Stewardship 2023 as of December 31, 2023:

Goal: $500,000 ($3000 per Stewardship Family, as an average)
Pledged: $522,255
Pledges Paid: $488,315
Average Pledge: $1,283
Outstanding unpaid commitments: $33,940
Number of Stewards Pledging: 407

Stewardship 2022 on December 31, 2022 for comparison purposes:

Goal: $425,000 ($3000 per Stewardship Family, as an average)
Pledged: $509,001
Pledges Paid: $471,441
Average Pledge: $1,226
Outstanding unpaid commitments: $37,560
Number of Stewards Pledging: 415

Please continue to keep our Saint Nicholas Church in your thoughts and prayers throughout 2023. 

Dedicate yourself to Christ and His mission here at Saint Nicholas.  Look for opportunities to volunteer your time and talents, and pay toward your 2023 commitment pledge. 

Not a Steward of Saint Nicholas?  Please prayerfully consider becoming a Steward by completing the 2023 Stewardship Commitment Card.  You may also submit your commitment either online or by mailing it to the Church Office.

To give by mail: Stewardship 

                        St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
                        986 Chapman Street
                        San Jose, CA 95126

To make a committment electronically, please visit our online stewardship link: https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/70/responses/new

Donation link: https://saintnicholas.org/donate

Company Matching Donations: many companies offer some type of philanthropic program in which a company may financially match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations. When an employee makes a donation, they will request the matching gift from their employer to the specific nonprofit organization. If you are interested to learn more about Company Matching Donations at work, please inquire with your Company's Human Resources Department if it offers a similar program. Please note that Saint Nicholas Church would be identified in a Company Matching Program as "Greek Orthodox Community of Santa Clara County". 

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is a 501©3 Corporation and our tax ID is 94-1578745. 

In our Light A Candle program, vigil candle(s) are lit along with an opportunity to submit names to be prayed for at the Prothesis (Preparation).  When lit, the vigil candles last for one week.  Please see the online form on our website or use the link below.  When filling out the online form, please note that only first names are needed, preferably the baptized names, and it's helpful to designate if prayers will be for health or for repose.

Donate online here: https://saintnicholas.org/virtual-chapel/light-a-candle 

If you would prefer to mail in your request, please write the name(s) for whom the candle(s) will be lit and send to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Attention: Light a Candle, 986 Chapman Street, San Jose, CA 9126.  For more information, please call the church office.

We are a registered non-profit on Facebook and you can donate any time (without any fees for the church) by pressing the donate button in this link:  https://www.facebook.com/SaintNicholasOrg/

Saint Nicholas is happy to present another option for our parishioners to contribute to Saint Nicholas through our Fidelity brokerage account.  If there are stocks, bonds or funds you wish to contribute, please use the following  information:

Account #: Z40-125155
DTC #: 0226

The 2024 Parish Council would like to announce our 2024 Parish Council Officers:  Roula Demertzis, President; Nektarios Matheou, Vice President; Eire Gemellos, Treasurer; Sofia Kotsiri, Secretary.  Congratulations to all!

On Sunday, January 28th, during the Divine Liturgy and before Holy Communin, there will be a reading about the Three Hierarchs from the students of the Center of Hellenic Education and Sunday School.  The student names are (in alphabetical order): Savvas Antoniou, Alexandros Gibbons, Dimitris Gibbons, Stella Kokologiannakis, Anna Maria Panagopoulos, Marianthi Panayotopoulos, Andreas Papapanagiotou, Christodoulos Perakis.

The Choir is actively recruiting new members!  If you are interested please contact Anthony Pappas at (408) 832-4271.  Men are especially needed, so please consider joining!  We have two options for practice, Sundays after services (with time allowed for the Coffee Hour) and Thursdays at 7:30pm.  Thank you!

We invite any parishioners who would like to have their house blessed for the Epiphany season to contact the office (408-246-2770) to schedule with one of our priests. Please schedule after January 6th until February 2nd.

Please join us for a Paraklisis to the Most Holy Theotokos on Monday nights at 5:00pm beginning this Monday, January 22^nd, followed by a hybrid Orthodoxy 101 class which will be on the topic of the Kingdom of Heaven, beginning at 6:15pm.   You may attend the class in-person (in the church office conference room) or online via Zoom using the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7084362224?omn=82835392316.

Fr. Nebojsa Pantic
Efimerios (Assistant Priest)

Saiyanna will be away from the office from Tuesday, January 30th through Sunday, February 4th.  

However, if you have a pastoral emergency and you need to reach a priest, please call 408-246-2781.

You are all invited to the Missions Ministry Vasilopita Fellowship on Saturday, January 27th at 2:00pm in the Small Hall.  Our speaker this year is Anastasia Pamela Barksdale, OCMC Parish Engagement Coordinator, and former missionary to Albania.  Welcome and introduction will by Fr. James Kumarelas.

Refreshments and appetizers will be provided.  Free-will offering to benefit OCMC’s Support A Mission Priest Program.  Come and learn about OCMC's missionary efforts around the world.  Hear the latest news and happenings from the mission field and how you can answer Christ's call to "go and make disciples of all nations."  Saint Nicholas currently supports three priests, but with your generosity we can do better!

Event is open to all!  Please remember to invite your friends!  For questions or to RSVP, please contact Maria Aji at: (408)425-6967 | mastrakianaki@gmail.com.

To support the event please make your check out to Saint Nicholas Church and mark “Missions Ministry“ in the memo line.  If you are unable to attend, please mail your checks to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Office, 980 Chapman St., San Jose, CA 95126.

Please join us for the annual Golden Years Seniors Valentine’s Day Luncheon on Sunday, February 11, 2024 in the Community Center immediately following the Divine Liturgy.

Menu: Chicken Marsala, Rice, Vegetables, Salad and Dessert

Price: Adults $35.00 Children $20.00   Tickets will be sold this Sunday at coffee hour!

Response need by February 1, 2024.  Checks can be made payable to: Golden Years Seniors and sent to Christina Kouvaris, 7091 Galli Drive, San Jose, CA 95129, phone: 408-306-8007, email:  ckouvphilo@sbcglobal.net.

Friday, February 2, 2024 - 95% of seats have been sold! Only 50 seats are left.  Don't wait until the last minute!

Tickets available to purchase at the following site:  https://CretanCrabFeed.eventbrite.com

Discounted Full Table Purchase $800 (10 Seats) (Available Now!)

Single Adult Purchase $85 (Available in January); Single Children Under 12 $50 (Available in January)

All Inclusive (Beer, Wine, Greek Liquor and Sodas)

Your generosity and support of the Cretan Crab Feed has enabled the Cretan Club to donate over $400,000 back to the community and other charities!

For questions, please contact Ted Cocoles at Tcocoles@yahoo.com or cell 408-569-5434 or Pete Panos at nestani@gmail.com or 408-835-9092

Please join us on Sunday, January 28th, for a GOYA meeting in Room 11 from 11:30am - 12:30pm.  We will have a short lesson from Father Nebojsa, and we will plan our 2024 calendar.  Please reach out to Eva Vathis at eperakis1@aol.com with any questions.

To better accommodate schedules and events we are moving our JOY/HOPE meeting to Tuesday January 30, at 6:45pm in Room 7 of the Educational Building.  Please feel free to reach out to Helene Panos if you have any questions: 209.324.4918.  We hope you join us for Fun, Fellowship and Faith!

Youth Basketball practices continue THIS WEEK!

Elementary Boys (Grades 3,4,5): Tuesdays 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Elementary Girls (Grades 3,4,5): Wednesdays 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Middle School Boys (Grades 6, 7, 8): Thursdays 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Middle School Girls (Grades 6, 7, 8): TBD, please contact John Cocoles, jcocoles5@gmail.com if interested
High School Boys (Friday practices will begin after FDF)

Games begin Sunday, March 3rd.  To be placed on the season roster, you MUST be registered at https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/63/responses/new.  

Be sure your child wears basketball shoes! Thank you!

Putting our Orthodox Faith into action! Join us at Second Harvest Food Bank the 4th Tuesday of every month, 6pm to 8pm, to prepare food for distribution in our Santa Clara County community.  One in five families in Santa Clara County faces food insecurity.  Help us serve our community while enjoying the fellowship of our Parishioners!  Advance registration is required; vaccination is suggested but not required; open to ages 12 and up. 

We invite you to sign up in advance for Tuesday, February 27, 2024 using the link:  https://shfb.tfaforms.net/350?VSID=a0v8W00000WFQ4pQAH&_gl=1*52dv1z*_ga*MTQyMjYyMDM2Ny4xNzA2MTE2Mzk4*_ga_E3SL0CTS82*MTcwNjExNjM5Ny4xLjEuMTcwNjExNjc4Ni42MC4wLjA

Attention High School Students! There is an opportunity for you to apply for the George & Venetia Pallis Ionian Village Scholarship.  Through the generosity of the Pallis family, scholarships are available to deserving youth to attend Ionian Village this summer!  Details on the application process can be found here: https://gvpallisyouthfund.org/.

Please note that the application deadline is fast approaching – February 1st. Though the materials on the website say this is for youth in the Seattle area, the family is making this available to youth throughout the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco.  Apply now!

Calendar for Sunday School:  

January
Sunday School in session Jan 7,14, 21, 28
Activity: January 28 Greek School and Sunday School Three Hierarchs Reading in church. We will be looking for senior students to volunteer for the readings.
Activity: Announcing scholarship programs for graduating seniors.

February
Sunday School in session: Feb 4, 11, 25
Activity: February 4 Godparent's Sunday / Coffee Hour Sponsorship SNC community

March
Sunday School in session March 3, 10, 17, 31
Activity: March 10 Forgiveness Lesson and March 17 Forgiveness Sunday/Kites

April
Sunday School in session April 7, 14, 21, 28
Activity: April 7 Lenten Alms Project and Saturday, April 27 Lazarus Breakfast

May
Sunday School in session May 12 and 19
Activity: Friday, May 3 Good Friday Retreat
Activity: Sunday, May 19, Graduation and last day of Sunday School

Registration link for Sunday School: https://forms.gle/esUftdmLhEJH77Ap6 

Classes will be weekly, with a few exceptions for special events and holidays.  The Saint Nicholas website has the current and updated calendar: Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

Click here for the registration link with information about the dates of the program and tuition costs: https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/73/responses/new

School Age Greek Language Classes (3-18 years old)

In-person classes are offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:00 pm - 6:45 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am - 11:45 am (pending registration numbers)

Zoom classes are time flex and are offered Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or Fridays.

In addition to the classes, several assemblies take place annually to celebrate Greek Independence Days (October 28th and March 25th), Christmas, and the end-of-the-school-year party. Parents and other family members participate while the students recite poems, skits, songs, and dances.

Adult Greek Language Classes (18 years and older)

New Testament Greek: Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Intermediate Conversational Greek: Thursdays 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Beginner Conversational Greek: Saturdays 10 am - 12:30 pm

For more up-to-date information in regards to the adult Greek classes kindly contact: Dr. Peter Nanopoulos at petern_grklang@yahoo.com

Please read the Canon of Faith for January 2024 using the online link viewing:  

https://indd.adobe.com/view/e99ca577-6804-49cb-bb89-150aec6ba1fd

The Philoptochos and the church sometimes receives inquiries from parishioners who are searching for low income or section 8 housing.  If you are a landlord or know of anyone who provides section 8 housing, please email Connie Chrysoglou at cchrysoglou@gmail.com and we will place you or your contact on a list of potential providers.  We will then give the provider list to any parishioner who is needing assistance.  If you are interested in being a section 8 housing provider, you will need to contact your local housing authority to make an application and to find out more about the process and decide if this is something that you would want to pursue.  The church will only be providing the list to people inquiring about this and will not intercede in any way or become involved in the vetting process. It will be up to the landlord to determine if there is a match.  Section 8 housing rental reimbursement to landlords begins from $1740 for a one-bedroom house/apartment up to $3696 for a four-bedroom unit.

We will plan on holding our meetings at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month (directly after Greek School).  Please mark your calendars.  

We hope that all students in grades K-5th can join us! This year, Father Nebojsa has planned an exciting curriculum focusing on the Story of Creation.  Each monthly lesson will be concentrated on a particular day of this journey.  Each meeting will be scheduled for approximately one hour and will include a discussion with Father, an interactive activity and/or craft, refreshments and fellowship.  We want to be inclusive of everyone so please feel free to reach out to Helene if you have any concerns: 209.324.4918.    

For families with children in grades Kindergarten through 5th grade, please register your children for our JOY/HOPE ministry.  The link to register is here:

https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/67/responses/new  

We are collecting unwanted paper icons, wooden icons, and palms that require disposing, please drop off in the baby room in the Church.  There is a plastic bin located underneath the pew.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Julie via email: j_sarigiannides@yahoo.com.

Please contact the church office at 408-246-2770 if you plan to leave items outside the office or Community Center.

If you wish to order kollyva, artoklasia, prosphora, paximadia, koulourakia, melomakarona, kourambiedes, or other Greek pastries, please see the bakers listed below with their phone numbers to call.  Payment is arranged with the bakers and not the church.

For kollyva:   Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124  

For paximadia, koulourakia, melomakarona, kourambiedes, and other Greek pastries:   Maria Tsaboukos  408-723-5175      Antonia Komianos  408-472-3888     Marcella Fotis  408-723-4124.

For artoklasia:  Antonia Komianos 408-472-3888   Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124   

For prosphora:  Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124