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Annunciation Church
Publish Date: 2017-08-06
Bulletin Contents
Transfiguration
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Annunciation Church

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (209) 522-7694
  • Fax:
  • (209) 522-3926
  • Street Address:

  • 313 Tokay Avenue

  • Modesto, CA 95350
  • Mailing Address:

  • P.O. Box 578128

  • Modesto, CA 95357


Contact Information




Services Schedule

DIVINE SERVICE SCHEDULE

 

Sunday    

Divine Services    9:00 am

Saturday

Great Vespers     5:00 pm

Weekday

Special Feastday 8:30 am 


Past Bulletins


Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion for Holy Transfiguration in the Grave Mode

You were transfigured upon the mountain, O Christ our God, showing Your glory to Your disciples as far as they were able to bear it. At the intercessions of the Theotokos, make Your everlasting light shine forth also upon us sinners. O Giver of light, glory to You.
Μετεμορθώθης εν τώ όρει Χριστέ ο Θεός, δείξας τοίς Μαθηταίς σου τήν δόξαν σου, καθώς ήδυναντο, Λάμψον καί ημίν τοίς αμαρτωλοίς, τό φώς σου τό αϊδιον, πρεσβείαις τής Θεοτόκου, φωτοδότα δόξα σοι.
Metemorfothis en toh oree, Christe o Theos, dixas tis mathites Su tin doxan Su, kathos eedynato. Lampson ke eemin tis amartolis toh fos Su, toh a-ee-dion, presvi-es tis Theotoku, Fotodota doxa Si.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Grave Mode

You were transfigured upon the mount, O Christ our God, and Your disciples, in so far as they could bear, beheld Your glory. Thus, when they see You crucified, they may understand Your voluntary passion, and proclaim to the world that You are truly the effulgence of the Father.
Επί τού όρους μετεμορφώθης, καί ως εχώρουν οι Μαθηταί σου τήν δόξαν σου, Χριστέ ο Θεός εθεάσαντο, ίνα όταν σε ίδωσι σταυρούμενον, τό μέν πάθος νοήσωσιν εκούσιον, τώ δέ κόσμω κηρύξωσιν, ότι σύ υπάρχεις αληθώς, τού Πατρός τό απαύγασμα.
Epi tu Orus metemorfothis, ke os ehorun ee Mathiteh Su tin doxan Su, Christe o Theos, etheasanto; eena otan Se eedosi stavrumenon, to men pathos no-eesosin ekusion, toh de kosmo kyrixosin, oti Si eeparhis alithos, tu Patros to apavgasma.
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Saints and Feasts

Transfiguration
August 06

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that "there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom" (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him" (Matt. 17: 5).

Such are the marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun" (Matt. 13:43). It is because of this that the Kontakion of this Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to tradition, the Lord's Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion; this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross.


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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
The Reading is from Luke 9:28-36

At that time, Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" - not knowing what he said. As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 9:28-36

᾿Εγένετο δὲ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ὡσεὶ ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ καὶ παραλαβὼν τὸν Πέτρον καὶ ᾿Ιωάννην καὶ ᾿Ιάκωβον ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύξασθαι. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι αὐτὸν τὸ εἶδος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἕτερον καὶ ὁ ἱματισμὸς αὐτοῦ λευκὸς ἐξαστράπτων. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο συνελάλουν αὐτῷ, οἵτινες ἦσαν Μωϋσῆς καὶ ᾿Ηλίας, οἳ ὀφθέντες ἐν δόξῃ ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ ἣν ἔμελλε πληροῦν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ ἦσαν βεβαρημένοι ὕπνῳ· διαγρηγορήσαντες δὲ εἶδον τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς δύο ἄνδρας τοὺς συνεστῶτας αὐτῷ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαχωρίζεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος πρὸς τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν· ἐπιστάτα, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· καὶ ποιήσωμεν σκηνὰς τρεῖς, μίαν σοὶ καὶ μίαν Μωϋσεῖ καὶ μίαν ᾿Ηλίᾳ, μὴ εἰδὼς ὃ λέγει. ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἐγένετο νεφέλη καὶ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς· ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ ἐν τῷ εἰσελθεῖν ἐκείνους εἰς τὴν νεφέλην· καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός· αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε. καὶ ἐν τῷ γενέσθαι τὴν φωνὴν εὑρέθη ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς μόνος. καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐσίγησαν καὶ οὐδενὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις οὐδὲν ὧν ἑωράκασιν.


Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Fourth Mode. Psalm 103.24,1.
O Lord, how manifold are your works. You have made all things in wisdom.
Verse: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

The reading is from St. Peter's Second Universal Letter 1:10-19.

BRETHREN, be more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to arouse you by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. And I will see to it that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure. You will do well to pay attention to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Προκείμενον. Fourth Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 103.24,1.
Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου Κύριε, πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας.
Στίχ. Εὐλόγει ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πέτρου β' 1:10-19.

Ἀδελφοί, σπουδάσατε βεβαίαν ὑμῶν τὴν κλῆσιν καὶ ἐκλογὴν ποιεῖσθαι· ταῦτα γὰρ ποιοῦντες οὐ μὴ πταίσητέ ποτε· οὕτως γὰρ πλουσίως ἐπιχορηγηθήσεται ὑμῖν ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείαν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Διὸ οὐκ ἀμελήσω ἀεὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνῄσκειν περὶ τούτων, καίπερ εἰδότας, καὶ ἐστηριγμένους ἐν τῇ παρούσῃ ἀληθείᾳ. Δίκαιον δὲ ἡγοῦμαι, ἐφʼ ὅσον εἰμὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ σκηνώματι, διεγείρειν ὑμᾶς ἐν ὑπομνήσει· εἰδὼς ὅτι ταχινή ἐστιν ἡ ἀπόθεσις τοῦ σκηνώματός μου, καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐδήλωσέν μοι. Σπουδάσω δὲ καὶ ἑκάστοτε ἔχειν ὑμᾶς μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἔξοδον τὴν τούτων μνήμην ποιεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις ἐξακολουθήσαντες ἐγνωρίσαμεν ὑμῖν τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν καὶ παρουσίαν, ἀλλʼ ἐπόπται γενηθέντες τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος. Λαβὼν γὰρ παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης αὐτῷ τοιᾶσδε ὑπὸ τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, εἰς ὃν ἐγὼ εὐδόκησα· καὶ ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐνεχθεῖσαν, σὺν αὐτῷ ὄντες ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἁγίῳ. Καὶ ἔχομεν βεβαιότερον τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, ᾧ καλῶς ποιεῖτε προσέχοντες, ὡς λύχνῳ φαίνοντι ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ, ἕως οὗ ἡμέρα διαυγάσῃ, καὶ φωσφόρος ἀνατείλῃ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν.


Gospel Reading

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
The Reading is from Matthew 17:1-9

At that time, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead."

Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Κατὰ Ματθαῖον 17:1-9

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, παραλαμβάνει ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ ᾿Ιάκωβον καὶ ᾿Ιωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ᾿ ἰδίαν· καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς Μωσῆς καὶ ᾿Ηλίας μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ συλλαλοῦντες. ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπε τῷ ᾿Ιησοῦ· Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσωμεν ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωσεῖ μίαν καὶ μίαν ᾿Ηλίᾳ. ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα· αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε· καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔπεσον ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα. καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς ἥψατο αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπεν· ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε. ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν οὐδένα εἶδον εἰ μὴ τὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν μόνον. καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς λέγων· μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα ἕως οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ.


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Wisdom of the Fathers

The Lord does not always appear in glory to all who stand before Him. To beginners He appears in the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7); to those able to follow Him as He climbs the high mountain of His transfiguration He appears in the form of God, the form in which He existed before the world came to be (John 17:5).
St. Maximos the Confessor
Second Century on Theology, 13., 7th Century

It is therefore possible for the same Lord not to appear in the same way to all who stand before Him, but to appear to some in one way and to others in another way, according to the measure of each person's faith.
St. Maximos the Confessor
Second Century on Theology, 13., 7th Century

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PARISH NEWS

PARISH LEADERSHIP

REV. FR. JON MAGOULIAS 
PARISH PRIEST 

JAYLEN FRENCH
PARISH COUNCIL PRESIDENT



DIVINE SERVICES

Thursday,                  August 3rd 
Small Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.


Friday,                      August 4th 

Great Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.

Saturday,                  August 5th
Eve of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Great Vespers                                     5:00 p.m.

Sunday,                    August 6th
Holy Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Epistle      2 Peter     1:10-19
Gospel      Matt.      17:1-9
Sunday Divine Services                        8:30 a.m.
Great Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.

Monday,                    August 7th
Small Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.

Tuesday                    August 8th
Great Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.

Wednesday,               August 9th
Small Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.

Thursday,                  August 10th
Great Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.

Friday,                      August 11th
Small Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m.


Saturday,                  August 12th
Great Vespers                                     5:00 p.m.

Sunday,                    August 13th
10th  Sunday of Matthew
Epistle      1 Cor.      4:9-16
Gospel      Matt.     17:14-23
Divine Services                                    8:30 a.m.
Great Supplication Canon                     7:00 p.m. 


Divine Services at our Church of the Annunciation are 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.

In addition to the ability to view the live broadcast of services on the internet, one may now view services from our Facebook page: Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation Modesto.  From the Facebook site, the service may also be viewed after the service has concluded!

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
We are pleased to welcome all visitors to our Parish and we pray that our Lord bless them through the intercessions of the All-Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary.  We invite you to join us for church services regularly and to pray with our Christian family.

Immediately following the Divine Liturgy this Sunday, we would like you to join us in the Very Rev. Emmanuel Papageorge Cultural Center for Christian Fellowship.  Fellowship Hour will be hosted by the families of our HOPE, JOY, and GOYA and we ask parents to please bring refreshments for all to enjoy during Fellowship Hour.                         

May you have a blessed week!
       


BLESSING OF THE GRAPES
In celebrating the Great Feastday of the Transfiguration, the Church instructs us to bless the grapes at this time of the year.  It is a blessing of thanksgiving to God for the good things we enjoy in our lives and the reminder that from the grape, comes the wine for the Holy Eucharist.


PILGRIMAGE 2017
Fr. Jon will be leading a pilgrimage to the Byzantine West: Italy and Sicily from October 12-24, 2017.  The pilgrimage is limited to 30 people and presently, we only have 6 openings to reach our limit.  If you would like more information, please contact the Church Office.          



VISIT OUR WEBSITE
In an effort to continue improving our Parish Ministry, we continue to upgrade and improve our Parish Website: www.goannunciation.org

The format is much more pleasing to the eye and user friendly. In addition to this wonderful look, there are many features that are constantly being 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, August 6th – Team 4: Jeff Brown, Stamatis Tsatsaronis, & Mitch Word

Sunday, August 13th – Team 1: Tony Gavrilis, Nick Faklis, & Steve Pallios



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: 
 
Manoli Rodarakis 

SENIOR ALTAR BOYS: 
Andreas Alexander ~ Sammer Mitri ~ Stefan Word ~ Frankie Zanotto ~ PJ Zanotto

Sunday, August 6th – Team B: Captain, Alex Alexander, Matthew Myrtakis, Michael Myrtakis, Dimitri Stamos and Chris Zanotto

Sunday, August 13th – Team A: Captain, Jacob Gavrilis, Nicholas Affholter, Ryan Hatton, Carson Maroudas and Walter Lemons



PARISH COMPLEX SECURITY
For the safety of our Parish complex we have installed security cameras on the exterior and interior of our church complex.  Please be aware that the cameras will be recording daily 24/7 – 365 days a year.  Don’t forget to smile!


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.  Proper preparation in receiving Holy Communion requires that the person be in the Divine Liturgy on time, that means BEFORE 9:30 a.m.!

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. Parents should not be giving their children games to play while in the "Cry Room".  Once the child has settled down they should return to the pews for the service. 


STEWARDSHIP 2017

Our Christian Orthodox Stewardship ministry requires us to prayerfully evaluate our obligations to Christ and His Church. We continue to be one Family in Christ and we remind everyone to please fulfill their 2017 Stewardship commitment to our Parish.

The 2017 Stewardship Directory gives pertinent information about how we are to fulfill our role as Stewards of the Church.  Dedicated to Christ's challenge in John 20:21: "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you", we are called to support His Church and to reach out to those who may not be coming to Church on a regular basis. 

In accepting this invitation from the Lord Himself, our active Stewardship is expressed in the fellowship of our Parish Family.  In this way we will experience His love that enables us to grow and strengthen our Parish Church and Ministries.


As we are called to be active participants in our 2017 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 2017 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.  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.

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 $205.00 from every Stewardship offering is contributed for National Ministries.

We have an attainable goal of 350 Stewardship families/individuals for 2017…This IS an attainable goal!  Please support our efforts and 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
We are currently accepting the Stewardship offering for all who would like to be a member of the Philoptochos.  The ministry of the Philoptochos Society is meaningful to the life of our Church. When considering one’s offering for 2017 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 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!



ORTHODOX TOTS & TODDLERS (T.N.T.)
Calling all Moms! Let’s get together and have a blast!  Orthodox TNT invites you to be part of the Annunciation Mommy and Me Playgroup!  Let’s learn, laugh and love together so moms and their children (ages 0-5) can get to know the other moms and children in
our Parish.  Our next play date will be Thursday, August 10th at 9:30 a.m. at the Central Valley Play & Grow, 909 W. Roseburg Avenue, Modesto.  Don’t forget to bring a swimsuit and towel if your little one wants to swim! 



ATTENTION PARISHIONERS

We would also 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.

In addition, we ask that you please notify the Church Office when you plan a trip and put your mail on "Hold."  Each time there is an address change or a temporary hold one's mailing address, the Parish is charged by the Post Office.


PARISH EDUCATION MINISTRY

SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL:
Our Summer Sunday Church School is in its final month! The summer program enables us to build on our Religious Education Ministry.  Divine Services will begin at 8:30 a.m. and Summer Sunday Church School at 9:30 a.m.  The students will attend the Divine Liturgy first and should sit with their class in the front pews.  In this way, those prepared to receive Holy Communion will come forward, following the Acolytes and the Choir members, and then go their class.


GREEK FOOD FESTIVAL - 2017
Preparations for the 2017 Greek Food Festival have already begun!  We pray that everyone will offer their support to this year’s GFF Committee.  Our chairperson for this year is Tony Gavrilis and the co-chairman is Maria Skordos-Moore. 

We have already begun to distribute tickets to be sold prior to the Festival.  Please contact Bessie Grillos or the Church Offices so that you may sell the tickets to your co-workers, neighbors and friends.  Your help in pre-selling tickets guarantees the success of our annual Greek Food Festival.  

GFF Baking Days have begun! 
We wish to thank all the stewards who have already given of their Time and Talent to bake for this year's Festival.  The delicious pastries are enjoyed by thousands but it requires your assistance to prepare them!  Even if you don’t have any experience baking, there is plenty of work to do.  This is a beautiful way to support our Parish and share in the fellowship with fellow stewards.

Please plan your schedule to join us for future baking days.  They will be held: September 6th; and September 11th - September 15th!  Each baking date will begin at 8:00 a.m.  Don’t forget your apron! 



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. 

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


The officers of our youth groups are:

H.O.P.E.
Kathleen Ramirez, President 
Nicholas Affholter, Vice-President

J.O.Y.
Kylie Affholter, President
Alexia Mason, Vice-President 


G.O.Y.A.
Eva Borden, President 
Eleni Davis, Vice-President 
Matthew Myrtakis, Treasurer 
Elizabeth Davis, Secretary
Jacob Gavrilis, Corresponding Secretary

We want to thank all the advisors of HOPE, JOY and GOYA for their support and guidance during the year.
  

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.  The Holy Week Book; The Lenten Spring; If we Confess our Sins; Praying with the Orthodox Mind; Becoming Icons of Christ; Beginners Guide to Prayer; Meditations for Great Lent; Goodnight Jesus; and others.  In addition, we have received some fun Orthodox games for young people.  Other titles in our bookstore include: Everytime I Do My Cross; When God Made You; Food - Faith and Fasting (A Sacred Journey to Better Health; Thirty Steps to Heaven; Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives (Teachings of the Elder Thaddeus); Father Arseny; The Meditations of Fr. Thaddeus; Meditations for Holy Week; and several other children’s titles that include: Pictures of God and From God to You.  In addition, our bookstore has many excellent gifts for every occasion.  Please visit our Bookstore during Fellowship Hour!


ANNUNCIATION GREEK DANCE GROUP NEWS
Our Annunciation Dancers would like to thank our Parish Family for their love and support throughout the year.  Registration and practices for our Greek Folk Dance Ministry have resumed.  Practice is held every Sunday, following the Divine Liturgy.  All dancers are expected to be in Church at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy and to attend Sunday Church School.  Please register your dancers today!

We will be reorganizing our groups once registrations have all be made.  We look forward to a new year in our Greek Folk Dance ministry.

Over the years families that have been involved in our Greek Folk Dance ministry have been gracious to loan their costumes for other young dancers and we thank them. We would like to remind the families that may have borrowed costumes in the past to please return them as quickly as possible. This includes all parts of the costume including jewelry and we ask that it be returned clean! Thank you!
  

Our Greek Folk Dance Ministry Executive Director is Manoli Rodarakis.  Assisting Manoli as directors this past year were:

Poulakia – Katie Hatton, Eva Borden & PJ Zanotto
Nea Omada – Dimitra Wilson & Frankie Zanotto
Oli Mazi – Stavros Stathoudakis & Markella Tsatsaronis
Panikos – Manoli Rodarakis & Sophia Thymakis

The Dance Parent Support Group officers elected to serve for 2016-2017 are: 

Aliki Alexander - President 
Janelle Hatton - Vice-President
Anna Affholter - Treasurer
Kelly Lemons - Secretary

We wish to express our appreciation to all the stewards of our Parish that volunteered their time to help in the Fireworks booths this year.  The support of this fundraiser enables us to provide a wonderful Greek Folk Dance ministry to our young people.  Many people work for months to guarantee the success of this fundraiser. 

We wish to thank Janelle Hatton & Argie Thymakis coordinating this fundraiser.  We are also grateful to Jim & Chryssi Kocolas for their involvement in obtaining the fireworks and the pricing of the product. This year, we also want to thank Tony Thymakis for being our "night watchman" over the trucks and storage unit. 

We thank each and every one of you for your efforts.



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).
18. New and repair of gutters on the entire church complex (Donated and completed).
19.
Security cameras inside and outside our facilities (Donated).
20. A new sound system for the church (Donated and completed).
21. A railed platform area and ramp behing the kitchen. (Donated and completed.)
22. Roofing repairs over the kitchen, Lodge Room and entry way to the Hall. (Completed at a cost of $12,580.00)
23. Resealing and restriping of the front Church parking lot and area behind the kitchen. (Completed at a cost of $10,500.00)
24. The purchase of 3 AED units (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 received);
2.  A new Resurrection Candleholder (Donated and received);
3.  2 new sets of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated and received);
4.  A set of new Bishop Candlesticks (Donated and received);
5.  A new Gospel in Greek and English (Donated and received);
6.  A new set of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated)
7.  One Rantistirion (Sprinkler) for Holy Week (Donated)
8.  Two silver vigil lights that are placed on each side of the Cross (Donated);
9.  An icon of the Virgin Mary Directress (Donated)
10. A new set of covers for the Holy Altar Table and Chalice Set (Donated and received)
11. Updating of our electronic Carillon (bell) system (Donated and installed)

UPCOMING PROJECTS

If you would like to contribute toward ecclesiastical items needed, please contact Fr. Jon or a member of the Parish Council.

Having evaluated the chandeliers in our church, it has been decided by the Parish Council, with the approval of the Parish Assembly, to replace the seven (7) chandeliers in the church.  The reason is that the wiring to the light sockets and the wires that hold the crystals are becoming brittle and starting to break.  Several light sockets are already out and we have been told that they are a potential fire hazzard. 

We have received amazing support in replacing the chandeliers.  They have been contracted to be made by the Dafereras Ecclesiastical Company in Athens, Greece.  The following have been ordered:

1.  Replacement of the Church Chandeliers (7)
     A. Center Chandelier - $15,000.00 (Donated)
     B. 4 Chandeliers in the church - $5,000.00 (Donated)
     C. 2 Chandeliers in the narthex - $2,500.00 (Donated)

Installation of the new chandeliers will begin on Wednesday, August 9th.  We apologize for any inconvenience it may cause to the services.


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.

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“As the Father has sent Me,
so I send you...

(John 20:21)



SUMMER SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL


JUNE 18 - AUGUST 27
Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Parents are urged to bring their children to
Sunday Church School each Sunday

Ages 3 – Grade 12



Please be prompt in coming to church each Sunday and remember that the SS children are to sit in the front pews each Sunday!

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

    Summer Church School

    Summer Church School

    We will continue our Religious Education for young people through the summer...Please support our ministry!


    Parish General Assembly

    Parish General Assembly

    Stewards are encouraged to attend the Parish Assembly on August 6


    GFF KICKOFF CELEBRATION

    GFF KICKOFF CELEBRATION

    Please join us in celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the building of our church complex on Tokay Avenue


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