr. GOYA 9 11:30am HOPE Group 7:00pm Cancer Support Meeting 10 FAST DAY 10:00am Adult Bible Study 7:00pm Choir Rehearsal 11 6:30am Men s Bible Study 4:30 pm Greek School 12 FAST DAY 8:30am Matins 9:30am Feast of St. Spyridon Divine Liturgy 13 9:30am Greek School 9:30am Christmas Pageant Rehearsal 5:00pm The Spirit of Christmas Concert 14 8:15 am Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy Church School Christmas Pageant Metropolis Open House 15 4:30pm Greek School 6:30pm Sr. GOYA 16 11:30am HOPE Group Dynamis Christmas Party Philoptochos Christmas Party 17 FAST DAY 10:00am Adult Bible Study 7:00pm Gospel Challenge Discussion 7:00pm Choir Rehearsal 18 6:30am Men s Bible Study 10:30am Agape Christmas Program 5:00pm Greek School Christmas Program 7:00pm Parish Council Meeting 19 FAST DAY :15 am Matins 9:30 am Divine Liturgy GOYA Zoo Lights and Ice Skating FAST DAY 8:00am Service of the Hours 6:00pm Christmas Eve Vesperal Divine Liturgy 25 8:30am Matins 9:30am Nativity of the Lord Divine Liturgy 26 Office Closed :15 am Matins :30 am Divine Liturgy No Church School

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16 1401 Wagner Road Glenview, Illinois Address Service Requested

17 CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS Saints Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Church # Wagner Road Glenview, IL TELEPHONE CONTACT PERSON Jeannine McIntyre SOFTWARE MSPublisher 2007 Adobe Acrobat X Windows XP PRINTER HP Laserjet 3005 TRANSMISSION TIME (usually, not always) 2nd Friday of each 10:00 4 weeks in the month 3rd Friday of each 5 weeks in the month PLEASE NOTE: For the first time, due to crazy circumstances (the weather notwithstanding) we are getting this to you late. Any help at all to expedite it quickly would be so greatly appreciated! NEWSLETTER DATE December Newsletter NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 16 DELIVERED TO OVERT PRESS (BY PETE W.) SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please print 890