PARISH LEADERSHIP
REV. FR. JON MAGOULIAS
PARISH PRIEST
JEFF BROWN
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT
DIVINE SERVICES
Wednesday, March 4th
9th Hour 6:30 p.m.
Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 6th
1st Salutation to the Theotokos 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 7th
Great Vespers 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 8th
Second Sunday of Great Lent
St. Gregory Palamas - Archbishop of Thessalonica
Epistle Heb. 1:10-14; 2:1-3
Gospel Mark 2:1-12
Divine Services 9:00 a.m.
Lenten Vespers 7:00 p.m.
Monday, March 9th
Great Compline 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11th
9th Hour 6:30 p.m.
Presanctified Liturgy 7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 13th
2nd Salutation to the Theotokos 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 14th
Great Vespers 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 15th
Third Sunday of Great Lent
Veneration of the Holy Cross
Epistle Heb. 4:14-16; 5:1-6
Gospel Mark 8:34-38; 9:1
Sunday Divine Services 9:00 a.m.
Lenten Vespers 7:00 p.m.
Divine Services at our Church of the Annunciation may now be viewed live on the Internet! In addition, Divine Services may also be viewed using an iPhone or iPad. Visit our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org and go to the "Live" link to follow directions. Please be sure to connect to the proper device.
The purpose for this ministry is to provide shut-ins that have internet capability, college students that may not be able to get to an Orthodox Church, or people interested in our precious Christian Orthodox Faith, the opportunity to view our church services. This is not a substitute for attending Church!
WELCOME
It is always a blessing to welcome visitors to our Parish this Sunday and we pray that our Lord may bless then through the intercessions of the All-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. We invite everyone to join us for church services regularly and to pray with our Christian family.
Immediately following the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, we invite everyone to join us in the Very Rev. Emmanuel Papageorge Cultural Center for Christian Fellowship. This Sunday, the Philoptochos will be hosting the "Kids with Cancer" luncheon. A Free-Will offering will be requested to benefit young people afflicted with cancer...Please support this worthwhile ministry!
HOLY CONFESSION
During the season of Great Lent we are all called to participate in the Holy Sacrament of Confession. Please contact Fr. Jon or your spiritual father so that you may schedule a time for your confession to Christ our Lord.
FLOWER DONATIONS DURING GREAT LENT - HOLY WEEK - PASCHA
During the holy season of Great Lent our Church is prepared in such a way as to let the faithful know that something special and unique is taking place. One of the most beautiful ways in which our Church announces this sacred time of the year is by the use of flowers. For this reason, the church is once again accepting contributions in order to beautify our church during Great Lent. If you would like to participate by making a contribution, please contact Anna Petrulakis or the church office.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
In an effort to continue improving our Parish Ministry, we continue tou upgrade and improve our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org
The new format is much more pleasing to the eye and user friendly. In addition to this new look, there are many features that have been improved and updated.
The use of today's technology to improve our ability to serve you, the faithful stewards of the Annunciation Church, is of paramount importance. Whether it is through our website or the broadcasting of Divine Services, it is the responsibility of good stewardship that we strengthen our ability to communicate Christ's message of love, peace and salvation to all.
A new feature on the website now enables donations and Stewardship offerings to be made online. After researching a number of programs to provide a means by which online contributions may be made we have chosen to use "Paypal" which is a well tested and secure method.
Please accept this improvement to our Parish Ministry as an offering from your Parish Council. We are grateful to the stewards and friends of our Parish that support our ministry and we pledge to continue to provide the highest quality of service to you, the people of God.
PARISH COUNCIL
Sunday, March 8 - Team 2: Stamatis Tsatsaronis, Jordan Aivaz & Jeff Brown
Sunday, March 15 - Team 3: Jaylen French, Nick Pallios & Nick Stavrianoudakis
ALTAR BOYS
ALL ALTAR BOYS ARE EXPECTED TO:
* Dress properly, wearing lightcolored shirt, tie, and dress shoes.
* The Sunday Church School Program now enables an Altar Boy to serve on Sundays when he may not be scheduled. If you wish to put in extra service on days when it is not your group day, you may do so, but following Holy Communion, you must attend Sunday Church School.
* If unable to participate at your scheduled time, please contact your team captain. Please be on time for all services.
ACOLYTE COORDINATORS:
Andoni Kocolas ~ Seri Mitri ~ Manoli Rodarakis
SENIOR ALTAR BOYS:
Andreas Alexander ~ Michael Hillas ~ Sammer Mitri ~ Stefan Word
Sunday, March 8 - Team A: Captain, Jonathan Word, Panos Constantinou, Jacob Gavrilis, Ryan Hatton, Walter Lemons & PJ Zanotto
Sunday, March 15 - Team B: Captain, John Hillas, Alex Alexander, William Davis, Michael Myrtakis, Chris Zanotto & Frankie Zanotto
CHURCH ETIQUETTE
When attending services, please be prompt! In order to partake of the Holy Eucharist please remember proper preparation is required to receive Holy Communion.
When receiving the Holy Eucharist come forward reverently, give your baptismal name, hold the red cloth under your chin and after receiving, wipe your lips.
Please remember that the "Cry Room" is intended only when an infant child may seem to be disrupting a divine service. It is wonderful to see so many families with young children and for this reason, we ask that only one parent and child be in the "Cry Room" at any given time. Once the child has settled down they shouldSunday, January 25 - Team A: Captain, Jonathan Word, Panos Constantinou, Jacob Gavrilis, Ryan Hatton, Walter Lemons & PJ Zanotto return to the pews for the service.
STEWARDSHIP 2015
Our Christian Orthodox Stewardship ministry requires us to prayerfully evaluate our obligations to Christ and His Church. We are one Family in Christ Jesus and we dedicate our 2015 Stewardship Ministry to our Parish Family. In his Epistle to the Ephesians (3:15), St. Paul wrote: “From God, every family in heaven and on earth is named…” Your support is necessary to continue the growth and development of our Parish Ministries. As we are called to be active participants in our 2015 Stewardship we ask that you consider:
1.) increasing the Time you spend in Church;
2.) giving of the Talent you offer through various ministries of our Parish and;
3.) considering increasing the financial offering from your Treasure that will enable
us to fully fund the operating costs of our Parish through YOUR stewardship
commitment!
The Stewardship Directory for 2015 lists the stewards of our Parish and provides the information for us to offer our Stewardship in love, faith and thanksgiving to God for ALL His blessings in our lives. We ask that you prayerfully study the Stewardship information to support the ministries of our Church. This year's theme the: "Stewardship of Family" is our call to be active in our Christian Orthodox Faith. It is important that each steward return the Stewardship Form so that we may be able to track the offerings in accordance with our Ministry Budget.
Christian Stewardship is the very essence of living our precious Faith that teaches each of us to return to the Lord a portion of our earnings so that the Church may continue to grow. Every person baptized and/or chrismated into the Orthodox Christian Faith may be a parishioner but a steward is something more! A steward is a baptized and/or chrismated person who understands his responsibility to God and His Church. This understanding directs him to live his life according to the teachings of our Faith and at the same time, offers Time, Talents and Treasure to the sacred work of the Church. It is important to understand that our Stewardship obligations determine a family (husband, wife, & children) or an individual as stewards of our Parish. Young adults (18 years and older) that have completed their schooling and/or find themselves in the workplace are expected to become stewards of the Parish. These individuals are not included in one’s “Family Stewardship” obligation.
Our Holy Church emphasizes the truth found in Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition that we must give cheerfully and without reluctance to the sacred work of God’s Holy Church. Your support is necessary to continue the growth and development of our Parish Ministries.
On our newly designed website Stewardship contributions (and other donations) may be made through “PayPal”. This is a secure means to make online donations and it provides a means for contributions to be made in a timely manner. In addition, it enables the steward to make regular contributions to support the sacred ministry of our Church.
Our Holy Church emphasizes the truth found in Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition that we must give cheerfully and without reluctance to the sacred work of God’s Holy Church. When offering your 2015 Stewardship Ministry to our Parish, prayerfully evaluate your budget when making your commitment in recognizing that you are a member of the Body of Christ, His Family, the Church.
If you have any questions regarding your offering please contact Fr. Jon. Christian Stewardship is the very essence of living our precious Faith that teaches each of us to return to the Lord a portion of our earnings so that the Church may continue to grow.
Each year we are blessed that a number of our stewards increase their commitment to the Church. In recent years, we have had a number of stewards increase their offering above the 10% we hoped for with some increasing their previous year offering by as much as 25%! Approximately $175.00 from every Stewardship offering is contributed for National Ministries.
We have an attainable goal of 350 Stewardship families/individuals for 2015…Please support our efforts! Please remember: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS
The ministry of the Philoptochos Society is meaningful to the life of our Church. When considering one’s offering for 2015 remember that we also contribute the membership obligation to the Archdiocese and Metropolis Philoptochos which totals $30.00 per person: $15.00 to the National Philoptochos; $15 to the Metropolis Philoptochos; and whatever is offered above that amount remains for local ministries. We strongly encourage the ladies of our Parish to join Philoptochos and to participate in this beautiful ministry.
The Philoptochos has made two Christmas ornaments that have icons from our church on them. The ornaments are still available and sell for $10.00 each and may be still be purchased during Fellowship Hour. The proceeds from the ornaments will benefit Philoptochos ministries.
The Philoptochos Officers are: Gloria Vincent, President; Dena Brown, Vice-President; Maria Skordos-Moore, Treasurer; and Ella Velthoen, Secretary. We pray that our Lord may guide the stewards of the Philoptochos Ministry with faith and love in leading us to accomplish greater service to the glory of God!
ATTENTION PARISHIONERS
We would like to obtain the e-mail addresses of ALL the families in our Parish. We have begun to communicate much more frequently via the internet. Parents and students are asked to send their email addresses so that we may have them for our Parish records. We also ask that you please submit the names, addresses and e-mails for college students attending school away from home.
It is also important to inform the Church Office when you have an address change. In this way we are able to keep our files current and avoid unnecessary charges from the Post Office.
PARISH EDUCATION MINISTRY
SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL:
Our regular Sunday Church School continues with excellent lessons that include wonderful videos pertaining to our Christian Orthodox Faith. The newly renovated classrooms enable us to use today's technology to teach our young people!
Our regular schedule has students first attend the Divine Liturgy promptly at 10:00 a.m. The young people are to sit in the front pews so that they may be able to receive the Holy Eucharist first; following the Holy Eucharist, the young people go into the Classroom Building for their lesson. Parents are encouraged to bring their children to church on time EVERY SUNDAY MORNING so that our young people may “Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
A.R.E. you ready?
A.R.E. ready to participate in the study of our precious Christian Orthodox Faith? Our Adult Religious Education ministry will be held on Thursday, March 5th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Classroom Building! Our topic is: “The Gospel according to St. John the Apostle of Love - the Evangelist and Theologian”. This forum will study Holy Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers regarding Church Etiquette. Please bring your Orthodox Study Bible and join us!
AFTERNOON GREEK SCHOOL:
We strongly urge our parents to enroll their children in our Afternoon Greek School. Along with our Sunday Church School, our Afternoon Greek School teaches our children the Orthodox Christian Faith and our Hellenistic culture. This ministry enables our young people children to develop spiritually and culturally. The total and complete person is one that not only possesses knowledge, but character. Knowledge we receive in schools, however character, is developed through Christian Orthodox education. Classes have begun and will continue every Tuesday at the following times: Ages 3-6 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., All school aged children from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Adult classes begin at 6:15 p.m. You may register for Greek School in our Church Office Monday - Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE
It is the practice of our Faith that as we enter the House of God, an offering is made and we say a prayer as we light candles to symbolize that Christ is the Light of the world. Please remember that if a check is being written for this purpose or for a donation, in accordance with the non-profit status of our Parish, any check made out to the Annunciation Church must be for the exact amount. Thank you!
CHURCH MUSIC MINISTRY
The ministry of our choir members is to represent YOU and to serve as volunteers by using the gift of music to sing praises to our Lord is a true act of Christian Orthodox Stewardship.
Parishioners, who may be interested in of our Church, and especially our young people, are invited to join the choir. St. Augustine wrote: "What better thing can the people do than sing. I know of no better thing than this!" Please contact Markella Tsatsaronis or the Church Office, to find out more about our Church Choir.
YOUTH NEWS
The success of this ministry rests with the parents as we strive to teach our young people to live our Faith through fellowship and service. We urge the parents of our young people to support this ministry with enthusiasm and love.
The elected officers are to serve our Youth Ministry are:
H.O.P.E.
Anna Conley, President
Nicholas Affholter, Vice-President
J.O.Y.
Jacob Gavrilis, President
Kristina Gavrilis, Vice-President
Alexia Mason, Treasurer
Ryan Hatton, Secretary
Athena Mason, Corresponding Secretary
G.O.Y.A.
Alicia Gavrilis, President
Panos Constantinou, Vice-President
Jonathan Word, Treasurer
Eleni Davis, Secretary
Elizabeth Davis, Corresponding Secretary
Our Youth Ministry is comprised of young people in:
H.O.P.E. - Grade 3-5;
J.O.Y. - Grades 6-8;
G.O.Y.A. - High School;
Y.A.L. - College - 35 yrs. old
We ask that you please submit the names of our young people graduating this year from Jr.High/Middle School; High School; College/University; or from post graduate studies.
GOYA will have a Fireside Chat at 7:00 p.m. and following Great Compline on Monday, March 9.
PARISH BOOKSTORE
It has been said: "The more you read.the more you know!" We have a great selection of books, icons, music and other items that every Orthodox Christian can use! Our bookstore is brimming with new arrivals that also make excellent gifts for every occasion.
We have received a new selection of books for all ages. A wonderful new book is entitled “Wounded by Love” which is about the spiritual teachings of the recently canonized saint, St. Porphyrios.
ANNUNCIATION GREEK DANCE GROUP NEWS
Our Annunciation Dancers would like to thank our Parish Family for their love and support throughout the year.
We are also grateful to the Dance Parents Support Group and ALL the directors that worked so diligently this past year. We will take a break from Greek folk dance practices as Great Lent approaches but look forward to a new year following Pascha!
The Dance Parent Support Group officers elected to serve for 2014-2015 are:
Aliki Alexander - President
Janelle Hatton - Vice-President
Anna Affholter - Treasurer
Kelly Lemons - Secretary
PARISH PROJECTS
The ongoing responsibility to maintain the beauty and safety of our church complex is of utmost importance. We have accomplished many projects and express our appreciation to the Stewards and Friends of our Parish that have been so generous to our ministry.
In the last three years we have completed:
1. The replacement of the doors throughout our facility which was approximately $25,000.00.
2. The installation of new lighting around the complex perimeter that was completed at a cost of $3500.00.
3. The new lighting in front of the church (replacing the old MID poles) has finished. The cost of this project was $23,000.00.
4. Sealing and repairing the parking lot - cost $17,000.00
5. The addition of new curbing on back parking lot planters - cost $4,000.00.
6. New lighting in the Classroom Building - cost $10,000.00...DONATED!
7. New Heating/Air Conditioning for the back of the Church Hall - cost $12,000.00;
8. Upgrading of the main electrical panel of our Church complex - cost $3,000.00.
9. Painting of the outdoor pavilion. (Donated.)
10. Landscaping in the upgraded planters behind our complex.
11. Trimming of the cypress trees. (Donated.)
12. Upgrade to the Internet Broadcast equipment.
13. Painting of the Vestry and Sacristy. (Donated.)
14. Sound System for the Pavilion. (Donated).
15. 2 Flagpoles (Donated)
16. New handicap ramp on side of the church (Donated).
17. Remodeling of the Classroom Building (Donated).
We, again, are grateful to the parishioners that have already made contributions towards these projects.
Recently, we have received donations for new items that will be used during Divine Services. They are:
1. New Acolyte Robes (Donated and being made);
2. A new Resurrection Candleholder (Donated);
3. 2 new sets of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated);
4. A set of new Bishop Candlesticks (Donated);
5. A new Gospel in Greek and English (Donated and being made);
If you would like to contribute toward ecclesiastical items needed, please contact Fr. Jon or a member of the Parish Council.
PARISH HERITAGE
We encourage you to visit our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org. It is frequently updated and contains the Monthly and Weekly Bulletins, along with photographs and other information about our Parish.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
We are very blessed to have a wonderful church complex. This has only been accomplished by the generosity of the stewards of our Parish that understand the importance of gathering for Christian Orthodox Fellowship. We are grateful to everyone that has contributed over the years and we commit ourselves to be responsible to maintain our facilities to the best of our abilities.
For this to happen, we need YOUR support too! This is why we must remind parishioners that church property is not to be removed from our complex. Please do not remove plates, pans or other utensils from our facilities for any reason unless approved by the Parish Priest and Parish Council. If you have any items from the Cultural Center please return them this week. In addition, we would like to remind parishioners that we rely on volunteers to serve the meals at our luncheons. During meals that are served in our Church Hall please do not enter the kitchen unless you are volunteerin g to help! We thank you for your understanding and support!
PLEASE REMEMBER
The demands on each individual and family are great. In an effort to understand this we would like to remind our parishioners that before anyone plans on selling items in our church complex or during Parish activities, they must have the approval of the Parish Priest. We also understand that organizations within our Community, as well as, organizations we may support, have a need to raise funds for their activities. We do not want times of fellowship to become a time when parishioners may be bombarded to purchase items.
We would also like to remind everyone that the placement of flyers on our cars is prohibited! Flyers that you wish to have distributed may be brought by the Church Office for approval and then included in either our Monthly and/or Weekly bulletins.
IN TIMES OF ILLNESS
"Come, O blessed of my father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;.for I was sick and you visited me." (Matt. 25:31-46). When a member of our Parish is ill and has been hospitalized or may be recuperating at home, the immediate family of the ill person should contact the Church Office, 522-7694. It is beneficial to both the body and the soul when our priest prays for us when we are healthy or ill. The local hospitals will not notify us when an Orthodox Christian has been admitted to the hospital, so it is imperative that the immediate family accept this responsibility.
CHURCH BEHAVIOR
Divine Services on Sunday morning begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. There is no set time as to when the Divine Liturgy actually begins since the hymns of the Matins vary from week to week. According to actual Church Service procedures, each and every member of the congregation is required to be seated in the pews by the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. It is only through leniency that anyone is allowed to enter the Church once the Service has begun. Thus it behooves us not to take undue advantage of this leniency. Also, unnecessary noise is extremely distracting during worship, especially when it comes from the adults talking; in addition, our nursery is equipped with all the conveniences for young children and a parent to participate in the Liturgy. Please remember to prepare yourself properly to attend the Divine Liturgy; dress accordingly; do not chew gum; turn off your cell phone; and please do not create a disturbance. Please remember that the Parish Council members are re quired to see to the order during Church Services and everyone should follow their directions at all times.
"The Lord has given us many counsels and commandments to help us toward salvation. He has even given us a pattern of prayer, instructing us on how we are to pray. He has given us life, and with His accustomed generosity, He has also taught us how to pray. He has made it easy for us to be heard, as we pray to the Father in words taught us by the Son.Let us pray as God our Master has taught us. To ask the Father in words His Son has given us, to let Him hear the words of Christ ringing in our ears, is to make our prayer one of friendship, a family prayer." St. Cyprian, martyred Bishop of Carthage (+258)
OBLATION OFFERING
The Divine Liturgy begins with the offering of the faithful people of God. The gifts we bring forth are an expression of our faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Holy Communion makes us one with the Holy Trinity and is given for "remission of sins and life everlasting". The people are invited to bring forth their offering, i.e. "Prosforon", for the Divine Liturgy to be celebrated. We use 4 prosfora on a regular Sunday and they may be given through our Philoptochos for a donation. The Eucharist Bread may be offered in memory of a loved one or for someone's health and well-being. Anyone wishing to donate the Eucharist Bread ("Prosphoron") on a particular Sunday may contact Anna Petrulakis, 522-0298.
In addition to contributing the Eucharist Bread it is customary to bring a bottle of olive oil for the vigil lights and a bottle of wine for Holy Communion. The ONLY wine being used for Holy Communion is Coumantaria and will now be available for purchase from the Church Office.
++++++++++++++++++++
The Philoptochos Society
Kindly invites you to their
Annual
“Kids with Cancer”
Benefit Luncheon
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Following the Divine Liturgy @ 12:00
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
Very Rev. Emmanuel Papageorge
Cultural Center
313 Tokay Avenue
Modesto, Ca 95350
Free-Will Offering
“Give Your Heart to a Child”
++++++++++++++++++++
ANNUNCIATION
PARISH FEASTDAY
CELEBRATIONS
It is an honor and privilege that our Parish Council, in conjunction with our Afternoon Greek School, invite you to the annual celebration of the
Annunciation of the Theotokos
and to the
Celebration of Greek Independence Day
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Following the Divine Liturgy
in the
Very Reverend Emmanuel Papageorge
Cultural Center
Immediately following the Divine Liturgy
The Independence Day program will include
songs and poems along with
the traditional meal of the holy season:
FISH PLAKI
ADULTS: $10.00
STUDENTS (IN HIGH SCHOOL): FREE
JOIN US IN OUR CELEBRATION!
++++++++++++++++++++
Fr. Jon
and the
Parish Council
of the
Greek Orthodox Church
of the
Annunciation
Modesto, California
Prayerfully invite you
for our
Parish Feastday
Celebrating the
ANNUNCIATION
OF THE
VIRGIN MARY
Divine Services:
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Great Vespers - 7 pm
Lenten Potluck Supper After Church
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Divine Services – 9:00 am