OUR JOURNEY TO PASCHA! 2017

Transcription

1 1st Sunday of Lent MARCH 5th BRING AN ICON TO CHURCH FOR PROCESSION. TRIUMPH of ORTHODOXY MARCHJohn 12th St. the STBaptist Orthodox Church GREGORY PALAMAS 2nd Sunday of Lent BRING A PRAYER ROPE to be blessed today! Use it each day this week! A Parish of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople Rev. 3rd Fr.Sunday Daveof Urban, Pastor 2688 California Avenue Lent Very Rev. Fr. John Brancho, Pastor Emeritus Pittsburgh, PaAND WEAR YOUR CROSS TO CHURCH MARCH 19th CROSS SUNDAY Half Way There! KiSS THE CROSS EACH MORNING WITH A Timothy Martin, Reader Rectory: BOW! Matthew Peifer, Stephen Brancho, & John Radick, Cantors OrthodoxPittsburgh1937@gmail.com Matthew Peifer, Church Council President *** NEW *** 4th Sunday of Lent Every time you climb stairs today ask St. John to help you reach Paradise with the sign of the ST JOHN of the Ladder MARCH 26th cross! + + +Do this + throughout + + +the + week + too! +++ 5th Sunday of Lent ST MARY of EGYPT APRIL 2nd Pray to the Virgin Mary to offer you and the world pure thoughts and pure ideas this week. PALM SUNDAY! PALM SUNDAY April 9th HOLY WEEK BEGINS BRING PUSSYWILLOWS TO BE BLESSED (Sign of Victory!) Place one behind an icon at home and in your car! OUR JOURNEY TO PASCHA! 2017 GOOD FRIDAY HOLY FRIDAY APRIL 14th SUNDAYS THEMES / GOSPEL READING FEAST FEASTS! Fast - OF Free Week REFRAIN FROM TV and CELL PHONES to HONOR Christ s Death HOW TO PARTICIPATE: TRUST IN GOD, NOT YOURSELF! TELL YOUR PRIEST AND FAMILY: APRIL 16th 5th FEBRUARY Publican and the Pharisee ASK FORISHIS HELPAND BEFORE EVERY RISEN! SAY IT BEFORE HOLY PASCHA! (CHRIST IS RISEN!) CHRIST TASK THIS WEEK! GOOD MORNING AND GOOD NIGHT! Fast WeekDivine Liturgy 9:30 Normal am Paschal Liturgical Color: White The Prodigal Son Returns!John 1: 1 17 FEBRUARY 12th Epistle: Acts 1: 1 8; Gospel: SCHEDULE A CONFESSION USE UP/ FREEZE MEATS THIS WEEK YOUTH Sunday / Blessing of the Artos / Parish Photo / Children s Egg Hunt following Liturgy READINGS AND SERVICES FOR BRIGHT WEEK Meatfare FEBRUARY 19th The Last Judgment FIND A COMPASS AND SAY A PRAYER FACING EAST THIS WEEK. CHRIST IS RETURNING Bright Monday Acts 1:12 17; Scripture John 1: USE UP/FREEZEAll DAIRY THIS WEEKis inspired by God and is FAREWELL TO MEAT TODAY FROM THE EAST AND WE WAIT FOR HIM! profitable for teaching, for reproof, for Bright Tuesday Acts 2: Luke 24:12 35 correction, and for training in BrightCheesefare Wednesday Acts 2: John 1: ASK EACH OTHER FOR that the man of God may Bright Thursday Acts 2: 38 43Adam andrighteousness, John 3: 1 15 Eve are cast from Paradise! FORGIVENESS EACH EVENING FEBRUARY 26thActs 3: 1 8 be complete, equipped for every good Bright Friday John 2: THIS WEEK BEFORE BED. FORGIVENESS SUNDAY FAREWELL TO CHEESE TODAY work. 1 Tim.3:16-17 Bright Saturday Acts 3: John 3: st Sunday of Lent *** A Fast Free Week - Let us Imitate Christ and the Saints and Feast in moderation as they did! MARCH 5th No Kneeling in Prayer for 50 Days TRIUMPH of ORTHODOXY Bright Monday 9:30am Paschal Divine Liturgy with BRING AN ICON TO CHURCH FOR PROCESSION. Gospel Procession Epistle: Acts 1:12 17;21 26; Gospel: Jn 1:18 28 / Procession: Mt 28:1-20; Mk 16:1-8; Lk 24:1-12; Jn 20:1-10 2nd Sunday of Lent Bright Tuesday 9:30am Paschal Divine Liturgy BRING A PRAYER ROPE to be blessed ST GREGORY PALAMAS Acts 2:14 21; Luke 24:12 35 today! Use it each day this week! Sunday, April 23 2nd Sunday of Pascha: St Thomas Sunday 9:30 3rd am Paschal Divine Liturgy Tone 1 Liturgical Color: White Sunday of Lent WEAR YOUR CROSS TO CHURCH AND Epistle:CROSS Acts 5: SUNDAY 12 20; Gospel: JohnThere! 20: MARCH 19th Half Way KiSS THE CROSS EACH MORNING WITH A Breaking of the Artos / Semi-Annual meeting following Liturgy BOW! MARCH 12th th Sunday of Lent This Bulletin is offered a MARCH 26th Christos Voskrese! (Voistinu Voskrese!) Sunday Bulletin, for We are happy that you have joined us today! Please join us downstairs for prayers for someone or for 5th Sunday of Lent coffee and a bite to eat. It is our pleasure to have you in our presence this do Pray to the Virgin Marytheir to offermemory, you and theplease world morning and we wish God s Blessings all who with us today andpure hope youand pureso APRIL 2nd STtoMARY ofvisit EGYPT thoughts ideas week. up on the bythis signing stop in again soon! If you have any questions in regards to our worship or sheet on the table in the Orthodoxy, please see Fr. Dave and he will gladly answer any of your questions Vestibule of the Church or PALM SUNDAY! to the best of his ability. He looks forward to meeting you! bytocontacting Dave. BE BLESSEDFr. (Sign April th PALM SUNDAY + + +BRING + + PUSSYWILLOWS +++ of Victory!) Place one behind an icon at home and A Warm Welcome To Our Visitors! ST JOHN of the Ladder HOLY WEEK BEGINS LOOKING AHEAD LOCALLY Every time you climb stairs today ask St. John to help you reach Paradise with the sign to of the If you wish sponsor cross! Do this throughout the week too! in your car! GOOD FRIDAY Sunday, April 30 add l collection for our Community Outreach, (OCMC) / REFRAIN FROM TV and CELL PHONES to FRIDAY ACRY HOLY Meeting following Coffee Social HONOR Christ s Death Wednesday, May 10 9:30am Divine Liturgy for Mid Pentecost Saturday, May 13 9:30am Grave Blessings FEAST OF FEASTS! TELL YOUR PRIEST AND FAMILY: Sunday, May 14 Mother s Day / APRIL 16th add l collection for HOLY (CHRIST ISFund RISEN!) CHRIST IS RISEN! AND SAY IT BEFORE our PASCHA! Capital Improvement GOOD MORNING AND GOOD NIGHT! Thursday, May 18 7pm Akathist to Inexhaustible Cup & brief discussion Saturday, May 20 4pm Italian Feast and Basket Raffle APRIL 14th

2 BULLETIN BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS (Please have submissions for this section to Father by Wednesday.) Weekly Candle Intentions/Memorials were offered last week by Tim Martin; Melanie Shuster; Viola Peifer; Kathy Schrmack; Linda Gavulich; Eleanor Sanger; Roberta Kruchkevich; Joanne Nelson; Theresa Sharpless; Pani Brancho; Steve Buhonick; Melanie Paieski; Cindy Pavilonis; Patty Watson. I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. - Jn 8:12 The Eternal Lamp was offered last week by John Gaydos, Sr., in Memory of Wife, Catherine. May Her Memory Be Eternal! Vičnaya Pamjat! The Feast of Feasts, PASCHA! What a journey it has been! We prayed together we traveled together (to Cranberry for Wednesday nights and throughout our deanery for the Lenten Mission) and we got our steps in as we walked with Christ! It is through your prayers that Orthodoxy is alive! Hristos a înviat! (Adevărat a înviat!) Fr. Dave Urban Thank You! to everyone who shared their time, talents, and treasures to make the church a beautiful place to be for the Feast of Feasts, Pascha! You Are All Appreciated!! Christos Voskrese! (Voistinu Voskrese!) Thank You! to our ACRY members who continue to sponsor our Coffee Social each week (from September through May)! Thank You! to the ACRY organization who provide some of the supplies for the coffee socials! Thank You! to all those who support this great ministry of our Church! And Thank You! to our ACRY for running the annual Raffle today! OCMC Coin Boxes Please do not forget to bring in your coin boxes to contribute towards our Community Outreach to the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC). Let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share (1 Tim 6:18) Icon Cards Please consider repurposing your greeting cards. The collection box is in the vestibule for Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Thank you for giving back! Parish Website Our new Parish Website, is live! Read about our faith, the bulletin, and much more. Visit everyday! View our parish monthly calendar and there are links to other calendars that have the daily lives of the saints and other great material! Panachida Offerings We are reminded that Panachidas (Memorial Services for the Departed) CANNOT be served on the Major Feast Days of our Lord, including Palm Sunday, Holy Pascha, and as well as St. Thomas Sunday. Our Stewardship Gift To God Dues/Stewardship: $ 370 Candles/Small -/Eternal Lamp/- Stand:$ 187 Sunday Envelopes: $ 919 Feast Day Envelopes: $ 386 Special Monthly Envelopes: $ 57 Flowers/Blessing of Candles $ 20 Lenten Mission: $ 200 Presanctified Collection: $ 168 Patriarchal Pence: $ 72 Loose Money: $ 0 Total Donations: $ 1949 Capital Improvement Fund: $ 81 Collection for the Saints: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper. 1 Cor 16:2 Cranberry Outreach Update We are continuing to explore and pray about the idea of moving north into the 79 corridor. Our recent Exploring Orthodoxy 101 sessions in Wexford and the Presanctified Liturgies in Cranberry were both well attended! (Presanctifieds averaged 15 praying souls each week with over a third not from our North Side parish.) + If you have any thoughts or questions about our outreach, please talk with Matt Peifer, Church Council President (pgh.heman@verizon.net/ ), Sharon Peifer-Robinson, Relocation Committee Chair (sharpdoc13@gmail.com/ ), and/or Fr Dave, Spiritual Advisor. Calling All Graduates if you will be graduating from High School, a University, or a Trade School, please contact Father ASAP. Congratulations! to Bethany & Chris and their families on the birth of Amelia Elizabeth Jean Yute born on 3/28 (7 lb 1 oz 20 ). Bethany is great friends with Melanie Paieski. Your prayers have been much appreciated! Preserve her and this child which she has borne. Cover her with the shelter of thy wings from this day until her final end, through the prayers of the most Holy Theotokos and of all the saints. Amen from Prayers for a Woman on the 1 st Day after Childbirth 3 rd Official Notice Our Parish Semi-Annual Meeting will be NEXT Sunday, April 23 rd following the Divine Liturgy. We look forward to discussing together current parish topics. Diocesan Clergy Convocation Fr Dave will be at Camp Nazareth from April In an emergency, please do not hesitate to call him at camp ( ) or our brother from the OCA, Fr Thomas Soroka ( ). ACRY Booklet The National ACRY Bowling Tournament will be held in Rockaway, NJ Memorial Day Weekend. There is a sheet in the Church hall for anyone who wishes to be a patron ($6), booster ($3) or have a memorial listing ($6) in the tournament booklet. These are due by April 26 th.

3 ACRY Meeting Their next Quarterly other families be inspired. Don t miss out on this opportunity for you and your family. Space is limited to the first 10 families, so register soon. Register online at Registration closes after Friday, June 2. Cemetery Grave Blessing We will bless Family Day (June 11th) Raffle Tickets are available from Theresa Meeting will be on Sunday, April 30th following our coffee social to finalize the dinner & basket raffle. graves this year on Saturday, May 13th. We will meet at 9:30am at the Uniondale Cemetery and celebrate a Panachida (Memorial Service) there before blessing the graves. If you have any questions, please contact Fr Dave. Akathist to the Inexhaustible Cup This is a Prayer Service for Those Who Struggle with Addiction and for their Friends and Family. We offer this service on Thursday, May 18th at 7pm on behalf of those who suffer from alcoholism and other addictions. We also encourage those who have friends or family members who struggle with addiction, as well as those who work in the field of recovery, to come and pray with us! Italian Feast & Basket Raffle, hosted by our ACRY, will be held in St John s Hall on Saturday, May 20th from 4-6:30pm (doors open at 3pm). Over 25 Amazing Gift Baskets to be raffled! Ticket Prices are: Adults - $20; Youth (6-17) - $10; and a Family Admission - $50. Tickets include: Admission, 8 Basket Raffle Tickets, 2 Drink Coupons, and a homemade Italian Pasta Dinner with Appetizer, Salad Bar, and Dessert. (Extra Raffle tickets may also be purchased.) Reservations can be made by May 17th by signing up on the sheet in the church hall or contacting Fr Dave. Come spend an Italian evening out with friends while supporting a great cause! Faith Night at PNC Park is Thursday, August 17th at 7:05 this year. We are looking for someone to organize this parish outing! Please contact either Fr Dave or Matt if you are able to! Coat Drive Do you have a clean coat or two that you have not worn in years but it still looks good and you don t want to get rid of it? We are now collecting coats and jackets, in good condition, to donate to FOCUS Pittsburgh this August. We will store the clean coats on the coat rack in the church hall. CN Family Camp Our Diocese is pleased to announce its 5th Annual Family Camp from Friday, June 9th Sunday, June 11th at Camp Nazareth in conjunction with Family Day. The event is exactly what it sounds like: Families camping together in the Camp cabins and participating in a weekend of services, games, discussions, activities and challenges that are all designed to help families deepen their relationship with God and with one another in the peaceful environment of our camp. This year s theme is Your Family s Sacred Story. Come learn about families of great faith in the Scriptures and be inspired. Share your own Sacred Story and help Sharpless. This is the only diocesanwide fundraiser for camp and it is a significant source of income for the Camp Nazareth program and our children. Raffle tickets are $20 each with prizes exceeding $20,000. Support our camp: buy (at least) one by Sunday, May 26th The Family Day flyer is hanging in the church hall with details for the day! 97 Days Till Camp! Early bird discount rates are available through May 15th. Information regarding registration is available at: Please act fast to save 20 bucks! Our ACRY is offering a partial Campership for assistance J and other assistance is also available. Please talk with Fr Dave before registering to get the online code that you will need. If you have never been to Camp Nazareth, you do not know what you are missing! Our Deanery Camping week is July Please, consider sending your children to Camp this summer! Please talk to Fr Dave if you have any questions. A week at Camp Nazareth has the potential to bring a child who is quickly falling away from the faith and transform them into a spiritual guide for your family. Please, believe me, it is that important! Altar Boy Retreat the Annual Altar Boy Retreat will take place from Sunday June 25th to Wednesday, June 28th at Christ The Saviour Seminary (Johnstown, PA). Registration information will be coming soon. Young Women s Encounter the 4th Annual YWE will take place from Sunday June 25th to Wednesday, June 28th at the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Christian Church in Windber, PA. The YWE is designed specifically for our young women to provide them an opportunity to spend time in fellowship with each other, have fun, and pray together. We learn about our faith and to listen for God s call to each of us to use our unique gifts and abilities. Young women in our Diocese ages are encouraged to attend. You may contact Pańi Eleni Stagon, acrodywe@gmail.com for more information. Garage Sale Our annual garage sale will be on August 25th & 26th. Tax-deductible clean donations will be accepted starting on Sunday, st May 21. Let us collect what is extra for us, as it may be needed by someone else! This stewardship community outreach is here to help others!

4 Looking FURTHER Ahead Some 2017 dates of interest: Ø Graduate Sunday:?? Ø Alumni Day at Camp Nazareth: May 20 Ø Feast of Ascension: Thursday, May 25 Ø ACRY Bowling Tournament: May Ø 5 th All Souls Saturday: June 3 Ø Feast of Pentecost: June 4 Ø Fast Free Week: June 4-10 Ø Camp Nazareth Family Camp: June 9-11 Ø Camp Nazareth Family Day: June 11 Ø Apostles Fast begins: June 12 Ø Moleben to St Nectarios & Anointing: June 13 Ø Young Women s Encounter in Windber AND Altar Boy s Retreat in Johnstown: June Ø Feast of the Nativity of St John: July 7 Ø North Side Church Picnic: July 9 Ø Feast of Saints Peter and Paul: July 12 Ø Pittsburgh Deanery Camping Week at Camp Nazareth: July Ø Feast of the Holy Prophet Elias: August 2 Ø Blessing of Vehicles: August 6 Ø Dormition Fast Begins: August 14 Ø Pittsburgh Pirate s Faith Night: August 17 Ø Feast of the Transfiguration: August 19 Ø Blessing of Fruit and Vegetables: August 20 Ø Annual Garage Sale: August Ø Feast of the Dormition: August 28 Ø ACRY Convention hosted by St Nicholas in Homestead: September 1-4 Ø Blessing of Flowers and Herbs: September 3 Ø Feast of the Beheading of St John: Sept. 11 Ø Ecclesiastical (Church) New Year: September 14 Ø Camp Nazareth 40 th Anniversary Celebration: September 16 Please, Save the Dates! ORTHODOXY AROUND DA BURGH Spring for Lifeline V Sponsored by the Tri-State area Lifeline representatives, Spring into Lifeline V is an evening of FUNdraising - music, song and dance - while we work to raise funds for the underserved population of Serbia. On Friday, April 21 st starting at 7pm at the American Serbian Club (2524 Sarah Street, Pittsburgh, Pa 15203) the Lifeline Committee of Pittsburgh is hosting an event to raise money for the organization. At 8pm, the world-renowned Tamburitzans will be performing excerpts from their 80th anniversary celebration - Jubilee! Team IOCC at the Pittsburgh Marathon If you are a runner that does marathons, or one of the other events, they are trying to put together a Team IOCC for marathon weekend (May 6-7) where the runners get people to sponsor them and the money raised goes to IOCC. Any questions should be directed to: Chris Weber, chw5017@gmail.com or IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Tunch & Wolf s Walk for the Homeless will be on Saturday, May 27 th at The Great Lawn at Heinz Field. Registration begins at 8:30am. The 10k Walk starts at 10am. Proceeds benefit Light of Life Rescue Mission: Food. Shelter. Hope. Fr Dave has a registration form. Visit for more information. Family Fun Run/Walk for Epilepsy will be on Saturday, June 17 th at PNC Park. Registration begins at 8:00am. The 5k Run / 2 mile Walk starts at 9:30am. For more information, please call , staff@efwp.org, or visit STEWARDSHIP: A Way Of Life From: Spiritual Education By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciple. (John 15:8) Most Orthodox Christians, actually all Christians, fall into the trap of I don t need to know more! I learned all about Orthodoxy, Theology and being saved when I was in Sunday school! Sound familiar? How many of you have attended an adult education class or adult Bible class at your parish in the past year? In the past year, how many read the scriptures daily or have read a book about the Saints or a Spirituality book? Many of you read the newspaper every day or read articles on the internet or read a novel? How many of you are concerned enough about your salvation and that of your brothers and sisters to further your spiritual education? Visit Our Parish & Diocese On-Line St John s: Diocesan Website: Camp Nazareth: FB: Twitter: twitter.com/acrodnews You Tube: youtube.com/acroddiocese Parish Stewardship Opportunities - Come to our semi-annual meeting - Join the ACRY - Attend additional services - Assist with the Dinner & Basket Raffle - Organize the Pirate Tickets for Faith Night - Bring in a lightly used coat for FOCUS or items for our Garage Sale - Donate to our parish or one of it s outreaches As Orthodox, we have a tendency to shy away from talking about our faith. Or, we say, we are right, and you are wrong! That doesn t help anyone. The primary reason we react this way is that we do not know enough about our faith to be able to express it or live it. Our faith is confined to two hours on Sunday! We talked in previous blogs about being in communion with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ and sharing the gifts God has given us with each other that we might assist each other to Theosis. How can we do that if we

5 fail to educate and understand ourselves? If the majority of the parish fails to be educated and fails to understand their faith, how can we make disciples to go out and help others? The good news is that God has given us the abilities to learn, understand, remember and speak. He has given us the gifts that we need on our journey to Theosis as well as helping others on that same journey. He has given us the ability to make disciples, and He has commanded us to use those gifts for that specific purpose. Can you say that you are using your gifts as God commanded? If not, why not? The Church offers you the opportunity to come and see, to learn, to teach. God has given you the gifts to accomplish that, will you take advantage of what He has given you in order to obtain what He has promised you? Or will you continue to be that two hour Sunday Orthodox Christian! LIVING ORTHODOXY FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO - Even in His pain on the cross, the Lord Jesus did not condemn sinners but offered pardon to His Father for their sins saying, "They know not what they do!" (St. Luke 23:34). Let us not judge anyone so that we will not be judged. For no one is certain that before his death he will not commit the same sin by which he condemns his brother. Saint Anastasius of Sinai teaches, "Even if you see someone sinning, do not judge him for you do not know what the end of his life will be like. The thief, crucified with Christ, entered Paradise and the Apostle Judas went to Hell. Even if you see someone sinning, bear in mind that you do not know his good works. For many have sinned openly and repented in secret; we see their sins, but we do not know their repentance. That is why, brethren, let us not judge anyone so that we will not be judged." (by Bp Nikolai Velimirovič in 'The Prologue from Ochrid' which can be read daily from a link on our website) The Paschal greeting is a custom among Orthodox Christians, consisting of a greeting and response. Instead of "hello" or its equivalent, one is to greet another person with "Christ is Risen!". The response is "Indeed, He Is Risen!". This greeting is used during liturgical services AND informally at other times, starting with the feast of Pascha and lasting until Ascension the period known as the Paschal season or Paschaltide. In practice, this greeting is typically used only with people that one already knows are Orthodox. In some cultures, it is also customary to exchange a triple kiss after the greeting. Orthodox Christians often compile lists of the greeting in various languages, as it is used around the world, and these are sometimes recited in church or in other formal settings as an act of Orthodox unity across languages and cultures: Church Slavonic Christos Voskrese! Voistinu Voskrese! Greek Khristós Anésti! Alithós Anésti! Romanian Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat! Swahili Kristo Amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka! ( * If greeted in a language you are unfamiliar with, translate and respond in English!) Is Your Parish Focused On Mission Or Maintenance? from, Beyond the Plateau: Sharing the Good News and Growing the Parish by Fr. John Ivanoff Clergy and members of parishes that are beginning to decline will tend to notice something happening. At first, what begins to happen is very subtle, hardly noticed. It comes up during warm conversation, perhaps during coffee hour, and may even be, at the beginning of this period, something that is undertaken with joy and laughter as parishioners engage in it during their conversations with one another. It is nostalgia. And it always begins with the words, Remember when? Nostalgia is a killer. Many people in our churches sometimes speak rhapsodically about those good old days in the forties, fifties, sixties, or whatever decade is in vogue. We reminisce about and yearn for full churches and full Sunday schools, but what we don t realize is that society itself has changed. We no longer live in the churched culture of many of our childhoods. A churched culture is not so much characterized by the numbers of those actively participating in the life of the Church, but rather by a very noticeable feeling throughout society that the Church is important, that it matters. To an awful lot of people today, the Church not only does not matter, it matters less and less as the years go by. 3 Signs Of An Unchurched Culture: 1. The value of church is not among the values of the culture. 2. A substantial number of people are not seeking out the Church on their own initiative. 3. People do not live their lives as though the Church substantially matters. It s not that they see the Church as harmful or hurtful; they see the Church as not really relevant or helpful. Yet, many of us in the Church, at various levels of involvement and ministry, act as if nothing has changed. We continue to act as if the general population is seeking us out (churched culture, maintenance mindset) rather than acting like the Church we find in Acts, and seeking the world out (mission mindset). It is for this reason that we have as many declining and dying parishes as we do. And why do we prefer to see one way over the other? Because the parish of a churched culture is calm, peaceful, organized. Think Ozzie and Harriet. (Anybody under 50 immediately is asking, Who are they? And that, in part, proves the point.) The parish of the mission mindset, however, is going to be none of these things. It is going to be hectic, challenging, disturbing even not exactly everybody s cup of tea, which is why many people don t want it and why we have trouble seriously imagining what it would be like. What the maintenance mindset leads to is a preoccupation with whether our churches are

6 5 Marks Of A Maintenance-Minded Church: 1. Focused on facilities and structures 2. Conserves and guards its resources 3. The parish is their world 4. Programs and activities, keeping the calendar full 5. Leadership focus is internal and institutional growing, rather than whether our mission to the world is flourishing; whether our churches are able to manage their accounts, rather than whether we can fulfill our God-given directives. We have been preoccupied with maintenance when we must be preoccupied with mission. But church growth is not about growth alone. As one church growth author has noted, Our current problems cannot be conveniently reduced to whether the church membership statistics are growing or declining. Our current problems have more to do with mission than membership, more with service than survival, more with the planet than the church plant (i.e., 5 Marks Of A Missionfacilities), more with the Minded Church: human hurts and 1. Focused on people hopes of the world than 2. Lives at the edge of all the hemorrhaging of a its resources denomination. We 3. The world is their are called to share the parish Kingdom, not to grow 4. People find fulfillment churches. We don t in their foundational life grow churches, only searches God can do that. When 5. Leadership focus is we confuse the two, we external and get the problems with missionary which we are now struggling. So maintenance or mission? Which is it? It can t be both; this preoccupation with maintenance, with census numbers, is self-defeating. The more we are concerned with maintenance, the less we focus on mission; the weaker our mission, the more we decline; the more we decline, the higher our preoccupation with maintenance. This downward spiral ends when the remaining remnant can no longer afford to keep the enterprise together. Focusing on maintenance can be depressing, tedious, dreary, and discouraging. Focusing on mission can be uplifting, visionary, joyous, and inspiring. And, it s not difficult to change the parish s focus from one to the other: what s needed is a little trust (in God this is what changes mere belief to active and powerful faith ), cooperation (between priest and parish leadership; one or the other alone cannot do this effectively, let alone powerfully), education (on what can be done, as well as what shouldn t be done), and training and equipping. The good news is that turnaround ministry is possible and can happen, but only if a declining parish s priest and parishioners are willing to commit themselves to the effort of turnaround ministry. Such an effort will require the entire parish working together as a team to turn the tide and make a full comeback to healthy witness and ministry. While moving forward often requires reflective moments of looking back, pure nostalgia for times gone by can slowly grind to a halt any efforts to move a declining church forward. Those wishing to move their churches to full health and growth must remember that memory of the past must be coupled with vision of the future and real mission in order to achieve a holistic approach to real church growth. ORTHODOX WORD OF THE WEEK Bright Week is the 1st week following Pascha, the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It ends the following Sunday, St Thomas Sunday. The services of Bright Week are done with the Royal Doors open. This unblocked view of the altar symbolizes the open door of Christ's empty tomb as well as the rent veil of the Jewish Temple, which was torn apart at the moment Christ died. The entire week is considered to be one continuous day and the main reason why fasting is completely prohibited to all Orthodox during the week. Bright Week begins a period of celebration (without kneeling) that continues for 50 days until Pentecost. This celebration includes the practice of the faithful joyously greeting each other with the salutation of Christ Is Risen, followed by the response Indeed, He Is Risen, as the whole of creation is renewed by Our Lord and Savior. THINGS TO CONSIDER Office Hours Monday-Friday from 9am 4pm OR by appointment. Online Community / Phone Tree Please Fr Dave at fr.sleepless@gmail.com to receive the weekly bulletin via . Please call Fr Dave at to be added to our Phone Tree. Mystery of Confession Opportunities are available after every service, Saturdays during fasting periods from 11:00am 1:00 pm, OR by appointment. Holy Communion/Eucharist The reception of the Holy Eucharist is encouraged by all Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared themselves, with fasting from midnight on, regular Confession, and forgiveness for all people. Those who are not Orthodox may receive a blessing from the chalice. Emergency Sick Calls Please notify Fr Dave when you or a family member are going into the hospital or having a procedure so he can pray with you & you may receive the anointing so you are properly prepared. Lapsed Members You are always welcome home and we need you back! Generally speaking, sincere participation in the Sacraments of Confession, Communion and regular attendance at the divine services are all that is required to begin parish life anew! See Fr. Dave for specific details. New Members/Adult Chrismation New members are always welcome. In the case of adults seeking entrance into the Church, a period of prescribed catechism will be established with Fr. Dave before administration of the sacraments. An Orthodox Christian sponsor is also required. Baptisms Two God-parents are required, at least one of whom must be Orthodox by faith and the other a practicing Christian. In the case of infants, the newly-baptized must have one name that is Christian in origin. Parents/grandparents/guardians must also promise to bring the child up in an Orthodox Christian way of life. Marriages are solemnized on Saturdays or Sundays. Marriages cannot be celebrated during certain Feasts & Fasting periods. Please consult Father at least 6 months in advance & before making other arrangements. Church Funerals are provided for practicing Orthodox Christians who are current in their spiritual and financial obligations; otherwise burial is from the funeral home. The Church does not permit cremation.

7 PRAYER CORNER Our Parish Prayer List for Special Intentions & Other Needs * A Prayer For The Sick: O Christ, You alone are prompt to defend us; quickly visit Your suffering servant name. Through the prayers of the Theotokos, deliver him/her from sickness and bitter pain. Heal him/her so that he/she may sing to You and always praise You for You alone love us. Amen. For the Health of... Helen, Jason, Ann, Eleanor D., Julie, Jane, Mildred, Mark, Viola, Juliana, Nathaniel, Katie, Kenneth, Michael, Jayne, Ann, Teresa, David, Larry, Susan, Anna Mae, Roberta, Fr Shuster, Thomas, Lawrence, Fredrick, Donald, Iris...through the prayers of St. Nectarios the Wonderworker; St. Luke, the Surgeon; and St. Panteleimon, the Great-Martyr & Healer. Birthday Prayers for Christopher Ditmore (4/19) and Lawrence Martin (4/20) May God allow them to grow in peace & love all the days of their lives & may He grant them many & blessed years! Na Mnohaja I Blahaja L ita! Anniversary Prayers for John & Theresa Sharpless (4/21) May God fill them with His grace that they may continue to live in unity with Him! For the Special Intentions of... Bishop Gregory, Joshua, Anastasia, Nicholas, Cassandra, Alexander, Scott, Sarah, Nancy, Amee, Andrea, Christopher, Ryan, Marianne and our Church Council and Relocation Committee: Matthew, John, Timothy, Patricia, Theresa, Lawrence, Jane, Sharon, Cynthia, Katherine, Eleanor, John, Richard, John, and Margaret...through the prayers of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker; St. John the Baptist; the Archangels Michael & Gabriel; and the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. For those serving in the Armed Forces & Civil Authorities... Sgt. Walter Dylan Mushinsky, Maj. Michael Repasky...through the prayers of St George, the Great-Martyr & Wonderworker. For Expectant Mothers Nicole, Jessica, Sharon, and Roxanne...through the prayers of St Anna, the mother of the Theotokos, & St Irene Chrysovalantou. For our Catechumens & Inquirers through the prayers of St. Paul the Apostle, St. Mary Magadalene & St. John Maximovitch. For those preparing for Marriage through the prayers of Sts. Adrian & Natalia & all the Holy Martyrs. * This is to be used for the special intentions of our brothers and sisters and can be inserted as a prayer itself into our daily prayers. Please let Fr. Dave know if you would wish to make additions or subtractions (in the case of answered prayers) to our Parish List. The words of the Gospel are true: it is good to pray for one another. Let this be a place where we lay out our concerns and beg the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Those whom we add to the list do NOT need to be Orthodox Christians. DEVOTIONAL PRAYERS OF THE WEEK: A prayer for our Neighborhoods by Archbishop Demetrios of America I pray to you, God, for the families of my neighborhood. Visit them. Throw their troubles out of them and bring hope. Make the daily cares that devour the heart disappear. Present solutions to life s problems. Settle the disturbed relationships among members of different families whom I know or do not know. O Lord, remind the people of our area that You exist, that You are a strong and loving Protector. Keep away, Lord, anything that causes the disappearance of peace from souls, and the escape of sleep from our eyes. Stay a little while more tonight in our neighborhood. Spread peace along with the night. Let the harshness of the day and its struggles not spread over the night. Amen. Prayer Before Meals During the Paschal Season Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy! (3 times) O Lord Bless! (bow) O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.