ASSUMPTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Rev. Father Jon S. Boukis Presbyter

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1 ASSUMPTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH Rev. Father Jon S. Boukis Presbyter You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World As the Father Has Sent Me, So I Send You John 20:21 and the theme of the 2016 Clergy-Laity Congress Dear Friend in Christ, Together, we serve as the Voice of Christ in a Changing World. The world is perilous and filled with evils. It is up to us to be the Beacon of Christ in His Faith to steer the ship of the world on the right path. The path of righteousness. Our Beacon cannot remain lit without fuel. Our Church s fuel are the offerings from stewards like you to fuel our Faith, our Church and ultimately Christ s Works. A strong parish provides opportunities for sharing the Good Works of Christ, for welcoming those that are searching for a spiritual home, and a base from which we are sent into the world. The parish also provides a place for worship, community and education in our Faith. To be good stewards of the Gospel, we need to be stewards of our parish first and foremost. This requires the vision and inspiration to see the parish, not as it is, but as it will be. We are called to offer ourselves and our treasure to make our home church all that it can be. This past year, with the support of our members, we saw substantial growth in many of our ministries. The youth groups of the parish have had notable expansion the parish has added a LOVE group for our toddlers, our HOPE/JOY group has grown substantially, and the number of altar boys is multiplying. We have the young women of our parish helping at the candle stand during Liturgy and singing in the choir. Imagine, with your continued support just how much more we could do for our children and community. Our stewardship program is on the upswing and we want to maintain our momentum. Due to your generosity, we will be able to participate in missions and outreach at a new level. We now have 106 pledging stewardship families and our current average pledge is $1,600 per year. Through prayer, we hope that many more will realize the blessings of the Lord and out of Thanksgiving enhance their contribution to the Faith and our Church. We are to give, St. Paul says, as God has prospered you (I Cor. 16:2). He teaches us clearly, He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. It is our goal for 2017 to enhance our stewardship by 20% to grow ministries of the Faith and make sure that Louisville has a bastion of Orthodoxy in Assumption for many years to come! I offer you my most sincere thanks for your dedication to our parish and your participation in Christ s work of salvation. Yours in Christ, Daniel Cupkovic Stewardship Chair (216) Ormsby Lane, Louisville, KY Tel: (502)

2 STEWARDS OF THE GOSPEL You are the Voice of Christ in a Changing World As the Father has sent me, so I send you. John 20:21 Are you a good and faithful servant? As Orthodox Christians, we have been given a sacred trust. We have received the treasure of the Gospel the Good News of Jesus Christ. With this sacred trust comes the great responsibility to share it. If we compare ourselves to the stewards in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), do we multiply the treasure for which we are responsible and for which we will be held accountable when the master returns? Or do we bury our treasure in the ground, offering back only that which was given to us? Jesus said As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21). At the end of our life, will He say to us, Well done good and faithful servant? much by popular culture. Orthodox Christians in America may rely too heavily on our culture to bind people to the faith, often at the expense of knowledge of the Gospel message and the faith. As each generation becomes increasingly assimilated, these cultural ties become less effective in keeping people engaged in the life of the Church. For many, knowledge of the faith is insufficient to appreciate the unique teachings and traditions of Orthodox Christianity. Without a clear knowledge of our faith, we have become less able to share it as we have been called to do. We are called to guard the Gospel message, but not to hoard it. We are instructed not to hide our light under a bushel (Matthew 5:15). As Jesus Christ sends us to be His voice in a changing world, we must also remove impediments or perceived impediments to non-orthodox inquirers that seek His Truth. What messages do we send out intentionally or unintentionally? What might cause the Gospel message to be ignored or misunderstood? efforts in order to identify what aspects of our parish life may be creating potential stumbling blocks for others. As we share the voice of Christ, the message we share is one of hope, truth, grace, divine power, life and invitation. In this busy, everchanging world, His voice of wisdom is needed to guide us in discerning what is good, what is true and what will bring us closer to Him and to one another. As recipients and stewards of this great treasure, we are called to protect it, keeping its message pure. This is difficult to do in a time when knowledge of the faith is informed so Since the first Orthodox Christians came to America, the local parish has served as a guardian of the faith and also of the culture from which it was transplanted. Parishes must think carefully about how they share the faith with others. Thoughtful and sensitive consideration must be given to our outreach We live in a physical world that places great value on material possessions. Material possessions and wealth may bring power and status. But wealth and possessions can be

3 fleeting. Circumstances change. It is the voice of Jesus Christ and the truth of His Gospel that remain constant. In our spiritual relationship with our Creator, we realize that we are called to be good stewards of His creation. And as stewards of His Gospel, we are called to use our material, worldly possessions to meet the needs of others. The base from which we serve as the Voice of Christ in a Changing World is the parish. A strong parish provides opportunities for sharing the Good News of Christ, for welcoming those that are searching for a spiritual home, and a base from which we are sent out into the world. The parish also provides a place for worship, community and education in the faith. To be stewards of the Gospel, we need to be stewards of our parish. This requires the vision and inspiration to see the parish, not as it is, but as it could be. We are called to offer ourselves and our treasure to make our local church all that is can be. these and even others who are distracted by disparate and deceptive ideas, the voice of Christ through us offers meaning and purpose in truth and love. In fulfilling our commission from God, we must continue to strengthen our ministries of outreach and evangelism so that our clergy and laity have the guidance, programs, and resources to offer His voice clearly and effectively (from the Reflections of Archbishop Demetrios of America on the Theme of the Clergy-Laity Congress of 2016). TEXT: Department of Stewardship, Outreach & Evangelism ICONOGRAPHY: Miltiadis Afentoulis / afentoulis.com GRAPHIC DESIGN: Christina Meares / christinameares.com We conclude with these words of Archbishop Demetrios of America: we are called to be the light of the world; we are sent into a changing world to offer the voice of Christ to those who are not connected to the Church. This includes those who have never heard the voice of Christ, others who have not been prepared to listen, and still others who need a new invitation to return to Him. For STEWARDSHIP MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT OF STEWARDSHIP, OUTREACH & EVANGELISM GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA 307 West 54 th Street New York, NY / Stewardship@goarch.org

4 ASSUMPTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY ATTRACT, SERVE, ILLUMINATE Stewardship 2017 FAMILY NAME: HOME PHONE:( ) ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: SELF SPOUSE FIRST NAME NAME Day (Baptismal Name) BIRTHDATE MOBILE PHONE NAMES AND BIRTHDATES OF CHILDREN: CONFIDENTIAL: May not be distributed or reproduced / For Authorized Parish Personnel Only PERCENTILE GIFTING METHOD A portion of His blessings are being offered back to His Church in Thanksgiving. (for guidance, see chart on back) In gratitude for God s blessings, I/we make the following commitment to our Blessed Parish for I/We want to become a member with a pledge of $10 per week! Please list me/us among the faithful with this pledge! Other Amount $ Weekly Semi-Monthly Monthly Annual I/we would like to make our offerings by Electronic Fund Transfer (ACH/EFT authorization attached) I/we would like to make our offering with a transfer of highly appreciated stock (explanation on back) As the Father has sent me, so I send you. John 20:21 Stewardship Sunday is December 4 th

5 Everything we have comes from God - our time, our talents and our treasures. This means that our gifts that we use in our daily lives all are from God, whether it be the gift of teaching or healing, motivating or counseling, or even just walking, listening or seeing. Stewardship is giving back to God a portion of what he has given to us. This means volunteering of our talents and time as well as our resources. According to the Old Testament, the standard for the tithe is 10%. In the New Testament, the bar was raised. We are no longer called to give 10%, but our whole lives (see Trifold Brochure)! What are we called to do? First, make a decision that is achievable, yet a true sacrifice. Second, make it official by stating your intentions with a pledge. Third, make your offering weekly so it isn t overwhelming. Inch by inch - it s a cinch; yard by yard - it s hard! Offering a portion of our Blessings weekly is easy with our new Electronic Fund Transfer program $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 1% $4.81 $9.62 $14.42 $19.23 $24.04 $28.85 $33.65 $38.46 $43.27 $ % $9.62 $19.23 $28.85 $38.46 $48.08 $57.69 $67.31 $76.92 $86.54 $ % $14.42 $28.85 $43.27 $57.69 $72.16 $86.54 $ $ $ $ % $19.23 $38.46 $57.69 $76.92 $96.15 $ $ $ $ $ % $24.04 $48.08 $72.16 $96.15 $ $ $ $ $ $ % $28.85 $57.69 $86.54 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % $33.65 $67.31 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % $38.46 $76.92 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % $43.27 $86.54 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ % $48.08 $96.15 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ WHAT IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED STOCK? If you've held a stock for more than one year and it has risen in value, its donation to a charity, may create a charitable tax deduction for the market value of the stock, and neither you nor the charity has to pay capital-gains taxes when the stock is sold. The combination can result in a bigger deduction (and more tax savings) for you and a bigger gift for the charity than if you sell the stock, pay the taxes, and donate the net proceeds. If you would like to donate highly appreciated stock, please check the box on the front of this form and the parish s financial advisor will contact you. PLEDGE OF TIME AND TALENT Altar Leader Bible Study CAP Church Ambassador Choir/Chantor Festival Volunteer Festival Chairperson Garden and Landscape Glendi GOYA Leader Greek Dance Leader Greek School Teacher Greeter HOPE/JOY Leader Outreach/Evangelism Parish Council Prosforo Baker Philoptochos Sunday School Teacher Visitation Committee (Shut-ins, Hospital) Worldfest Volunteer YAL Coordinator Mark H(usband) and/or W(ife) next to each ministry

6 ASSUMPTION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH ATTRACT, SERVE, ILLUMINATE AUTOMATED STEWARDSHIP GIVING (ACH/EFT TRANSFERS) What is ACH/EFT? It is a paperless, Electronic Fund Transfer that goes through the Automated Clearing House and transfers funds from one bank to another. The Steward therefor chooses an automated way to exercise good financial stewardship by having his/her regular offerings electronically delivered to the church. Benefits: For those who embrace stewardship as a way of life, Automated Giving for the Sunday collections provides an opportunity to keep the Church a priority when it comes to the offering of their Stewardship of Treasures. Implementing an Automated Giving strategy allows our members to be confident in the fulfilment of a pledge while allowing the parish to have better fiscal planning. Automated Giving is more secure than cash gifts. For example, when largely promoted, the use of Automated Giving minimizes the physical cash on hand in the parish office. Authorization Agreement for ACH/EFT Transfers # I,, hereby authorize The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Louisville, Kentucky, to make transfers from the following bank account as indicated below. Amount: $ Weekly on Monday Account Type Semi-Monthly on the 1 st and 15 th Checking Monthly on the 1 st or 15 th Savings Bank Name: Bank Address: City, State, Zip: Banking Routing #: Bank Account #: (Attach to this form a voided check or a pre-printed savings deposit ticket.) This authorization is to remain in full force effect until the Assumption has received written notification at least five business days in advance of the desired termination date. Date: (Authorized signature for above account) (Print Name)