Memorials
40 Days ~ Andreas (Andrew) Collis
40 Days ~ Paraskevi (Vivian) Pappas
3 Years ~ Antigoni Koulouris
Coffee Fellowship
Coffee Fellowship is being hosted by the Assumption Community.
Dates to Remember
Saturday, September 8
Nativity of Theotokos
8:30 p.m. – Orthros
9:30 p.m. – Divine Liturgy
Sunday, September 9
Sunday Church School Begins
Saturday, September 15
5:30 p.m. Youth Kickoff
Sky Zone in Elmhurst
Stewardship
Have you pledged for the calendar year 2018 yet? If not, we kindly ask that you please prayerfully consider your pledge commitment for 2018, complete the pledge card that can be found at the Pangari in the Narthex, and return it to the Church Office. We are forever grateful to the many loving stewards, supporters, and friends of this Parish who stand tall in their commitment to our Lord, the Blessed Panagia and this ministry. If you need further information on becoming a steward, please see Dr. Voula Spyropoulos, Mary Zouras, or a member of the Parish Council.
Philoptochos
The next General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 20th at 11:00 am, in St. Catherine’s Meeting Room. We look forward to seeing you then. Meanwhile we hope you are enjoying the last beautiful days of summer!
20K Challenge
Want to support our Church Ministries? Grab an envelope and support our 20K challenge!
Here's how it works. All throughout the summer, envelopes will be posted on the large bulletin board in Plato Hall. Simply grab an envelope off of the board and give that amount. Write your name and address on the card provided in the envelope add your donation to the envelope and deposit it in the clear box next to the board.
So if you grab envelope #43, give $43. Envelope #156, give $156. Envelope #1, that's 1 more dollar towards our goal. If all envelopes are filled, we will raise over $20,000 for Assumption Church Ministries! You can also connect to https://form.jotform.com/81452636384158 and make donations.
FAQ
Q: Can I grab more than one envelope?
A: YES! So if you grab envelope #100 and envelope #50,
you would give $150 towards our goal.
Q: What if all of the amounts in my price range are taken? Can I still give?
A: YES! We will take any donations that you are willing and able to give. Later in the
fundraiser we will have envelopes labeled "Other Amount". Simply grab one of those
and write the amount you want to give on it.
Each of us together make a difference. Thank you for your support!
Charitable supply drive for New Moms
Join our Youth Ministries in supporting a local initiative called New Moms, an Austin organization helping create stability and transforming the lives for young moms and their children. Supplies needed include baby formula (preferably Enfamil), cleaning products (dishwashing liquid, hand soap, sponges, etc.), and food (canned goods, peanut butter, apple sauce, oatmeal, mac & cheese, spaghetti, etc.). All donations must be new, unexpired, and unopened. Please bring supplies to Plato Hall every Sunday after the Divine Liturgy until October 7th. Children will pack the supplies at the October 13th Youth Night.
Altar Boy Workshop
We will be holding a workshop for all current and new altar boys (minimum 8-years-old) on Saturday, September 29th from 10am-2pm. Participants will be assigned their robes for the upcoming year, review the purpose and correct attitude of the altar boys, practice the mechanics of the divine services, and help prepare the church for future services. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.
Adult Education Program
Fr. Dimitri will be conducting monthly religious education lectures for adults on the following dates after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy in St. Catherine's Chapel. This year's theme is "Send down your Holy Spirit: The Sacraments of the Orthodox Church". The dates for the lectures are tentatively:
September 23rd - October 14th - November 18th - December 9th - January 13th - February 17th - March 10th - April 7th - May 5th
Assumption Family Retreat
Save the date for our parish family retreat at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center on Saturday, November 17th. Join us for worship, fellowship, and learning about our faith away from the hectic rhythm of day-to-day living. More details to follow!
Youth Night Kickoff Event
Join us at Skyzone in Elmhurst (325 W Lake Street) from 5:30-8pm as we jump into (pun intended) a great year of youth ministries! Price is $15 per person, which also includes your jumping socks from the venue. This event is for all children of our parish (Pre-K through High School) and their families. If you wish to fill out the mandatory waiver form (which every participant must have signed by a parent) before the event, please visit this website: https://elmhurststore.skyzone.com/waiver/. Parents filling out a form for their children will use the "For Myself and Children" tab, while those over 18 will use the "For Myself" tab. If you do not fill out the online form, you will have to fill out the form when you arrive for the event. For all other questions or to RSVP, please email Fr. Dimitri at frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org.
Young Adult League
The Assumption Church is revitalizing their Young Adult ministries. In order to do so, we are asking young adults (ages 18-27 who are out of high school) and families with young adults to contact the church to provide contact information. All we need is a name, phone number, and email address to create a young adult database for our parish. Please email contact info to frdimitrios@assumptionchicago.org. Our hope is to periodically organize social events for the young adults and support the Metropolis of Chicago YAL events and programs.
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 website 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 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.
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 2018 Year:
September 16, 23, 30
October 7, 14, 21, 28
November 11, 18
December 9, 16, 23, 30
We are in the Loop!
Through a generous donation by Mr. and Mrs. Chris Maniates in memory of Mrs. Helen Maniates, we are delighted to announce that we are now part of a growing number of places with a hearing loop. If you need assistance, please see one of the Parish Council Ushers for assistance.
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 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, 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 with the many others who are offering a prayer for the person who is ill, will bring comfort beyond comprehension.
Just think about that….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 Fr. Dimitrios. 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? 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, which 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.
*A hearing aid has been found. If you believe it to be yours, please call office 773.626.3114
Ushers: Ted Pappas, Christina Arvanites, Tom Collis, James Lakerdas