A Monthly Newsletter of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Asheville, NC. December 2016

Transcription

1 KΗΠΟΣ KΥΡΙΟΥ GARDEN OF THE LORD A Monthly Newsletter of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Asheville, NC. December 2016 What shall we offer Thee, O Christ, Who for our sakes hast appeared on the earth as a man? Every creature which Thou hast made offers Thee thanks. The angels offer Thee a song; The heavens, their star; The wise men, their gifts; The shepherds, their wonder; The earth, its cave; The wilderness; the manger; And we offer Thee a virgin mother. O Pre-eternal God, have mercy on us Χαίρεται Greetings to all I greet all of you in the Spirit of this most beautiful and eloquent Christmas hymn. When I stop to consider these words, I am always in awe and amazement of this most incredible mystery. The One Who Is, Who created all things visible and in visible, out of His great love for us identifies Himself with us completely and in every way, except for sin. This in-and-of-itself is an unfathomable mystery Not only does God become Man, but He comes with great humility, as a lowly servant, suffering for us, teaching us, guiding us, and by His Divine Spirit, waking us from our spiritual slumber and showing us a glimpse of the incomparably glorious Kingdom of the Heavens. So we ask ourselves, What shall we offer Thee, O Christ? Within the context of this hymn we means all of us. We see here that the angels, the heavens, the wise men, the shepherds, the earth and even the wilderness have their gifts prepared for the Christ. And we, humanity, all of us, offer to God a holy virgin to become the abode of Him whom the heavens cannot contain, and it is from her, the most holy Theotokos, that God receives His flesh. Words cannot express the grandeur of this reality. Even, however, in the shadow of this grand scenario, there remains a smaller, yet not insignificant, consideration. We, in terms of humanity, have done our part. But what about the we in the more personal sense? What can I offer to the Almighty God? The answer is simple, not necessarily easy. It is my Love. I say not necessarily easy because our inclination, whether we are aware of it or not, is to be self serving. Love serves the other without consideration for the self. Love of God is based upon the building of a relationship with Him. A healthy relationship requires time and effort. It requires that we give and receive. This is exactly what the Orthodox Church guides us to do; to give of ourselves, and to receive grace. If we are honest 1 Continued on page 2

2 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 227 Cumberland Avenue Asheville, North Carolina Phone: (828) Facsimile (828) Tony and Helen Morris Hellenic Cultural Center: (828) Church Fr. Michael Diavatis - Parish Priest (828) (Cellular Phone) FrMichaelD@newrome.org 2016 Parish Council Richard Bass (2016/17) President Pete Stathopoulos (2015/16) Vice President Julie Delich (2016/17) Secretary Bess Crider (2016/17) Assistant Secretary Tommy I. Arakas (2016/17) Treasurer Dean Nakos (2015/16) Assistant Treasurer Jimmy Koutsioumbis (2015/16) Jason Ledford (2015/16) Emily Rantzos (2016/17) Steve Wallingford (2015/16) If you are not on our mailing-list and would like to be please contact the Church Office. Any submission for the Garden of the Lord should be presented to the office by the 15th of each month. Orthodox Observer If you do not currently receive the Archdiocesan Newspaper, The Orthodox Observer, and would like to, please contact the Church Office. There is no cost for this service. Continued from page 1 with ourselves, we will see that each and every one of us can give more of ourselves to God, from the most dedicated Christian to the most aloof. Our generation is full of excuses why we procrastinate and place other priorities before God. Many times we say to ourselves, God understands. Therein lies a very dangerous confession, God understands. Of course God understands all too well. Do we understand what we do or do not do, and why? If someone said I have a million dollars for you, just come and get it, would we not go immediately? If another were to say I have the cure of your incurable illness, and it is free, just come to receive treatment, would we not drop everything? How about the offer from God, Who has for us the gift of eternal life? Is this not worth more than money and physical health? If the answer is yes, then the question remains; What can I offer to Thee, O Christ? The answer, then, is myself, with all of my heart, my soul, my strength and my mind (Luke 10:27). Wishing you every blessing during this season of the Nativity and into the New Year; Yours truly in Christ Jesus, 2 Fr. Michael Diavatis

3 Prosforon December 4 Popie Zourzoukis December 11 Theodora Poulos December 18 Eleni Sakkas December 25 - Eleni Kaltsunis Prosforon January 1 Maria Zourzoukis January 8 Bess Crider January 15 Andrea Zourzoukis January 22 - Maria Pappas January 29 - Golfo Katsigianis Parish Council Pangari Duty December 4 Bess Crider & Pete Stathopoulos December 11 Richard Bass & Dean Nakos December 18 Jimmy Koutsioumbis & Pete Stathopoulos December 25 - Pete Stathopoulos & Jimmy Koutsioumbis January 1 Pete Stathopoulos & Jimmy Koutsioumbis January 8 Richard Bass & Dean Nakos January 15 Bess Crider & Julie Delich January 22 - January 29 - Coffee Hour and Luncheons December 4 Nick Baxevanis in Honor St. Nicholas. December 11 Memorial and Cafe in honor of Dena Zogzas. December 18 Youth Ministry Program. December 25 - January 1 January 8 January 15 January 22 - January 29-3

4 December Schedule Sunday, December 4. St. Barbara & St. John of Damascus Tuesday, December 6. St. Nicholas Sunday, December 11. Monday, December 12. St. Spyridon Sunday, December 18. Thursday, December 22. St. Anastasia Friday, December 23. The Great Hours for Christmas Saturday, December 24 The Eve of the Birth of Christ. The Birth of Christ. 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM 10 AM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM Ημερολόγιον Δεκεμβρίου Κυριακή, 4 Δεκεμβρίου. Ἁγ. Βαρβάρας καὶ Ἁγ. Ἰωάννου Δαμασκινοῦ. Τρίτη, 6 Δεκεμβρίου. Ἁγίου Νικολάου.. Κυριακή, 11 Δεκεμβρίου. Δευτέρα, 12 Δεκεμβρίου. Ἁγίου Σπυρίδωνος Κυριακή, 18 Δεκεμβρίου. Πέμπτη, 22 Δεκεμβρίου. Ἁγίας Ἀναστασίας. Παρασκευή, 23 Δεκεμβρίου Αἱ Μεγάλαι Ὥραι. Σάββατον, 24 Δεκεμβρίου. Παραμονή Χριστουγέννων Ἡ Γέννησις τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Sponsor an Edition of the Garden of the Lord Newsletter January 2017 is open Call the Church office. 4

5 January Schedule Sunday, January 1. Thursday, January 5. Strict Fast Day. Blessing of the Waters. Friday, January 6. Theophany. Great Blessing of the Waters. Saturday, January 7. St. John the Forerunner. Sunday, January 8. Sunday, January 15. Tuesday, January 17. St. Anthony the Great. Sunday, January 22. Sunday, January 29. Monday, January 30. The Three Hierarchs. 8:45 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 9:00 AM 8:45 AM 8:45 AM 8:45 AM 8:45 AM 8:45 AM 9:00 AM Ἠμερολόγιον Ἰανουαρίου Κυριακή, 1 Ἰανουαρίου. Πέμπτη, 5 Ἰανουαρίου. Νηστεία. Ἁγιασμός. Παρασκευή, 6 Ἰανουαρίου. Ἁγία Θεοφάνεια. Μέγας Ἁγιασμός. Σάββατον, 7 Ἰανουαρίου.. Ἁγίου Ἱωάννου τοῦ Προδρόμου. Κυριακή, 10 Ἰανουαρίου. Κυριακή, 15 Ἰανουαρίου. Τρίτη, 17 Ἰανουαρίου. Ἁγίου Ἀντονίου τοῦ Μεγάλου. Κυριακή, 22 Ἰανουαρίου. Κυριακή, 29 Ἰανουαρίου. Δευτέρα, 30 Ἰανουαρίου. Τῶν Ἁγίων Ἱεραρχῶν. 5

6 Parish Council President s Christmas Message - Richard Bass What a joyous time of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Lord over 2000 years ago. On Christmas day each year we all have that wonderful glow, that feeling of love and passion for others, but in most cases this is not shown year round. How sad as no matter what differences we may have with others, we are all still brothers and sisters in our Christian life. Why can t we share that glow year round? That question has been asked year after year. A short while back I received the below as an insert in a Christmas card and I thought it would be nice to share it with you. As you read it, you too will find places within it that you can relate. I pray you have a wonderful Blessed Christmas with your family and friends - Richard Bass My Christmas Card List There is a list of folks I know all written in a book And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look. And that is when I realized those names are all apart Not of the book they're written in, but deep inside my heart. For each name stands for someone who has touched my life sometime In that meeting they have become a special friend of mine. I really feel that I'm composed of each remembered name And my life is so much better than it was before they came. Once you've known that someone all the years cannot erase The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face. So never think my Christmas cards or just a mere routine Of names upon a list that are forgotten in between. For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you It is because you're on that list of folks I'm indebted to. And whether I have known you for many years or few, The greatest gift that God can give is having friends like you. Author Unknown 6

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8 DEC 2016 Youth Ministry Please join us at our Annual Youth Ministry Christmas Luncheon & Program Sunday, December 18, 2016 following Divine Liturgy The presentation will be bi-lingual. Youth Ministry Communication Shutterfly Share Site is our main communication hub. Stay Informed and give attention to s. All information will be sent to you through this site. Christmas Carols - KALANDA This Saturday, December 3rd the Youth Ministry (all ages) will be going Christmas Caroling. Meet at the church at 2:00. Please contact Maria Katsigianis or Georgia Barlas if you would like us to visit you. Christmas Program Planning Every Sunday, a short time in Sunday School will be used to review for the program. Dec. 11th: All Students need to meet in the Archangel Gabriel Room (next to Greek School Room) to review for the program. Dec. 16th (Fri): Practice in the hall for all ages - 5:00. All Greek School Classes are to meet at 5:00. December 17th: Practice in the hall at 10:30 (Parents plan to stick around so that the hall may be set-up and decorated) December 18th: Program/ Luncheon immediately following service. Costumes: there should be a costume for almost every student. The teachers are discussing directly with parents where there are exceptions. Costumes for Pre-School Students: These children need to be dressed up as animals and parents are responsible for dressing the. The teacher recommended the onesie animal pajamas - something very simply - not a fancy costume. Farm Animals only - not safari. If you have any questions, please contact the Mrs. Vicky Themistocleous, the Sundays School Directors or Presvytera Nikol. 8

9 DEC 2016 Youth Ministry Cont. G.O.Y.A. News Greek Orthodox Youth of America, G.O.Y.A., is a youth ministry group for all students ages 13 (or 7th Grade) - 18 yrs. (or 12th Grade). It s time for fellowship, fun and team building. All questions should be directed to Maria Katsigianis Goyans met on Sunday, November 20th at Line of Fire Paintfields for Fellowship and Fun. Thank you to our GOYA Advisor, Dino Zourzoukis for attending and our GOYA Coordinator, Maria Katsigianis for planning. G.O.Y.A. met on November 13th to elect officers and to begin planning their fellowship calendar Officers: Co-President: Drew Katsigianis & Demos Paulk Co-Secretary: Joan Buchanan & Vasili Paulk Upcoming: December 17th Christmas Program Rehearsal, followed by Off-Site Christmas Fellowship (More Info to come on Share Site) HDF 2017 (Hellenic Dance Festival) Winston Salem, NC January 13-16, 2017 Join the fun as a spectator, volunteer, dancer, or director and you won t leave disappointed. With over 35 groups performing traditional dances of Greece, spiritual enrichment activities, and dances every evening, you won t want to miss this event Online registration will be opening October 1 Register by December 15, 2016, to ensure discounted hotel and registration pricing. Please see our forms and resources page for more information on HDF 2017 Hotel Information: MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN: ($139/ night) or EMBASSY SUITES DOWNTOWN ($149/night) Hotel Block is under HDF

10 Philoptochos wishes you A Merry Christmas HOLY TRINITY LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS DECEMBER 2016 ANNOUNCEMENTS The MANNA Food Drive Report: 444 lbs. of Food Collected to Fight Hunger in Buncombe County T he Philoptochos would like to thank all the parishioners who brought in non- perishable food and contributed money towards the purchase of turkeys and hams for the MANNA Food Bank. A total of $305 was collected and we were able to purchase 14 turkeys and 7 hams. The turkeys, hams, and non-perishable donated food totaled 444 pounds. Thank you for choosing to make a difference in someone else's life. God bless you. In the Spirit of the season, Philoptochos members, spouses, and friends are invited to our Annual Ch"mas Pa#y Sunday, December 11, :00 pm Harbor Inn Restaurant 880 Brevard Road Asheville, NC December Project : Collection to Keep the Homeless Warm T h e P h i l o p t o c h o s ladies are collecting hats, gloves, scarves, a nd s o c k s for t he homeless shelter on A n n e S t r e e t. A n y Parishioners who are able to help with this project are asked to please drop off their donated items in the boxes set up in the church Narthex by Sunday, December 11, RSVP Athena Poulos: (828) or azpoulos@hotmail.com by December 9, 2016 Philoptochos members please remember to bring an unwrapped toy for a needy child. 10

11 More Philoptochos News Va s i l o p i t a S i l e n t Auction to Benefit St. Basil s Academy E a c h D e c e m b e r o u r Philoptochos members bake with their hearts and hands. The result is a beautiful loaf of sweet bread called a Vasilopita in honor of Agia Vasilis- St. Basil The Great, whose Feast Day is January 1. In 1944, Archbishop Athenagoras I of Constantinople learned of a beautiful old estate in Garrison, NY -- The Rupert Estate, which was for sale. He said that... a great lady was going to purchase this place and he contacted the Ladies Philoptochos Society and asked them to immediately empty their treasuries to buy the property, which they did. It was renamed St. Basil s Academy in honor of St. Basil The Great and began as an orphanage. From the beginning it has served as a residential school for at-risk students, becoming a premier haven for children from difficult & troubled homes, often in need of special care as a result. They are nurtured & educated; learn Orthodoxy in a family setting; receive proper nutrition and medical care provided by Orthodox doctors who volunteer their services. It is a life altering place- a life saving place --and occupies a very special place in the hearts of our Philoptochos members. We are dedicated to it s support For many years we have baked beautiful and delicious St. Basil s Breads to be auctioned off-- complete with a hidden coin-- with the proceeds going to help support the Academy. This year s Vasilopita Silent Auction will be on Sunday, December 18, 2016 during coffee hour. Please come and support our efforts to foster this safe and loving home for special needs children. C o m m u n i t y V a s i l o p i t a Cutting The cutting of the C o m m u n i t y Vasilopita will be on Sunday, January 8, 2017 during the coffee hour that the Philoptochos will sponsor. All Philoptochos members are asked to bring a covered dish for the coffee hour. All proceeds from the Vasilopita fundraisers will be sent to Saint Basil s Academy. Thank you everyone. -- Athena Poulos, President What s Behind the Name? Meaning, origin and history of the name Basil. From the Greek name Βασιλειος (Basileios) which was derived from βασιλευς (basileus) meaning "king". Saint Basil the Great was a 4th-century bishop of Caesarea and one of the fathers of the early Christian church. The feast and commemoration of Saint Basil is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy attributed to him, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil. This is one of ten times during the year when the Liturgy of Saint Basil is celebrated. The Liturgy is conducted on the morning of the feast and preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service. A Great Vespers is conducted on the evening before the day of the Feast. Also on this day, the Church commemorates the Circumcision of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Eight days after his birth, Jesus was circumcised (Luke 2:21) in accordance with the command given by God to Abraham when He promised to make an everlasting covenant with him and all his descendants (Genesis 17:10-12). -- Taken from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Website Philoptochos General Membership Meeting Sunday, January 8, 2017 after coffee hour. 11

12 December Holy Trinity St. Barbara Philoptochos Celebration - Greenville, SC Agia Barbara Chapter of the Ladies Philoptochos of Greenville, SC invite our parish to join them on Monday, December 5, They will hold their Name Day Celebration Luncheon following the Divine Liturgy. Cost is $25 and lunch will be served in their Hellenic Center. If you are interested in attending or offering to drive on that day, please notify Athena Poulos Weather permitting, the plan is to carpool Archangel Michael Awards This year our two Archangel Michael Award recipients are Konstantinos Siatis for the adults and Jereas Alnasraween for the youth. This award is bestowed by our spiritual father Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta every year in November in honor of the Holy Archangel Michael. Konstantinos Siatis has lived nearly a century as not only a dedicated member of Christ s Church, but as one in whom the prayers and holy services have found a home in his heart. He loves to sing and chant the hymns of the Church and the songs of our pious history. He is loved and respected by all. Quote from Konstantinos: My family and I have always loved the Church; it is our blood and our soul. Jereas Alnasraween has been a dedicated server in the Altar for 4 years, going above and beyond the call of duty, helping and cleaning, rarely missing a service, including all Holy Week services. He loves his Church, participates in all the sacraments, and is always eager Sunday December 4, 2016 Following Divine Liturgy until 2 pm The following candidates have been vetted by the Election Committee consisting of Tom Arakas, Katina Zoumbos & Maria Katsigianis and are on the ballot for Holy Trinity s Annual Election. For Parish Council Six(6) Openings. Choose five (5): Jimmy Koutsioumbis Pete Stathopoulos Dean Nakos Nick Baxevanis Steve Katsadouros Paula Apostolopoulos For Holy Trinity Foundation Choose one (1): Gus Barlas to learn. He is a beautiful and humble soul and a valued member of Christ s holy Church. Quote from Jereas: I feel happy to have received this Archangel Michael honor for Being involved in my Church makes me feel closer to God and I want to do good things so I can go to heaven. I also feel proud that I m an alter boy because I get to help people and I love it. It make me feel like I m a part of a whole family. AXIOS Following Divine Liturgy, Fr. Michael bestowed the Archangel Michael medals on November 27,

13 December Praise & Holy Trinity Kudos for Dr. Perry Stamatiades Dr. Stamatiades was recently inducted as a Fellow of the International College of Dentist at its 87th Annual Convocation in Denver, Colorado on October 21, This accolade was made possible by nominations for the honor brought forth by colleagues within the dental industry. In recognition of his outstanding and meritorious service to the dental profession and community, the College presented Dr. Stamatiades with a membership plaque, a gold lapel pin and a gold key symbolic of this fellowship for the conspicuous service rendered to both patients of Zöe Dental and the Asheville community in the art and science of Dentistry. In an impressive cap and gown ceremony, Dr. Stamatiades was among 320 dentists from the United States who were inducted into the College at this year s ceremony witnessed by hundreds of members and guests. The College, with representative chapters in more than 120 countries, has over 11,000 members, including about 6,500 in the United States. -- Reprinted from the Zoe Dental Newsletter 11/15/16 The Holy Trinity Church Community congratulates you and your entire family on this important recognition, Perry. AXIOS Veteran s Recognition & A Salute to Kostas (Gus) Siatis November 8th was a day of remembrance for our community veterans and was topped off by a surprise for Gus Siatis, long time parishioner at Holy Trinity. The two year effort by The Ladies Philoptochos Society to collect and recognize as many of our Holy Trinity community and their family members for their military service was chaired by Sue Arakas and Mary Chakales who created an artful and impressive display & presentation. Eighty-two veterans were recognized with over 60 of them submitting photos from their time in the military. It was a very touching tribute to these brave patriots, who represented every branch of US military service and several in Greece. A loving community proudly salutes each of you and holds your service in esteem. Thank you for all you ve done to preserve our heritage and freedoms. 13

14 Tribute to Kostas (Gus) Siatis Personal Reflections by Nick Tsiros Today as our community is honoring it s veterans, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words for a remarkable veteran who served the country of Greece during World War II and the most ferocious Civil War which some of us who came from Greece remember in the era of the 1940 s. Nick Tsiros recounted details of Gus valor and bravery which helped his family survive the Greek War of Independence ( ). Beginning with War II This person is Mr. Kostas Siatis To begin, I would like to say a few words of the history during the decade of the 1940 s as I remember it when Mr. Kostas Siatis was serving his regular military obligation to our country Greece. Mr. Siatis is from the village of Nostimo, Evrytania, the same village where I was born and lived my first 14 years of life. On October 28, 1940, the dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini, a German ally, had the Ambassador of Italy in Athens deliver an ultimatum to the Prime Minister of Greece, John Metaxas at 3 AM demanding the Italian Army be allowed unopposed free passage to enter and occupy strategic sites in Greece. John Metaxas rejected Mussolini's ultimatum with the historic OXI --NO Kostas Siatis with many of those who were serving, were the first deployed to front lines to stop the Italian invasion. Immediately all eligible Greek men were inducted into the armed forces. United by great enthusiasm, they began a counterattack, driving the enemy deep into Italian held Albania.For six months the Greeks heroically were defeating the Italians and forced their retreat. The Germans then attacked Greece from a different front in the Spring of The few Greek soldiers who were protecting that border were killed and the Germans entered Greece. As the German officers were entering Greece they saluted the bodies of the killed Greek soldiers for their gallantry to protect their country. Greece was occupied by Germany. The Greek soldiers, who victoriously were fighting the Italians, returned to their homes in spring of At this time Kostas Siatis with his fellow surviving soldiers from our village, returned home to our village Nostimo. Three soldiers from our village gave their lives fighting the Italians in Albania. During the year of 1941 in the remote villages of Greece, the Greeks were forming groups to resist the enemy. I remember Kostas Siatis was very instrumental in organizing the resistance units in our area. From my young age, I still remember the names of the resistance groups. EDES Ethnikos Dimokratikos Ellinikos Syndesmos. National Republic Greek League. ELAS Ethnikos Laikos Apoleftherotikos Stratos. National People s Liberation Army. These groups, taking advantage of the Greek terrain, were successful in keeping the enemy away from our villages the majority of the time. Greek history tells us that from ancient times the Greeks would fight rather than be in bondage. The German forces began withdrawing from the Greek mainland in late Following the German withdrawal, the country was divided. ELAS communists, left and EDES Nationalists, right. These two groups became involved in the most vicious Greek Civil War which continued until the end of I remember the civil war in the region where I lived until December It was a territory where confrontations between Communists and national ethnic groups were taking place at times with 14

15 casualties and executions. Living in this region was very frightful. This is a brief piece of history as I remember it in the 1940 s. Mr. Kostas Siatis roll during the Greek Civil War Mr. Siatis, according to the information I had many years ago, was summoned by the Greek government to serve as a leader of the volunteer unit alongside the Greek Army. During the civil war, he led his group of volunteers with a reputation as a fair and just leader. As you can imagine, civil war is a conflict that you do not know who your enemy is, brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and fellow villager against fellow villager. Even though the Communists captured and executed his father, and burned the family home in the summer of 1947 (I remember that night, the whole village was illuminated from the flames of the fire set by the communist s gorilla group), Mr. Siatis remained disciplined, just and fair to his assigned duties. His reputation became known and respected among the right and left wing. I h e a r d w h e n a C o m m u n i s t Fr. Michael congratulates Gus for his outstanding contribution to aid the Tsiros Family. w a n t e d t o surrender, they looked for Kostas S i a t i s, b e c a u s e they feared for their lives and knew Mr. Siatis would treat the prisoner according to rules. Others wo u l d p ro b a b l y harm the prisoner. I got away from my Communist occupied village during the height of the civil war on December 6, After a day s journey (normally 3 hours) I arrived at the Greek Army occupied territory. Since it was already dark, I was held overnight in the basement of a ruined school building. When dawn came, I looked outside and Kostas Siatis happened to be outside. What a relief I worked my way to him and asked what was going on. He said, they were going to question me and let me go. When I left home, my mother and two sisters were left behind. They were trying to find a way to get away which was almost impossible to do. The Communists were everywhere and in order to go from point A to point B, an official written document was needed from the Communist person in charge of each village. The Communists not only drafted all eligible men but were also drafting girls. We feared for my sisters. On February 2, 1948, Kostas Siatis, received information that the Communists were going to draft the girls in our village. He did not lose any time, he took a group of his men and some mules and came to our village at 2:30 AM. He gave my mother and some other villagers mules to load some of their personal belongings, told them what was happening and escorted them to safety with more villagers. Even though they encountered an ambush at the edge of the village, they prevailed and reached their destination by evening without any casualties. Mr. Siatis served the country of Greece honorably. My family considers him a HERO. Even today when I visit our village every year many people ask about Kosta Siatis and send him their regards. Gus Siatis received congratulations and a framed presentation from Parish Council Pres. Richard Bass, who also expressed the community s gratitude. 15

16 2017 STEWARDSHIP DRIVE IS UNDERWAY A traditional American proverb says that, God makes this request of his children: Do the best you can, where you are, with what you have, now. The story of Jesus Christ feeding the 5,000 illustrates this through the boy s offering of all that he had -- five loaves and two fish. This boy did his best with what he had, and Jesus used it to perform an incredible miracle. Just like the boy who offered the loaves and the fish, if we offer what we have -- however great or small our gift -- God will receive our gifts and multiply them to feed His people. What could we do as a Church Family with 100% stewardship participation? If each person did their part to volunteer time, talent and treasure? Are you willing to find out? 2017 STEWARDS OF HOLY TRINITY GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH AS OF 11/25/2016 Darryl & Mary Addington Assef & Hiyam Alnasraween Linda Apostolopoulos Catherine Arakas Sideris & Sue Arakas Gus & Ismini Barlas Richard & Mickie Bass Mary Chakales Pete & Patty Chakales Steven & Bess Crider John & Gerri Critikos John & Julie Delich John Dermas Yotty Dermas Demitrios & Stamatia Dotsikas Irene Evangelatos Evangelos & Holly Fallias Bruce & Traci Fleming Crisler & Ginny Johnson Mary Johnson Andrew & June Kallianos Steve & Dora Katsadouros Jimmy & Jenny Koutsioumbis George & Ida Kroi George Lamprinakos Patrick & Rita Lewis Dean Nakos Vasil & Etlena Nune Catherine & Gabriel Ortiz Arthur & Laurie Pappas Mary Pappas Val & Andrew Prytyskach Kostas & Emily Rantzos Nick & Meni Rantzos Paul & Steffie Rantzos Nicholas & Alyssa Sellas Ourania Sellas Konstantinos & Evelyn Siatis Jim & Virginia Soufleris Gus & Melissa Stamatiades John & Effie Stamatiades Perry & Fay Stamatiades Peter Stathopoulos Jimmy & Sophia Tziavelis Benton Urquhart Anna Xenakis Dr. Hope Xenakis & Ray Dean Steve & Frosene Zeis Christos & Katina Zoumbos Chris & Adamantia Zourzoukis Constantine G. Zourzoukis Dimitrios G. Zourzoukis Gus & Popie Zourzoukis Total pledges: 53 Total pledged: $63,854 Avg. pledge: $ 1,205 Rec'd to date: $ 5,000 Please Remember Your Church in Your Will 16

17 ...from whom all blessings flow. Stewards of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 2016 Updated November 25, 2016 Anonymous Darryl & Mary Addington Assef & Hiyam Alnasraween Philip & Elizabeth Anagnostopoulos Nick & Maria Anagnostopoulos Andrew Apostolopoulos Linda Apostolopoulos Pete & Paula Apostolopoulos Catherine Arakas Sideris & Sue Arakas Eula Balomenos Gus & Ismini Barlas Dean & Toni Barlas John & Vasso Barlas Peter & Georgia Barlas Alexander & Ashleigh Baxevanis Nick & Laura Baxevanis Richard & Mickie Bass Bernard & Milagro Blanco Stelios & Stavroula Boussios Maria Kalis Buchanan Mary Chakales Pete & Patty Chakales Isabelle Cledaras Nick & Maria Collias Steve, Eleni & Bill Constantinou Steven & Bess Crider John & Gerri Critikos John & Julie Delich Kathryn Demos Gus Dermas Yotty Dermas Harry Diavatis Fr. Michael & Pres. Nikol Diavatis Demitrios & Stamatia Dotsikas Angelo & Irene Dotsikas Spyros Doumakis Andrea Dray Catherine Dreessen Angie & Randy Edwards Irene Evangelatos John & Catherine Faherty Bruce & Traci Fleming Irene Gailey Peter Gilman Tim & Natasa Grammatikos Mackey Griffis Bob & Anastasia Haines John & Katina Hansen Antonios & Stavroula Iliou George Iliou Crisler & Ginny Johnson Mary Johnson Starry & Alan Jones Andrew & June Kallianos Marika Kalogerakis Arnold & Eva Kalogerakis Stelios Kalogerakis George & Eleni Kaltsunis Jimmy & Irene Katsadouros Steve & Dora Katsadouros Andrew & Golfo Katsigianis Jimmy & Maria Katsigianis Scott & Katina Kenyon Jim & Carmen Kelling Maria Keranis Kiki Koufaliotis Margaret Koutris Jimmy & Jenny Koutsioumbis George & Ida Kroi Gust & Vassiliki Kyres George Lamprinakos Mike & Emily Lawrence continued 17

18 2016 Stewardship, continued Jason &Despina Ledford Patrick & Rita Lewis Christos & Vivian Loukas Dennis & Elenie Loux Michelle Malsbury Lamar & Kathleen Marshall James & Karen McGovern Chris & Varvara Moutos Jim & Angeliki Moutos Daniel & Michele Mulloy Dean Nakos Bessie Nickolopoulos Vasil & Etlena Nune Maria Panagiotopoulos Chris & Vicky Papakonstantinou Jimmy & Amalia Papakonstantinou Helen Papanastasiou Arthur & Laurie Pappas Evan Pappas Mary Pappas Sara Pappas Gunther & Trixanna Penner Chris & Mari Peterson Johnny Peterson Nick & Sue Peterson Gus Poulos John & Susan Poulos Milton & Athena Poulos Theodora Poulos Mary Poulos Val & Andrew Prytyskach George Rallis Kostas & Emily Rantzos Paul & Steffie Rantzos Angelo & Eleni Sakkas Kosta & Virginia Sakkas Nicholas & Alyssa Sellas Ourania Sellas Konstantinos & Evelyn Siatis Stamatia Sigman Jim & Virginia Soufleris Gus & Melissa Stamatiades John & Effie Stamatiades Perry & Fay Stamatiades Peter Stathopoulos Demitri & Maria Stephenson Maria Treskas Athanasios & Vassiliki Tsakalos Jimmy & Sophia Tziavelis George & Tammy Tsiros Nick & Anastasia Tsiros Tommy & Michelle Tsiros Benton Urquhart Bill & Connie Vlahoulis Pavlos Wallingford Chris & Andrea Wilhelm Anna Xenakis Dr. Hope Xenakis & Ray Dean Georgia Xenakis Bill Zaferis Steve & Frosene Zeis Charles & Dena Zogzas Christos & Katina Zoumbos Christos & Adamantia Zourzoukis Constantine G. Zourzoukis Dimitrios G. Zourzoukis George Zourzoukis Gus & Popie Zourzoukis Julia Zourzoukis Mary Zourzoukis Total pledges: 144 Total pledged: $122,469 Avg. pledge: $850 Rec'd. to date: $105,

19 Kontakion of the Feast of the Birth of our Savior. On this day the Virgin beareth the transcendent in essence; to the Unapproachable, the earth doth offer a small cave; Angels join in choir with shepherds in giving glory; with a star the Magi travel upon their journey; for our sakes is born a young Child, He that existed before the ages as God. 19

20 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 227 Cumberland Avenue PO Box 8369 Asheville, NC Return Service Requested Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Asheville, NC #135 The December edition of the Garden of the Lord is sponsored by Assef & Hiyam Alnasraween for Lenny s Sub Shop Merry Christmas to the Holy Trinity Family The Only Lenny s with 80 miles of Asheville 645 Biltmore Ave. (828) We are ready to cater your holiday needs 20