A Word from Father Rick. in this issue

Transcription

1 11.14 St. V O L U M E 2 0, I S S U E 1 0 N O V E M B E R George Greek Orthodox Church St. Paul, Minnesota A Word from Father Rick in this issue Regis tr y P.3 Paris h News P t h Ann ive rsar y I nf o P.5 Youth Ne ws P.6 Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ: Greetings in the eleventh month of the year! November brings us lots of activity every year. We look forward to the start of the 40-Day Advent Fast on November 15 th to help us prepare for the Feast of the Lord s Nativity. The Church prescribes abstinence from meat and dairy foods but allows for fish on every day except Wednesdays and Fridays and the last two weeks. Fasting is a mainstay of asceticism that seeks to bring our body under discipline to purify the passions. Fasting should be accompanied by increased prayer and the Sacrament of Holy Confession in order to be properly guided and receive the fruits of the Spirit. November also brings us the third major feast day of the liturgical year. The Entrance of the Theotokos is celebrated on November 21 st and commemorates the three-year old Virgin Mary being offered by her parents to live in the temple as an expression of thanksgiving for the gift of her birth. Certainly it is providential that the American holiday of Thanksgiving occurs also in the month of November. As is our custom, our parish will host the celebration of the Pan- Orthodox Thanksgiving Eve Liturgy on Wednesday November 26 th. This year we will conduct a memorial service for our departed clergy and spouses. In addition, we will honor the retired priests and widowed clergy spouses on that evening. Please join us for this special liturgy. Our 75 th Anniversary Kick- Off Event took place on October 25 th with over fifty people in attendance and delicious food served by our committee. We are planning a year-long celebration in 2015 and we welcome everyone s involvement. Please look for the schedule of events and find ways that you can contribute to make this year extra special. In September we celebrated the Elevation of the Holy Cross on Sunday the 14 th. That occurs only once every six or seven years. The Sunday School children participated in the Procession and received a sprig of vasiliko and a flower. We thank Mrs. Irene Loudas for preparing the Cross, the tray and all the sprigs for everyone in attendance. One week later we celebrated our annual Parish Picnic at a new venue. Highland Park was a beautiful setting and we had great weather for an enjoyable afternoon of food and fellowship. Thanks to Dan Simon and Joe Weiser for organizing the event. Later that afternoon, the Kick-Off Gala for the Lyn Olson Medical Crisis Program took place at the Stillwater Library. This program endeavors to help Orthodox Christians of the Twin Cities in need cause by a medical crisis. It already has widespread support within the Pan-Orthodox community. Also coming up in November is our annual Fall Parish Assembly meeting on Sunday November 16 th to review and approve our 2015 parish operating budget. At this time, we are also encouraging eligible members of the community to consider running for parish council elections. See the inserts for pertinent information. As a final thought for this month, let us consider how we are actively growing our community. Future growth of Greek Orthodox parishes like ours will occur according to at least four factors: a) Our current members must be faithful and active followers of Christ, worshipping Him every Sunday and praying to Him every day in the Orthodox manner. Other people are attracted to those who radiate the grace of God from within; b) Our community must continue to look for opportunities to help those in need outside of our membership. People want to be a part of a movement that is changing peoples lives for the better; c) We must invite friends and acquaintances to church activities. Lot s of people are looking for something that is missing in their lives. Often, what is missing is God and a community of faithful people; d) We must heartily welcome visitors not only into our sanctuary and social hall but also into our homes. We must help them feel (continued on page 7)

2 Reflections on Stewardship by Fr. Rick ~ November is often devoted to the theme of Stewardship in many parishes of Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. It is an opportune time to reflect on the past year of giving, fulfill our commitments of supporting the parish in the current year, and look towards the future and prepare to grow the ministries of our community of faith. As we may know, Stewardship is not a program. It is a way of life. It is an expression of our deep faith and intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Stewards are caretakers. Everything we have is a gift from God. We have been entrusted with this gift to not only preserve it, but to make sure it grows and flourishes. One of those gifts is the Church. Our ancestors sacrificed a great deal to help perpetuate the Faith in Christ, sometimes giving their life in martyrdom. We live in a free society. We are not under persecution by an atheistic or anti-christian regime. However, often we use our God-given freedom to freely turn away from God and enslave ourselves to the plethora of choices that postmodern society inundates us with. Let us rededicate ourselves to Christ, making Him, once again, the number one person in our life. Let us generously and sacrificially offer our Time, our Talents and our Treasurers to Him in humble thanksgiving. Let s give Him our Time in prayer and worship. Let us give Him our Talents in serving others, offering our unique gifts for His glory. Let us give Him our Treasures by putting our money where our mouth is. It is now a well-known fact that we Greeks ought to be ashamed of our stewardship financial giving. We are one of the wealthiest and best-educated ethnic groups in America but when it comes to supporting our Church, we rank almost dead last in proportional giving. Our greed betrays us. We are not going to heaven with our doublespeak. We need to repent and confess or sin. We need to turn our lives around and get our priorities straight. God comes first! One of the main ways we put Him first is by supporting His Church and her ministries. This year s Archdiocese theme is Family. From God every family in heaven and on earth is named (Ephesians 3:15). We spend a great deal of resources supporting our earthly family, our family of origin, and our nuclear family. We save for school and retirement, supporting our parents and children, taking vacations, multiple cars, luxurious homes, cabins, multiple properties, and the list goes on. But what are we doing as stewards of our earthly family? Are we investing in their souls, teaching them how to be generous and sacrificially supportive of our spiritual family the Church? What is sacrificial stewardship giving? The Biblical principle is tithing, giving a tenth of one s gross income each and every year to God and His Church. The median household income in the Twin Cities in 2013 was $68,000. That means if everyone was tithing in our community, our average stewardship giving would be about $6,800 per person/household. Yet, our average here at St. George was about $908 per person/household in That represents about 1.33% of household income on average. Not so good news. But better news is that it would only take an additional 21 cents per day from each of our 231 members units to meet our stewardship goal for And it would only take another $1.07/day from each of us to support our total operating budget through stewardship giving. This is a very achievable goal if everyone does their part. Consider how God has blessed you with everything you have. He only asks us to return one tenth of it to Him in order that our souls be saved. Let us trust Him whole-heartedly by following His commandments! STEWARDSHIP UPCOMING EVENTS As we start the busy Fall Season in St. George Community, the Stewardship Committee would like to keep you abreast of some of our upcoming events. These are as follows: Launching of a Youth Ushering Program which will happen sporadically throughout the year. The beginning of a Stewardship Program for the youth in our Church community with the support of the Sunday School teachers and chair. Our goal is to allow the classes to direct their contributed funds to projects in the church community at the end of the year. On Sunday, Nov. 16 there will be a free luncheon served for our entire community before the start of the Parish Assembly Meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone there. page 2

3 St. Paul. MN Registry 40 Day Churching Baptism September 25 October 20 October 18 Dina Kontinakis Negron and baby Mariano. Congrats to Dad Eric Negron. Niki Youso with her children, Aristea & Mihalis. Congrats to Dad Brian Youso. Alexander & Jayden (Damian), sons of Natalie Eidsvold, were baptized and christmated on Oct.18 th. Their godparents are Nicholas & Richard Kanavati. Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours M-F 9:00 AM 3:00 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) Julie Delton, Administrative Assistant (651) Jon Kennedy, Parish Council President (651) Anniversary October 2 Festal Icons Needed Blessed 60 th Wedding Anniversary! Hazel Larson married Nick Leaskas on October 2 nd, 1954 by Father Joseph Vasiliou. Hazel and Nick have two married children, Eftehia (Mia) & Mike Bakker andkosta & Diana Leaskas and have five beautiful grandchildren,brittney 25, Alexandra 20, Jase 16, Jaren 15 and Eleni 10. Hazel & Nick devoted themselves to their family their entire lives and are very loved. Congratulations to them and God bless them always! Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $75.00 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. Lani Hattling, Sunday School Director (763) lanihattling@gmail.com Stella Hofrenning, Greek School Director (651) hofrenni@augsburg.edu Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Glad Tidings Editor Andrea Faches & Eric Chadwick, Loaves and Fishes Coordinators afaches@msn.com Submissions for upcoming issues are due by the 11th of the preceding month. Synaxis of the Archangels Philip the Apostle page 3

4 Parish News New Administrative Assistant The parish council approved the employment of Mrs. Julie Delton as the new parish administrative assistant to begin Monday October 20 th. Please welcome Julie! Philoptochos/ Daughters of Penelope Christmas Luncheon will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6th at the Pool and Yacht Club,1600 Lilydale Road, Lilydale, Mn Watch the Sunday Bulletins for additional information or call Reva Adkins, or Mary Georgantones, Reservations required. All are invited. Youth Minister Position Open this part-time position is hours per week and the primary responsibilities are developing working relationships with parent volunteers to organize and plan activities for our high school, middle school and elementary age kids. Current salary is $1000 per month. If interested, please contactfr. Rick. Want to Greek Dance? The Greek Dancers of Minnesota are currently recruiting new dancers for the upcoming year. If you can sing or play a Greek instrument (clarinet, santouri, lyra, daouli-drum), you can participate that way as well. We aim to represent the whole village, so all ages are invited, children through adults (ages 7 to 77, some exceptions made for younger children, so please ask). You do not have to be Greek. There is no fee. Practices are on Sunday evenings in the St. George social hall. Contact Angela or Marisa Mortari at or us through our websitewww.greekdancersmn.com. Find Us on Facebook for up to date news and information, please visit our parish Facebook page. Just type in the parish name and you ll notice a photo of the front of the church. Facebook is a powerful communication tool. FOCUS MN Weekly Schedule If you would like to help there are plenty of opportunities each week- Wednesdays Food Shelf 11:30am - 4:30pm; Thursdays Workday 10:00am - 2:30pm (sorting, organizing, odd jobs etc.); Friday Clothes Closet 10:30am - 2:30pm;Sunday serve meals from 4:00-7:30pm. Contact director Mat. Vera Proctor vsproctor@gmail.com for more info. Adopt a Family for Christmas Look for the sign up boards in the social hall to help a person or family with their Christmas and basic needs this year. John Pitsavas Memorial Scholarship for the school year has been awarded to Miss Kally Fuller who is attending the University of Wisconsin Superior. Congrats to Kally and thanks to Theologia Pitsavas and her late husband Bill for establishing this scholarship fund in their son s memory Thank You to two volunteers who recently did an extremely detailed, professional level, cleaning of the inside of all the windows throughout the church building complex. We appreciate their time, effort and hard work! Seminary Support Philoptochos received an offering from parishioners in the amount of $588 on the Feast of the Holy Cross (Sept.14). The will add an additional $212 and send a check to our Holy Cross Seminary for $800. Thank you to everyone for generously supporting our theological school that trains future priests and leaders of our Church. Praying for Others The parish council is initiating an effort to encourage prayers for those in need who welcome the prayers of others. At the person s request, his/her name will be placed in the bulletin so that her/she may be remembered in prayer by all during the Divine Liturgy and in personal prayers throughout the week. Personal circumstances, such as medical condition, will NOT be listed, only names. If you would like your name included in the bulletin to request prayers, please contact the church office, Fr. Rick or a parish council member. Sunday Social Hour Volunteers needed for Social Hour all of December. Pleasee contact Naoimi Tsantir at Christmas Play Rehearsals begin on Sunday, Nov. 16. Please check the Youth Section for details. James W. Cunningham Memorial Lecture on Eastern Orthodox History and Culture Topic is The Long Road to Kyiv: Nineteenth Century Orthodox Pilgrimages by Dr. Christine D. Worobec of Northern Illinois University. Friday November 7, 2014 starting 7:30 p.m. at 125 Willey Hall, University of Minnesota, th Avenue South, Minneapolis. Reception to follow. RSVP by October 31 st (612) ormgsp@umn.edu. Preparing for the Good Death Orthodox Christian Considerations for the Life to Come, a panel discussion on Orthodox ethical issues related to medical advancement of our times. What does the Church say about organ donation, cremation, end of life, and more? Panelists: Fr. Paul Paris, Fr. Paul Hodge, page 4

5 St. Paul. MN Fr. George Dokos & Fr. Antony Alekseyenko. Saturday November 8 th, 11:30am 1:00pm at St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church. Light lunch will be served. Please RSVP to Please join us for this important conversation! Monthly Family Night Sat. Nov 1st is the next family night. We will be goint to Grand Slam in Burnsville for unlimited laser tag, mini golf and crazy cars (optional trampoline available). Cost will depend on number of people that participate but anticipated to be about $5 per person. Plan to attend - look for upcoming flier for more details. Address changes - Steve Gnetz 1760 Grace Ln St. Paul, MN Misael and Lisa Jordan 1290 Eagle Point Dr Eagan, MN Nicholas Kanavati 344 N Cudd Av River Falls, WI Jon and Staci Maier Eagle Bay Dr St. Paul, MN Petros and Ruth Mebratu 2633 Promontory Cir San Ramon, CA Pan-Orthodox Liturgy at St. George The annual Pan-Orthodox Liturgy will be hosted by St. George. Plan on joining us for liturgy at 6:00pm and a meal afterwards. If you would like to help with the meal, please contact the church office. Fall and Winter Coates Needed: FOCUS Minnesota is partnering with two local high schools - The High School for Recording Arts, and the Minnesota Internship Center Charter High School - for youth at risk, boys and girls ages If you have kids, you might have a spare or unused jacket in you house right now. It does not need to be new but it must be clean and in working order. Please consider this easy way to help a young person in need this winter. The days have been mild but the nights are chilly and, as we all know, soon it will be absolutely freezing! You can pt them with the FOCUS bins in the basement. New Church Office Hours Monday Friday 9am-3pm The date has been confirmed and you are invited to the First Service at St. George Greek Orthodox Church Palm Sunday 1940 St. George Diamond Jubilee Celebration! Saturday, October 24, 2015 Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Downtown Saint Paul Come and celebrate our parish s 75th year with Dinner, Dancing & Special Memories! Diana & Steve Theros Chrisaida & Peter Strenglis Mrs & Chris Georgantones Ann Strenglis Jim Kochiras Mrs. Pappas page 5

6 St. George Youth Monthly Family Night Saturday, Nov 1st is the next Family Night. We will be going to Grand Slam in Burnsville for unlimited laser tag, mini golf and crazy cars (optional trampoline available). Cost will depend on number of people that participate but anticipated to be about $5 per person. Plan to attend - look for an upcoming flier for more details. Sunday School Christmas Play Rehearsals Rehearsals will start on Sunday, November 16th. Although it is not required, it would be great to have all of the kids participate in some way. There are various rolls for all ages from Pre-K to High School. We also need help with the costumes and props. Parents, please watch for a potluck sign up sheet so we can have a lunch for the kids to eat on these days. OCF at UST A group of students at the University of St. Thomas have formed a new Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) and have already met two times. They will be meeting twice a month. For more information, contact Fr. Rick. Be the Bee The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries (Y 2 AM) recently began a weekly series of short, informative, entertaining, and spiritually beneficial videos. The series, Be the Bee, is named after a metaphor associated with Elder Paisios of Mount Athos (+1994), and explores ways that we can all focus on what is good and beautiful in our everyday lives. (continued from page 1) like they are part of our family. In accordance with these principles, we have updated our visitors welcome message in the Sunday Bulletin to read: Welcome Visitors! Thank you for joining with us in prayer and fellowship. The worship of the Orthodox Church is deeply rooted in and very similar to that of the early Christian Church. Unique sensory stimuli and mystery are elements that go back even to the liturgy of the Jewish temple. Everything in an Orthodox Christian church communicates the majestic presence of God the Holy Trinity with His Saints. It is literally heaven on earth. It is a sad consequence of the divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend a general invitation to receive Holy Communion. Visitors are invited to receive the blessed bread (antithoron) at the conclusion of the liturgy. We pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all Christians. If you are interested in learning more about Orthodoxy, please contact Fr. Rick at fatherrick@stgeorgegoc.org. We are proud of our Greek heritage but one does not have to be of Greek descent, nor speak Greek to be a Greek Orthodox Christian. God bless you, +Fr. Rick page 6

7 St. Paul. MN Other dates for the calendar: Parish Assembly & Communal Meal Sunday, November 16 Please join us after Liturgy on Sunday Nov.16th for a communal meal before the Parish Assembly meeting. The meal is sponsored by the St George Stewardship Committee as a thank you for your generosity to our Community Twentieth Annual Icon Festival at the Basilica of Saint Mary Exhibit: November 1 23 Icons,17th century to contemporary, are borrowed from churches and individuals throughout the Twin Cities. They are displayed in The Basilica Sanctuary. Sunday, Nov. 2 - The Festival opens with a procession of Icons during the 9:30am & 11:30am Masses Saturday, Nov. 15, 8PM Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil Icon Festival Concerts 7:00pm pre-concert talk with The Very Rev. Abbott John Magramm Sunday, Nov 16, 3:00PM St. Mary s Orthodox Cathedral The Cathedral Choir of The Basilica of Saint Mary will join forces with members of the MEOCCA (Minnesota Eastern Orthodox Christian Clergy Association) to perform Rachmaninoff s All- Night Vigil. Sara Ann Pogorely and Teri Larson, conductors. The concert is free and open to all. 20th Annual James W. Cunningham Memorial Lecture on Eastern Orthodox History and Culture The Long Road to Kyiv: Nineteenth Century Orthodox Pilgrimages Friday, November 7 at 7:30 PM University of Minnesota 125 Willey Hall th Avenue South, Minneapolis Presented by Christine D. Worobec, Northern Illinois University Hosted by Modern Greek Studies, The University Libraries, The European Studies Consortium, The Department of History, The Institute for Global Studies and Slavic Languages and Literatures A reception will follow. RSVP by October mgsp@umn.edu Congratulations Niki & Brian Youso on the birth of twins, Aristea & Mihalis, on September 9 th. Congrats also to YiayiaAristea Kontinakis. On his recent trip to San Francisco, Fr. Rick celebrated liturgy with Metropolitan Gerasimos and Fr. Aris Metrakos. page 7

8 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 177 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota Phone Fax Glad Tidings November 2014 WEEKDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES Thursday, November 20 Vespers 6:00 p.m. Friday, November 21 Entrance of the Theotokos Liturgy 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 26 Pan-Orthodox Liturgy Liturgy 6:00 p.m. Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: (Sept. - May) Saturday 5:00 pm Orthros: Sunday 8:15 am Sunday School: (Sept. - May) following Communion Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:30 am

9 November 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 +STS. KOSMAS & DAMIANOS 5pm VESPERS 6pm Family Night 2 +5TH SUN. LUKE 8:15am ORTHROS 9:30am LITURGY 12pm-12:30pm Ahepa Awards Event 4pm-7:30pm FOCUS MN - Serve a Meal 5pm Hellenic Legion 95th Anniversary (St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church) 9 +7TH SUN. LUKE +ST. NECTARIOS 8:15am ORTHROS 9:30am LITURGY 12pm Acolyte Training 4pm-7:30pm FOCUS MN - Serve a Meal pm-1pm OCF at UST 10 6:30pm Parish Council Mtg. 1:30pm-Philoptochos Meeting 7pm-9pm Catechism Class 11 7pm-9pm Catechism Class 5 11:30am-4:30pm FOCUS MN - Food Shelf 12 +ST. JOHN THE MERCIFUL - PATR.ALEX. 11:30am-4:30pm FOCUS MN - Food Shelf 6 10am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Work Day (odd jobs) 13 +ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 10am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Work Day (odd jobs) 12pm MEOCCA Meeting (St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church) 6pm IOCC Dinner (St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church) 7 10:30am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Clothes Closet 6pm-9pm Cunningham Lecture w/ Dr. Christine Worobec, PhD (University of Minnesota) 14 +STS. GREGORY PALAMAS & APOSTLE PHILLIP 10:30am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Clothes Closet 8 +ARCHANGELS 10am Divine Liturgy at St. Mary Greek (St. Mary Greek) 11am-1pm Ethics Panel Discussion: Preparing for a Good Death and the Life to Come (St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church) 5pm VESPERS 15 + BEGINS 5pm VESPERS 16 +ST. MATTHEW EVANGELIST 8:15am ORTHROS 9:30am LITURGY 12pm Parish Assembly Meeting 4pm-7:30pm FOCUS MN - Serve a Meal 23 +9TH SUN. LUKE 8:15am ORTHROS 9:30am LITURGY 11:30am-2pm Greek School Bake Sale 4pm-7:30pm FOCUS MN - Serve a Meal pm-1pm OCF at UST 7pm-9pm Catechism Class 25 +ST. KATHERINE 7pm-9pm Catechism Class 19 11:30am-4:30pm FOCUS MN - Food Shelf 6:30pm Choir Practice 26 11:30am-4:30pm FOCUS MN - Food Shelf 6pm PAN-ORTHODOX LITURGY (St. George Greek) 20 6:00pm VESPERS 10am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Work Day (odd jobs) 27 THANKSGIVING DAY - Office Closed 10am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Work Day (odd jobs) 21 +ENTRANCE OF THEOTOKOS 9:00am LITURGY 10:30am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Clothes Closet 28 Thanksgiving Holiday - Office Closed 10:30am-2:30pm FOCUS MN - Clothes Closet 22 9:30am Divine Liturgy (Eau Claire, WI) 10am-2pm Greek School Bake Sale 5pm VESPERS 29 5pm VESPERS 7pm-9pm Orthodox Game League (St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church) 30 +ST. ANDREW APOSTLE 8:15am ORTHROS 9:30am LITURGY COMING IN DECEMBER 6 ST. NICHOLAS FEAST DAY Philoptochos Advent Luncheon 7 Parish Council Elections 8 Loaves & Fishes at Faith Lutheran Church 21 SUNDAY BEFORE NATIVITY Children s Christmas Program 22 ST. ANASTASIA PHARMOKALYTRIA 24 EVE OF NATIVITY 25 NATIVITY OF OUR LORD- Office Closed St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota

10 You Can Make A World Of Difference Eirini Vourloumis/IOCC IOCC ANNUAL TWIN CITIES IOCC DINNER THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, :00 PM Pan-Orthodox Vespers 6:30 PM 7:00 PM Reception 7:00 PM 8:30 PM Dinner & Presentations ST. MARY S GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 3450 Irving Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota Join the pan-orthodox faithful of the Twin Cities in support of IOCC's latest humanitarian work around the world. Hear first-hand accounts of IOCC s work in Greece from summer intern Clia Mpogiatzis. RSVP at your church or register online at iocc.org/minneapolis by November 7, 2014 $40 suggested donation Net proceeds to benefit IOCC RSVP / QUESTIONS: Please contact Justin & Kyrsten Theodotou at theodotou2014@gmail.com

11 Budget Models and Paradigm Shift The Pious Pastors; The Esteemed Parish Councils; The Faithful People of God of the Holy Metropolis of Denver Beloved in the Lord, As you begin to prepare your annual budgets for consideration by the parish general assembly at the Autumn meeting, I ask that you reflect on the following thoughts that for most will be a major paradigm shift when thinking about the parish finances and our stewardship responsibility toward them. There are perhaps three major budgeting models that most of us are familiar with: business (for profit corporation), family, and parish (non-profit organization). In the business model, one first considers expected revenue (income), and then production costs (expenses). The goal is to maximize income and to minimize expenses because the difference between these two values profit is the reason a business exists. This is good business practice. In the family model, the husband and wife first consider their net take home pay (income), and then decide how to spend it (expenses). The goal is to afford the things they wish for themselves and their family. This is the normal way that most of us manage our home, or personal, finances and it works well. In the non-profit or parish model, however, one first considers what the needs (expenses) are, and then raises the funds (income) to meet those needs. The purpose of a non-profit entity is to meet the needs of the people it serves. The budget process therefore begins with recognizing the needs (and associated expense) of that service and then identifying the proper sources for income. The goal of a non-profit entity is not to make a profit or to accumulate savings, but to give things away. The Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the homeless shelters, etc. in your community exist to provide the services and necessities they exist to supply. Likewise your parish exists to give things away: the divine services, philanthropy, religious education, etc. In fact these are the things that we need, and for which our parish exists. In regard to need let me make one point very, very clear: our parish does not need us. Neither does God need us; He loves us and He wants us to be His people; it is we who need Him. So too, our parish belongs to God, and it wants to meet our spiritual needs; it is we who need the parish. Each of your parish expenses could be listed as a need that each of us has. We need a church building (because it is cold worshipping on an open field in February!). We need lights and water and heating in our building for our welfare. We need the priestly ministry of our assigned clergy. We need Sunday School and other religious education assistance. The parish budget process therefore starts with tabulating our needs, which we commonly have referred to as expenses. I suggest to the parishes of this Metropolis to re-label your budget as Needs and Stewardship, in that order, with Expenses and Income in parentheses. Once we have tabulated and added up the costs of our needs (expenses), we will know how much minimum stewardship (income) is need in aggregate just to keep our parish alive to meet our immediate requirements. Beyond these, of course, are the growth and expanded ministries that the Lord calls each of us to exercise. Any parish that prepares its budget by first considering Income (usually puts down a little more than last year s budget) is condemning itself to mediocrity. This is a no growth approach, both physically and spiritually. Most of you who serve on the parish councils are business people, and all of us have our own personal finances. I am challenging you to set aside your preconceived notions regarding the budget process which come from the business and family models (and are perfectly fine and good within those contexts);and grasp the non-profit budget paradigm for your parish that first considers needs (expenses) and from these determines the minimum needed level of stewardship (income). I recognize that this may be a new concept to some, but I know that you love your Church and were elected by the faithful to administer its affairs because of your skills and insight. I believe that if you adopt this approach, you will be setting goals for your parish in meeting the real spiritual needs of God s people. The way that we have run our parishes in the past, we have not set positive goals, but have limited our spiritual potential. I pray that this Autumn and the coming new year of 2004 will bring the Lord s richest grace and blessings to you and your beloved parishes. With Paternal Blessings, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver

12 APPLICATION FOR NOMINATION TO THE PARISH COUNCIL Qualifications to be a Candidate for the Parish Council 1. Must be spiritually, canonically, and financially in good standing. A. Spiritually- Attend divine services regularly and receive the sacraments. Uphold the teachings and traditions of the Church. B. Canonically- If married, married in the Orthodox Church. If divorced, have an ecclesiastical divorce. Must live his/her life and activities in accordance with the faith and canons of the Church. C. Financially- Must be a member of the Parish for at least one year immediately preceding the date of elections. 2. Must be willing to take the following oath: I do solemnly swear that I will uphold the dogma, teachings, traditions, holy canons, worship, and moral principles of the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as the constitutional charter, discipline, and regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and that I will fulfill, faithfully and sincerely, the duties and obligations required of a member of the Parish Council. So help me God. Additional Responsibilities 1. To participate in the sacramental life of the Church, thereby setting an example for the parish, to collect the revenue of the Church and to administer the affairs of the parish in such a manner as to aid the Priest in the fulfillment of its aims and purposes. 2. After appropriate discussion, to support and cooperate with all majority decisions of the parish council. *********************APPLICATION******************** I wish to place my name in nomination for election to the Parish Council of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church of St. Paul, Minnesota. As required by the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, I hereby declare that I have been a member in good standing for at least one year prior to date of elections, and I understand the duties and responsibilities which are expected of the members of the Parish Council. PLEASE PRINT: Name Address City Phone State Zip h) w) Signature Date Please return this application to Board of Elections Application must be received by: November 14, 2014 Elections will take place on: December 7, 2014

13 October 28, 2014 Holy Protection of the Theotokos Dear Parishioners: Enclosed please find an Application for Nomination to the Parish Council. Nomination forms must be received by the Board of Elections on or before Sunday, November 14, Official notification of the Elections will be mailed on November 25, 2014 with a list of eligible candidates and of parish council members whose terms are ending. Because of many scheduling issues the Fall Parish Assembly will be held on Sunday November 16, The agenda for this meeting includes the review and approval of the 2015 operating budget. The elections to the Parish Council are set to take place on Sunday, December 8, If you have any questions concerning the nomination process, please contact one of the Board of Election members below. Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Jon Kennedy, Parish Council President Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrios Andrews, Presbyter Board of Elections: Stella Hofrenning Irene Loudas Mary Makredes Georgia Panopoulos

14 PREPARING FOR THE GOOD DEATH: ORTHODOX CHIRSTIAN CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE LIFE TO COME A PANEL DISCUSSION ON ORTHODOX ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS OF OUR TIMES. What does the church say about: Organ donation? Cremation? End of Life? Panelists: Fr. Paul Paris Fr. Paul Hodge Fr. George Dokos Fr. Antony Alekseyenko November 11:30am -1pm (after Liturgy) St. Mary s Greek Orthodox Church Lecture Room 3450 Irving Ave South Minneapolis, MN RSVP *** Light brunch will be served Please join us for this important conversation