Worship Hours:
Sunday
8:30 am - Orthros
10:00 am - Divine Liturgy
Sunday Summer Hours
8:00 am - Orthros
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
Sunday Church School
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
Weekday Services
8:30 am - Orthros
9:30 am - Divine Liturgy
The Reading is from St. Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians 6:1-10
BRETHREN, working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation." Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
1st Sunday of Luke
The Reading is from Luke 5:1-11
At that time, Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." For he was astonished, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
In an effort to better serve our Archdiocese, the Archdiocesan Advisory Committee on Science & Technology (AACST) has developed a simple survey to learn about the particular interests and concerns of our people. The survey will take you less than 3 minutes to complete and your identity is completely protected.
Saint Chariton was born in the city of Iconium during the reign of Aurelian, about the year 274. He was arrested, tortured, and condemned to death because of his Christian Faith, but finally set free by imperial edict. He came to Palestine, where he took up the ascetic life. He also brought many Jews and pagans to the Faith. Having dwelt in the desert of Judea for many years, and established several monasteries throughout the region, he reposed in peace.
The Prophet Baruch was the son of Nerias, and the disciple of the Prophet Jeremias ( Jer. 39:12; 43:4 LXX). The extant prophetical book that he wrote is divided into five chapters; it was composed in the fifth year of the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews during the years of Sedekias, 583 B.C. The prophetic lection that is read on the eve of the Feast of Christ's Nativity, which bears Jeremias' name, is taken from the prophecy of Baruch (Bar. 3:35-4:4). His name means "blessed."
PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS
Memorial:
10 Years ~ Demitrios (Jim) Diamant, Right Rows 1 - 3
Coffee Fellowship:
There will NOT BE Coffee Fellowship this SUNDAY
Sunday Worship Hours:
Please NOTE that our Fall/Winter schedule for Worship Services has begun. Orthros begins at 8:30 am, followed by the Divine Liturgy at 10:00am. The Sunday Church School Divine Liturgy begins at 9:45 am in Saint Catherine Chapel.
Sunday Church School:
Our Panagia Sunday Church School begun. Divine Liturgy begins promptly at 9:45am, Classes will take place immediately following the Divine Liturgy in Plato School. If you have not, as yet, registered your child for the 2014-15 school year, please do so by contacting the Church Office, securing a registration form online at our Church’s Website (www.assumptionchicago.org), or by speaking with our SCS Director, Mrs. Christina Arvanites.
Food For Thought:
Doesn’t renewal have to come first before we can evangelize others?
Don’t we have to be infected with Christ before we can be contagious?
Stewardship Message:
Avoid “Sinking Ship” Communication
In his book, ‘Giving and Stewardship in an Effective Church’, Kennon Callahan offers the following advice: “When you describe your church as a sinking ship, you will reach fewer people and raise less money. To be sure, you will raise a little money – just enough money to delude yourself that the sinking-ship approach works. When you focus on God’s mission, you will reach more people; you will raise the money for the mission. God’s mission is a winning cause, not a sinking ship.” In the same book Callahan also writes, “Money follows mission, not the reverse. This is a shorthand way of saying that the stronger the congregation’s relational characteristics, the easier it is to raise money. The stronger the congregation's mission, visitation, worship, groupings, leadership, and decision-making, the stronger the giving.”
For further information, please visit: www.Stewardship.goarch.org
2014 Stewardship:
We thank and are appreciative to all stewards who have pledged to our beloved Parish of Panagia. Through your continued and loving support, the Parish Council has been able to serve as caretakers and deal with the needs and priorities that face our Church. We ask that you complete your 2014 pledge card and return it to the church office at your convenience.
Dates to Remember:
Sunday, September 28th
1:00 pm – After-Church Fundraiser Luncheon,
at The Greek Islands Restaurant, Lombard, IL
Saturday, October 4th
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm – An Afternoon of Fall Fun !! at Johansen's Farm
Please see flyer for more information
Sunday, October 5th
Philoptochos is hosting their annual Loukoumades Sunday
after the Divine Liturgy in Plato Hall, proceeds to
benefit the Greece/Cypress Relief Fund
Thursday, October 9th
7:00 pm – Panagia Monthly Book Club will
meet at the Pan Arcadian House in Elmhurst, IL
Thursday, October 16th
10:30 am – Philoptochos General Meeting will meet in
St. Catherine's Meeting Room
Saturday, October 18th
Feast Day of St. Luke
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy
5:00 pm – Harvest Day
will be held in Plato Hall.
Please see flyer for more information
Sunday, October 19th
Philoptochos is hosting their annual Loukoumades Sunday
after the Divine Liturgy in Plato Hall, proceeds to
benefit the Greece/Cypress Relief Fund
Monday, October 20th
7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study will meet in St. Catherine’s
Meeting Room
Greek Islands Fundraiser:
As has been advertised, through a very generous donation by Mr. Kosta Koutsogiorgas, owner of the Greek Islands Restaurants, he has graciously offered to underwrite the entire expense of a fundraiser luncheon at the Greek Islands Restaurants in Lombard, Illinois, to benefit the Assumption Church. This event will take place on today, September 28th, following Church Services. As Mr. Koutsogiorgas is graciously underwriting the cost of this event, all proceeds from dinner sales will go directly to the Church. We are pleased to announce that this event is SOLD OUT!!!.
Sunday Church School 90 Acts of Kindness Challenge:
Our 90 Acts of Kindness Challenge continues to progress! Thank you to all our fellow parishioners for the continued support of our Sunday Church School and its events. Together we are making a positive difference one kind act at a time!
Act of Kindness #1 – We Teamed up with our amazing Ladies Philoptochos in collecting new, winter pajamas and socks *Completed
Act of Kindness #2 – ALS Bucket Challenge with our Parish Council, took place on September 14th in support of this worthy cause! *Completed
Act of Kindness #3 – Throughout the year we will be collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House *Ongoing
Act of Kindness #4 – Baked and packaged bake goods for Sarah’s Inn *Completed
Act of Kindness #5 – SCS will be participating in the IOCC 5K walk
Act of Kindness #6 – Today’s collections from our SCS tray will be donated to Evan Kollias to help offset his mounting medical expenses. Evan is a parishioner at St. Demetrios, Elmhurst who this past February was diagnosed with Mixed Cellularity Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This past July he completed his treatments and by the grace of God preliminary tests look clear. We pray for his full recovery.
Act of Kindness #7 – Today and Sunday Oct. 5th Students will be writing letters to WWII Veterans that will be on Honor Flight Mission #4 departing on Oct. 25th
Act of Kindness #8 – Oct. 5th, Oct. 12th and Oct. 19th we will be making no sew fleece blankets for the patients at the Ronald McDonald House. We will be assembling the blankets each of the 3 Sundays with a delivery date TBD. Each blanket requires 1-1/2 yards of fleece print fabric and 1-1/2 yards of solid fleece fabric.
Many more Acts of Kindness to come, our goal is 90 by our Anniversary Dinner on October 18, 2015! You can watch our progress as we fill in a “thermometer” that is displayed in St. Catherine’s Meeting room.
Panagia’s Monthly Book Club:
Our Monthly Book Club has commenced for this fall. The next gathering will be Thursday, October 9th at the Pan Arcadian House, 880 North York Road, Elmhurst, IL. The discussion will center on the Life of St. Constantine. The Monthly Book Club will meet the 2nd Thursday of each month. If you would like to join the group or want further information, please contact Father Athanasios.
Orthodox Adult Bible Study to Begin Monday, October 20th:
With the advent of the Ecclesiastical New Year, in addition to the other programs and activities, our Adult Bible Study will again commence with its first gathering on Monday evening, October 20th, at 7:00 pm, in Saint Catherine’s Meeting Room. We will move into study of another Epistle written by Saint Paul the Apostle, the Epistle to the Ephesians. This class is open to all, and it is hoped that you will avail yourself to the opportunity to study the Bible in-depth. All you need to bring along with you is your Bible. For further information and/or questions, please see Father Timothy.
Assumption Choir:
Our Assumption Choir is back from summer recess. Mrs. Marika Panton, our Choir Director, has again put out the call to any and all interested people who might like to become a part of the Church Choir. They are always looking for energetic voices to compliment the fine voices who are already a part of our Assumption Choir. If you are interested, you may contact Marika at 708.366.7435.
Establishment of Assumption Prayer Ministry:
The Assumption Adult Bible Study Group has developed an idea that may be of interest to parishioners and friends of our Panagia Parish. They are interested in being able to form a ministry comprised of individuals who would like to pray for the health of those individuals who may be ill or experiencing health issues. Our Orthodox Faith teaches us that the ‘power of prayer’ literally works miracles, and Jesus instructs us in the Bible that we should “always pray for one another in the fellowship of love and through the Holy Spirit”. As a Panagia Parish, we are united as brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are encouraged to pray for one another as any family would do. So, how do we plan to do it? It’s simple, easy, and spiritually uplifting and rewarding. Here is what we can all do:
Just think about that….our prayers collectively praying for a person who needs the loving and tender Hand of God during his/her special time of need. It’s that simple. Just provide us with your email address, and you can join this ministry team who will pray for the person who needs help the most. It costs nothing, takes only a few seconds to do, but will make us all part of a spiritual family that looks and cares for one another.
College Students -- Check Out OCF (Orthodox Christian Fellowship):
To our young people who are going away to college for the first time, or to those returning to school to continue their studies, Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) is the organization which keeps you connected to your Church and your Orthodox Faith. OCF has 300 chapters in colleges and universities throughout North America. So be sure to check out their web site to locate and find out about your chapter -- WWW.OCF.NET. We also encourage our college young people to share their e-mail addresses with our Church so that we may keep them informed of their “Spiritual Home” while they are away. And always remember, your Assumption Church’s weekly Divine Liturgy Services are just a click away on your computer each Sunday as we now broadcast live each Sunday. Just access it by going to our website at: www.assumptionchicago.org
Bookstore:
Do you need gifts for your family or relatives? Then please visit the Bookstore in Plato Hall after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. There you will find unique gifts for everyone, such as books for children and adults, icons of your or your children’s patron saints, crosses, key chains and other beautiful items, which will make much appreciated gifts this year. Please stop in and browse, you’ll be glad you did.
Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:
Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2014? You might want to celebrate a family event, a memorial, or just want to share time with the Church family. The following dates for 2014 are available:
December 21
December 28
Please call the Church Office (773.626.3114) to book a date and for more information.
Prosfora Bakers Needed:
One of the blessings of Stewardship that we are given is the ability to serve our Church in a number of ways. Our Church is in need of individuals who can offer the weekly Prosforo (Bread) for the Divine Liturgy. Should you be able to offer your service, please inform the Church office or see either Fr. Timothy or Mrs. Demetra Spyropoulos. With the help of each steward/member, we come together as a Church family to better offer our thanks to our Lord.
Cemetery Graves:
Periodically, we place a reminder in our Weekly Bulletin about the availability of cemetery plots (graves) for purchase from our Church in the Panagia sections at Elmwood Cemetery. For further information, please call the Church office and speak with Gail (773.626.3114).
Proper Church Etiquette:
Worship Services are vital instruments and components to our prayer development. In order to help us achieve this, we need to be cognizant of our fellow parishioners and all those around us. Therefore, please make sure that cell phones are completely turned off during Services. In addition, while we most welcome children to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, it remains the responsibility of parents to make sure that children do not become a distraction to those around them. Therefore, if a child is crying, or in some way in need of attention, please feel free to take him/her to the Narthex or Cry Room. You are most welcome to enter and exit the Church proper as many times as necessary. By doing this, all who are in attendance will be afforded the opportunity to worship and pray together. (Please keep in mind that we are also privileged to have a complete Sunday School Liturgy celebrated in Saint Catherine’s Chapel each week for your use as well). We ask for your cooperation. Ushers will be available to help you, if needed.
Holy Communion Announcement:
While we pray and work for the reconciliation and unity of all the world’s Christians, the reality remains that there is still no intercommunion between our Orthodox Churches and the Churches of the West. This means that only baptized, chrismated, and observant Orthodox faithful are allowed to receive Holy Communion in our churches. At the same time, we warmly welcome all non-Orthodox to join us in prayer and celebration, and humbly offer to all present the Antidoro bread of fellowship at the end of the worship service. We offer this important symbol ‘instead of the Gifts’, in the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘Till we all come to the unity of the Faith’ (Eph. 4.13).
We Need Your E-mail Address:
Are you receiving the weekly bulletin online in your e-mail mailbox each week? How about our Assumption Church’s Newsletter and the Saint Catherine’s Newsletter? If not, please give the Church Office your e-mail address so that you can stay informed about the schedule of religious services, events, and news of our Community.
Website News: www.assumptionchicago.org
We are excited to announce that many additions/changes have been made to our Church’s Website. In addition to upcoming events in our Parish and throughout our Metropolis of Chicago, we are constantly updating information as well regarding our faith. You can find articles and resources for the Orthodox Church on our web site. They include the history of Orthodoxy, special Services and Blessings, Spirituality, Teachings of the Orthodox Church, how to become a member of the Orthodox Church, the meaning and celebration of The Holy Eucharist, the form and characteristics of Orthodox worship, the Sacrament of Confession, Holy Week Meditation and Study Guide, Fasting, and many others. We have up loaded the current editions of the Assumption Newsletter and the St. Catherine Newsletter, and are available for reading online. Through the help of Mr. Chris Panos, we have also uploaded all previous newsletters dating back to 2008. They are now available online. Just log on to our website www.assumptionchicago.org, and see the many changes we have made.
Our Sunday Church Services are broadcast live on the Internet each week:
A reminder to all, in April of last year, our Parish of Panagia began broadcasting live to the internet each Sunday. This is of particular benefit to our shut-ins, elderly, college students, and vacationers who are away from home, yet need to receive the benefit and blessing of the weekly Divine Liturgy experience. All you need to do is log on to our website www.assumptionchicago.org, and click the link to begin watching the Worship Service live. We have also archived our Services allowing anyone to click and watch the Service/sermon at their leisure. We encourage you to give it a try.
Ushers:
Chris Limperis, Jack Woods, Mary Ellen Woods, John Vassiliades and Dean Sarantos