Glad Tidings Recovering Authentic Spirituality by John Kapsalis

Transcription

1 St. Paul, MN February 2009 Volume 15, Issue 2 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Glad Tidings Recovering Authentic Spirituality by John Kapsalis In his classic book Walden, Henry Thoreau wrote: "our life is frittered away by detail." Sometimes I wonder if over the centuries we haven't spent too much time thinking, talking, reading and writing about God (this article included) and not enough experiencing God? It seems to me that we have cluttered our spirituality (whatever the word means anymore) with so much religious gobbledygook that it too has become much like everything else in our lives: another burdensome chore, detached of any meaningful participation in the divine life. Or as the German historian and social philosopher, Eugen Rosenstock- Huessy aptly put it: "as soon as the Gospels were written, speech without experience began to dabble with the new facts proposed by the existence of the Church. People tried to think the new life without being touched by it first in some form of call, listening, passion or change of heart." How sadly true this is. Somewhere in our church history, we seemed to have forgotten the ancient refrain that "someone who has not seen God cannot speak of him." This type of authentic spirituality seems foreign to most of us. And yet when we read someone like the apostle Paul writing to the church in Rome, we get a picture of a lively and livable spirituality: "I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living a holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2 NLT). Transformation by the World We've all been told time and again how the average Christian has become no different than the nonbeliever. We churn out the same profanities, show similar favoritism, watch the identical junk on our Plasma's, and waste ungodly amounts of money on ourselves, all the while complaining that life is generally unfair. We talk about the love of God, but really have no time to love Him or anyone else for that matter. Even that desperately longed-for of Christian gifts, "peace," has become so elusive that any peace we might actually get our hands on is of the self-help kind-the kind that has the same shelf life as a dollar store gadget. Truth is, we've become so selfabsorbed and selfish we wouldn't notice the four horsemen of the apocalypse galloping down our street! So what have we done wrong? Plenty, I'm sure. But I think the biggest culprit for the malaise we're in is that we've become "armchair Christians." Isn't that what we do with our sports and politics? We want to share the glory of a great sports play, but are too lazy to get out there and even play with a group of friends. Or we're quick to criticize every politician ever elected, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone actually ready to join a cause to make a Special articles: Christmas Program, p5; Young Adult Survey, p. 6 real difference. Of course, the excuses have all been heard before: "no one can change anything everything is corrupt too busy no money blah, blah, blah." It seems to me our Christianity is no different. Domesticated. Safe. Boring really. Of course, we've held on to all the forms of religion-going to liturgy for an hour, making sure we kiss all the icons and dressing up for Jesus. But what about taking risks spreading the gospel to people outside our ethnic ghettos? What about spending our time and money bringing the Kingdom of God to the starving, abused and suffering mass of humanity? And what about lighting a fire in all those who have been baptized in Christ, but put away Christ long ago? In the revealing surveybased study on The Orthodox Church Today published by the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute, only a quarter of the respondents believed that "practical care of parishioners for one another" was important while an appalling six percent valued evangelism: all just enough I think to rightly earn us the wrath of God! How can there possibly be any spirituality apart from living with others and for others? Editor s Note: This is the first half of an article from Orthodoxy Today. The second half will appear in March. John Kapsalis is a graduate of Holy Cross.

2 Glad Tidings Page 2 From the Desk of the President In this month s article, I ve taken a different approach by splitting my thoughts into three discrete goals. First, I offer a thank you for your generosity in terms of stewardship. Next, I offer up a request for your generous offering of time. And finally, I simply offer up a reflection on what many consider to be a gem of our faith as we head into Great Lent. The Thank You: At last week s (January) Parish Council meeting, we learned that 80 folks had already submitted their 2009 pledge cards with an average pledge amount in excess of $1,300. That represents an increase over the average 2008 pledge of about $200 and amounts to more than $100,000 pledged to support the ministries of our church within the first 8 days of the New Year! This is no small accomplishment given the current state of the economy. Thank you to each one of you for your timely and continued faithful generosity to St. George. I look forward to watching the remaining pledges of treasures for 2009 come in. With this kind of effort, we surely will succeed in our goal to fully fund our operating budget from stewardship within three years. This, of course, will free up our fund-raising revenues for other needful things. The Request for Help: At the same time that I am heartened by our efforts on stewardship, I am dismayed by the fact that we again find ourselves with less than a full complement of Parish Council members. While this comes as no big surprise, it is nonetheless a disappointment that should be shared not just by the Parish Council, but by each of us. After all, while money to operate the church is nice (and necessary), the ministries of St. George would be nonexistent without the dedicated efforts of people just like you. As I find myself speaking with many of you individually, I am often reminded of the many and varied talents we have in our parish. This cross-section of talents is what makes us best-suited to accomplish all the things before us. I understand that there are many things calling for our time and attention these days. And as one of you wisely told me recently, the inability to more fully participate by some is not so much a matter of saying not ever as it is a matter of perhaps saying not yet. And yet for some of us, I know that now is the right time. And so, if you are one of those people, let me echo Fr. Rick s statements on Sunday. Please give serious thought to serving the Lord and our church in this capacity. I or any of the other Parish Council members would be happy to chat with you about this opportunity to serve should you find yourself interested. I know that you will find it to be a fulfilling experience. The Reflection: As this issue of Glad Tidings goes to print, we can see Great and Holy Lent on the horizon. Rather than trying to come up with a message of my own, for a change I thought it would be beneficial to turn the spotlight onto one of the gems of our Orthodox faith -- a simple prayer that happens to be a favorite of mine. Appropriately, the prayer has been referred to by some as the Lenten prayer and it goes like this O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to your servant. Yes, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors and not judge my brother; For you are blessed to ages of ages. Amen. Of course, this prayer is attributed to St. Ephrem the Syrian who lived during the fourth century. In its simplicity, the prayer provides us a wonderful foundation upon which to base our individual and collective Lenten effort. First and foremost, it acknowledges our utter dependence on God. Next, it provides us with a checklist of items to attend to -- some negatives to avoid and other positives to seek, both through the grace of God. Finally, it instructs us to properly attend to selfimprovement rather than focusing on the shortcomings of others. I know that I cannot improve on these wonderful and inspiring words so I won t even try. However, I hope and pray as we enter Great and Holy Lent that each of us will make the time to daily reflect on the sentiments of this prayer and to aspire to attain all that it offers us in our journey as Orthodox Christians. God bless, Eric

3 St. Paul, MN Page 3 Parish Announcements Philoptochos Update The first meeting of the New Year will be on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 at 6:30 P.M. Philoptochos dues are a free will offering. Please give your 2009 dues to Antonia Kontenakos the Treasurer. VERY IMPORTANT: To make communication much easier, please give your address to Georgia Ehrich the Secretary. Daughters of Penelope News Daughters of Penelope and AHEPA will celebrate the 74th birthday of Eurydice Chapter No. 21 at the Thursday, February 19, 2009 meeting at 7:00 P.M. Ann Ballas, Mary Boosalis, Evelyn Daltas, Katherine Daltas, Mildred Dress, Georgia A Ehrich, Stella Lake, Mary B Makredes, Mary Mantis, Garifallia Miller, Marie Paulos, Ione G. Sater, and Maria Theros have been Daughters of Penelope for 50 or more years. CONGRATULATIONS! Please give your payment of 2009 dues $29.00 to Georgia Ehrich the Secretary. For better communication, please give your e- mail address to the Secretary. House Blessings Call or Fr. Rick to schedule a house blessing during this time of Theophany and New Year Camp & Retreat Dates: Winter Retreat is Friday, February 27 at 7PM to Saturday, Feb.28 at 3:30PM at St. Mary GOC; Summer Camp is Sunday June 28 to Sunday July 5 at Camp Wapogasset in Amery, WI; Family Camp is October 9-11 at Camp Wapo also. Plan your Sunday Social Hour Reserve your Sunday early. Also, parishioners of Norse/Scandinavian descent are planning a Sunday Social Hour in February and would like your participation. Call Naomi Loaves and Fishes Loaves and Fishes will be serving the following months: February 9th - April 13th - June 8th - August 10th - October 12th - December 14th. All volunteers are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Please contact Sandy Thole at quadmom196@yahoo.com or Sue Gnetz at suegnetz@yahoo.com. Stewardship 2009 Thank you for your contributions of your time, talents and money. Please submit your 2009 Pledge Cards ASAP. As of January 8 th, 80 families/individuals have pledged an average of $1, % of our goal is pledged. Please fill-out and submit a pledge card for 2009 making a commitment of time, talents and treasures. Thank you! Festival of Nations The Festival of Nations will be held on April 30 through May 3rd. Save the date and plan to be there. Volunteers are much appreciated! New Leadership Sought for GT After five years of leading the Glad Tidings Editorial Committee, Diane Anastos is stepping down. Her last issue will be March Please contact Diane (asia819@dc .com ) or Fr. Rick (fatherrick@usa.com) if you are interested in taking on this role. Ann Woods Farewell It is with great sorrow to announce the departure of Ann Woods from the St. George Church community. Ann will be moving to Berkeley, California to begin a doctorate program in Christian Ethics at the Graduate Theological Union, home of the Patriarch Athenagoras Institute. Ann was Chrismated at St. George in 2004, and has been a member of the St. George community since She has been a very active parishioner in the St. George community for several years. Her absence will be felt by all. Fredrica Mathewes-Green to Speak at Lenten Retreat Nationally known author and speaker Fredrica Mathewes-Green will speak at St. George Greek Orthodox Church for their 4th Annual St. Gregory Palamas Festival of Light Lenten Retreat March 13-14, Fredrica is a Presvytera (priest's wife) and writes and speaks on a wide range of topics movie reviews, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the pro-life cause, marriage, family, and the culture. She has authored eight books including: Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy; Lost Gospel of Mary: The Theotokos in Three Ancient Texts; At the Corner of East and Now; and Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion. Well known for her commentaries on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered", Fredrica writings appear in many national newspapers and publications. She also speaks at numerous universities and is interviewed on many national media and news programs.

4 Glad Tidings Page 4 Church Staff and Office Hours Church Office Hours Mondays-Friday 9:00AM--3:00 PM Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter (651) FatherRick@usa.com Lori Kurtyka, Administrative Assistant (651) Eric Chadwick, Parish Council President (507) chadwick@ptslaw.com Registry Weddings Lucy Angelis & Jason Beddow Memorial Virginia Zotalis Trisagion George Tortorelis (1 yr) Reva Adkins, Philoptochos President (651) rradkins@comcast.net Andrea Faches, Sunday School Director (507) afaches@msn.com Stella Hofrenning, Greek School Director Diane Anastos, Glad Tidings -Editor Sue Gnetz and Sandra Thole, Festal Icons Needed Please donate a Festal Icon (11" x 14") in memory of a loved one. The cost is $50.00 per icon. The icons are displayed in the church nave and are put out for veneration on the Feast Day of the Saint or event they represent. To donate an icon, fill out a form (found on the bulletin board by the kitchen) and return it to the office. St. Maximos the Confessor 1/21 Three Pillars of Orthodoxy St. Symeon the God Receiver 2/3 Loaves and Fishes Coordinators suegnetz@yahoo.com, quadmom196@yahoo.com Daniel Simon & children Anna, Luke, John & Mark during holidays

5 St. Paul, MN Page 5 YOUTH NEWS UPCOMING YOUTH EVENTS February 1 Oratorical Festival at St. George. This is also Godparent/Godchild Sunday, so Godparents support your Godchild (ren)! February Western Region Metropolis Basketball Tournament: Milwaukee, WI February 21st: Parish Family Night Host Wanted February Winter Lock In: St. Mary s GOC Contact Doria Saros. SAVE THE DATES: Christmas Program 2008 On February 1st we will hold The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival at St. George. Please support our young people as they learn, teach and speak about their Orthodox faith. February 13-15, Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Milwaukee, will host the Western Region Metropolis Basketball Tournament. More information may be found at Parish Community Nights we are still looking for individuals or families to host upcoming community nights in their homes. The next event is scheduled for February 21st, however, we do need a host. Events in March & April will be held at St. George. To host, talk to Andrea Faches or her at afaches@msn.com. Great Lent begins March 2nd. On March 6th, following the Salutations Service and meal, we will hold an educational program for all youth. This program will detail the weeknight services of Great Lent, providing them with foundation and context for these services. Please see Andrea Faches if you wish to assist in the planning or teaching. The 2009 Archdiocese Oratorical Festival will be co-hosted by the St. George and St. Mary s communities, June 12-14, Planning is well underway, however, volunteers are encouraged to contact Father Rick or Andrea Faches to assist. All Saturday activities will be at St. George. Those who wish to come and observe the speakers, should plan to be at the church by 10am, when the Festival will begin. March 6th Salutations Service. Meal & Lenten Youth Lecture 6:30pm St. George. Come learn about the weekday services of Lent. April 11th Saturday of Lazarus Youth Retreat Lessons on the services of Holy Week. Youth & Family Ministry Monday, February 9th, 7pm. St. George Greek Orthodox Church - Monthly planning meeting. Sunday School Staff, Youth Workers, parents & others interested are encouraged to attend or participate. Dial , code to teleconference. Upcoming Youth & Family Ministry meetings will be on: March 9th April 13th May 11th June 8th Reminder Great Lent begins March 2nd.

6 Glad Tidings Page 6 Young Adult Ministry Analysis Focus groups were conducted in four Metropolises of the Archdiocese (Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco) in order to allow young adults to express their voice in regard to the church. All demographics of young adults were gathered: varying age groups (18-35 year olds), life circumstances (student, married, single, divorced, etc.) and involvement in the Church (very active, active and lapsed in attendance). Each focus group consisted of 10 to 25participants. Young adults were asked to be candid and open, in the spirit of love for the Church and its teachings. Below is a synopsis of the findings: Community The most resounding point seems to be that young adults are looking for community, the ability to connect with other young adults with the same Faith and background. They are isolated in school and work from their Orthodox peers, and the church is the only place to join with other Orthodox Christians. They are seeking to own their own faith, not their parents faith. There is a reassurance when being around others of like mind, and they yearn for community. However, many times they feel unwanted and not welcome in Church. Education Many young adults feel that now they are ready to take their Faith to the next level through bible study, catechism, mentoring, etc. They feel that on a local level there is a lack of religious education, discussion on current social issues, and inter-orthodox cooperation (other young adult ministries). Relevance in the Church Young adults voiced their concern over their role in the Church today. They have the desire to be active in their parish, but feel that the older generation is not willing to give them an opportunity for leadership. Therefore, they question their importance within the community. Some feel that no one is reaching out to them and in their own words, someone reaching out makes a big difference. Liturgical Services Young adults want to actively participate in the divine services, and when they are given this opportunity, they usually do. When they come to services and the majority is in Greek, they find it difficult to participate because there is no context for understanding the services. National Conference Young adults in general would like to see more retreats, conferences, etc. However, they want to see these take place on a local or regional level. They do not want to spend the money to travel across the country for a conference or retreat, but would rather attend a small, local, intimate gathering. Some young adults like the big conference because they have the opportunity to meet other people from throughout the country. The local parish level is where the connection should begin most young adults agree that conferences and events are not enough, they are seeking more. Web Presence Most young adults feel the need for a strong presence from the Archdiocese on the Internet. They want a place not to substitute the relationship with their parish priest/spiritual father, but to find specific answers about their faith. They would like to see a web site with a practical application of faith to young adult life, book clubs, culture and social issues. This web-site should be updated and evolving, with current news feeds about current issues and topics, links to other web-sites (music, resources, etc.), as well as blogs and the Orthodox Christian response to major current events and issues. Young adults feel that there is a lack of publicity and promotion for young adult ministry and that more should be emphasized on the Internet. No one knows what is available after GOYA.

7 Around Town Introduction to Orthodox Christianity The Winter 2009 session started Monday, January 12th and runs through April 6th. This class is open to anyone interested in learning more about the Orthodox faith and the cost is free. It is held on Monday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Church. For more information contact Father Richard Andrews at (651) MISSION SUNDAY St. Paul, MN Page 7 7:00 OCMC Concert highlighting music composition of Chris Granias featuring pianist Rebecca Thoennes National Oratorical Festival Twin Cities June 12-14, 2009 The 26th annual St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival will be held in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Archbishop Demitrios will be visiting both St. George and St. Mary s Greek Orthodox Churches during this weekend. On March 1st St. Mary s Greek Orthodox Church will host a Forgiveness Sunday Vespers Service. Free will donations will go to OCMC. 5:30 MEOCCA Forgiveness Vespers 6:30 desert and coffee Metropolis & Archdiocesan News National Youth Adult Pilgrimage to Russia! April 24 May 2, 2009 The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries is pleased to announce the National Young Pilgrimage to Russia. Visit the historic cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg on an unbelievable pilgrimage of faith you will never forget. Online registration opened on January 15, Space is limited to 35 young adults and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information please call the YAL Department at or visit OCMC Mission Teams for 2009 The Orthodox Christian Mission Center is now accepting applications for 2009 Mission Teams. These teams will travel to nine different countries in Asia, North and Central America, Africa, and Europe. Team Members will perform ministries of healthcare, construction, youth outreach, and teaching. Visit programs/teams. IONIAN VILLAGE Ionian Village, the travel abroad camping program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, is now accepting volunteer staff applications for the summer of Ionian Village staff members play an important role in the spiritual, cultural and social development of Orthodox teenagers from across the United States as they travel to the most significant cultural sites in Greece. For more information visit

8 ST. GEORGE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 1111 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID St. Paul, MN Permit No. 177 Phone: Fax: Web Site: Weekday Worship Schedule REGULAR WEEKLY SERVICES Meeting of Our Lord Divine Liturgy 9:00am, Monday, February 2 St. Haralambos Divine Liturgy 9:00am, Tuesday, February 10 Eau Claire, WI Divine Liturgy 9:30am, Saturday, February 28 Holy Confession: By Appointment Vespers: Saturday 5 pm (September May) Orthros: Sunday 8:30 am Divine Liturgy: Sunday 9:45 am Sunday School: (September through May) starts after administration of Holy Communion

9 February 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday TH SUN. MATT. +MEETING OF +FAST DAY +FAST DAY OUR LORD +8:30am ORTHROS +ST. PHOTIOS +9:45am LITURGY +9:00am LITURGY +12:30pm Godparent/ Godchild Sunday *6:30pm *5:00pm Radio *7:00pm Catechism Philoptochos Program KKMS *12:15:00pm 980am Greek School +5:00pm VESPERS *12:00pm Oratorical Festival PUBLICAN & +ST. St. Valentine's PHARISEE- HARALAMBOS Day TRIODION BEGINS +9:00am LITURGY *5:00pm Radio +ST. THEODORE *12:00pm MEOCCA Program KKMS STRATELATES 980am *7:00pm Parish +8:30am ORTHROS *5:00pm Loaves Council +9:45am LITURGY & Fishes *12:00pm Acolyte Training *12:15pm Greek School *7:00pm Youth *7:00pm Bible & Family Ministry Fr. Rick's *1:00pm Basketball Home Practice + NO FASTING + GOYAL BBALL TOURNEY *7:00pm Catechism PRODIGAL SON PRESIDENT'S +ST. THEODORE +FAST DAY +FAST DAY DAY OF TYRE +8:30am ORTHROS +9:45am LITURGY Office Closed *12:00pm Choir Practice *12:15pm Greek School *7:00pm Catechism *5:00pm Spiritual Life Cmte GOYAL BBALL TOURNEY *5:00pm Radio Program KKMS 980am +5:00pm VESPERS MEATFARE - +FAST DAY +FAST DAY +9:30am Liturgy LAST JUDGMENT +ST. POLYCARP +ST. FOTINI in Eau Claire, WI OF SMYRNA +8:30am ORTHROS *3:30pm YOUTH YOUTH WINTER +9:45am LITURGY WINTER LOCK-IN LOCK-IN at St. at St. Mary GOC Mary GOC *5:00pm Radio *12:30pm Parish *7:00pm Catechism *7:00pm Program KKMS Assembly Stewardship Cmte 980am *12:15pm Greek School +5:00pm VESPERS + FAST FROM MEAT + Coming in March Cheesefare 2 - Clean/Pure Monday: Great Lent Begins 8 - Sunday of Orthodoxy/Icons Lenten Retreat 22 - Veneration of the Cross 25 - Annunciation & Greek Independence Day St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1111 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN Rev. Father Richard Demetrius Andrews -- Phone: (651)

10 St. George Greek Orthodox Church, St. Paul, MN Parish Council Meeting Minutes Dec. 11, 2008 Attendees: Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Pendelis Eliou, Paul Pliakas, Jim Theros, Christ Kontenakos, Ann Woods, Joe Weiser, Jason Barbes and Frank Mortari I. The meeting was called to order at 19:15 II. The Parish Council meeting opened with a prayer followed by 2 scripture readings The Council recognized the presence of Chris Georgantone and Coni Brown from the American Legion Post 129. As in the past, Post-129 generously presented a check to St. George in the amount of $1,500 to be used by the Youth Program for non-religious activities. Conni B. also reminded Council that they do have a scholarship program ($200 to $500) that is open to all St. George Parishioners and they encouraged people to find candidates to apply. Chris G. reminded council of the mock-government activity also supported by the American Legion and also asked Council to help aid in finding candidates for this program. The Council recognized the presence of Lori Kurtyka, the new candidate for the administrative assistant position. Father introduced Lori to Council. Father went on record for thanking our previous temporary office assistant, Katie Lawrence, during a time of need. Father indicated that after an intense search he felt that Lori K. was an ideal candidate the position and as a result he has offered Lori the position, pending Council approval. Lori has begun working as of Dec 15, Lori introduced herself and her background followed by a brief introduction of all Council members present. III. Frank M. moved to accept the amended minutes from the November 5, 2008 Parish Council Meeting as submitted by Frank Mortari. Motion was seconded by Joe W. Motion carried. IV. TREASURER S REPORT Paul Pliakas provided a financial report from Diane A. for the January through November 2008 (report will be attached) The total income for the Jan-Nov/08 period was reported as $287,498 and total expenses for the same period were $245,147, which represents a positive difference of $42,351 The budgeted expenses for the Jan-Nov/08 period were $256,902 Questions were raised whether the amount of total transfers from fund raisers reported on line 4040 Father reminded Council that we need a more regular report of balances from bank accounts, investment accounts and reserve accounts Father suggested that Paul Loudas be asked to provide an investment report to the Parish Council in January, 2009 V. FATHER S REPORT

11 Father Rick reminded Council of the upcoming Archdiocese Oratorical Festival on June 12-14, 2009 and that church dignitaries from both Chicago and New York will attend this event and this will require a coordination of the planned activities, including that any proposed church improvements not be in process during this time period Father wished to thank the new coordinators of the Loaves and Fishes ministry who served food to over 160 people this past week Stella Hofrenning is organizing some Greek School classes on Sunday after liturgy The St. Paul Police chaplain chief would like to address the St. George parishioners and express his thanks for the help that St. George provide during the RNC convention Father reminded Council to the fall clean-up day has been rescheduled to Dec. 20, 2008 due to poor attendance at the previously scheduled date. Council members are encourage to attend as a gesture of leadership Father thanked Ann W. for organizing the successful paraklesis for St. Nektarios and subsequent dinner celebration with over 80 people attending Father praised Council members for a successful Parish Assembly Father thanked Jean and Paul Pliakas for organizing the Thanksgiving Eve Liturgy dinner for about 80 people Holy Trinity Serbian Church presented a plaque to St. George thanking parishioners for the wonderful give of the old iconostasis. Those that attended Holy Trinity celebration reported that the old iconostasis looks in good condition and has been kept well Father thanked all candidates who participated in the parish council elections and also thanked the current and outgoing council members for a successful tenure on the council Father reminded Council that the basketball program has recently begun practicing and all are welcome to participate Father and Frank M. met with the representatives from Marsden Cleaning to review all areas of the church that they will be cleaning as of Jan. 2, Father and Eric C. met with the current janitor and he has agreed to continue working until Dec 31, 2008 Father informed Council that after an intensive search for a replacement candidate for the office administrative assistant position, he believes he has found a suitable candidate. The candidate is Lori Kurtyka and a job offer was made contingent upon approval by the Parish Council. Lori will work Monday through Friday from 9 until 3 PM Motion: Pendy moved to hire Lori Kurtyka as the new administrative assistant for the St. George office. Paul P. seconded the motion. The motion carried. Father reminded Council that this is a busy time of the year and encouraged Council not to schedule additional meetings to allow parishioners to focus on the ascetical disciplines of the church during the upcoming Christmas celebration VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS Stewardship Committee Pendy E. provided a report on Stewardship activities on behalf of the Committee As of Nov Year-to-Date total receipts were $148,521 which is 72% of the total budgeted pledged amount of $207,493 and this represents a shortfall of $58,972 We have received 47 pledges for 2009 for a total of $69,478 and this equals to an average pledge of $1,478 which is a 30% increase from the 2008 average pledge 2

12 Letters and statements for have gone out to remind parishioners to remain current with their obligations The Stewardship Committee is discussing implementing an automatic bank payment system to assist parishioners in making timely contributions By-Laws Paul provided a draft containing the latest changes to the proposed amendments of the By-Laws and proposed sending the draft to the Metropolis for approval before offering to the Parish Assembly Motion: Ann W. moved to send the submitted draft of the By-Laws to the Chicago Metropolis office for review and approval. Pendy seconded the motion. The motion carried. Capital Projects Paul shared with Council a survey he conducted to assess the priority for various remodeling projects and the conclusion was to put emphasis of three projects: work in the sanctuary, office remodeling and renovation of the basement space Council agreed that in order for these projects to move forward, a more comprehensive plan for each area needs to be first outlined VII. NEW BUSINESS LYRA The inability to find someone to organize this event, Council decided not to pursue moving forward with hosting of the musical group Lyra Storage and Library New shelving units are being installed this weekend in the library 2009 Festival of Nations This event is coming up in 2009 and Jean Pliakas has incurred some expenses associated with space reservation and registration Marsden Special Cleaning Frank M. met with Marsden, the new cleaning service, and reported that the floors in key areas are in poor shape which makes their maintenance difficult Frank suggested having the floors in the social hall, kitchen and exo-narthex cleaned and waxed and clean the kitchen for a cost around $1,200. This work could be completed this weekend Motion: Ann W. moved to approve the spending of up to $1,200 for additional cleaning of the floors in the social hall, kitchen and exo-narthex. Jason B. seconded the motion. The motion carried. Thanks to Outgoing Council Members Paul P. expressed his thanks for the fine work that the outgoing Council members did, specifically Pendy Eliou and Christ Kontenakos 3

13 VIII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Increases in Cemetery Lot Prices Christ K. reported that Dimitri Dokos was notified by Roselawn that cemetery lot prices have been increased by 5% from 2008 prices Motion: Ann W. moved to approve an increase of 5% to the lot prices charged to St. George Parishioners. Joe W. seconded the motion. The motion carried. Eric C. asked Frank M. to post the newly approved Sacramental Fees Policy in the social hall. Other Business Christ K. asked that the Parish Council send a thank you letter to the Hellenic post of the American Legion for the donation to the Youth Program Christ K. reported that the insurance agency requires a detailed list of valuable that the Church hold to better determine replacement values. Frank M. will work with Father to compile such a list Parishioners have asked for a cost estimate to frame the old St. George Icon so that they can better determine how much funds to raise to cover this activity 2009 donation envelopes are available but we need input from parishioners to determine who is interested in using them Joe W. has agreed to consult with Ann W. on the best way to recycle candle wax Christ K. pointed out that ushers need to be more vigilant of the money being collected during the service in view of recent events and to make sure that people with access to the church office are available to properly store collected funds Christ K. reminded Council that he will be away and others need to be able to handle questions about Church maintenance issues Christ K. thanked current Council members for having worked as a team and in a positive spirit to get the job done Paul P. suggested that Council institute a policy to do background employment checks on new employees. Council will look into the cost associated with this proposed activity Motion: Jason B. moved to do a background check on the latest hire. Ann W. seconded the motion. The motion carried. Father pointed out that US Bank requires a letter from the those in charge in order to change signatories on the bank account for MEOCCA Motion: Ann W. moved for Council officers to sign a letter allowing the change in signatories on the MEOCCA bank account. Paul P. seconded the motion. Motion carried. Father offered to present to Council, for informational purposes, an overview of how the two ministries, Philoptochos and Missions of Benevolence, developed at the next Parish Council meeting in January 2009 Motion: Ann W. moved to adjourn the Parish Council meeting. Christ K. seconded the motion. The motioned carried. The meeting was adjourned at 21:50. Parish Council concluded the meeting with a closing prayer. 4

14 , 2008 Eric Chadwick, President, 2008 Frank Mortari, Secretary, 2008 Rev. Fr. Richard Demetrius Andrews, Presbyter 5