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Annunciation/Evangelismos Church, Elkins Park, PA
Publish Date: 2017-04-30
Bulletin Contents
Weekend Update
Saints and Feasts
Hymns of the Day
Gospel and Epistle Readings
Focus On Our Church Family
Community News & Events
From the Desk of Parish Council President
Bulletin Inserts
Myrrbear
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Annunciation/Evangelismos Church, Elkins Park, PA

General Information

  • Phone:
  • (215) 635-0316
  • Fax:
  • (215) 635-8301
  • Street Address:

  • 7921 Old York Road

  • Elkins Park, PA 19027

Contact Information

Presiding Priest: Rev. Fr. John L. Johns


frjohn@anngoc.org | (215) 635-0316

Services Schedule

We meet for divine worship every Sunday morning starting with Orthros (Matins) 8:30, Divine Liturgy 9:30-11AM, followed by a fellowship hour in our community center. All are ivited!

Please see Community Calendar for a complete listing of all weekday feastdays and worship services.

Past Bulletins


Weekend Update

On Sunday April 30 we commemorate: the holy and glorious Apostle James, the brother of St. John the Theologian; our devout father Clement the ecclesiastical poet; the holy Martyr Maximus; the finding of the relics of the holy Hieromartyr Vasilefs, Bishop of Amasia; our father among the saints Donatus, Bishop of Euroia; the holy Neo-martyr Argyri, who confessed Christ in Constantinople and was tortured for it, died in prison in the year 1725.

From the Pentecostarion: On this day, the third Sunday reckoned from Pascha, we celebrate the feast of the holy Myrrh-bearing Women. Furthermore, we commemorate Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple; and also Nicodemos, the disciple by night. At the intercession of the holy Myrrh bearers, O God, have mercy on us. Amen

  • 8:30am ORTHROS (Matins) 9:30am DIVINE LITURGY.
  • ARTOKLASIA is offered today for health and salvation by the Bougioukas family (feast of St. Mark the Apostle and Evangelist, April 25)
  • Youth Catechism classes follow Holy Communion
  • Fellowship hour hosted by GOYA

Mon May 1, 2017

  • 2pm Philoptochos OPA baking

Tue May 2, 2017

  • 10am Matthew 25 meeting
  • 2pm Philoptochos OPA baking
  • 5pm Youth Greek School classes
  • 6pm Philoptochos Bid ‘n Buy meeting
  • 7pm Adult Greek language class
  • 7:30pm Philoptochos board meeting

Wed May 3, 2017

  • 2pm Philoptochos OPA baking
  • 5pm Youth Greek School classes
  • 7pm Adult Greek language class
  • 7:30pm DVYC meeting, St Anthony Church, Vineland

Thu May 4, 2017

  • 7pm Choir rehearsal

Fri May 5, 2017

  • 5pm Youth Greek School classes
  • 6:30pm JOY Greek folk dance practice
  • 7:30pm GOYA Greek folk dance practice

Sat May 6, 2017

  • 11am BAPTISM: Matraszek family

Sunday of the Paralytic, May 7, 2017

  • 8:30am ORTHROS (Matins) 9:30am DIVINE LITURGY
  • Youth Catechism classes follow Holy Communion
  • Fellowship hour hosted by Philoptochos
  • GOYA monthly meeting
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Saints and Feasts

Myrrbear
April 30

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

About the beginning of His thirty-second year, when the Lord Jesus was going throughout Galilee, preaching and working miracles, many women who had received of His beneficence left their own homeland and from then on followed after Him. They ministered unto Him out of their own possessions, even until His crucifixion and entombment; and afterwards, neither losing faith in Him after His death, nor fearing the wrath of the Jewish rulers, they came to the sepulchre, bearing the myrrh-oils they had prepared to annoint His body. It is because of the myrrh-oils, that these God-loving women brought to the tomb of Jesus that they are called the Myrrh-bearers. Of those whose names are known are the following: first of all, the most holy Virgin Mary, who in Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40 is called "the mother of James and Joses" (these are the sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, and she was therefore their step-mother); Mary Magdalene (celebrated July 22); Mary, the wife of Clopas; Joanna, wife of Chouza, a steward of Herod Antipas; Salome, the mother of the sons of Zebedee, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus; and Susanna. As for the names of the rest of them, the evangelists have kept silence (Matt 27:55-56; 28:1-10. Mark 15:40-41. Luke 8:1-3; 23:55-24:11, 22-24. John 19:25; 20:11-18. Acts 1:14).

Together with them we celebrate also the secret disciples of the Saviour, Joseph and Nicodemus. Of these, Nicodemus was probably a Jerusalemite, a prominent leader among the Jews and of the order of the Pharisees, learned in the Law and instructed in the Holy Scriptures. He had believed in Christ when, at the beginning of our Saviour's preaching of salvation, he came to Him by night. Furthermore, he brought some one hundred pounds of myrrh-oils and an aromatic mixture of aloes and spices out of reverence and love for the divine Teacher (John 19:39). Joseph, who was from the city of Arimathea, was a wealthy and noble man, and one of the counsellors who were in Jerusalem. He went boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and together with Nicodemus he gave Him burial. Since time did not permit the preparation of another tomb, he placed the Lord's body in his own tomb which was hewn out of rock, as the Evangelist says (Matt. 27:60).

Jameszebedee
April 30

James the Apostle and brother of St. John the Theologian

James was one of the Twelve, like his brother John (celebrated on Sept. 26), whom the Lord called "Sons of Thunder," because they became great preachers and because of their profound theology. It was the Saint's boldness in preaching the Gospel that Herod Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, could not endure, and so he took him into custody during the days of the Passover, and slew him with the sword (Acts 12: 1-2); and thus he drank the cup of which the Saviour had spoken to him prophetically (Matt. 20:23). As for Herod, the following year he went down to Caesarea, and, as the Acts of the Apostles records: "Upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration" to the elders of Tyre and Sidon; and the flatterers that surrounded him "gave a shout, saying, 'it is the voice of a god, and not of a man.' And immediately an Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and like his grandfather (see Dec. 29) "he was eaten of worms and gave up the spirit" (Acts 12:21-23)

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Hymns of the Day

Apolytikion of Great and Holy Pascha in the Plagal First Mode

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death, and bestowing life on those in the graves.
Χριστός ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας, καί τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι ζωήν χαρισάμενος.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Mode

When You descended to death, O Immortal Life, then, the light of Your divinity destroyed Hades. When You raised the dead from the depths of darkness, all the heavenly powers cried out, "Glory to You our Christ, the Giver of Life."
Ὅτε κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν θάνατον, ἡ ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος, τότε τὸν ᾍδην ἐνέκρωσας, τῇ ἀστραπῇ τῆς Θεότητος. ὅτε δὲ καὶ τοὺς τεθνεῶτας ἐκ τῶν καταχθονίων ἀνέστησας, πᾶσαι αἱ Δυνάμεις τῶν ἐπουρανίων ἐκραύγαζον. Ζωοδότα Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, δόξα σοι.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Mode

Lowering Your pure body from the Cross, Joseph wrapped it in clean muslin with fragrant spices and laid it in a new tomb. But on the third day You arose, O Lord, and granted the world Your great mercy.
Ὁ εὐσχήμων Ἰωσήφ, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καθελὼν τὸ ἄχραντόν σου Σῶμα, σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, εἱλήσας καὶ ἀρώμασιν, ἐν μνήματι καινῷ κηδεύσας ἀπέθετο, ἀλλὰ τριήμερος ἀνέστης Κύριε, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Apolytikion for Holy Myrrhbearers Sunday in the Second Mode

Standing by the tomb the angel said to the Myrrh-bearing women: "Myrrh is for the dead; but Christ has shown Himself stranger to death." So go and cry aloud, "The Lord has risen and granted the world His great mercy."
Ταῖς Μυροφόροις Γυναιξί, παρὰ τὸ μνῆμα ἐπιστάς, ὁ Ἄγγελος ἐβόα. Τὰ μύρα τοῖς θνητοῖς ὑπάρχει ἁρμόδια, Χριστὸς δὲ διαφθορᾶς ἐδείχθη ἀλλότριος, ἀλλὰ κραυγάσατε, Ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος, παρέχων τῷ κόσμῳ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal Fourth Mode

Though You went down into the tomb, You destroyed Hades' power, and You rose the victor, Christ God, saying to the myrrh-bearing women, "Hail!" and granting peace to Your disciples, You who raise up the fallen.
Εἰ καὶ ἐν τάφῳ κατῆλθες ἀθάνατε, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ᾍδου καθεῖλες τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ ἀνέστης ὡς νικητής, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, γυναιξὶ Μυροφόροις φθεγξάμενος. Χαίρετε, καὶ τοῖς σοῖς Ἀποστόλοις εἰρήνην δωρούμενος ὁ τοῖς πεσοῦσι παρέχων ἀνάστασιν.
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Gospel and Epistle Readings

Matins Gospel Reading

Fourth Orthros Gospel
The Reading is from Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel; and as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of man must be delivered in to the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise." And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened.

Fourth Orthros Gospel
Κατὰ Λουκᾶν 24:1-12

Καὶ τὸ μὲν σάββατον ἡσύχασαν κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν, Τῇ δὲ μιᾷ τῶν σαββάτων ὄρθρου βαθέος ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὸ μνῆμα φέρουσαι ἃ ἡτοίμασαν ἀρώματα, καί τινες σὺν αὐταῖς. εὗρον δὲ τὸν λίθον ἀποκεκυλισμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι οὐχ εὗρον τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Κυρίου ᾿Ιησοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ διαπορεῖσθαι αὐτὰς περὶ τούτου καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο ἐπέστησαν αὐταῖς ἐν ἐσθήσεσιν ἀστραπτούσαις. ἐμφόβων δὲ γενομένων αὐτῶν καὶ κλινουσῶν τὸ πρόσωπον εἰς τὴν γῆν εἶπον πρὸς αὐτάς· τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλ᾿ ἠγέρθη· μνήσθητε ὡς ἐλάλησεν ὑμῖν ἔτι ὢν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, λέγων ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδοθῆναι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ σταυρωθῆναι, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστῆναι. καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑποστρέψασαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου ἀπήγγειλαν ταῦτα πάντα τοῖς ἕνδεκα καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς λοιποῖς. ἦσαν δὲ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία καὶ ᾿Ιωάννα καὶ Μαρία ᾿Ιακώβου καὶ οἱ λοιπαὶ σὺν αὐταῖς, αἳ ἔλεγον πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα. καὶ ἐφάνησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ λῆρος τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἠπίστουν αὐταῖς. ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἀναστὰς ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα μόνα, καὶ ἀπῆλθε πρὸς ἑαυτόν, θαυμάζων τὸ γεγονός.

Epistle Reading

Prokeimenon. Second Mode. Psalm 117.14,18.
The Lord is my strength and my song.
Verse: The Lord has chastened me sorely.

The reading is from Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7.

IN THOSE DAYS, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochoros, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaos, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Προκείμενον. Second Mode. ΨΑΛΜΟΙ 117.14,18.
Ἰσχύς μου καὶ ὕμνησίς μου ὁ Κύριος.
Στίχ. Παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέ με ὁ Κύριος.

τὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων 6:1-7.

Ἐν ταῖς ἡμεραῖς ἐκείναις, πληθυνόντων τῶν μαθητῶν, ἐγένετο γογγυσμὸς τῶν Ἑλληνιστῶν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑβραίους, ὅτι παρεθεωροῦντο ἐν τῇ διακονίᾳ τῇ καθημερινῇ αἱ χῆραι αὐτῶν. Προσκαλεσάμενοι δὲ οἱ δώδεκα τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μαθητῶν, εἶπον, Οὐκ ἀρεστόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς, καταλείψαντας τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, διακονεῖν τραπέζαις. Ἐπισκέψασθε οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ἄνδρας ἐξ ὑμῶν μαρτυρουμένους ἑπτά, πλήρεις πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ σοφίας, οὓς καταστήσωμεν ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ταύτης. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διακονίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερήσομεν. Καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους· καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον, ἄνδρα πλήρης πίστεως καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ Φίλιππον, καὶ Πρόχορον, καὶ Νικάνορα, καὶ Τίμωνα, καὶ Παρμενᾶν, καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα, οὓς ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων· καὶ προσευξάμενοι ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας. Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ηὔξανεν, καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ σφόδρα, πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει.

Gospel Reading

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
The Reading is from Mark 15:43-47; 16:1-8

At that time, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?" And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you." And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Sunday of the Myrrh-Bearing Women
Κατὰ Μᾶρκον 15:43-47, 16:1-8

Τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, ἐλθὼν ᾿Ιωσὴφ ὁ ἀπὸ ᾿Αριμαθαίας, εὐσχήμων βουλευτής, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν προσδεχόμενος τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τολμήσας εἰσῆλθε πρὸς Πιλᾶτον καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ. ὁ δὲ Πιλᾶτος ἐθαύμασεν εἰ ἤδη τέθνηκε, καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν κεντυρίωνα ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν εἰ πάλαι ἀπέθανε· καὶ γνοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ κεντυρίωνος ἐδωρήσατο τὸ σῶμα τῷ ᾿Ιωσήφ. καὶ ἀγοράσας σινδόνα καὶ καθελὼν αὐτὸν ἐνείλησε τῇ σινδόνι καὶ κατέθηκεν αὐτὸν ἐν μνημείῳ, ὃ ἦν λελατομημένον ἐκ πέτρας, καὶ προσεκύλισε λίθον ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τοῦ μνημείου. ἡ δὲ Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ᾿Ιωσῆ ἐθεώρουν ποῦ τίθεται. Καὶ διαγενομένου τοῦ σαββάτου Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ καὶ Μαρία ἡ τοῦ ᾿Ιακώβου καὶ Σαλώμη ἠγόρασαν ἀρώματα ἵνα ἐλθοῦσαι ἀλείψωσιν αὐτόν. καὶ λίαν πρωῒ τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτων ἔρχονται ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον, ἀνατείλαντος τοῦ ἡλίου. καὶ ἔλεγον πρὸς ἑαυτάς· τίς ἀποκυλίσει ἡμῖν τὸν λίθον ἐκ τῆς θύρας τοῦ μνημείου; καὶ ἀναβλέψασαι θεωροῦσιν ὅτι ἀποκεκύλισται ὁ λίθος· ἦν γὰρ μέγας σφόδρα. καὶ εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον καθήμενον ἐν τοῖς δεξιοῖς, περιβεβλημένον στολὴν λευκήν, καὶ ἐξεθαμβήθησαν. ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐταῖς· μὴ ἐκθαμβεῖσθε· ᾿Ιησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνὸν τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον· ἠγέρθη, οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε· ἴδε ὁ τόπος ὅπου ἔθηκαν αὐτόν. ἀλλ᾿ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· ἐκεῖ αὐτὸν ὄψεσθε, καθὼς εἶπεν ὑμῖν. καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου· εἶχε δὲ αὐτὰς τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπον· ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.

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Focus On Our Church Family

Celebrations, Milestones, Gratitude, Comfort & Support

Pastoral care: If you or someone you know is sick, homebound elderly, or scheduled for surgery, please call the church office to let us know so Fr. John can make a pastoral visit, or to add someone to the prayer list.

Let us pray to the Lord for the health and salvation of: Suffering and persecuted Christians in the Middle East and the non-Christian world, Virginia, Eugenios, Esther, Penelope, Angeliki, Mary, Nicholas, Eugenia, Dimitrios, Polly.

Χρόνια πολλα!  Happy birthday!   God grant you many years!  To those celebrating next week: 

Emilia Godshall, Despina Hatzigeorgiou, Virginia Markos, Miltiadis Mitsas, Maria-Maggie Sjostedt, Alexander Ververeli, Anna Nanos, Andreas Sideris, Anthony Alfaro, George Gutchigian, Tina Onassis, Aris Pasles, Mark Samios, Elliott (Elias) Cummings, Polly Georgiou, George Henderson, Kevin Mack, Marianthi Nikolopoulos, Bobby Simmons, Giannoula Botsaris, Roula Kosoglou, William Kyriakatos, Kalliopi Malitas, Maria Papacostas.

Happy wedding anniversary! To those celebrating  next week:  Samaras, John & Christine; Gabriel, Chris & Joy; Christman, Warren & Dina; Trifonidis, Cosmas & Shauna; Twyman, Shane & Despina.

Congratulations! To Ada Gomez & George Voutsinos on their wedding on 4/22/17.

To Afrodite & Achileas Patounas for the baptism of Konstantinos’ brother, Pantelis, on 4/22/17.

To Krista Kontogeorgos & James Ricks on the baptism of their daughter, Ioanna, on 4/29/17.

Our deepest sympathy: to Connie & Harry Bandy for the repose of Connie’s dad, Jerry Kahrilas, 85, on 4/23/17. May his memory be everlasting. Funeral was held on Friday, 4/28/17, at St. Luke Church, Broomall.

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Community News & Events

Church Spring Cleaning this Saturday April 29, 10 AM

As you know, we have designated Saturday, April 29th as Spring Cleaning day at Annunciation.  It is a day I hope will enable us to clean up, inside and out, and discard items which are no longer of use.

I would like to have representatives of each ministry on that day to help make the decision on what needs to go where and what can get discarded.  We all know we could use the storage space, which is at such a premium.

Here are some of the things we will need:  If any of you are willing to bring some items, that would be helpful.

  1. Hammers and picture hanging nails - we have many beautiful icons that should adorn our classrooms and not storage closets. 
  2. Plastic storage bins with lids that we can label what we are keeping
  3. Perennial potted plants and potting soil to plant in the courtyard
  4. Rakes
  5. Windex (good for lots of things, including zits!)
  6. Markers and labels for bins.  We will also institute a new policy whereby each ministry placing food items in the refrigerator/freezer will need to label and date.

Please pass the word to your organizations so we have a good turnout.  Many hands make light work! Let’s try to assemble at 10:00 so we can get done before it gets too hot.  Teens and kids are welcome!  Lunch will be provided.

Let's clean up inside and out. For more information, please all Cathy Avgiris 215-672-0950


Philoptochos News & Events

Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!

The Ladies Philoptochos ‘Nausica’ is grateful for, and extends our heartfelt thanks:

* To the dedicated and talented ladies of our Altar Guild who so beautifully adorned the many icons with flowers during Lent and Holy Week – Maria Mountis, Coordinator, Vaso Trifonidis, Kiki Malitas, Lina Paidas and Patra Karidas. Thank you also to Mary Jaxheimer and Susan Gouris for your assistance during Holy Week.

* To the ladies who decorated our church for Palm Sunday and cleaned and polished the altar appointments on the Saturday of Lazurus.

* To Patra Karidas, Chair and the many devoted women who magnificently adorned the Epitaphios with flowers on Holy Friday.

* To our parishioners for your generous donations towards the purchase of flowers for the Icons and the Epitaphios.

OPA Pastry Baking – Our OPA Festival will soon be here and our church kitchen is bustling with activity as our Philoptochos ladies have begun preparing and baking the delicious pastries that our Festival is known for. Please plan to offer your time and talent during the baking sessions – all are welcome to assist!

Baking sessions this week will be Monday, April 24, Tuesday April 25 and Wednesday, April 26 beginning at 2:00 PM and on Saturday, April 29 beginning at 9:00 AM.

Baking sessions this week will be Monday, May1, Tuesday May 2, and Wednesday, May 3, beginning at 2:00 PM.

Bid ‘n Buy Meeting – A planning meeting for our annual Bid ‘n Buy will be held on Tuesday, May 2 from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM in our church library. Please plan to attend and offer your time and talent on one of the many committees. We welcome all to participate and to share your ideas in the planning of our Bid /n Buy, our largest fundraiser of the year.

Elections – Elections for the Ladies Philoptochos ‘Nausica’ Board of Directors for the 2017 – 2019 term will take place on Sunday, May 21, 2017 in the church library following the Divine Liturgy. Philoptochos members interested in submitting their name for election to the 2017 – 2019 Board of Directors may contact Elections Chairman, Agnes Louridas 215-947-2992 or President, Diane Saphos at 215-208-5832 or email dsaphos@msn.com. 


Please Join Us for a Revamped SUNDAY Version of Our “Mommy and Me” Toddler Group

Little Apostles

WHO:  All two and three-year-olds and a parent or guardian

WHEN: Sunday, May 7 - immediately following Communion (during Catechism school)

WHERE: The large Greek school room

We are previewing a Sunday version of Annunciation’s “play and learn” preschool group, which will be formally launched this fall.  “Little Apostles” is a pre-catechism group for two and three-year-olds built around reading stories, crafts, and play. Help your child get to know his or her young peers while laying the beginnings of a strong Christian foundation.

Please note: Due to their young ages, all attendees are required to have a parent or guardian participating in the class.

Questions?  Email Jacinda at jacinda.ojeda@gmail.com


“Young at Heart” Are On the Go!

Please join us on an enlightening and spiritual journey to Agia Skepi Monastery on Friday, May 19, 2017.

Transportation provided.

We will depart from church promptly at 9AM, and return by 5PM. Cost is $25 per person.

Please RSVP by May 12 with Agnes Louridas (215) 947-2992, or Helen Papanicolaou (215) 646-8752.


A Taste of Greece in Elkins Park-ΟΠΑ 2017 Greek Food Fest, May 25-28

Many hands are needed to make this annual event a success!

Here are some of the ways you can help:

  • Participate in the 2017 Ad Journal by placing a personal message, or by soliciting an ad from your local businesses.
  • Assist Philoptochos in the preparation of baked goods (see Philoptochos page for dates & times).
  • Share the 2017 OPA Festival Poster with your friends and neighbors.
  • Plan ahead for this Memorial Day weekend! Talk with your family and friends, build a team, and signup here to volunteer at the OPA Festival together. You can also signup to volunteer in person at the Welcome Table during coffee hour.
  • Donate towards the cost of the tents and food items.
  • Invite your friends, relatives and neighbors to come and enjoy the food and the festivities!

Matthew 25 Outreach Ministry

Dear Annunciation Family,

Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!

During Great Lent we were asked to heighten our efforts to strengthen our spiritual character by fasting, praying, giving alms, and forgiving. Once again this loving church family stepped up to the plate and showed its kind and charitable heart by collecting countless food items for the 40 Days of Lent Project. We would like to extend a big THANK YOU to those of you who donated and delivered a variety of meats, eggs, non-perishable foods, and other products. Our church collected so many different items that it was impossible to count everything!

Those at Seeds of Hope were thrilled and extremely grateful, particularly because donations had been lean during March and early April. Know that you helped to answer their prayers on April 11th when it was all delivered. Your generosity helped a

number of people in our community enjoy their Easter celebration.

God bless you and thank you for your continued support and generous contributions!

NO Hungry Kids This Summer

As you know, throughout the year we collect food donations to support the Seeds of Hope food pantry as well as monetary donations to prepare meals for those in need. Starting this month our focus is to collect healthy food items for children. During the school year, many children receive free or reduced-priced breakfast and lunch; however when school is no longer in session, they may be at greater risk for hunger. Our aim is to limit that risk and maintain their access to nutritious foods during the summer. Examples of healthy kid friendly foods include but are not limited to yogurt, eggs, cheese sticks, peanut butter, nuts, crackers, low-fat granola bars, low-fat milk, apples, baby carrots, yogurt-based dips, hummus, etc. Please feel free to purchase these types of foods on your own and bring them to church or provide monetary donations to this aim. As always, thank you for your continued support and generous contributions! 

Our next delivery to Seeds of Hope is Wednesday, May 31st


End-of-Year Youth Potluck Picnic

Saturday, June 10th at Mason's Mill Park. Details to follow


Wanted! 2017 Graduates of Annunciation/ Evangelismos Church

Our community will honor the accomplishments of this year’s Annunciation graduates on Sunday, June 11, 2017, at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

We invite you to submit the names of high school, vocational-technical school, and college/university graduates, and share with your church community the acknowledgment of their achievements. Winter graduates will also be acknowledged at this time.

Please complete and return this form to the church office by Sunday, May 21, 2017.

2017 GRADUATE

Full Baptismal name____________________________________

Parents’ names_______________________________________

Address_____________________________________________

City_________________ State______________Zip__________

Home phone Cell phone________________________________

Email_______________________________________________

Graduating from School________________________________

Or University_________________________________________

Degree received from University_________________________

Future plans?_________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Would you like to share any other achievements or information with your church community?

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________


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From the Desk of Parish Council President

Summary Financial Statement:

 

 

 

 

Annual 2017

 

Q1 2017

Q1 2016

Stewardship

 $304,960

 

 $107,374

 $69,045

Other revenue sources

 176,200

 

 47,166

 18,491

Total

 481,160

 

 154,540

 87,536

Operating Expenses

 (481,160)

 

 (133,134)

 (139,585)

Net

 $-  

 

 $21,406

 $(52,049)

 

 

 

 

 

Stewards

320

 

244

216

Dear Parishioners,

Χριστός Ανέστη! Christ is Risen!

As you all know, our guiding principles for our community are to care for our children and youth, to welcome new people to our community, and to engage our congregation.  Our goals for 2017 are to grow the number of active stewards in our community to 320, increase participation and engagement in Church Life, and improve our communications and transparency.  In an effort to continue to strive towards these goals, we are presenting summary financials for the three months ending March 2017, along with comparisons to the prior year and to our annual budget.

We are happy to report that stewardship is on the rise over the prior year, both in pledge amounts as well as number of stewards pledging.  Other income sources include candles, trays, hall rentals - and this year is favorably impacted by the successful March 25 dinner we had, that did not take place last year.  Additionally, we are continuing to keep expenses in check.  Last year, we had significant maintenance expenses for the church that did not recur this year.  These types of expenses are difficult to predict when they will occur and will create variances that are explainable. 

While we find ourselves on positive ground at the end of March, we know that these funds need to be sustained throughout the coming summer months where pledges drop off significantly, while our expenses continue at the same pace.  We are happy to share this information in the spirit of transparency, so that everyone in our community understands the financial picture of Evangelismos.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our treasurer, Dennis Matarangas or me.

Thank you to all our parishioners who have completed and submitted their stewardship pledge.  Stewardship is the backbone of our community.  If you have not completed your stewardship pledge for 2017, we invite you to submit it as soon as you can.  We strive to have stewardship fund our operating plan, so that events like a March 25 dinner can be invested in the many other needs of the church.

Sincerely,

Cathy Avgiris, Parish Council President

VOLUNTEER WANTED – HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE STUDENT AS PROJECT MANAGER FOR HVAC REPLACEMENT PROJECT

The Parish Council is planning the replacement of the Church’s heating, ventilating and air condition (HVAC) systems and would like to have an Assistant Project Manager to assist with the project, which will run into late 2018.  This is an opportunity for a student interested in Engineering or a technical field to gain valuable experience and learn basic skills in project management, and to get exposure to architectural and engineering designs, procurement of services and project implementation.  Candidates should have an interest in engineering and technical matters and organizing work and should be studying math and sciences as part of their education.  The candidate should also have basic computer skills and will learn to use Word, Excel and Powerpoint. 

The Assistant Project Manager will work directly with Parish Council members to learn and perform the following duties:

  • Attend project meetings, take and distribute minutes and action items
  • Track progress of action items
  • Develop and maintain project schedule
  • Study and understand design and construction documents and understand scopes of work for the various trades involved
  • Assist with organization and execution of process to request contractor quotations
  • Develop quotation comparison criteria
  • Preparation of quotation comparison and presentation to Parish Council, assist with selection of contractor
  • Construction coordination and project schedule tracking with General Contractor
  • Punchlist development and close-out
  • As-is documentation and project close-out
  • Preparation and presentation of status reports to Parish Council and General Assembly

The project is starting this summer and will run through the autumn of 2018.  Work will average approximately 10-15 hours per month.  This is a great opportunity for a student to learn new skills, get exposure to engineering and architectural work, to get professional level work experience and have accomplishments that can be listed on college applications and resumes. 

If you are interested or simply want to learn more, please contact Dean Dalson at cdalson@comcast.net or 408-421-4921.  Thank you!

 

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Bulletin Inserts

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