Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 1400 N. O Plaine Road, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Tel (224) 513-5530 www.saintdemetrioslibertyville.com December - 2017 SUNDAY SERVICES: 8:30am Matins CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: Monday-Friday 9a.m.-1p.m. CLERGY: Fr. Cosmas Halekakis Fr. John Sardis (Retired) CHANTER: Yanni Halekakis ALTAR BOYS: Michael Halekakis Louis Karagiannes PARISH COUNCIL: President: Connie Jelatis Hoke Vice Pres.: Kathy Leoris Treasurer: Peter Danos Rec. Sec.: Roman Keating Corr. Sec.: Donna Krissek Helen Exarhakos John Iskalis Dr. Jim Karagiannes Jason Keeling Dr. Mary Nunchuck Maria Sakas Patty Stianos Gus Tziavaras SUNDAY SCHOOL: Maria Earth GREEK SCHOOL: Rena Paros / Jackie Vatistas FAMILY NIGHT: Rae Anne Alvarez / Nectaria Zouras GOYA : Demetra Utter / John Zouras PHILOPTOCHOS : Niki Tziavaras AHEPA: John Papanos BOOKSTORE / BOOKCLUB: Dr. Mary Nunchuck COUPLES GROUP: Flora Hatzis MOMS GROUP: Presvytera Michelle Halekakis The Reason for the Season Every year, around this time, we begin to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Holiday season. Decorations and lights begin to adorn houses and yards. Our prayer life starts to include canons of supplication for parking spots at the mall! Radio stations begin to play some version of Jingle Bells five to ten times an hour. Christmas is indeed coming, and we spend much of our time shopping, traveling, cooking, and decorating for the big day! It feels as if every year Christmas becomes more commercialized and less celebrated. Every year we are tempted to lose the real reason for the season. But is there anything wrong with shopping and buying presents for our loved ones? Is there anything wrong with cooking and decorating for Christmas? Of course not! - Just as long as we remember to keep Christ at the center of all our holiday festivities. The following are a few practical ideas to help ensure that the Birth According to the Flesh of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ remains the focal point of our Christmas Season. Shopping and buying presents is an integral part of celebrating Christmas. Indeed, we offer gifts to family and friends to remind us of the greatest gift that we receive - the gift of our salvation through the Birth of Christ. This does not mean that we should not set limits to our Christmas spending. We can express our love for family and friends in simple and humble ways, which need not max-out our credit cards. We should also remember that it is okay to give religious gifts to celebrate a religious holiday! We do not have to give only religious gifts, but it s also okay if we sneak in an icon or bible without anyone noticing. It is also helpful to remember that as we are celebrating a religious holiday, that there is in fact a Fast in preparation of the Feast. There is a forty-day fast for Christmas beginning on November 15 th. Christmas is a Feastday of the Church we should be fasting to prepare ourselves to properly celebrate the Feast! While you re thinking about how to prepare your Christmas ham, or turkey or prime rib, it s okay to be cooking lentils, or fasolia, or briami! Remember to fast for the Feast! It is commonly said that, Christmas is for kids ; and although Christ s Birth is for all mankind, there is an innocent warmth to the season that can only be captured in the wideeyed gaze of a small child. Christmas is for kids, and we should help ensure that kids can also understand what Christmas is. As you set up your little nativity set, read the story of Christ s birth and discuss it as a family. As you nail up your stockings to the fireplace, read the life of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, and Saint Basil the Great to your children and grandchildren. As you decorate your Christmas Tree, read the story of Adam and Eve, and discuss how the Tree of Life is now given to us through the Birth of our Savior. Christmas is indeed a wonderful and powerful time of year. The temptation to commercialize rather than celebrate the holiday will always be with us, and it may even increase as society becomes more pluralistic and agnostic. However, as long as we focus our family on the Birth of Christ, and celebrate the Feast of His Nativity we can avoid the snares of over-commercialism and emerge empowered by His Birth. - Fr. Cosmas
Parish Announcements FAMILY NIGHT CHRISTMAS PARTY Our Family Night is for parents and kids K 8 th. We ll be having our Christmas Party on Friday, Dec. 8 th at 6:30pm at Church. For more info please email Rae Anne at rkalvarez5@gmail.com. FOOD DRIVE We will continue to collect non-perishable food items for the Kool Food Pantry in Waukegan. They are also requesting toilet paper, Kleenex and women's sanitary products. Please consider helping some of our local residents in need this Christmas season. We will tentatively be collecting through at least January 6. A large wrapped box is in the hallway just before you enter the narthex. PHILOPTOCHOS LADIES CHARITABLE SOCIETY We would like to thank everyone for their hard work and/or donations for the Fall Food Fest. A very special thanks to: Father John Sardis, Paul Alatzakis, and John Pantelopoulos for all their hard work in the kitchen. We also want to thank: George Couvall, George Harig, and Dino Kallianis for all their support and donations. Our first Christmas outing will be on December 9th at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva for Holiday Tea and a Trolley ride. We are collecting hats, gloves and scarves for those in need. They can be brought to the outing. If you would like to attend please contact Niki Tziavaras at kostaniki@sbcglobal.net. We look forward to having a great night of fellowship and Christmas cheer. Our next meeting will be Thursday, December 7 th at church at 7pm. We wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year! AHEPA Our next bowling event is Tuesday December 5 th at 7:30PM at Brunswick Zone, Fountain Square, Waukegan. This event is open to all join us for a night of bowling and fun! Our next meeting is on Tuesday Dec 19th at 6:30pm at Johnny s Chophouse. The Milwaukee Bucks and AHEPA will be hosting Greek Night on Friday January 26 th. Tickets are $25 or $59 depending on seating area. Fans experience begins at 5:30pm. For more information on bowling events, Milwaukee Bucks game, and AHEPA Little Fort Chapter 218 charitable activities or membership please visit us at AHEPA218.ORG or email us at LITTLEFORT@AHEPA218.ORG. Check our website often as we update it with latest news and upcoming events. BOOK STORE AND BOOK CLUB Coffee hour December 3 is a big event for our bookstore. It is the last day to order your St. Demetrios golf shirt. The shirt comes in a variety of colors and the logo is embroidered. It has our church's dome as well as St. Demetrios on it. More importantly, we are hosting a book signing. Our fellow parishioner, Georgia Grimoula Karavergos, will discuss her books and they will be available for purchase and for her to autograph. She will be donating 20% of the price of the book to our church. If you are considering religious gifts for some people on your shopping list, please stop by our bookstore during coffee hour. As always, we will host a light Lenten coffee hour on Sunday, Christmas eve. Please browse while you enjoy your coffee. The last day to special order items for gifts will be December 3. Book club will be meeting Wednesday, December 20 from noon until 1PM.We will be discussing Chapter 3, Culture and Gospel through chapter 5, A Theological Approach to Understanding Other Religions in Facing the World - Orthodox Essays on Global Concerns by Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos. All are welcome. We request that those who have not read the book refrain from participating in the discussion. SUNDAY SCHOOL Please plan on staying after church on Sunday, December 17th for some Christmas Cheer! The children, lead by Mrs. Connie, will sing some Christmas Carols to help celebrate the upcoming Birth of our Savior. It will be a special morning, as the kids love to sing for a crowd. We will practice on Sunday, December 3rd during Sunday School time.
Parish Finance EXPENSES Financing Expenses 2018 Proposed Mortgage Interest $232,000 Principal $84,000 Sub Total $316,000 Business Expenses Office Expenses $5,000 Legal & Professional $6,000 Assessment $48,000 Insurance (Property & Workman's Comp) $13,000 Sub Total $72,000 Religious Expenses Candles $9,000 Flowers $2,500 Coffee Hour $0 Clergy Laity $1,000 Metropolis Commitments/Retreat Center $2,800 Religious Items & Related $450 Sub Total $15,300 Utilities and Maintenance Expenses Utilities (Electric, Gas, Telephone, Water, Sewer, Garbage Removal) $30,000 Maintenance (Alarm, Pest Control, Snow Removal, Landscaping, Supplies) $9,000 Equipment Maintenance & Repairs $2900 Hall Rental Management $10,000 Sub Total $51,900 Personnel Expenses Clergy Compensation $95,400 Cleaning $0 Chanter $4,800 Gifts $700 Taxes $7,500 Health Insurance $30,000 Pension $7,200 Auto $7,200 Sub Total $152,800 Total Expenses $608,000 Income Proposed 2018 General Stewardship $350,000 Candles/Tray $50,000 Memorials/Donations $5,000 Principal Paydown Donations $5000 Holidays/Flowers $10,000 Hall Rental Income $35,000 Arena/Calendar Advertising $1,000 Other income $15,000 Sub Total $471,000 Special Events - Net Income Spring Event $15,000 Greek Fest $115,000 Annual Dinner Dance $7,000 Fall Event $0 SubTotal $137,000 Total Income $608,000 Our 2018 Proposed Budget was approved at our General Parish Assembly in November. - Our mortgage ($316,000) represents about 52% of our total expenses. - Our Stewardship ($350,000) represents about 58% of our total income. This is why we need all our faithful Saint Demetrios members to pledge and be stewards for 2018! We need everyone to make their 2018 Stewardship Commitment as soon as they can. Forms are available and will be given to everyone. We also need as many families as possible to consider taking advantage of Direct Debit, to help the Church s cash flow on a monthly basis.
Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church GOYA & Seniors Sunday, December 10 th 4pm 5pm in the Church Hall We ll have dinner, play bingo, sing Christmas Carols & More! Sponsored by our GOYA, Free for Seniors! For Any More Info or Questions Please call the Church Office
Parish Announcements Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus (Thessalonians 5:18) Thanksgiving is over, but every day, it s good to remember what we are thankful for. I struggle with my personal demons, but I am always grateful for each new day filled with possibilities. I am always grateful for friends and family who challenge me and lift me up and make me a better person. I am so very grateful that we found our way to St. Demetrios Church! Sometimes, I am overwhelmed by all that has to be done, but I have been so blessed to get to know the wonderful people of this congregation and to be able to help in any way I can. I am ever grateful for and inspired by all the people who give so much of themselves and their time to help this church. And I am thankful for our spiritual Father who helps me grow, telling me not always what I want to hear, but what I need to hear. I am grateful for this time of preparation for the birth of Christ. I wasn t always aware of the Nativity fast, but I appreciate the challenge of being more cognizant of each day and how I live it, keeping in mind those who are less fortunate than I. There are so many needs in our community and in the world! I am grateful that during this holiday season, we are called to remember the least of us and to do whatever we can to boost them up and alleviate their suffering. And I am grateful for the joy of the season. But, there are also stresses. We all have pains and sorrows that are mixed in with the joy; people who are no longer with us, mistakes that we have made, the ways that we find ourselves lacking. Sometimes the expectations of the season overwhelm us, our time and our abilities. During these times, it is sometimes difficult to reach inside and find the joy, but we carry on doing the best we can. Your parish council is working hard to meet the many needs of this church. Taking care of maintenance, finances, church services, special events and mission are just some of the things that we work on. I want to thank all the council members for all of their hard work. And, I want to thank the new people who have agreed to serve in the coming year Thank you to all the people who stayed for the General Assembly. This is a wonderful opportunity to come together to receive information and ask questions. There is much work to be done, work for the church and the harder work for our own salvation. So, as we move through this season, I wish you all peace and joy, growth and strength. May you persist through the joys and sorrows on your journey to the Nativity, and may you find great hope in the birth of our Savior. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful, (Colossians 3:15) - Connie Jelatis Hoke Parish Council President From our Family Night Bowling outing on Nov. 17 th! FAMILY NIGHT BOWLING The kids had a great time!
December 2017 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 14 th Sunday of St. Luke Parish Council Elections 10 th Sunday of St. Luke GOYA & Seniors Christmas Party 11 th Sunday of St. Luke Christmas Program 4 7:30pm Ahepa Bowling at Brunswick Zone 5 8:30am Services for Saint Nicholas 6 7 Fr Cosma at HAA 5pm Greek School 7pm Philoptochos 8 6:30pm Family Night Christmas Party Philoptochos Christmas Outing 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fr Cosma at HAA 8:30am Services for 7pm Parish Council Saint Spyridon 5pm Greek School 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Fr Cosma at HAA Fr Cosmas at HAA 6:30pm Ahepa 12pm Book Club Meeting at 5pm Greek School Johnny s Chophouse 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Sunday Before HOLY Nativity NATIVITY 8:30am Services for 8:30am Services Saint Stephen 9 31 Sunday Before Theophany
Christmas Offering In honor of the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I/we would like to make a special Christmas Offering in the amount of: q $25 q $50 q $75 q $ Method of Payment: q Cash q Check Name Signature Date Annual Community Christmas Card Send your Christmas Greetings to the entire St. Demetrios Community by including your family in our annual Christmas Card. Complete and return the form to the church office or to Maria Earth (earthmg1@yahoo.com) by December 15 th along with a $25 donation. Please list your family name as you would like it to appear on the card: Please make checks payable to: St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church 1400 N O Plaine Road Libertyville, IL 60048