PRAYING FOR OTHERS IS STEWARDSHIP!
"Is anyone among you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  He should sing praises.  Is there anyone who is sick?  He should send for the church elders, who will pray for him and rub oil on him in the name of the Lord.  This prayer made in faith will heal the sick person; the Lord will restore him to health and the sins he has committed will be forgiven.  So then, confess your sins and pray for one another; so that you will be healed." 

"He was the same kind of person as we are. He prayed earnestly that there would be no rain, and no rain fell on the land for three and a half years. Once again, he prayed and the sky poured out its rain and the earth produced crops." (James 5:13-20)

Praying for others is a part of Stewardship, a part of caring for the family and friends that God has given to us.  Remember, Elijah was the same kind of person that we are today, and his prayers had a powerful effect.  Make a prayer list of people to pray for.  Cut out the list on page 8 and put it in a special place by your Bible or Icons.  Try and pray for the people on the list every day.  Include your loved ones, and also people that you may not like too much.  Why?  Well, the Bible tells us:
"Love your enemies...and pray for those who treat you badly." (Luke 6:27,28)

Christ tells us not to pray using a lot of words, thinking that God will hear us because our prayer is long.  He tells us,
"Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. So you should pray like this:

'Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" (Matthew 6: 7-13)

With God's Grace

Stewardship Committee

February 2007
Income - $ 12,901.88  Expenses   -   $ 21,976.05      Difference - $ - 9,074.17

     
                                  
2007 Pledges:
Alexiou, Marina; Amprazis, James & Mary; Andrews, Ted; Anghelescu, Anton George; Antahades, Cecelia; Anton, Bill and Mary; Bailey, Sarah; Barteris, Eleni; Bishara, Essa and Najwah;  Blavos, Sylvia; Boukas, Nick and Athena; Bouros, Johnny and Peggy; Brown, Harvey and Nabila; Bulugaris, Tony and Raegan; Bundros, Tony and Thalia; Chamis, Nick G.; Chininis, Frank and Toula; Constantinou, Athena; Contogiannis, Elizabeth A.; Cooper, Christine; Corey, Craig & Amanda; Crist, Alex and Pam; Cropper, James and Maria; Culler, Hamp and Lula; Cvijanovich, Thea; Dermatas, Alexis; Efstathiou, Dimitrios and Konstantia; Fenger, Rasmus and Susie; Freeman, Ron and Sondra; Fox, Art and Cynthia; Galloway, Ed and Georgette; Gradinaru, Adrian; Graham, Erin; Graham, Scott and `Christa; Hanna, Maher; Hanna, Aziz and Violet; Harrison, Eleni; Havraniak, Luba; Hedrick, Nina; Hudak, Marie; Karas, Angelo; Katsikas, Mary; Kattan, Nihad and Sanaa; Kattan, Niveen; Kazazes, Anne; Kazazes, Barbara; Kontoulas, Angelo N; Kontoulas, Cleo and Dena; Kontoulas, Dimitrios and Karen; Kontoulas, Mary B; Koronis, Bill and Ava; Kotsikorou, Evangelia; Kotsionis, Harry and Elly; Lawrence, Kevin and Barbara; Lunberg, David and Vasso;  Macropoulos, JoAnne; Mandaleris, Chris and Maria; Matsakides, Vickie;  Megremis, Lampros and Theodora; Merrell, Eddie and Maria; Michaels, Michael and Carolyn; Miller, Donald and Brenda; Moraru, Christian and Camelia; Oncea, William and Jennie; Ofanedes, George and Susan;  Palimaris, George and Irene; Pappas, Edna; Pappas, Matthew and Stacy; Pasick, Michael; Patterson, Charles; Patterson, Vasiliki; Poulos, Karen; Poulos, Peter and Phyllis; Pradetto, Tom and Maria; Rodete, John and Sophie; Ross, Laurence and Minerva; Rueppelll, Matina Kalcounis; Sagos, JoAnne; Sakellaris, Chirs and Ardele; Schermerhorn, Thomas and Theodora; Seawell, Evalin  & Tracy; Silos, Estelle; Sims, Roger and Celia; Sipis, James and Linda; Sonntag, Frances; Soufia, Michael and Ginah; Tarasidis, Kirk and Kiki;  Thanos, Alex; Thanos, Bobby and Carol; Thevaos, Jim and Hedy; Toompas, Arthur and June; Touloupas, Zack and Sheila; Triantis, Ted; tripp, Matthew & Sotiria; Tsaros, Lula; Tsintzos, Nafsica; Tzavaras, Aspasia; Tzouvelekas, Nick and Debra; Vandros, George and Effie; Varitimidis, Ioannis and Effie; Varsamis, Betty; Varsamis, Kimmon and Gwen; Varsamis, Megan; Vaughn, Edger and Vicki; Vavalides, Phillip and Teresa; West, Victoria; White, Wesley Edward and Elizabeth; Woods, Terry; Xixis, Eleftherios; Xixis, Othonas and Debbie; Zaharias, Doris.        

Father's Challenge

     "Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of my burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always." John 12: 3-8

     Scholars have speculated about the motives of Mary in anointing the feet of Jesus with a pound of fragrant oil. Some believe that it was an act of gratitude to Jesus for His raising up of her brother Lazarus from the dead. A few believe that since she wiped the Lord's feet with her hair, it was an expression of Mary's repentance to Jesus for forgiving her sins. Jesus Himself said that it was a preparatory act, a foreshadowing of his death and burial in Jerusalem. Yet all scholars agree that this gesture by Mary was an act of love and kindness.
      Yet Judas, sitting nearby, had a different opinion. He viewed the gesture of anointing as a waste. All he was interested in was money. If we adhered strictly to this Judas mind-set, then our churches would be radically different. Consider our houses of worship. There would be no dome on the roof, no flowers on the altar, no iconography on the wall, no robes for the choir, no elaborate vestments for the priest, etc…  Nor would there be beautiful weddings. Your daughter would come to you and say, "I'm in love and I'm so happy. I want to get married." And with this Judas-like attitude, you would reply, "Well, why don't you just elope. It's much cheaper and church weddings are so wasteful." If your teenage son came to you and said, "I would like to go on a religious retreat at the metropolis summer camp." You would say, "Registration and travel costs are too expensive. Just stay here and say a prayer. It costs nothing."
     The story of the anointing of Jesus by Mary shows us that it is sometimes OK to be extravagant. It's OK to be extravagant in our generosity. It's OK to be extravagant in our gratitude. It's OK to be extravagant in our graciousness. Extravagance can be a beautiful gesture of our love, kindness and gratefulness. Indeed, Christ establishes that a believer's gift of his very best, when done to honor and glorify the Person of Christ, is just as worthy as giving to the poor.
     For God lavished His love for us. Christ sacrificed for us. He held nothing back from us, even His own life. From the beginning to the end of the Bible there are countless examples and illustrations of men and women who do the most lavish things out of love and devotion and gratitude to God. We are being taught that true Christian love and true faith are mighty things and require powerful expression. Hannah had for years wept for a child and ached for nothing so much as a baby to hold in her arms. But, when God gave her a son in answer to her prayer, -- a son she loved as only a long-barren woman can love her firstborn -- she gave that baby boy back to the Lord to be raised by another in the temple. David's Christian faith and love made him a wonderfully extravagant man. Once he was leaping and dancing before the Ark of the Covenant with no thought of his dignity -- it struck his wife as unbecoming, even humiliating.
     People with the mindset of Judas, making worldly calculations, do not do such things. And what of Paul who tells us that to follow the Lord and serve him it required that he suffer the loss of all things, which he was most willing to do. And what of the teaching of Holy Scripture that to follow Christ we must stand willing to give up our families, our possessions, even our very lives or that, in order to live lives worthy of him, we must not hesitate to gouge out a right eye or cut off a right arm.
     This is everywhere the language of Holy Scripture. The Lord asks for everything from us, and the godly man or woman rushes to give everything to him, the more, the costlier the better. There is to be in every Christian life this lavishness. It seems crazy to the world only because worldly people do not know God, or his love, or heaven either. Whenever and wherever the Church has been healthy, it is because the Faithful in the church have grown strong in the Holy Spirit and filled with Holy Extravagance.
      May you and your loved ones have a Blessed Easter.

      In Christ,

      Fr. Dionysios

You are invited  to join the stewards of the Dormition of the Theotokos on Sunday, April 22, by attending the Divine Liturgy and Stewardship Sunday Luncheon. This Sunday is dedicated to spiritually reinvigorating and renewing our commitment to our Church in preparation for the challenges we will face this year.

Your free will Orthodox Christian Stewardship pledge in support of the Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church is a vital part of advancing the work of Christ and our Orthodox Faith in our parish and our Church at large.

We ask that you prayerfully consider your 2007 Orthodox Christian Stewardship Commitment, commensurate with your resources and your gratitude for the bounties and blessings our Lord has bestowed on you.

We invite you to attend the Divine Liturgy on Stewardship Sunday and place your Pledge Card in the offering tray, the Stewardship box in the Narthex or by mail.  I also would like to extend an invitation to anyone who wishes to join the Stewardship committee.  This ministry is very rewarding.  Witnessing our congregation mature and becoming closer to God and one another are blessings.

I offer you my personal gratitude, beforehand, for your generosity and partnership in Christ's work of salvation.

Yours in Christ,

Stewardship Committee
 
CONGRATULATIONS
Pete Graham, Max Listermann-Vierling and Darden Vaughan participated in the Parish Oratorical Festival. 

John and Sophia Rodete, who on April 28 celebrate 50 years of marriage. Xprona Polla!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Harry Kotsionis, God grant you many years!
    
THANK YOU
Lula & Christa would like to thank everyone who helped with Baklava baking this year.

AHEPA gifted Pete Graham $50 for 1st place in the Parish Oratorical Festival.
 

The Choir will be selling Tsourekia  (Pascha sweet bread) on Palm Sunday.  The money raised will benefit the anticipated choir trip to Greece in June 2008, accompanying His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios.

AHEPA
    The next regular Ahepa meeting will be Tuesday, April 17 at 7:00pm in the church hall.  Steak dinner will be served during the meeting.  Please RSVP to Jerome or Matthew Pappas at 292-5130.  We would like to thank Brother Theodore Triantis for cooking a delicious lenten meal sponsored by the Ahepa in March. Also, Brothers David Valavanis, Ioannis Varitimidis, and Theodore Triantis cooked a great meal for the March 25th Luncheon.  A special thank you goes to Captain Bill's Restaurant for the generous donation of fish for the Greek Independence Luncheon.  The deadline for chapter scholarship applications is April 15th.  There will be two scholarships this year, the General Greene #257 scholarship for $1,000.00 and a $500.00 scholarship in memory of departed Brother Kostas Kappas.

Daughters of Penelope
Will meet on Monday, April 16, at 6:30pm.

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
The General Assembly was held on February 17th. There were approximately 40 people attending. All of the committee reports were given although there were no motions on new business. Only a partial audit report was given and therefore any vote to approve will is postponed until the next General Assembly. It was announced that Eddie Merrill, Stephen Anton and Matthew Pappas have graciously agreed to Chair the Festival this year. New appointments were also announced for Goya leaders (Basil Agapion and Rhonda Thompson) and JOY (Koula Remoundos and Ginah Soufia). There was active discussion about the Almond Tree and whether it should be replaced with a bigger and better stocked bookstore, but final determinations were postponed until further research could be done. We discussed the new requirement by our insurance company of a Sexual Misconduct Insurance Ride. Finally, Fr. announced the generous donation by the Ragsdale family for the beautification of the entry to the Parish Hall.
Submitted by Theodora Vaporis
GOYA
Goya had a great time on the retreat and thanks to all who helped make it a fun-filled trip.  Also, GOYA will be participating in one of the lenten services, as well as going to a Grasshoppers game in May.

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS 
Ladies Philoptochos would like to thank Theodora Vaporis for a most informative program on Estate Planning.   We would also like to thank Toula Chininis and Edna Pappas for assisting with the meal preparation for our visiting guests and youth during the Regional Oratorical Festival held on March 24 at our parish.
 
Spanakopita baking will take place on April 16th and 17th at 8:30am.  If you have any questions, please contact our chairperson, Titsa Dermatas.
 
There will be no General or Board meeting during the month of April.  On April 24th at 6pm, we will have a work meeting to set up for the Spring Luncheon.
 
Our Annual Spring Luncheon and Bake Sale will be on Thursday, April 26th from 11-6:30.  The menu will feature Chicken Kapama, Rice, Greek Salad, and Dessert for $7.00.  Volunteers are needed throughout the day. Please contact Lula Culler, Titsa Dermatas, or Soteria Dascalakis if you have any questions or would like to volunteer.
 
Philoptochos Board elections will be held at our May 14th General Meeting.  All members are urged to attend this most important meeting.
 
Our Annual Scholarship Luncheon will be held May 20th immediately following the Divine Liturgy.  All high school and college graduates will be honored.  The Philoptochos, Pete Harris, and AHEPA scholarships will be presented at this time.
 
Please continue to donate food items to our Year Round Food Bank. Sign-up sheets are posted in the Church hall if you would like to host the coffee hour or donate flowers for the altar.

  
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Treasures In Heaven
During the months of March and April, our Sunday School program is collecting money for the OCMC (Orthodox Christian Mission Center). Each student has been given a mission coin box for this purpose. This project will help the kids learn through experience about giving to other Orthodox families and Churches who need our help. We have studied the following Bible verse:
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
Riches and treasures on earth are corrupted by moth and worm in the hands of an owner who has made them his goal on earth. In their desires to gather wealth for the sake of wealth, as an objective of life, many men have made wealth an idol. Treasures and riches can be handled by a Christian as a steward, as an instrument for progress and work, for charity and help, transferring earthly wealth into treasures in heaven. The human heart belongs either to earthly wealth or to treasures in heaven.

APRIL NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP
Rasmus and Susie Fenger are sponsoring the April newsletter in loving memory of Susie's mother Nasifeh Kishek Hanhan. 
                                                                                                                                            

President's  Message

During my morning run with Hercules (our dog) it dawned on me that spring is here!  I noticed all the blooms on the trees and all the colors that just popped up from the grey of winter.  Spring is a gift from God.  It awakens our senses and gives us energy.

I hope you all feel this energy.  I am proud of the wonderful events hosted by our Parish.  Father Dionysios held a weekend retreat at the Diaconia Center that was well attended.  Father did a great job with the retreat and the children enjoyed it!  Thank you to Hamp Culler, Basili Agapion and Kirk Tarasidis who chaperoned our GOYA on the trip.  On Saturday the 24th of March we hosted the District Oratorical Festival.  Several parishes from our district were represented.  The ladies of Philoptochos prepared a delicious Lenten meal.  Thank you to Toula Chinnis who organized this meal and to all the ladies who helped her.  Also, we appreciate the help of Polly Anton, Mary Ann Contogiannis, the judges and all those that helped make this event a success.

On Sunday March 25th we held our annual Greek Independence Day Parade and program I am so proud of our Greek school students.  Job well done!  Thank you to Alexis Dermatas for her help with the program and to AHEPA for providing the Lenten meal.

As I write this message I am very proud of our Parish.  We are taking a proactive role in our church, in our youth and in ourselves.  There are many great ideas and plans in the making and I am confident that we will all take the initiative to become more involved.  In closing, as a reminder, we are in our Stewardship Drive and I ask each of us to evaluate our abilities and to give our fair share of time, talents and resources.  Stewardship is our life blood and we must foster it. 

On behalf of our Parish Council a blessed Resurrection and Easter, Kalh Anastash!

Kiki Tarasidis

Consecration of St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Burlington, NC
2150 West Front Street April 27-28, 2007

Friday, April 27, 5:00pm: Great Vespers, His Eminence, Metropolitan Alexios, will officiate. Meal will follow.

Saturday, April 28, 8:00am: Orthros with procession of Holy Relics, Divine Liturgy to follow.

Saturday, April 28, 1:30pm: Grand Banquet at Best Western Hotel
770 Huffman Mill Road, Burlington NC.

HOLY WEEK AND PASCHA SERVICES 
April 1, Palm Sunday,
Bridegroom Service, 7:00 p.m.
April 2, Holy Monday,
Bridegroom Service, 7:00 p.m.
April 3, Holy Tuesday,
Bridegroom Service, 7:00 p.m.
April 4, Holy Wednesday,
Unction Service, 3:00 p.m.
Holy Unction, 7:00 p.m.
April 5, Holy Thursday,
Liturgy of St. Basil, 9:00 a.m.
The Passion (12 Gospels), 7:00 p.m.
April 6, Holy Friday,
Royal Hours, 9:00 a.m.
Apokathelosis, 3:00 p.m.
Lamentations, 7:30 p.m.
April 7, Holy Saturday,
Liturgy of St. Basil, 8:30am
Orthros, 11:30 p.m.
Resurrection, 12 midnight
Paschal Liturgy, 12:30 a.m.
April 8, Holy Pascha
Agape Service, 11:00 a.m.

Serbian Services:
April 1, Palm Sunday, Vespers 6pm
April 5, Holy Thursday, Service 4pm
April 6, Holy Friday, Service 4:30pm
April 7, Holy Saturday, Service 3pm
April 8, Holy Pascha, Service 4am