September Beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year. Day for the Protection of our Natural Environment. Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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1 September 2012 Beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year Day for the Protection of our Natural Environment Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We begin this new ecclesiastical year in worship of our Almighty God offering Him praise and thanksgiving for His great mercy. In our hymns and prayers on this day, we ask for all that we need for life and service, seeking to walk in communion with Him. Through our commitment to prayer, our participation in the commemorations and observances of the Church, and our offering for the promotion of His kingdom, we find renewed hope in an abundant life in Christ. On this feast we ask our Lord, Bless the crown of this year with Your goodness (Psalm 65:11). We know that His goodness is true and enduring. His goodness is rooted in His love for us, and in this goodness He nurtures and sustains our lives. Through our trust in God, our lives are filled with His goodness, and consequently we become witnesses of the joy He has granted us. We also ask Him to keep us in peace. While we know that peace is a cherished condition for tranquil and secure lives in this world, we also recognize that this peace is often temporary or frequently challenged. Certainly, we seek peaceful times, but we also affirm that true peace comes from Christ. Our Lord said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27). It is in His goodness and peace that we also ask our Lord to bless all of our endeavors in the opening year and to guide the work of our hands. Following His direction in all that we do ensures that we will produce great spiritual fruit in our lives and the lives of others. Dedicating ourselves to Him keeps our hearts and minds in His will and fills our actions and words with His holiness and grace. When we acknowledge Christ in all our ways, our goals and intentions are pure, lives are transformed, and He is glorified. It is also on this feast that we observe the Day for the Protection of our Natural Environment. This day has been established by our beloved Ecumenical Patriarchate in recognition that the goodness, peace, and guidance of God extend to all of the created order and to our stewardship of it. In goodness our Creator made everything and proclaimed that it was good (Genesis 1:31). Into a fallen world groaning under the burden of corruption, He has brought true peace. He has shown us the way of peace, so that we may live in proper relationship with our natural environment and with each other awaiting the deliverance into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8: Our Lord also gives us guidance in our stewardship and care of all that He has made. By His example and teaching, we know that the life of grace includes the natural world, and He directs us to protect and preserve it in love. As we begin this ecclesiastical year together in worship and fellowship, I pray that the Lord will bless you, your families, and your parish with a year filled with His goodness and peace. With paternal love in Christ, DEMETRIOS Archbishop of America

2 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 17 Meriam St., Lexington, MA St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is a parish under the spiritual and ecclesiastical shepherding of His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, the presiding hierarch of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America under the jurisdiction of His All-Holiness, Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch. The Orthodox Way is published by the first of each month. The deadline for submissions to this newsletter is the 15h of the prior month. Thank you for your cooperation. Office Phone: Office st.nicholas.lex@verizon.net Office Secretary: Mary Correia Church Website : Sunday Worship Service: Orthros: 8:15 a.m. Divine Liturgy: 9:30 a.m. Rev. Fr. Demetrios Costarakis, Presiding Priest Office Hours: Monday Thursday 10:00 a.m. 2:30 p.m.* * Days and times may vary due to Liturgical or other schedules* Father s Office Phone: Father s Home Phone: Father s Cell Phone Emergency ONLY Father s frdcostarakis@gmail.com Our Parish Council Anthony Gray, President awgray.jr.@gmail.com Lela Digenis, Vice Pres. ldigenis@verizon.net Alyssa Psyhojos, Secretary atpsyhojos@hotmail.com Michael Tanionos, Treas. mtanionos@hotmail.com Penelope Tzougros, Steward. penelope@wealthychoices.com Lou Saledas, Finance saledas1@gmail.com Valerie Larsin,Asst.Sec. vmarble@aol.com Marcy Norse, Asst. Treas. marcynorse@yahoo.com Bill Brown bill@z3d.com Anthony Callahan anthony.callahan@gmail.com Kostas Daileanes giagiaandpapou@verison.net James J. Decoulos jamesj@decoulos.com Diane Maimonis dianemaimonis@yahoo.com Nector Ritzakis nritzakis@gmail.com Tom Tsaros ttsaros@gmail.com Icon on cover page courtesy of used with permission Our Parish Ministries Chanters: Timothy Patitsas drtimothyp@gmail.com Efthimia Zervoglos zervoglos@rcn.com Altar Server Ministry: Yianni Barbas, Jack Decoulos, Tino Decoulos, Speros Dimas, Alexander Heisler, Nicholas Heisler,Christopher Kokkinos, Jonathan Kokkinos, Matthew Kokkinos, Dimitri Psyhojos, Christos Saledas, Christian Sevigny, Loukas Speros, Maximos Speros, Jason Vafiades, Nicholas Vafiades, James Wouralis, Anthony Wilson, Andoni Zervoglos Church School Directors: Lariza Panagiotou larizap@earthlink.net Leto Papadopoulos letopd@gmail.com Greek School Principals: Gloria Doukakis ggdouk@comcast.net Lela Digenis ldigenis@verizon.net Family Ministries James Schmidt jf.schmidt@comcast.net Stephanie Wilson samm215@msn.com 40 to 4 Infant/Toddler Ministry: Gloria Costarakis msgloria@aol.com Adult Choir Efthemia Zeroglos zervoglos@rcn.com HOPE/JOY Advisors: Mike Wilson honor24@msn.com Cassandra Girabaldi cassyg@comcast.net Nick Speros GOYA Advisors: Alyssa Psyhojos atpsyhojos@hotmail.com Leto Papadopoulos letodp@gmail.com Daphne Papadopoulos daphneathena@gmail.com Nectarios Ritzakis nritzakis@gmail.com Ladies Philoptochos Society, St. Irene Chapter: Pamela Brown, President pam@z3d.com Seniors Group Gloria Doukakis ggdouk@comcast.net John Yanakis Health Ministry Group: Anthony Gray awgray.jr@gmail.com Judy Gray jgray1321@gmail.com Mike Wilson honor24@msn.com Alyssa Psyhojos atpsyhojos@hotmail.com

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4 THE ULTIMATE OLYMPIC RACE Fr. Luke A. Veronis A memorable scene took place in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The grueling marathon already produced its gold medalist one and a half hours earlier. In fact, almost all the runners had finished, and the night was turning dark and cold. Most of the spectators had emptied out of the stadium when in hobbled the last runner of the marathon, John Steven Ahkwari of Tanzania. He was practically carrying his leg, it was so bloody and bandaged. He obviously ran with extreme pain, and yet he continued to half run/half walk around the track until he crossed the finish line. As the confused spectators understood what was happening, a few began clapping. Their clapping increased into a roar as they watched his determined effort to cross the finish line. In the marathon runner John Steven Ahkwari, the spectators witnessed the Olympic spirit at its best! When the reporter Bud Greenspan asked Ahkwari why he kept going on despite his injury, the runner simply responded, You don t understand. My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race. They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race. This past month, we all watched many magical moments in the Olympics. We heard inspiring stories of athletes who sacrificed and displayed unbelievable discipline and hard work with one goal in mind - becoming the greatest athletes in the world. These athletes displayed virtues relevant to our own Christian life virtues of sacrifice, discipline, perseverance, and hard work. Ahkwari s story is a classic story of determined perseverance. In our age of instant gratification, such a virtue is often ignored. With cell phones and internet, 24/7 service, and airplanes that cross the world overnight, we want everything immediately! And yet, the greatest things of life can t be achieved in an instant. Just ask any Olympic athlete. It s not about the seconds to run a race or swim a lap, but the years of training that make it possible to reach the Olympics. Years of sacrificing their lives, adjusting their schedules, watching what they eat, beating their bodies, giving up pleasures, and training day after day with one goal in mind. To become an Olympian! St. Paul used the imagery of the athlete as a prototype for our own Christian struggle: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Cor 9:24-28) St. Paul points to the ultimate Olympic contest our spiritual marathon into the Kingdom of Heaven. And this event does not offer a medal of gold or silver, but a medal of eternity. To receive such an eternal award, though, we need the same determined perseverance as we see in Ahkwari and all the great Olympians. Too many people begin their spiritual journey with fervor only to fall away later in life. Too many have fallen away from the path of salvation because of laziness, a lack of discipline, a fear of struggle and sacrifice, the allurement of comfort and pleasure, an indifference for the heavenly prize, and even an acceptance of mediocrity and a forgetfulness of our divine calling. Whatever the reason, as we think back on the Olympics, let us remember the story of John Steven Ahkwari, and let us never give up, or abandon the spiritual race of salvation!

5 Burn the Mortgage Thanks to all those who have contributed as of August 13, Note: An asterisk (*) signifies that a prior donation was also made to the Building Fund. Diamond - $25,000 & Up Your name could be here. Platinum - $10,000 - $24,999 Your name could be here. Gold - $5,000 - $9,999 Your name could be here. Silver - $1,000 - $4,999 Margaret & Athos Bousvaros* Alexander Brown John & Felia Proakis* William & Joan Tarkulich David & Monica Vafiades Bronze - $500 - $999 Peter & Wende Manickas Anonymous* Daphne Papadopoulos Patron - $1 - $499 George & Yiota Katsarakes Leto Papadopoulos Letters sent out in March: 88 Total Number of Pledges: 10 Total Amount Pledged: $8,850 Total Amount Received: $5,350 While the response to the letter and April Bulletin article has not been as hoped (it has not allowed us to make additional payments of principle against the mortgage), the donations received to date have covered the $362 monthly shortfall between the mortgage payments and rental income.

6 NOTE Edited from the June/July 2009 Monthly Bulletin Building for the Future We are proud to present our list of contributors as of May 28, Since our Pledge Kick Off Drive, we have already reached more than sixty percent of our goal. The outpouring of love for our St. Nicholas Church is an inspiration to all of us, both young and old. It is a very exciting time for our little church won t you join us? Diamond - $25,000 & Up Anonymous Platinum - $10,000 - $24,999 Drs. Elena & Constatine Kitras Tagaropoulos William & Pamela Brown Charles & Sophie Poulos & Family Robert & Stephanie DeVasto Dennis & Katherine Speliotis Sandra & Mark Miminos Thomas Anthony Pappas Charitable Foundation Gold - $5,000 - $9,999 Constantine & Angelica Digenis Margaret & Athos Bousvaros Zachary & Stephanie Lemnios John & Felia Proakis George P. George William Nimee Alyssa & George Psyhojos Silver - $1,000 - $4,999 Emmanuel & Helen Bliamptis Constantine & Gloria Doukakes Pamela Giannatsis & Dirk Armstrong Demetrius & Stavroula Kazan Michael & Mary Kirmani Anonymous William & Angie Lemnios Constantine & Lucie Manousakis St. Irene s Philoptochos Christine Vallas Anonymous John & Amelia Yanakis Anonymous Steven & Mildred Dostou Paul & Irene Vouros Platon & Maria Velonias Nikiforas & Marie Kollias Frank & Mary Ned Fotis Krista Manickas & David Cusanello Ray & Maria Stata Gregory & Olympia Wheeler Eaton Vance Management Dr. & Mrs. George Hatsopoulos John & Pauline Macaris Buddy & Janet Demers Anthony Miminos & Gregory Miminos George & Mary Sarandis Iasme Chiotelis James & Maria Decoulos Eva & John Rodakis Louis, Pamela, Nikolas & Christos Saledas The DiOrio Family Rick, Patty, Ross & Jake Stella Milonas Nicholas & Mary Papantonis Steven & Donna Damalas Jamie Dostou Judy & Anthony Gray Marina,Danny & James Wouralis Maria & Arthur Spilios Bronze - $500 - $999 Constance Dodge Betty Athanasoulos Evelyn Milona Nancy & Jack Eliades Nicholas & Martha Perakis James & Helen Pitarys

7 Neal & Elena Proakis Ellis George, Lisa & Evie Proakis James & Pamela Schmidt Thalia Sculos George & Toula Wouralis Anthony & Efthemia Zervoglos Adrianna Panagiotou & Eleni Panagiotou Evangeline & Robert Puopolo Deidra & Adam Heisler Artemis & Elias Gyftopoulos Nicholas & Francine Miles Leonidas & Lariza Panagiotou David, Anastasia, Joanna Tsao Gregory & Helen Splagounias Vasiliki & Christos Fatouros Hariklia & Nicholas Vallas Cynthia & Lee Cummings Alexandra & John Joseph Mary & Michael Delichatsios Peter & Julie Kondon Anna & Peter Lappos Anthony & Kristine Papantonis Patron - $1 - $499 Athena Kutrubes Johnathan P. Kutrubes Nancy Peponis & Steven Augart Catherine Peponis Eleanor Theodore Elaine & Michael Price Electra & Fred Plemenos Reza & Emerald Jalinous Athena Berardi Strato & Katherine Dimas Philip & Rita Carmanis Building & Remodeling, Inc. Menelaos & Tanya Dalaklis Derius & Giulia Kefallinos Tina & William Pappas Irene & Themos Splagounias Alexander s Pizza Steven Venezelos Peter & Mary Murray Lorraine Cochran Jim s Plumbing & Heating Pauline Solomos Alina & Florian Oprea Niki Pantazis Victor & Constance Krea Total Number of Pledges: 157 (including memorial donations) Total Amount Pledged: $205,813 Total Amount Received: $182,463 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY! 2012 NOTES: 1) 110 Pledges and Gifts were received and fulfilled totaling $217,425 over the three year Building Fund drive from ) $7,115 in Memorial Donations and Bequests was also received for the Building Fund.

8 Hello Family and Friends, I pray that you have had a blessed summer and that you were able to enjoy these months by traveling (here or abroad), spending time with loved ones or just embracing the opportunties of relaxation that only summer can give!!! With this in mind, I want to share with you just a few thoughts. September 1, we begin a New Ecclesiastical (Church) Year. How great of an opportunity have we been given to change our lives for the better with the start of a new year!!! Yet, I sometimes hear the following reasons from parish family members, loved ones and people who I talk with in regards to getting involved or just coming for worship I really didn t/haven t participate (d) this year and I should wait till the beginning of a new fiscal year. I know I need to go its just you know people will look at me if I just start showing up. I work all week and am soooo tired and Sunday is my catch up day. There are no people my age, so I am not going. There are no parking spaces at the church. I was forced to go when I was younger so now I make the choice not to go. In preparing this message, I came across the following blurb, taken from under the title Missing Church Excuses. Hope you find this as humorous as I did NO EXCUSE SUNDAY: DEDICATED TO MISSING CHURCH ATTENDEES! To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special "No Excuse Sunday": Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard. Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church." Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot. Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can't go to church and cook dinner, too. We will distribute "Stamp Out Stewardship" buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday. The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them. We will provide hearing aids for those who can't hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he's too loud! Hope to see you there! I pray that this New Ecclesiastical Year is one that allows us to grow that much closer as a Parish Family!!! Fr. Demetri

9 President s Letter Dear St. Nicholas Parish Family, The summer is slowly drawing to a close, and our children (and grandchildren, neighbor s children ) are, once again, filling the schools as students, eager to learn. While many of us have enjoyed a week or longer of vacation during the summer months, we didn t take a vacation from St. Nicholas, attending the Liturgical Services as well as keeping our church buzzing with activity from the many ministries, and this was beautiful to witness. The end of the summer also marks the beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year, with many exciting upcoming events, the first of which is the Trivia Night scheduled for September 15. Those who attended the Trivia Night at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Woburn earlier this year can attest to the fun! And one bit of advice to those who attend: yield to Fr. Demetri on all of the spiritual trivia questions With the beginning of the Ecclesiastical year, please also consider increasing your involvement in the life of St. Nicholas, whether this means attending an additional service you might not have otherwise attended, supporting a church sponsored event with your presence or talents, or joining (or starting!) one of the many beautiful ministries of our parish. A living calendar is available for all on our newly designed website, located here: As always, I welcome suggestions, input, criticism with proposed solutions from our parish family and look forward to ongoing guidance provided by Father Demetri. With love, Tony Gray awgray.jr@gmail.com Stewardship Welcome Home. September is rich with beginnings: a new ecclesiastical year, school year, theatre season, TV line-up, sports challenges, and fresh ideas from the many ministries of St. Nicholas. What s cooking with Stewardship? We are all Stewards no matter what other ministries we are active in, so some Stewardship events are combined with other ministries. The first is Family Night, September 21. While the little ones are occupied with crafts and other fun, you and I will share ideas in the Third St. Nicholas Discussion Group. Each of the other discussions has provided insights into what we can do better. As a family we need to dream together about the future and talk about what keeps us spiritually fed and socially engaged. For all your love and support, we will prepare a Stewardship Appreciation Breakfast on October 14. Good food and a little bit of a surprise in the design of the event Let s have lunch: Saturday, October 27, at 1pm, I ll offer some thoughts from a financial planning perspective on of Managing Money in Hard Times. You may recall that Stewardship offered a formal presentation last November What s your Legacy? I have heard that some of you have contacted the panelists and are getting your estate planning in order. Bravo! One of the ways you prove that you love your family is to have your wills, trusts, and beneficiaries in order. Leave a legacy, not a financial mess. There are lots of money challenges for us and St. Nicholas because of a low interest rate and volatile financial environment. That s what we ll talk about in an informal setting with something good to eat. (I can t imagine events without good food- can you?) It is a joy to be together again. May it be a healthy and spiritually vibrant year for each of us. With love in Christ, Penelope Tzougros, Stewardship Chair

10 Stewardship Report August 21, Goal: $135,000 Total Stewardship pledges: $ 124,519 Total Stewardship received: $ 99, % of our goal Total pledged Stewards 167 Are you one of the 22 not yet recorded? Last yr. Target $124,500 $93,678 75% of the goal With 156 Stewards Giving Blocks August 21, 2012 $10,000 - $19,000 1 $5,000 - $9,999 1 $2,000 - $4,999 7 $1,000 - $1, $ 500 $ $ 300 $ $ $ Less than $ Total pledged Stewards 167 Thank you. Same time last year, 157 Stewards were included. St. Irene s Philoptochos I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer! At the convention that took place in Arizona in July, the National Philoptochos was looking to award one organization from each Metropolis a grant of up to $5,000 from their Autism Assistance Fund. I m happy to report that the organization I recommended, the Northshore Education Consortium, submitted a winning proposal that resulted in their receiving a $5,000 grant! The Philoptochos meetings will now be held on Monday nights. Hope to see you there! We re looking ahead to our annual White Elephant Sale, which will be on Saturday, November 3, so remember St. Irene s Philoptochos when you do your fall cleaning! We are also planning a fundraiser or two. Bring your enthusiasm and ideas to our meetings! Look forward to seeing you on September 17! Pam Brown President Church School We are looking forward to another great Church School year! Registration will be on September 9th, and classes will begin on September 16th. Please complete the attached registration form and bring it to registration day. We will also have forms available at the table and will them to parents. Stay tuned for details regarding an upcoming teacher training for all Church School teachers and assistants. ARE YOU ON "THE WAY"??? Over the summer there were individuals who are not of the Orthodox faith, wanting to learn more about Orthodoxy and what we believe in as Orthodox Christians. With this in mind, a class will start in October, the name of the course will be called "THE WAY". This program will help all to learn more about our faith, what we believe in and the many beautiful traditions we still uphold. If you are interested in joining this group to learn more about the Faith, please contact Fr. Demetri.

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12 Greek School We hope everyone had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to a new and exciting academic year. We, as a staff, look forward to the beginning of our school year. Our classes have been finalized and all books, workbooks, enrichment materials and other necessary supplies are in place for children and staff. We wish to inform you that our first day of school will be on Saturday, September 15, A registration form, your child s class roster (with class time and dance time), and the school calendar are enclosed with this letter. Please complete the registration form and mail it to the Church Office by September 1st. All children are to report to their classes at the given time listed on the class roster. This will give them an opportunity to see their classmates, greet their teachers, and share their summer experiences. Fr. Demetri will celebrate an Agiasmo Service at 10:00 A.M. in the Church for everyone present--children, staff and parents. Our classrooms will also be blessed. After the service children will report back to their classes to resume their lessons or be dismissed if their classes are over. We look forward to seeing you on the 15 th of September. Lela Digenis/Gloria Doukakis Co-Directors goya The GOYA is looking forward to another great year! We want to share with you our scheduled events for September. On Friday, September 14, we will be having a lock-in at the church starting at 7:30pm. We will have a movie night and make t-shirts for Sonia's Run at 9:00am on Saturday where we hope many GOYANS will join us for this worthwhile 5k. $17 to pre-register, $20 day of registration. Please see website for more information: Saturday, September 29th at 4pm, we will make caramel apples and have dinner together after the JOY group goes apple picking. These will be sold after Divine Liturgy the next day We pray all of our infants, toddlers, pre-k members, their parents and families had a great summer! With this in mind we are happy to announce our first gathering of the New Church Year. We will gather on Friday, September 21 at 5:30pm We have a GREAT craft that we will work on as a group!!! Following our time together, we will enjoy Family Night with the rest of our Parish Family beginning at 6:30pm. Again, we welcome all of our young people that participated in this ministry for a few years and we are happy to welcome new members, especially those born during the summer months! Please contact Gloria Costarakis for more information. Health Ministry We hope you have enjoyed a wonderful and healthy summer! The health Ministry will continue to have our "Health Walks" monthly starting in October. Its such a great way to get a little exercise in while enjoying wonderful fellowship! We are also planning two lectures/programs in the year ahead (possibly October/ November and then March or April) We will keep you updated on those as soon as we have definite dates. We have also be thinking about having "Healthy Thursdays" which may consist of exercise classes, yoga, ballroom dance lessons, healthy cooking classes etc. We are still trying to finalize these as well. We are looking forward to an energetic, healthy and Blessed year ahead!

13 One of the most beautiful and oldest traditions preserved by our Orthodox Faith is the annual blessing of homes during the Theophany season. Because of severe weather conditions during the winter months, many house blessings need to be rescheduled or even cancelled. Because of this instead of blessing homes in Janurary (in which normally homes are blessed) this year, I will be blessing homes in the fall months. TO CHANGE THINGS UP A BIT, I AM GOING TO BLESS HOMES THE WAY IT IS DONE IN ORTHODOX COUNTRIES! No appointments! I will give those who live in a certain town a one week notice letting them know I will be in that area and will knock on their door in the early evening. If no one is home, I will place my card letting you know what time I came by. The house blessing only takes 5 MINUTES! If you would not like to have your home blessed please contact Father Demetri by phone, or Facebook. For the past 4 years I have made appointments and have blessed the homes of approximately 1/3 of our parish family members. Also many of you may remember when this tradition was done or heard about it from your parents and/or grandparents it is a great way to begin a NEW YEAR!!! Announcements On July 16, 2012, the funeral of Stratos Alexandrou was celebrated at St. Nicholas Church. He was the husband of Thisvi Alexandrou and father to Niko and Gabriel Alexandrou. On August 21, 2012, the funeral of Mary Skenas was celebrated at the Annunciation Cathedral, Boston. She was the mother of Diane Maimonos. Many of our parishioners have agreed to have their monthly newsletter sent to them electronically and we thank them for allowing us to so, thus saving on postage. However, there are those who do have , but have elected to continue receiving their monthly newsletter through the mail. Because postal rates continue to rise, we are making every effort to reign in our costs. Therefore, we are respectfully asking those to reconsider. In the present economy, we are all trying to reduce our expenditures and the church is no exception. Please call the church office ( ) and get on our list. Everyone s help is needed. Thank you. Stewardship Appreciation Breakfast Sunday, October 14, 2012 following Divine Liturgy Managing Money in Hard Times featuring Penelope Tzougros Saturday, October 27 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be served.

14 Supporting Unexpected Maintenance Items At the Spring General Assembly, it was suggested that our Parish share the list of unexpected maintenance items, in case one of our family members would like to make a donation to help offset the costs. This list will be updated regularly. Please contact Bill Brown if you would like to contribute to any of the following items: Faulty Alarm System We have had several false fire alarms this year that have required un-budgeted service calls by Lexington Alarm Systems. Invoice on February 23 $ George P. George donated $ Invoice on April 23 $ Electrical Repair of Light Fixture One of the two light fixtures, which illuminate the stairs leading down to the classrooms, has been out for some time. The maintenance committee tried putting in new bulbs without success; i.e. something is wrong with the fixture. Note that the fixture is complicated and has battery backup for power outages. We plan to hire Pat Patuto & Son Electricians to repair the fixture. Estimated quote for parts and labor $300 Demetrios & Stavroula Kazan contributed $100 Balance and installation donated by Arthur Skambas Cleaning and Inspection of the Kitchen Cooking Exhaust System. Invoice of July 20 - $200 Parish House Repairs: We hired a handyman to perform needed repairs. Patched damaged plaster and painted the living room, hallway, and one bedroom. $1,300 Other miscellaneous repairs $ 212 Thank You!

15 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church 17 Meriam Street Lexington, MA Sponsored by St. Irene s Philoptochos Saturday, November 3, :00 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Come and find knick-knacks, small household items, glassware, books, toys, games, sports equipment, small furniture, and much more! To those that plan on donating items for this event, the drop-off dates are: Monday, October 29; Wednesday, October 31; Thursday, November 1 10:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. Friday, November 2 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Please use the hall entrance doors. If you have a special request, please contact Mary Correia at Thank you. Please note that all items must be in working condition, have all their parts and be clean. NO CLOTHING NO TELEVISIONS NO COMPUTERS NO COMPUTER PARTS will be accepted. Thank you. Setup Date will be Friday, November 2; if anyone would like to help, please join in.

16 Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church School 17 Meriam Street, Lexington MA Church School Registration Child Name Date of Birth Name Day School Grade Allergies Parent Names: Address: Phone: Please indicate best way to contact you: Telephone IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, please contact (other than parent): Name Home Phone Cell Phone Photo release: By signing below, you are granting the rights for any photos of your child to be taken in connection with Church programs and activities. Signature of Parent or Guardian Date PARENTS OF CHILDREN UNDER 4 SHOULD STAY WITH STUDENTS IN CLASSROOM. CHURCH SCHOOL STARTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012!

17 September St. Nicholas Greek School Calendar Sat. 15, 22, 29 Classes in Session Sat 15 Agiasmos & First Day of Classes October Sat 6, 13, 20, 27 Classes in Session Sun 28 Celebration of Oxi Day: Short Presentation in Church Sun 28 Maliotis Center: All Diocese Greek Schools Celebrate Oxi Day November Sat 3, 10, 17 Classes in Session Sun 18 Thanksgiving Fundraising Drawing December Sat 1, 8, 15 Classes in Session Sat 24 Christmas Pageant Fri 7 Family Night -- Gingerbread Houses January Sat 5,12, 19, 26 Classes in Session Sun 27 Celebration of the Three Hierarchs & Greek Letters Day February March Sat 2, 9, 23 Classes in Session Sat 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Classes in Session Sat 9 Apokriatiko Glendi Sponsored by the Greek School Sun 24 Feast of the Annunciation & Greek Independence Day Program by the Sunday School and Greek School April Sat 6, 13, 20 Classes in Session Sat 27 Saturday of Lazarus No Classes May Sat 11, 18, 25 Classes in Session Fri 3 Great Friday Family Retreat Sat 4 Holy Saturday No Classes Sun 5 Greek Easter Sun 19 Greek Independence Day Parade in Boston June Sat 1 Greek School Project Presentations Sun 2 Greek School & Sunday School Graduation -- Community Cookout

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19 CALLING ALL TRIVIA BUFFS! HAVE WE GOT A NIGHT FOR YOU!! Family and Friends of St. Nicholas, The Social Committee is pleased to announce that we will hold our First Annual Trivia Night Fundraiser on Saturday, September 15 th at 6:00 p.m. Included in the evening is a raffle of items ($25 minimum) donated by local businesses, church ministries and others. We ask that you please reach out to members of your family and friends who would like to attend or donate to this fundraiser. Again, all proceeds from the event will go directly towards reducing our $36,000 line item in the Operating Budget. To date, we have raised about $8,000, leaving $28,000 for the remainder of Some ideas for raffle items include: A Night at the Movies (in or out!) itunes gift cards Dinner for two Hors d euvres and wine Margaritaville Game time A home makeover for $25!! Relax at the spa Going to the grocery store Shoe shopping Your choice be creative! Space for this event is limited and tickets will not be sold at the door. Please support St. Nicholas by attending, donating or both your parish thanks and loves you for it. So, put your thinking caps on and we will see you in September! Blessings, Marcy Norse Save the Date ST. NICHOLAS NEW YEAR S EVE DINNER DANCE Monday, December 31, 2012 Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Woburn, Ma.

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