Please signup HERE  to attend in person any of the church services 

For those unable to attend in person, click on the service to see the text and pray with us through our Facebook Livestream

Let us know if you would like for us to light a votive candle for you HERE

Friday, July 10, 2020

• 8 am-12 pm Church courtyard trimming & weeding postponed due to rain

"Many hands make light work." Please let us knows you can come and help. We will practice proper social distancing and the church will provide face masks, work gloves, and tools.

• 5 pm MATINS & DIVINE LITURGY (for Euphemia, the Great Martyr)

v v v

5th Sunday of Matthew July 12, 2020

• 8:30 am MATINS, 9:30 am DIVINE LITURGY
• We will offer memorial prayers for the peaceful repose of the soul of Garyfalia Stiftsi (40-days) of blessed memory (beloved mother of Eleni Bentoulis, died in Greece)
• 1 pm Wedding: Eleni Pappas & Steven Janke—Congratulations!

Friday, July 17, 2020. The Holy Great Martyr Marina (Margaret)

• 8:30 am MATINS, 9:30 am DIVINE LITURGY

Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the 4th Ecumenical Council, July 19, 2020

• 8:30 am MATINS, 9:30 am DIVINE LITURGY

Philoptochos is continuing our charitable work through these unprecedented and questionable times.  Philoptochos has prepared homemade meals, including chicken parmigiana, sautéed string beans, mashed potatoes, and a cookie for dessert.  We prepared 100 of these meals in June for the Caring for Friends organization.  This organization has served over 16 million meals to more than 14,000 homebound isolated seniors, kids, and families in the Greater Philadelphia area.  The next 100-meal donation will be prepared and delivered in July.

In March, we collected items for the Cradles to Crayons organization.  However, due to the pandemic, we were not able to deliver them.  This past month, we were fortunate enough to make this delivery.  A special thank you to everyone who donated, and to Maria McNally for organizing this outreach and delivering the items!

Keeping your health and well-being in mind, and following the state’s current restrictions, our largest fundraiser, “The Bid and Buy,” is canceled for this coming November.  Therefore, a revised donor letter has been mailed out, asking for everyone to please support our mission.  Without these funds, we will not be able to continue our philanthropic work.  Also, we will be selling “Philoptochos: Army of Women” t-shirts, aprons and tote bags.  An update on this sale will be sent out shortly.  These two fundraisers are replacing our Bid and Buy.  Please keep that in mind as you are making your generous donation, and we thank you in advance for all your prayers and support.

Your sister in Christ,

Stella Fisfis, President

How can we make this happen for those who are struggling right now?  There are several ways. One way is to donate to Matthew 25 from the GIVE PLUS app.  We will safely purchase and deliver items to the pantry for you. Another way is to fill those bins that have been empty for so long now that our church doors are beginning to open.  Also, if you are out and would like to visit the pantry on your own, contact a Matthew 25 member and we will give you the information you need to deliver safely.

Items that are always in demand are:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Pasta and Pasta sauce
• Soups (especially low-sodium)
• Canned Tuna and Chicken
• Flour and Yeast
• Sugar
• Healthy Cereals
• Pancake Mix and Syrup

God calls and gifts people with specific jobs. It is our calling to use our minds, hearts, voices, and hands to continue to help our brethren who are without their daily bread. We delivered eggs in June and will continue to provide the pantry with eggs in July and August.

Thank YOU for your continued support!  As you may remember Matthew 25 contributed $300 to Philabundance last month. We wanted to take this opportunity to share this thank-you note sent to us from Philabundance because without you this contribution would not have been possible.

God Bless – Matthew 25 Ministry

P.S. We are excited to announce that our small ministry’s little voice reached the ears of State Farm and through the Good Neighbor Community Fund they will be donating over $8000 in food to Seeds of Hope the week of June 14^th!  They are purchasing enough beef, chicken, fish, and other desired wish list items to feed 300 families.  There are so many great companies that are out there willing to help during this season of Covid-19.  We are so happy to be able to announce this tremendous donation and act of kindness.

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."  Proverbs 22:6

An article by Presvytera Tina Oshaana, (MA) in the Praxis magazine, "Listening to Suffering" addresses how to teach empathy to our children in a society focused on "me, me, me". 

Children desire a sense of purpose in life, the feeling that they are ‘making a difference’. Participating in regular volunteer work is a spiritually beneficial activity for children. Exposing them to poverty helps them become more thankful for what they have. Raising compassionate children will in turn lead them closer to God.

How can we, as Orthodox Christians, help our children reveal, nurture and cultivate the love and empathy hidden within their hearts and raise children who will become adults with a desire to care for and serve others? We can help cultivate these virtues in our children by leading by example and giving them opportunities so that they can learn by doing!

An Opportunity for our Children to help other Children: 

Cradles to Crayons is ready to accept our donations!

Poverty is a year-round condition, and young children outgrow essentials like clothes, toys, and books pretty quickly. The U.S. Census Bureau shows Philadelphia as having the highest poverty rate among the nation’s ten largest cities. Nearly one in four Philadelphians, including over 134,000 children, live in poverty. Without adequate and appropriate clothing, children face unfair barriers and are on an unequal playing field. They don’t want to go to school and have a hard time learning. They don’t go outside to play. They don’t feel valued.

Cradles to Crayons provides children from birth through age 12, living in homeless or low-income situations, with the essential items they need to thrive - at home, at school, and at play.

Current Needs List:

NEW or LIKE-NEW

Clothing

Pajamas

Books

Everyday Shoes

Sandals

NEW ONLY
Diapers

Hygiene Items

Socks & Underwear

School Supplies

Activity/Coloring Books

Since Cradles to Crayons is not engaging volunteers at the moment, please help by Sorting, Sizing, and Labeling each bag/box containing your donation.  Please contact one of the Homeless Ministry team members (see below) or bring your donation to the church and place it in the Homeless Ministry Basket located by the Resource Center (bookstore).   

Thank you for your prayers and support!  

Let's help fulfill the vision that one day, every child will have the essentials they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued!

“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”     Mark 9: 3  

In Christ's service,

The Homeless Ministry

GodshallA@aol.com (Angela Godshall)

scorp1371@msn.com (Talia Hatzopoulos)

Bsanginiti@yahoo.com (Bonnie Koletas)

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, Anthony, Janet, Dionysios, Elizabeth, Peter, Athanasia, Earnest, Virginia, Sandra, Tom, Stephen, Betty, Chryssie, Stacey, Athena, Konstantinos, Donna, Fr. George, Helen, Luke, Lia.

Names will be kept on this list for approximately 3 months. Please resubmit Names if needed. Fr. John will include the submitted names at the Psokomide “Offering of Gifts” during the first part of the liturgy when he prepares the mystical gifts of bread & wine. Please lift these names up to the Lord in your personal prayer life as well.

Prayer for healing: Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, who have sent our Lord to heal every sickness. Visit and heal us. Grant patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us to pray for each other that we may be healed. We pray that You heal, guide, and protect your servant (s) (pray by name for those who are sick) and grant them the gift of complete health. You are the source of healing and to You, we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Happy anniversary to those celebrating this coming week: Heather & John Fkiaras, Maria & Curtis Cummings, Mary Kevin & Mack, Sarah & Jonathan Vellios, Kalli & Randy Cunningham, Beverly & Nicholas Economopoulos, Christine & Stephen Ferello, Joanna & Kevin Rega.

Χρόνια πολλά & ευλογημένα!  God grant you many years!  To those who are celebrating birthdays this coming week: Kalli Cunningham, Maria Hatzopoulos, Christopher Merrick, William Sandilos, Eugene Stackhouse, Thomas Dinneen, Michael Johns, Niki Mountis, Angelina Costa, Helen Giannakopoulos, Sanja Economou, Steve Giannos, Alexis Vaganos, Marika Karivalis, Nick Kontogeorgos, Sarah Mazenko, Julia Giannoumis, Maria Gonzales, Magda Pappas, Anthony Prousi, Anna Zacharcenko, Alexia Bougioukas, Christos Dinoulis, Dimitrios Loizos, Steve Vaganos, Jonathan Vellios, Jasmine Vlahos.

Like all gifts that benefit Annunciation/ Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church, endowed gifts to the church contribute to its growth, to ministry creation, and its service to others fulfilling the Gospel of Christ. Endowments are particularly powerful because they deliver a dependable, perpetual source of funding to the ministries of Christ you care about most and that our Lord commands us, in the Holy Scriptures, to fulfill. Your gift to establish an endowment is an investment in the future – an eternal investment - one that affects the salvation of each spiritual life in our church family and of those our ministries serve.

Mission Statement

The Annunciation / Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church Endowment Fund aims to provide for the long-term financial support and stability of our church’s programs, ministries, and missions consistent with the Holy Scriptures and the Orthodox Christian Tradition, to witness to the Orthodox Faith, and to serve others.

What is an Endowment Fund?

An Endowment Fund is composed of restricted funds given as individual bequests and gifts through such giving vehicles as wills, trusts, retirements or estate plans, life insurance, charitable lead or remainder trusts, gift annuities, cash, or real estate. Endowed funds are unique in that the total amount of the gift is invested and remains intact. The investment income, then, becomes a financial resource for Annunciation / Evangelismos to use. Each year, a percentage of the endowment fund’s income is distributed to benefit the mission of the Fund.  In this respect, an endowment is intended to be a perpetual gift.

Why Should I Give to the Annunciation / Evangelismos Endowment Fund?

Giving through accumulated, inherited, and appreciated resources are considered “asset stewardship.” As Orthodox Christian faithful, we are encouraged to offer from our accumulated resources and wealth during our life and after death. The Endowment Fund is a way for stewards to make a perpetual gift to the church from their lifetime accumulated resources. Knowing that your gift will grow with sound investment and spending practices, endowed funds:

• Help create and grow the programs, ministries, and missions of the church
• Provide the assurance we need to recruit and maintain a staff that ministry and church growth necessitate
• Leave a perpetual and enduring Legacy of Faith to the church
• Honor and memorialize your faithful family or loved-one
• Protect your estate and legacy
• Reduce your income and/or estate taxes – ask your tax accountant or financial advisor how

The Different Ways of Planned Giving

• Wills and Bequests - Leave a lasting legacy by adding the Endowment Fund as a beneficiary to your will - most common method
• Life Insurance policy - You can gift an existing policy your family no longer needs or a new policy naming the Fund as a beneficiary
• Cash, Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate or other assets
• Charitable Remainder Trust

To Learn More about the Annunciation / Evangelismos Endowment Fund

Please call the church office, (215) 635-0316, and one of the Endowment Fund committee members will call you back. The directors are Jim Verros, Jim Trivelis, Demetrios Hatzopoulos, John Gilliland, Mitch Papakirk, Dean Dalson, and Father John Johns.