PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS

“Inclusion Awareness” THANK YOU!

We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts who were able to give of their time and assist with last Sunday's "Inclusion Awareness Sunday". It was wonderful to see all our ministries and organizations within our parish helping together!  Love was all around!

Thank you for embracing the vision of this new ministry to our parish!

 Dr. Voula Spyropoulos                      Mary Zouras
        Co-Chairperson                           Co-Chairperson

Memorias:

 40 Days ~ Litsi (Evangelia) Morzel, Right Row 1
1 Year ~ Maria Papagiannopoulos, Right Rows 2 - 3
8 Years ~ Demitrios Pappas, Left Rows 1 - 2
10 Years ~ Peter Papagiannopoulos, Right 2 - 3
10 Years ~ Nick Mestousis, Right Rows 4 - 5
20 Years ~ Evangelia Pappas, Left Rows 1 - 2

Coffee Fellowship:

Today’s coffee fellowship is hosted by the Assumption Choir together with St. Catherine’s Choir.  All are invited to stay and enjoy fellowship.

Ministry, Ministry, Ministry!

Every Christian who has accepted salvation has also accepted the responsibility of working in the ministry of the Church.  The clergy have been called apart and given the grace and blessing to perform the specific sacramental functions of the church, but all Christians, clergy and laity alike, have been called to serve in our Lord’s ministry.  If this is not what the Church is doing, then we have entered into serious error.  Everything that we do as a Church should be in direct support of Christ’s ministry of salvation.  If we build buildings, they should be to support ministry.  Any event sponsored by the Church should be ministry or in support of ministry.  The Church’s budget should be driven by its ministry, not the ministry to be limited by its budget.

Stewardship 2018:

We are forever grateful to our many stewards who faithfully contribute their stewardship gift to our Panagia Church without fail.  It is with the support of each member, supporter, and friend to Panagia and Her Church that allows this Parish to continue to offer its ministry to the faithful who enter its doors.

Stewardship is our way to give to back to God a portion of the ‘never-ending blessings’ that He unceasingly give to us each and every day.  That is a gift that can only be measured by us, and God expects us to make that determination honestly and with an open and loving heart.  Our Parish of Panagia is grateful to the vast majority who understand how we are expected to be ‘caretakers’ of His Earthly Church.  We call upon those individuals and families who have not, as yet, made your stewardship contribution for the year 2018, to consider doing that today.  Stewardship cards and information is located on the Pangari in the Narthex.  Please consider making your gift.  Thank you.

Christmas Offering Appeal and Parish Christmas Card Signup:

The Annual Appeal for Christmas where our faithful and supporters are able to make their prayerful gift to our Panagia Parish and our Lord’s Ministries will be mailed this week to all stewards and friends of this Parish.  We ask that you please consider and remember your Spiritual Home with your gift of love.

In addition, the annual invitation to include your name and be part of our Parish Family Christmas Card will also be mailed to all steward’s homes this week as well.  For your convenience, a form can also be found in this week’s bulletin.  If you would like to have your name added to the Christmas Card, please complete the form and return it together with your check in the amount of $25.00 made payable to Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.  Deadline for inclusion in the Parish Family Christmas Card is Monday, December 15th, 2017.

ASSUMPTION CHRISTMAS ‘SHARE THE GIFT OF LIFE’ FUNDRAISER:

For the first time in our Church’s History we will decorate and Light the Tree to celebrate Christmas.  We will transform the 60-foot Spruce Tree in front of the Church into a joyful tree of light.

December 9th will be a special night for the Panagia community.

Join us for “Decorate the Hall” festivities and light the tree to celebrate Christmas.  The tree lighting symbolizes an outpouring of love for our community and the surrounding Austin Community, along with the Good we can do Where we Give.

A flyer is included in the bulletin with more information.

Assumption Basketball Season:

Once again, it's basketball season! If you have questions about this program contact Tom Demos at thomasdemos@gmail.com.

Below is the basketball schedule for our grade school team.

Game Times are at 4:30 pm

Sun 12/9 v Sts. Constantine & Helen (Westchester Park District)
Sun 12/10 v St Nectarios (Westchester Park District)
Sun 12/17 v St Andrews (Westchester Park District)
Sun 1/7 v. St Demetrios Elmhurst
Sat 1/13 at Holy Trinity
Sun 1/14 v St Johns (Westchester Park District)
Sat 1/20 at St Demetrios - Chicago
Sat 1/21 v. Holy Apostles (Westchester Park District)

Philoptochos:

Please make your reservations for the annual Christmas Party and Sing-a-Long on Saturday, December 2nd, at the Greek Islands Restaurant, Lombard with festivities beginning at 11:30 a.m.  Details found in the flyer printed in the bulletin.  This year, we have a surprise . . . a talented young musician to accompany and lead us in song along with Father Timothy and Father Dimitrios!

Volunteers are also needed for Feed the Hungry at Annunciation Cathedral, Tuesday, December 12th.  We meet at Annunciation at 9:30 a.m.  For a truly heartwarming experience, please join us!  If interested, contact any Board member.

Last but not least, on Saturday, December 16th, 9:30 a.m., we will be baking for the Christmas Bake Sale on Sunday, December 17th in Plato Hall following the Divine Liturgy.  If you would like to donate home baked goods, please bring them on Saturday, December 16th.  Join us for a lively day of baking, packaging, wrapping and comradery.

  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

Also, our parish is starting a database of all college students in the community. If you have a college student in your family or if you are a college student, please send your name, school, area of study, address, and email address to Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org..

This fall, our parish will be introducing a Byzantine Music class for all those interested in learning the art of Orthodox music. Classes will be led by Fr. Dimitri and are for students in middle school through college. If interested in registering or if you have any questions, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.

Byzantine Music Class:

This fall, our parish will be introducing a Byzantine Music class for all those interested in learning the art of Orthodox music. Classes will be led by Fr. Dimitri and are for students in middle school through college. If interested in registering or if you have any questions, please contact Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.

Dates to Remember:

Saturday, December 2nd
11:30 am – Philoptochos Christmas Party
For more information, please see flyer in
the Bulletin

 Sunday, December 3rd
Stewardship Sunday and
Fall General Assembly

Adult Education Program
following the Divine Liturgy in
St. Catherine’s Chapel

 Monday, December 4th
Feast Day of St. Barbara
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study will be
held in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room

Wednesday, December 6th
Feast Day of St. Nicholas
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

Saturday, December 9th
Conception of the Theotokos
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

10:30 am – Philoptochos will be Baking &
Packaging for their Bake Sale
In Plato Hall

 4:30 pm – Decorate the Hall & The
Tree Lighting

 Sunday, December 10th
Philoptochos Bake Sale
Following the Divine Liturgy in
Plato Hall

 Tuesday, December 12th
Feast of St. Spyridon
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

10:00 am – Philoptochos will be at "Feed the Hungry" at
Annunciation Cathedral

Friday, December 15th
7:00 pm - Youth Night at the Oak Brook
Park District

 Saturday, December 16th
9:00 am – Philoptochos will be Baking &
Packaging for their Bake Sale
In Plato Hall

 Sunday, December 17th
Annual Christmas Pageant
in Main Church
following the Divine Liturgy

 Monday, December 18th
7:00 pm – Adult Bible Study will be
held in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room

 Sunday, December 24th
Christmas Eve
5:00 pm – Great Vespers

 Monday, December 25th
Christmas Day
8:30 am – Orthros
10:00 am – Divine Liturgy

Tuesday, December 26th
Synaxis of the Theotokos
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

 Wednesday, December 27th
Feast Day of St. Stephen
8:30 am – Orthros
9:30 am – Divine Liturgy

    Coffee Fellowship Hosts Needed:

Have you considered selecting a day to host the Weekly Fellowship Hour following Worship Services on a specific Sunday in 2018?  You might want to celebrate a family event, a memorial, or just want to share time with the Church family.  Please call the Church Office (773.626.3114) to book a date and for more information.  Available dates for the 2017 Year:

Jan. 7                      Feb. 4                     March 4                  April 15

Jan. 14                    Feb. 11                   March 11                April 22

Jan. 21                    Feb. 18                   March 18                April 29

Jan. 28                    Feb. 25                   March 25       

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:

• If you are interested in participating, you need only submit your name and email address to the Church Office or Fr. Timothy.
• When a name is submitted to be prayed for, you will be contacted by email, given the first name of the person to be prayed for, along with the prayer to be read by you, offering the prayer for the intercession of God upon that individual, and asking that the afflicted be healed by God’s abundant blessing.
• Your prayer, together along with the many others who are offering a prayer for the person who is ill, will bring comfort beyond comprehension.

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.

 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.

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.

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).

 Website News:

In addition our Parish’s website, we encourage you to keep abreast on the latest news and happenings about Orthodoxy from our Metropolis of Chicago and our Holy Archdiocese.

Please use the links below to access any of the three sites:

Assumption Church:               www.assumptionchicago.org
Metropolis of Chicago:           www.metropolisofchicago.org
Archdiocese of America         www.goarch.org

All three websites will provide you with articles and resources for the Orthodox Church.  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, the Orthodox Calendar, and much more.  Specifically, on our Parish’s website, we have uploaded past and current editions of the Assumption Newsletter and the St. Catherine Newsletter, and are available for reading online.

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.

Our Sunday Church Services are broadcast live on the Internet each week:

A reminder to all, 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.

NOTE:  Please note that this morning’s Divine Liturgy, as well as prior Divine Liturgies, are available for rebroadcast.  Simply log on to our Parish’s website (www.assumptionchicago.org), and click on the “Watch Worship Services Online” link.

Ushers:

Chris Limperis, Vincent Nicholas, Rose Marie Stewart, Bill J. Vranas, Mary Zouras