Fellowship Hour

Fellowship Hour today is hosted by the Saggiotes Family in memory of Jim.

Fellowship Hour is not simply a time to get together and spend time with friends. Since the earliest days of the Church Christians have celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with a meal. Although in time the meal became separated from the Liturgy itself, the meal, which we call Fellowship Hour, remains an important, practical expression of the love for one another that we learn in the Liturgy.

So, hosting Fellowship Hour is not only something nice, but an important liturgical ministry. For this reason, it is sad to see all the empty spaces on the sign-up sheet for Fellowship throughout the Fall. Sometimes Fellowship hosts will put out an elaborate spread, but this is not necessary! The actual food is secondary; primary is the expression of our love for one another. A wonderful way of expressing this love is to find a friend to host Fellowship together. 

Please begin to fill up those empty slots; each one is an icon of our Lord saying: I love you, and you should love one another.

Parish Council Nominations

It's that time of year again; we are gearing up for the Fall General Assembly on December 8, together with elections for the Parish Council. We are looking for people who love their Parish and want to see it as a healthy part of the Body of Christ. Take a risk and be part of the future of our Parish!  Everyone should at some point serve on the Council. It is the best way to come to understand more profoundly what it takes to keep the church running.

Greek Luncheon and Pastry Sale

The Philoptochos Ladies are having their Greek Luncheon and Pastry Sale on Saturday, November 16, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. There are sign up sheets in the Church Hall both for Workshop schedules and for volunteering the day of the Luncheon. Please come and help, even for a short time, and definitely come to enjoy a wonderful lunch and mouth-watering pastries!

RE-CATECHISM OPPORTUNITIES

Different and Interesting Ways to Get to Know More About Your Faith

The New Testament You Never Knew: Exploring the Context, Purpose and Meaning of the Story of God

Can you identify John, George, Paul and Ringo, but not Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Do you sometimes entertain the idea that the Resurrection is just an adaptation of a Greek vegetation myth into the Jesus story? Or maybe you can name all 27 books of the New Testament; do you know why there are 27, and why this decision was made? You can’t understand the New Testament unless you understand the greater context of the stories, and how they all came together. In this 8 week study we will see videos of Professors NT Wright and Michael Bird discussing various aspects of the world of the New Testament and its influence on these writings and their reception in the Church. The meetings consist of a video lecture and a discussion, as well as a study of selected Scripture passages. A workbook will be provided. No need to have any prior knowledge! 

Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30 pm in the Church Hall. Even if you didn't make it to the first meeting, you are welcome to join us!

A Journey to Fullness

We will have another session of Fr. Barnabas Powell’s video introduction to Orthodoxy, A Journey to Fullness. Even if you could not make the first meeting, you are invited to join at any time! This 16 part series (you don’t have to commit to being at all 16 sessions!) is the first step toward getting to know the Orthodox Faith. Even if you have been Orthodox all your life, Fr. Barnabas will surprise you will insights you never knew. Everyone is invited—whether you have been Orthodox all your life, or you just want to get to know the Orthodox Faith better because you have Orthodox relatives or friends. There will be discussion and a question and answer period as well. Our next session is Thursday, November 7 at 6:30 pm.

Interested in a Little Adventure?

We are looking for some brave souls who would like to  try a new adventure--an Orthodox Book Study on line. We will use the platform Zoom, which you can acquire free with the app for your phone. Our first book is an interesting look at the Orthodox Church under the last days of Communism in Russia, Everyday Saints. If you would be interested in joining our adventure, please see Father so that we can pick a good time for our cyber study.

Ask the Priest

Sometimes we have questions, but cannot seem to find time to ask Father. Now there is opportunity to leave these questions in the "Ask the Priest Box" located in the Church Hall (it's bright green--you can't miss it!). Father will field the questions once a month in the sermon, as well as in the weekly and monthly bulletins. You can sign your name or not, it doesn't matter. No question is unworthy of attention!

Pilgrimage to the St. Nektarios Monastery

Our pilgrimage group will be leaving Tuesday morning for the Holy Monastery of St. Nektarios in Roscoe NY. Please pray for our safe journey and safe return. We, in turn, will pray for all of your at the Divine Liturgy and before the relics of St. Nektarios.

New Ministry Opportunities

Nothing is more important for the life of Parish than the engagement of the Parish Family members in the life of the Parish. Faith only has meaning if it is manifested in works; otherwise, it is nothing more than an acceptance of propositions. As a result of the talks the Stewardship Ministry Team has had, we are inaugurating some new ministries and revitalizing others.

The Visitation Ministry

Would you like to bring some cheer and company and the love of Christ to the sick and shut-ins? Please see Arlene Norton to become a member of the Visitation Ministry. Her phone is 603-848-0236.  E-mail is elinetha@msn.com.

The Welcome Ministry

There is nothing better than a smile and a helping hand when you first come into the church. This is true both for guests and for regulars. If you would like to be a part of the welcoming spirit of our Parish, making sure everyone has a bulletin and knows where to go, please see Elena Painchaud or Freda Spiro.

The Readers Ministry

At every Divine Liturgy and at almost every other of our Services there are readings from the Epistles or from the Old Testament. We would like to have a regular schedule of readers for these sacred readings. If you are interested in being part of this ministry, please see Gary Ambelas.

Enjoy a Mug of Coffee

As Orthodox Christians, we are called by our Baptism to be, like Adam and Eve, true Stewards and Priests of creation, always realizing that all that we have belongs to God, and that we are taking care of our part of creation for His glory. So, our efforts to preserve our environment, although they may seem insignificant, have great spiritual value for us. Since we know that Styrofoam virtually does not decompose, we will begin having an alternative available—ceramic mugs, which can be washed with a minimal effort. If you have extra mugs in your closet in good shape, lying unused, please consider bringing them to the Church for general use.

Memorial for our Veterans

The Sunday before Veterans’ Day, November 10, we will pray the Memorial Prayers for the departed Veterans of our Parish Family, and extended family. If you have departed Veterans in your family, please give the list to Father. Forms will also be available at the Pangari.

Mark Your Calendar

Our Fall General Assembly and Elections for the Parish Council will take place on Sunday, December 8, after Liturgy. Your presence is important for the Stewardship of our Parish. 

Our annual Orthodox Service of Lessons and Carols will take place on Sunday, December 8, at 5:00 pm. Please come and enjoy this beautiful preparation for Christmas! There will be a Fellowship Hour after the Service. Please invite your friends and family to come as well.

This Month's Item Collection

One of the Fall projects of the Mother Maria of Paris Outreach Ministries is to provide convenient “bags of help”, filled with hygiene items and some snacks, for our parishioners to take and to give to the many people we see on street corners or sidewalks asking for help. In order to fill these bags, we are asking for you help in collecting hygiene items, such as regular bars of soap, travel size shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, mouth wash, etc., toothbrushes, dental floss, and other such items, as well as snacks such as granola bars, protein bars, etc. There will be a basket in the Church Hall for your generous donations. Thank you once again from “the least of our brothers and sisters.”

There are now a number of "bags of help" prepared and ready for you to take into your cars. Please feel free to take a couple of them, so that, whenever you see someone in need on a street corner, you can hand them this bag. Please remember to pray for the people that you help with these "bags of help"!

Banner (Lavara) Icons

To your right and left along the walls of the church, you will notice two banner in beautiful red velvet which were brought back from Greece last year. Such a banner is called a lavaron, which was the identifying banner of the Roman legions, and now serve as our war banners in the fight against sin and death. There is a space in these banners to change the icon according to the season or feast. Some of these icons were also brought back from Greece last year; this year we have ordered the rest of the Great Feast Day icons to complete the collection. If you would like to donate one of these icons for $10 a piece, please see Barbara Kalioras to pick out which one(s) you would like to donate.

Looking for Good Presents for Children, Godchildren or Grandchildren?

Are you in need of devotional items, like censers, incense, oil lamps, prayer ropes (koumboskinia)? Could you use a small, simple presentation of the life of a Saint in English or in Greek? Check out our new Holy Trinity Store. Please put the money in the basket; we are using the honor method. Make checks payable to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.