October2005 - Greek Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos

Father's Challenge

"Moses said to all the people of Israel, "This is what the Lord has commanded: Make an offering to the Lord. Everyone who wishes to do so is to bring an offering of gold, silver, or bronze; fine linen; blue, purple, and red wool; cloth made of goats' hair; rams' skin dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood; oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet smelling incense; carnelians and other jewels to be set in the High Priest's ephod and in his breastpiece…."
Exodus 35:4-9

Beloved in the Lord;

     It was such a pleasure to welcome visitors to our church edifice during our recent festival. It was a thrill to show them the interior of an Orthodox Church and to give them a tour. I could tell that many of our visitors were awed by the beauty and splendor of our church. Many seemed to sense that this was a holy place.
      The idea of setting aside an area reserved for worship is not new. The ancient Hebrews, even while roaming in the Wilderness, were instructed to set a special area aside for the tent which housed the Ark of the Covenant. The people were invited to offer the materials used in the construction of the tent and in the temple furnishings. These were not ordinary, everyday items. Only the finest materials were used both then, and during the construction of a more permanent site of worship, the temple in Jerusalem. This was not because God needs fancy adornments of gold and bronze. Rather, it was a visible reminder to the people who come to worship and pray that the house of God is a special place; it is a holy site, to be treated with reverence and awe.
     This pious attitude remains true for Orthodox Christians. In our churches we have many beautiful and elaborate icons, hand carved ecclesial furniture and gold and silver holy vessels. This is not because the Church wants us to waste our resources, but rather, to emphasize that the House of God is indeed a sacred edifice. The church is the setting for the celebrations of the Eucharist and the other holy mysteries. It also gives the Orthodox faithful a foretaste of the visual splendor of the Kingdom of God to come.
                 Our parish has some very lovely and beautiful holy vessels. They were donated by other communities many years ago when this parish was just starting or by certain faithful men and women through the years in memory of loved ones. Yet some holy vessels are worn or damaged because of years of usage. They need to be replaced. It is actually a blessed event, for it shows that these holy vessels have been worn out in countless holy services on behalf of the Faithful. To ensure that the holy vessels of our parish reflect the dignity and beauty that they were intended for, a wish list for the church is being put together. It also includes some items we could use but never possessed. The wish list will be published in November's newsletter.
                  If individuals or families wish to donate a holy vessel, please contact me. Those items replaced will be sent to a mission church either here or overseas. The mission parishes, which are often just starting out, are in desperate need of holy vessels. Religious church items, generally handmade, take a long time to craft and are expensive. Sadly, a fledging community often cannot afford to purchase them. Your kind donation will not only maintain the solemn beauty of our own holy vessels but also help a struggling community obtain ecclesial items which they do not possess.
                   May God bless you for your love and sacrifice.

In Christ,
Fr. Dionysios

SUBMISSIONS FOR NAMING THIS PUBLICATION

The Orthodox Oracle (3 people submitted this, all others were single)
Byzantine Echo
The Dormition Daily
The Dormition News
The Greek Gazette
Greek Gossip
Keynotes
The Monthly Greek Gabber
The Orthodox Chronicle
The Path
Theotokos of Light

These are the entries we have received to date.

A BIG THANK YOU
HANK YOUTo Pete Graham and Erin Sipsis for painting the dates on the Festival Signs.

CONGRATULATIONS
To Carl and Maria Colozzi on the occasion of the birth of their son, Nicholas Edward, on August 25, 2005.

NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP
Joanne Macropoulos is sponsoring the October newsletter in memory of her beloved husband George, who fell asleep in the Lord on November 3, 2003, also in memory of his parents, Father Nicholas & Presbytera Anna Macropoulos.

AHEPA
By Zack Touloupas (584-1213)
A regular dinner meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct 11 at 7 pm. in the fellowship. Discussion will center around the Ahepans' efforts to help the hurricane victims. Please contact Dimitrios Efstathiou or Zack Touloupas if you plan to attend. Bring a lost brother or a potential new member!

JOY
By Barbara Vaughan (299-2094)
Joy will have our first meeting October 2, from 4:30-6pm. This will be a registration and organizational meeting. If you have a child in 1st-5th grade, please plan to attend. Also at this meeting we will be collecting "Gifts from the Heart" for victims of Hurricane Katrina. If you have any questions about how to assemble these, please call Susie Fenger (288-8072) or Barbara Vaughan.

GOYA
By Peter Graham (643-7099)
     Our first major project of the school year will be participating in Operation Christmas Child. This Samaritan's Purse project takes gift-filled shoe boxes and prayers to millions of suffering children around the world. We hope that everyone in the community will participate by either filling a shoe box themselves or donating items for GOYA members to fill the boxes at church.
            First, decide if your box will be for a boy or girl and the age category (2-4, 5-9, 10-14). Then simply take an ordinary shoe box, fill it with small toys, school supplies, hygiene items or other items and drop it off at church. GOYA will take care of the rest. Boxes are due early November so why not get started today! If you would rather not make a box, donations of $5 for shipping each shoe box would be appreciated as well. Boxes will be assembled and wrapped at our October 23 GOYA meeting.
           If any parent is willing to provide dinner for that Oct. 23 meeting (or any other meeting), please contact me at 643-7099. Thanks!

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
By Theodora Vaporis (584-6020)
        The Board met on August 24, 2005. The main topics of discussion were:
Festival, Finances, Stewardship, The need for a Foundation, Father Dionysios' plans for Outreach and Youth Ministries, Technology for our Church office, Church Maintenance.
         If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact any Board member.

PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
By Sheila Touloupas (584-1213)
       Ladies Philoptochos would like to thank all its members who volunteered their time before, during, and after our Greek Festival this year. What a wonderful weekend we had working together!
         The Philoptochos Board will meet Sunday, October 9 immediately following the Divine Liturgy.    Our first General Meeting will be held on Monday, October 10. Refreshments will be served at 6:45pm and the business meeting will begin promptly at 7pm. All ladies over the age of eighteen are invited and encouraged to join us.
          Please continue to help us stock our Year Round Food Bank. The following items are always needed: Breakfast items-Cheerios, oatmeal, pancake mix and syrup; Lunch and Dinner items-canned ham, turkey, chicken, tuna, or salmon; canned vegetables; canned soups; chili and stews; spaghetti sauce; dried pastas,noodles, and boxed macaroni and cheese; boxed mashed potatoes; peanut butter and jelly. Miscellaneous items such as canned or powdered milk, saltine crackers, jello, and canned fruit are also needed. These items will be bagged and prepared to serve several meals for an individual or family in need. Gift cards in the amount of $10 or $20 from Harris Teeter or Food Lion may also be donated and brought to the church or given to Toula Chininis-Food Bank Chairperson or Catherine Stuman.
          As you are aware, the residents of the Gulf Coast have been devastated over the past several weeks. Our Ladies Philoptochos Chapter has sent a donation to the IOCC. We have also received a request from the Metropolis Philoptochos to collect Wal-Mart gift cards. These gift cards-which may be purchased for any amount-will be sent to the Metropolis and distributed to Gulf Coast parish priests to directly aid families in replenishing their losses. These gift cards will be collected at our next general meeting on October 10th.
          Our parish has also been asked to assist Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in providing for five families relocated to Greensboro from devastated hurricane regions. Various household items are needed. Please see the article on page 8 for more information..
          During this difficult time, let us all continue to keep the residents of the Gulf Coast in our prayers.

FESTIVAL NEWS

Our Festival was a huge success and many thanks go to all the Department Chairs and numerous volunteers who made it happen. Our efforts will help the Parish meet it's financial obligation for the upcoming year, but will also help those in need through our benefactor - HealthServe Ministries and victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thank you all for making this year such a huge success. We'll have more details available at the October General Assembly so please attend and again thank you for dedicating your time and effort to the Festival.
Mike Dolianitis, Festival Chairperson

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.