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CHURCH SERVICES:
Sunday Orthros (Matins) 9:00am
Divine Liturgy 10:00am
Sunday School after Holy
Communion
Weekday Holy Days:
Orthros and Divine Liturgy 8:00am
PARISH PRIEST:
Fr. Dionysios Listermann-Vierling
Church: 292-8013
Fax: 851-2800
In case of emergency:
Home: 638-4105
Cell: 312-3642 COUNCIL OFFICERS:
Scott Graham
President 643-7099
Hampton Culler
Vice-President 854-8235
Carl Colozzi
Treasurer 644-0615
Theodora Vaporis
Secretary 584-6020
Board Members:
Maher (George) Hanna
Eleni Harrison
Matthew Pappas
Kiki Tarasidis
Zack Touloupas
Kimmon Varsamis COMMITTEES:
Stewardship
Hamp Culler
Greek Festival
Mike Dolianitis
Finance
Carl Colozzi
Maintenance
Kimmon Varsamis
Religious Education
Kiki Tarasidis
Sick and Visitation
Brenda Miller
Bessie Sipsis
Foundation
Theodora Vaporis
Youth
Kiki Tarasidis
Nomination Committee
Stephen Anton
Philoptochos Liaison
Eleni Harrison
Welcoming Committee
Zack Touloupas
Theodora Vaporis THE SACRAMENT
OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST Preparation
To prepare for Communion we must keep our minds and hearts on spiritual things. Prayer
When we come forward to receive, we should repeat the Communion prayer, which every Orthodox Christian should try to memorize. Reverence
We approach the Holy Communion 'with fear of God, faith and love', knowing that our bodies and souls will become one with Christ. Acceptance
We hold the red Communion cloth beneath our chin, using it to wipe our lips if necessary. We should open our mouth wide to receive the Holy Communion and not be afraid to close our lips upon the spoon. If there are acolytes holding the cloth, release the cloth and do not try to hand it to the next communicant. Turn toward the Consecrated
Bread (Antidoron), make your cross and take a piece of it. Return
Return to your seat, remain standing and say a prayer of thanksgiving for this greatest gift of all on earth and in Heaven. A Special Note from Father Dionysios about Receiving Communion Please step up close to receive Communion, take the Cloth and place it under your chin. When receiving the Communion, please open your mouth wide. Deadline: The Dormition of the Theotokos Monthly Newsletter deadline is the 20th of the previous month. Please submit your materials on time. Content: Articles, notes and other information of interest for our parish can be sent by mail. Church Attendance: A regular attendance of the church's services reflects how seriously you approach your salvation. Parents with Sunday School children: Children must sit with their families in the front pews, so they will be served Communion first. During the school year, after Communion, children will proceed directly to their classrooms. Please remember that coming to the church late teaches our children bad habits. Make it a point to bring them on time.
THE TREASURER'S NOTE
By Carl Colozzi (644-0615) FEB 1, 2006 - FEB 28, 2006 INCOME $11,732.44
EXPENSE $23,444.45
DEFICIT -$11,712.01
Please indicate in the memo portion of your check where payment should be applied: pledge, candles, tray, memorials, etc. If you are using a business check, please make sure that your name is printed somewhere on the check. The Budget is based on these incomes. Thank you.
You may try to keep your good habit of sending your pledged contributions in an orderly way. If you would like to sponsor a special project, please contact Carl Colozzi at 644-0615 or Scott Graham at 643-7099.
2006 Pledges
Alexiou, Marina; Alimpich, Nadejda; Amprazis, James & Mary; Andrews, Ted; Anton, Bill & Mary; Blavos, Sylvia; Bundros, Tony & Thalia; Chamis, Nick; Chininis, Frank & Toula; Colozzi, Carl & Maria; Constantinou, Athena; Contogiannis, Ellen; Corey, Craig & Amanda; Cropper, James & Maria; Culler, Hamp & Lula; Dascalakis, Minas & Soteria; Dermatas, Alexis; Dermatas, Alex & Titsa; Dolianitis, Mike; Efstathiou, Dimitrios & Konstantia; Eustathiou, Evangelia; Fox, Art & Cynthia; Freeman, Ron & Sondra; Galloway, Ed & Georgette; Gay, Brier & Elaine; Graham, Erin; Graham, Scott & Christa; Hanna, Aziz & Violet; Hanna, Maher; Harrison, Eleni; Hatzisavvas, Diogenes & Cindy; Hattle, George & Jean Elizabeth; Hudak, Marie; Katsikas, Mary; Kazazes, Anne; Kazazes, Barbara; Kontoulas, Angelo N. & Louise; Kontoulas, Cleo & Dena; Kontoulas, Dimitrios & Karen; Kontoulas, Mary; Koronis, Bill & Ava; Kotsionis, Harry & Elly; Lawrence, Kevin & Barbara; Listermann-Vierling, Fr. Dionysios & Presbytera Elena; Lundberg, David & Vasso; Macropoulos, Joanne; Mandaleris, Chris & Maria; Matsakides, Vickie; Megremis, Lampros & Theodora; Merrell; Eddie & Maria; Miller, Don & Brenda; Moye, William & Kelly; Oncea, William & Jennie; Pappas, Edna; Patterson, Charles; Patterson, Vasiliki; Poulos, Peter; Raxter, Donna; Rizkallah, Samir & Sue; Rodete, John & Sophie; Ross, Larry & Minerva; Sagos, Joanne & Larry Carroll; Sakellaris, Chris & Ardele; Schermerhorn, Tom & Theodora Vaporis; Seawell, Evalin & Tracy; Silos, Mrs. Evangelos; Sims, Leighanne; Sims, Roger & Celia; Sipsis, James & Linda; Soare, Nicolae & Sien Lian; Sonntag, Mark; Soufia. Mikhail & Ginah; Stuman, Jim & Catherine; Thevaos, Jim & Hedy; Thompson, Tom & Rhonda; Toompas, Art & June; Touloupas, John & Kaki; Touloupas, Katie; Touloupas, Mary Alyson; Touloupas, Zack & Sheila; Triantis, Theodore; Tsintzos, Nafsika; Tzavaras, Apasia; Tzouvelekas, Mark; Tzouvelekas, Nick & Debra; Varitimidis, Ionnis & Effie; Varsamis, Kimmon & Gwen; Varsamis, Megan; Vaughan, Edgar & Vicki; Vavalides, Philip & Teresa; West, Victoria; White, Ed & Elizabeth; Woltz, Van & Margaret; Woods, Terry; Xixis, Othonas & Debbie; Zaharias, Epaminondas & Doris.
SICK AND VISITATION Gus Kontoulas, Jessie Kontoulas, and Nonda Zaharias would appreciate your prayers for their speedy recovery. The following parishioners would welcome your calls and/or visits. Please be sure to call before visiting. Eleni Dermatas
Calliope Hatgelis (currently staying with granddaughter)
James Toompas
(Arbor Acres UM Retirement Comm.)
Vonnie Kleanos (Evergreen Nursing Home)
Maria Vurnakes (Evergreen Nursing Home)
Margaret Spence
(Wesley Long Nursing Center)
Van Woltz
(please call first) We would appreciate your sharing with us the names of any parishioners you know of who are ill, hospitalized, or home-bound sick so that we may pray for them, visit, phone or send a card. Donna at church office (292-8013), Brenda Miller (851-1415) or Joanne Macropoulos (288-6991). CONGRATULATIONS To Rodica and son, Stephen Grecu for their 40-Day Blessing on March 5th. Stephen was born on January 25, 2006. CONDOLENCES To Larry Ross and family. Larry's father, Martin Ross, passed away on March 9, 2006, in Los Angeles, CA. To Dean Orphanides and family. Dean's mother, Chris Orphanides, passed away on March 15, 2006.
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Father's Challenge Several weeks ago, Presbytera informed me that our son Max had seen what he thought was a mouse scamper up the exterior of our home and disappear in a small opening along the trim near the roof. Busy with other things, I mumbled that Max might have been mistaken. The Beatles wrote a song which expressed my response. They wrote, "When you find yourself in times of trouble . . .let it be." I ended up ignoring the problem. Then one day I opened the door of our pantry and caught sight of a brown furry mouse scurry up the wall and disappear through a tiny hole in the ceiling where some telephone wires passed through. Needless to say, I made a speedy call to an exterminator. Trying to ignore problems is not a good philosophy in the world, and for the Christian, it can be the kiss of death. As Orthodox Christians, if we ignore problems and put our head in the sand, that means we are not using the authority that was given to us by Jesus. Unless we take authority and speak to the problems of life, the problems of life will overpower us. We cannot "let it be." Once Jesus and His disciples were on a boat together. Jesus was asleep and resting when a violent storm came. The boat was being tossed by the wind and waves to the extent that the disciples thought they were going to die. In their panic they woke up Jesus and Jesus could easily see that they did not have the situation under control. Jesus got up and turned toward the storm and rebuked it. He said, "Peace, be still." Immediately the storm stopped and there was calm. When we look at this incident that took place with Jesus and His disciples on the boat, of course we know that Jesus did not ignore the situation. He spoke to the problem and the problem went away. But why is it that the disciples were unable to solve the problem? The answer is quite simple. They did nothing. They simply let it be. Yes, the disciples expended a lot of energy. They panicked. They cried out in fear. They summoned Jesus. They were in despair. They did a lot of things, but they didn't do the right thing. And when you don't do the right thing, it's the same as doing nothing. You cannot overcome the problems in life unless you take proper action using the authority given by Jesus. As Christians we cannot be this way. We must make our actions count. We must act on the Word and we must take authority. We cannot ignore the problems of life, nor can we allow them to put us into panic mode. We must take authority in the name of Jesus and command the storms of life to cease. Only then will there be calm. During this Lenten Season, may we grapple with the sinful problems lurking in our lives. Being passive and ignoring them will not make them disappear. We need to do something. We need to take charge of our lives and turn to Christ. "Then He arose and rebuked the wind , and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39). In His Service, Fr. Dionysios AHEPA
By Zack Touloupas (584-1213)
The next AHEPA gathering will be a general business meeting. It will be held in the Fellowship Hall at 7 pm on April 11. Our social/meetings will resume in May. Please make every effort to attend as we offer our help in painting the entrance to the Hall. GOYA
By Christina Mandaleris (288-4785)
The weekend of March 17-19, eleven GOYANs attended a Lenten Retreat at the Diakonia Center in Salem, SC. The theme of the retreat was
"Communication with God" - Whose Prayer Is It Anyway?? I think everyone
was enlightened by the weekend and also met many new people. Our Next
GOYA meeting will be April 30th. PARISH COUNCIL
Theodora Vaporis (584-6020)
The Parish Council met for a regular meeting on February 20, 2006. Topics discussed included: 1. Church Beautification. The committee is going forward with plans to update and renovate the Church Hall entrance. An interior designer is consulting with our committee which includes Dina Efstathiou and Frank Chininis. Ahepa has graciously offered to contribute the labor;
2. Treasurer's Report;
3. Maintenance Issues;
4. Youth Issues;
5. Welcoming Issues. Please take note of the new Welcome Information cards in our pews and in the Narthex to help us welcome our guests more hospitably;
6. Our Church's philanthropy;
7. Insurance Issues;
8. Rental House Issues including the new tenant. If you would like more specifics on any of these or other issues, please do not hesitate to contact one of the Parish Council members.
On February 26th a General Assembly was held. There were 57 Members in attendance. Topics Discussed included: 1. Treasurer's Report;
2. Stewardship Report. We are behind from this time last year; 3. Audit Report presented by Roger Sims and Mary Ann Contogiannis which found that all was in order;
4. GOYA, JOY, Greek School, Sunday School Reports;
5. Maintenance Report which included the announcement of the new ice machine and a tenant for our rental property;
6. Bylaws Report. Revisions are underway and a Special General Assembly will be called in the near future to approve proposed changes;
7. Charitable Contribution Ministry by our Church. A Request form was approved;
8. Hall Beautification;
9. Fellowship and the success of the monthly Fellowship dinners organized by Presvytera;
10. Parish Survey. Fr Dionysios reviewed the entire survey results which were very informative. PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
By Sheila Touloupas (584-1213)
Our annual Spring Luncheon /Dinner and Pastry Sale will be held Thursday, April 27th from 11am-6pm. This year's menu will feature chicken kapama, rice, Greek Salad, Greek pastry, and beverage. Costs for each plate is $7. Volunteers are needed throughout the day to help sell pastries, salad preparation, cooking/kitchen help, and meal and beverage serving. Please contact Titsa Dermatas, Soteria Daskalakis, or Lula Culler to offer your help. Members are asked to place fliers-when they become available-in local businesses.
Our April 10th General Meeting has been canceled. We will have a work meeting to set up for the luncheon on Tuesday, April 25th at 6pm.
Our Scholarship Luncheon will be held May 21st immediately following the Divine Liturgy. All high school and college graduates will be recognized. The Philoptochos, Pete Harris, and AHEPA Scholarships will also be presented. Our current list of graduates include the following: High School-Erin Anton, Zack Benson, Edward Stikeleather, Anthony Harrison, Kristen Talantis, Eleni Hatzisavvas, and Chris Shepherd; College-Basil Agapion, Catherine Mandaleris, Elefterios Xixis, and Alex Thanos. If you know of a graduate not listed please contact Catherine Stuman as soon as possible.
Also, applications for the Philoptochos and Pete Harris Scholarships must be turned in by April 2.
Please continue to bring items for our Year Round Food Bank. Items such as canned fruits, vegetables, and meats are always needed and greatly appreciated.
Also, please consider hosting the coffee hour or donating flowers for the altar. Sign-up sheets are posted in the church hall. SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
Parents & Students, we encourage you all to memorize and practice the words of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian during this blessed Lenten period. Thank you to Siew Lian Soare who provided me with a copy of a nice children's version: "O Lord, help me not to want to have my own way all the time. (deep bow)
Help me to love others. (deep bow)
Keep me from being jealous and help me to know when I am wrong. (deep bow) Amen" April 2nd--Sunday School
April 9th--Sunday School; Mission Coin Boxes Due
April 15th--Lazarus Saturday; "Pancakes & Palms" after Service; Easter Egg Hunt for children
April 16th-- Sunday School (Palm Sunday)
April 16th-23rd--Holy Week (Attendance sheet for students)
(We are very proud of Irene Lawrence, who went to Raleigh on March 11, 2006, and gave her Oratorical Festival 2006 Speech. We present it here to share it with everyone.) Oratorical Festival Speech When Jesus came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he was greeted by joyful crowds praising him and honoring him with palm branches. They called him the King of the Jews and shouted "Hosanna in the highest!" They were elated by his coming, thinking that He had come to free them from their bondage. A few days later, however, these same people shouted "Crucify Him!" and the Romans put Him to death.
The Romans were afraid that this coming king would help the Palestinians reassert their independence. They were afraid that they might lose control over them, and that He might lead them to rebellion. The people of Jerusalem were happy that Jesus had come. They assumed He had come to liberate them from the Roman's rule, fight on their side and pay back the wrongs that had been done to them.
Both groups thought that Jesus would come for a specific reason, either for their benefit or harm. Neither group turned out to be right about what Jesus would come to do.
As the Holy Week services of our church teach us, what Jesus came to do was to "destroy death by His own death." He came to "bestow victory upon us." "Though He suffered as a mortal, through His sufferings He clothed what is mortal in the robe of immortality." He came to "grant us eternal life and great mercy."
There is a parallel between our Christian lives and the events that led from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection. Early in our Christian life we have an experience much like Palm Sunday. We are excited and happy as we see Christ coming into our lives, anticipating the great things that will happen to us a result of His presence. We come up with all sorts of fantasies about how, with Christ, our lives will be free from trials and full of success.
Soon afterward comes the realization that we still have to deal with the difficulties of everyday life. We find out that our ideas about what will happen when we follow Christ are usually far removed from God's plans for us. We may confront illness, in ourselves or in a loved one. We may have to deal with the anger or hatred of someone who we thought loved us. We may simply have to deal with our day not going as we'd planned. These crushing experiences are like Good Friday. We may show our frustration by complaining loudly and blaming God, not trusting Him to give us victory. We suffer as we face the reality that "God's ways are not our ways."
Eventually, though, we are reminded that even though we have hardships in life, God's mercy is greater than all of them, and He will always be there to see us through. This joyful realization is like Easter, because in this experience we find new life and reassurance of God's unlimited strength.
The disciples did not immediately realize that Jesus had risen from the dead. The concept of Easter was difficult to grasp. Unlike the public events of Palm Sunday and Good Friday, on Easter there wasn't any one moment where everyone suddenly saw Jesus and realized that He had risen from the dead. He appeared to a few people at a time, and the news of the miracle spread gradually.
Though the story of Easter happened only once during the course of history, this pattern is repeated many times throughout our lives. In this way, we are similar to those disciples who at first didn't understand God's plan. We don't come to a sudden and heavy-hitting realization. We usually end up going back and forth between "Good Friday" and "Easter" before we finally acknowledge that God really does know what He's doing and has prepared something better for us than anything we could imagine. As St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:9 "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him." God always knows what is best for us, and His strength and wisdom will never fail. Irene Lawrence
Apokreatiko Glendi 2006 The Apokreatiko Glendi was a huge success. We had 142 people in attendance and we made $1,168.89!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who made this fun evening such a success.
The Glendi committee, Sotiria Tripp, Vasso Lundberg, Koula Remoundos, Kiki Tarasidis, Barbara Vaughan and Polly Anton.
The chefs, Yianni Varitimidis, Minas Dascalakis, Chris Mandaleris and Theodore Triantis. What a great meal!
The music man, George Remoundos, we all loved the music.
The M.C., Basili Agapion, you brought great "kefi" to the evening. You now have a new job!
The donors:
Party favors and table decorations: Kirk & Kiki Tarasidis
CD player: Kirk & Kiki Tarasidis
Wine: Stephen & Polly Anton, David & Vasso Lundberg, George & Koula Remoundos, Kirk & Kiki Tarasidis and Matthew & Sotiria Tripp.
Gift Card prizes: Kirk & Kiki Tarasidis
Balloons: Anjie Samaras
Cash Donation: Helen Peterson
Decorations: Polly Anton, Koula Remoundos & Barbara Vaughan
Deserts: Lula Culler, Bessie Sipsis, Efrosene Samaras, Sotiria Tripp, Prebytera Elena, Christa Graham, Soteria Dascalakis, Dena Kontoulas, Titsa Dermatas and anyone else I may have forgotten. All those who bid on the auction items, we thank you! We raised $200 for the GOYA!
A big thank you to Donna Raxter, our church secretary. She copied and prepared the tickets and kept up with just about everything. Donna your help is always appreciated! Thanks for keeping me "together"!
A big thank you also to Soteria Dascalakis who started the Apokreatiko Glendi last year, we hope we made you proud!
To my dear husband, Kirk, who worked tirelessly in getting the sound system working and helping get everything together in a short amount of time. Thank you for all your support with all my "projects" and for wearing that jester hat all evening, I love you!
And finally, the biggest thank you goes to everyone in our great church community who came to the Glendi. For me, it was so rewarding to see people laughing, dancing and celebrating. I can't wait for next year! Kai tou xronou! Kiki Tarasidis
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