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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 9:00am PARISH PRIEST:
Fr. Dionysios Listermann-Vierling
Church: 292-8013
Fax: 851-2800
In case of emergency: Cell 312-3642 COUNCIL OFFICERS:
Mike Dolianitis
President 286-9372
Hampton Culler
Vice-President 854-8235
Carl Colozzi
Treasurer 644-0615
Theodora Vaporis
Secretary 584-6020
Board Members:
Tony Bundros
Scott Graham
Matthew Pappas
Zack Touloupas
Kimmon Varsamis
Terry Woods
COMMITTEES:
Stewardship
Hamp Culler
Greek Festival
Mike Dolianitis
Finance
Carl Colozzi
Maintenance
Kimmon Varsamis
Religious Education
Zack Touloupas
Sick and Visitation
Brenda Miller
Bessie Sipsis
Foundation
(open)
Youth
Scott Graham
Rental property
Minas Dascalakis
Nomination Committee
Stephen Anton
Philoptochos Liaison
Terry Woods
Welcoming Committee
All church members 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)
SEPT 1, 2005 - SEPT 31, 2005
INCOME $13,819.77
EXPENSE $43,458.35
DEFICIT -$29,638.58 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 Mike Dolianitis at 286-9372.
2005 Pledges
Alexiou, Marina S.; Alimpich, Nadejda; Amprazis, James; Amprazis, Mary; Anton, Bill & Mary; Anton, Steve & Polly; Bartis, Helen; Benson, Bob & Kathy; Bishara, Essa J.; Bishara, Jacob; Blavos, Sylvia; Boukas, Nick & Athena; Bouras, Johnny; Boyd, Phyllis; Brown, Nabila & Harvey; Brudnak, Karen & Barry Slate; Bundros, Tony & Thalia; Caracioni, Adrian & Stephania; Chamis, Nick G.; Chininis, Frank & Toula; Ciulei, Cheryl; Clark, Penny Kappas; Colozzi, Carl & Maria; Contogiannis, Anthoula; Contogiannis, Eleni; Corcoran, Jennifer; Cropper, James & Maria; Culler, Hamp & Lula; Dermatas, Alex & Titsa; Dolianitis, Mike; Efstathiou, Dimitrios & Konstantia; Eustathiou, Evangelia; Fox, Art & Cynthia; Galloway, Ed & Georgette; Glantz, Ron & Anna Lampidis; Graham, Scott & Christa; Harrison, Eleni; Harrison, Rob; Hattle, George & Jean; Hattle, John & Anna; Hudak, H. Marie; Katsikas, Mary; Kazazes, Anne; Kazazes, Barbara; Kontoulas, Angelo N.; Kontoulas, Cleo & Dena; Kontoulas, Mary B.; Koronis, William G.; Kotsionis, Harry & Elly; Lawrence, Kevin & Barbara; Laza, Sorin & Dana Albon; Liinangi, Martin & Diana; Lipovan, Victoria F.; Lundberg, David & Vasso; Macropoulos, Joanne; Mandaleris, Chris & Maria; Martin, Doug & Nina; Matsakides, Vickie; Megremis, Lampros & Dorothy; Merrell, Eddie & Maria; Michaels, Mike & Carol; Mihai, Fr. Vasile; Miller, Don & Brenda; Mirhij, John; Moraru, Christian; Mott, Panayota; Moye, William S.; Narumi, Kenji; Oncea, William & Jennie; Palamaris, Irene; Pappas, Edna; Pappas, Matthew & Stacy; Pascu, Daniel & Daniela; Patterson, Charles P.; Patterson, Vasiliki N.; Peterson, Helen; Poulos, Peter; Pradetto, Tom & Maria; Psathat, Anthony & Despina; Ragsdale, William & Kathy; Rizkallah, Samir & Sue; Rodete, John & Sophia; Rueppell, Olav & Matina; Sagos, Joanne & Larry Carrol; Sakellaris, Chris & Ardele; Schermerhorn, Tom & Theodora Vaporis; Seawell, Evalin & Tracy; Serban, Nicolae & Theodora; Silos, Mrs. Evangelos; Sims, Leigh Ann; Sims, Roger & Celia; Sipsis, George & Bessie; Soare, Aurica; Soare, Nicolae & SiewLian; Sonntag, Frances; Sonntag, Mark; Soufia. Mikhail & Ginah; Stuman, Catherine; Talantis, Nic & Jenine; Thanos, Bobby & Carol; Thompson, Tom & Rhonda; Toompas, Arthur & June; Touloupas, John & Kaki; Touloupas, Zack & Sheila; Triantis, Theodore; Tsintzos, Nafsika; Tzavaras, Aspasia; Tzouvelekas, Mark; Tzouvelekas, Nick & Deb; Vaporis, Mary C.; Varitimidis, Ionnis & Effie; Varsamis, Betty; Varsamis, Kimmon & Gwen; Vasilescu, Liviu & Nicole; Vaughan, Bill & Barbara; Vaughan, Ned & Vicki; Vavalides, Phillip & Teresa; Watson, Danny & Nitsa; White, Ed & Elizabeth; Whitley, Anthony N.; Wile, Ashley; Woltz, Van & Margaret; Woods, Terry; Xixis, Othonas & Debbie; Zaharias, Epaminondas & Doris.
CONDOLENCES To Doug Martin and family. Doug's mother passed away in Florida on October 13, 2005. To Calliope Hatgelis and family for the passing away of her nephew John Pappas. John's father Harry Pappas was our first Parish Council president.
May their memories be eternal!
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Father's Challenge Twenty-Eight years ago, on October 18 (the Feast of St. Luke) I and the other students in a Byzantine History Class from the University of Cincinnati attended holy services at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. This marked my first exposure to Orthodoxy and the Divine Liturgy. First impressions are often the most vivid and enduring and I can still recall in great detail my reaction to that experience. I was awed by the visual beauty of the church when I entered for the beginning of Orthros. Yet I noticed that very few people were in church and was mystified that people kept entering into church even after the liturgy began. It was difficult following the hymnal, as the service, with the exception of the Lord's Prayer, was entirely in Greek. Never-the-less, it was fascinating observing the elaborate rituals and listening to the beautiful and melodic chants and singing. What especially impressed me were the pious and prayerful expressions on the faces of many participants. I left that day intrigued and curious to learn more about the Orthodox Church, its history, its sacraments and its teachings. Thus began a spiritual journey to the Faith which resulted in my conversion four years later. Cradle Orthodox Christians, raised in the Holy Orthodox Faith since childhood, lack that singular moment of awe and wonder that converts experience. Growing up in the church, the sights and sounds of the liturgy are both familiar and normal. Yet in conversations with many adults, I am surprised that many do not grasp the inner meanings behind the rituals and words which converts go to a great deal of trouble to learn. Countless cradle Orthodox faithfully attend the holy services, but do so with only a hazy understanding of what is occurring. I find that very sad because additional knowledge can deepen and enhance the spiritual experience for everyone. To help the Faithful better appreciate our holy services, we will be holding a Commentary Liturgy on November 20th. During the Divine Liturgy we will pause the service several times. During these interludes someone will read a short explanation of what is occurring or what will happen. While the harmony of the service will be interrupted, but it is hoped that all of us will learn something that we may not have known and that we will leave church enriched with a better appreciation of the liturgy. Please make every effort to be in church that day with you family and loved ones. If you have friends that have often wondered about our Faith, kindly invite them to the holy service on that day. Everyone is welcome! The Divine Liturgy is a rich treasure which through God's grace has the power to change lives. I know, because it has changed mine! In Christ, Fr. Dionysios SINCEREST THANKS
On behalf of Presbytera Elena, Max and I, we would like to express our deepest thanks to everyone who attended our Open House. We were very appreciative of everyone who took the time out of their day to stop by. Your kind words of welcome and your presence was a true blessing on our home. We look forward to many wonderful years ahead with you. God Bless you all!
-Father Dionysios CHRISTMAS FAST BEGINS
November 15 begins a period in our church known as the Christmas Fast (Advent). It is a 40 day period of preparation for the celebration of Christmas. Fasting is part of this preparation. RECIPE REMINDER
The Cookbook Committee is still seeking recipes from YOU to include in our revised cookbook.
Recipe forms are available in the Fellowship Hall. Please submit you recipes to anyone on the committee - Toula Chininis, Cheryl Ciulei, Celia Sims, Sheila Touloupas. THANK YOU
To Anna Dermatas for painting the beautiful scene on the back wall of the stage. AHEPA The General Greene Chapter 257 of AHEPA will be hosting District 3 AHEPA Leadership Seminar on Saturday Oct 29 from 10 am to 12. We will be entertaining all members from NC chapters. The session will be to provide information about the AHEPA's roles on the local, district and national levels. Anyone interested in learning about the AHEPA is cordially invited.
On Nov 6 the AHEPANs and the will be holding their annual Greek Chicken Dinner to benefit their scholarship program. Plates for baked half Greek chicken, beans, salad and drink will be served for $8.00 from Noon until 7 pm. Greek pastries will be sold by the Daughters of Penelope.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday Nov 9 at 6:30 pm at Natty Greene's (downtown GSO). Preliminary reports will be presented on the chicken dinner. Brothers try to bring an inactive member to this business/social affair to show them our "new" AHEPA!! JOY
By Susie Fenger and Barbara Vaughan
JOY will have a meeting November 13 immediately after Church, from 12:30-2:00pm. We plan to have a reorganizational meeting, and talk about the plans for the year. We hope to have a better turn out by changing our meeting time. Please do your best to attend this meeting...pizza lunch will be served. GOYA
By Basil Agapion & Christina Mandaleris
Goya met on Sunday, October 23. It was a glorious event when the beautiful children ate the delicious pepperoni pizza, but this was after we put together Christmas boxes for Operation Smile (so that we could contribute to spreading Christmas joy all over the world).
On Saturday, November 19, Goya will meet at the church at 1:00pm to hear a Drug Awareness speaker. We will have a meeting following this event. PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
By Sheila Touloupas (584-1213)
Our Membership Drive will begin October 30th and continue through the month of November. All ladies over the age of eighteen are encouraged and welcomed to join. Membership dues are $25 per year. A table will be set up in the hall to collect dues from new and current members for 2006.
There will be a Board Meeting Sunday, November 13th immediately following the Divine Liturgy. On Monday, November 14th, our Membership Drive Pot Luck Dinner Meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall at 6PM. All members are asked to bring their favorite dish to share. This would be a great time to bring along the recipe to be included in our future Cookbook! Volunteers are needed to help with set up and clean up. Please contact Titsa Dermatas if you can help. On Friday, November 18th at 2:30 we will coordinate a seminar regarding a new enrollment requirement for the revised Medicare laws for all interested senior Parish members. (See separate article.) For the second year, our chapter has volunteered our services for Salvation Army Bell Ringing. We will be at the Friendly Center Belk's side entrance on Saturday, November 19th from 10am to 8pm. Volunteers are needed to sign up for a minimum of one hour throughout the day. A sign up sheet will be available. Please contact Titsa Dermatas if you have any questions. On Saturday, November 26th, we will be serving Habitat Workers. Please contact Maria Mandaleris or Christa Graham if you would like to assist.
For the fourth year, we will be providing Christmas for two needy families with children. Wish lists for these families will be available at our November meeting. Please contact Cheryl Ciulei if you would like to buy a gift or contribute money for this project. Our Craft Show/Bake Sale will take place Saturday, December 3rd in the church hall. Volunteers are needed throughout the day. We will also be baking pastries for this event, so please check the bulletin for specific dates and times. All members are asked to donate $10 to help cover the costs of the baking supplies. Minerva Ross will be decorating the hall for the craft show. Please contact her if you can help. Please continue to support our Year Round Food Bank. All parishioners are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items each time they
come to church. Grocery store gift cards may also be purchased and given to Father for distribution. A special thank you to all members who donated Wal-Mart gift cards for Hurricane Katrina victims. These cards were sent to the Metropolis Philoptochos and distributed to Orthodox Church members in the devastated Gulf Coast areas to buy needed items destroyed by the floods. Please sign up to host the Sunday coffee hour. Also, please remember to contribute to the basket that is placed on the main table each Sunday. The funds collected help us to support our mission priest. The priest we are supporting this year is Father George Kimoni from Kenya, Africa. SUNDAY SCHOOL
By Polly Anton (854-5065)
Sunday School is off to a strong start this year--thank you to all of our dedicated teachers and students! We do miss seeing some familiar faces in each of our classrooms. Our program needs every one of you to be a true success. We have purchased some new books and videos to update our inventory of textbooks & supplemental teaching materials. Each upper grade will receive a copy of My Orthodox Prayer Book. Many resources are available as well on this year's Oratorical topic: The Festal Menaion (feast days). The Sunday School Christmas Program is right around the corner on December 18. If you would like to help in the areas of script, music, costumes, or rehearsals, please speak to Debbie Xixis or Polly Anton. Medicare D and What It Means to You
Philoptochos is pleased to announce a seminar on Friday, November 18, at 2:30 p.m. to be held in our Fellowship Hall. Chillie Mason from the Senior's Health Information Program will speak to us about the new Medicare Prescription Program and offer answers to our questions.
Please come prepared with a list of your medications and cost for each month, the name of your pharmacy and your insurance card or policy.
Everyone is invited, Seniors, Caregivers, Friends and Neighbors. Please call Toula Chininis (288-7968) with any questions. LADIES PHILOPTOCHOS SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Our Annual Membership Drive begins Sunday, October 30th through the month of November. The Ladies Philoptochos Society is currently the largest Christian women's philanthropic organizations in the United States. Our fund raising projects enable our chapter to support numerous worthy causes such as, Habitat, Mobile Meals, Urban Ministries, Salvation Army, Duke Power/Share the Warmth, Empty Stocking Fund, Orthodox Mission Priests, Hurricane Relief Funds, Saint Basil's Academy, Duke Pediatric CardiacCare, Diakonia Center Infirmary, St. Stephen's Camp, UNICEF, Christmas for needy families, Scholarships within our parish, special parish needs, and various other emergency or philanthropic donations.
A table will be set up in the Fellowship Hall from October 30 the through November for interested prospective members to ask questions and/or learn more about our many National, Metropolitan, and local projects. Current members may also pay their 2005 Membership dues during this period. Our Chapter will host a Pot Luck Dinner Meeting in our Fellowship Hall on Monday, November 14th at 6pm for all current, new, and prospective members. Please plan to attend and bring a friend.
The Ladies Philoptochos will meet once a month, usually on the second Monday, at 6:45pm.Meetings last approximately 1and a half hours. Refreshments, fellowship, a business agenda, and on special occasions a guest speaker are included. This is a wonderful opportunity for new friendships and fellowship, in addition to the personal satisfaction of helping those in need through our many service projects and fundraisers. Our members are warm and friendly, caring and giving, and most energetic! Whether you are a homemaker and mother, working part time or full time, retired, or a student, the talents you have will enhance our organization. You are neither too young or too old to join Ladies Philoptochos. We extend a personal invitation to all the women in our church community 18 years and older to join our philanthropic sisterhood. It is sure to lift your spirits! HURRICANE RELIEF
As you know, our parish is working in cooperation with Holy Trinity Episcopal Church to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Episcopal Church is trying to furnish five homes for refugees. One is furnished and they need to furnish four more. There is a need for furniture (especially beds), dishes, pots & pans. Those wishing to donate items are asked to contact Rosalyn Orr at 275-2357 or 312-7788. Donations can be either dropped off at a warehouse or arrangements can be made to have it picked up. This gives us all an opportunity to reach out to those who have lost everything. SICK AND VISITATION
John Touloupas is recovering from recent hospitalization. Prayers for his speedy recovery would be appreciated:
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 (Homestead Hills in Winston-Salem)
Chris Orphanides (Wesley Long Nursing Center)
Vonnie Kleanos (Evergreen Nursing Home)
Maria Vurnakes (Evergreen Nursing Home)
Margaret Spence (Wesley Long Nursing Center) 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 Bessie Sipsis (299-0881).
CONGRATULATIONS
To Maria Colozzi and her son, Nicholas Edward, on their 40-Day Blessing on September 9, 2005.
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