Please sign up HERE  to attend in person any of the church services. All ages are welcomed (and encouraged) to attend. 
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

A Trinity of Good Works 

Many of our parishioner families are not aware of the extent and breadth of support that Philoptochos provides on a local, national, and global level.  The proceeds of our major annual fundraiser, the Bid N Buy, and our members provide the primary resources for our chapter to do A Trinity of Good Works – in Reaching In and Reaching Out Ministries as well as Extended Ministries, which we call promises to keep.

Here is a summary of the Trinity of Good Works your Philoptochos chapter has supported, thus far, in 2020 totaling $18,000:

• Promises to Keep – our national and metropolis commitments - $6,250: National COVID Relief Fund - $3,000
• Saint Basil Academy - $950
• Hellenic College/Holy Cross  - $1,300
• Schools of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – $500
• IOCC - $500
• Reaching In Ministries – helping and supporting our parish community - $5,400:
• Special Equipment for a parishioner in need - $1,200
• Annunciation Stewardship - $3,000
• Our Sunshine committee continues to send well wishes to our parishioners
• Philoptochos Calling Tree – in addition to participating with our other ministry leaders and parish council members, we have checked in on every Philoptochos member at least once during this crisis
• Our Family & Society committee continues to prepare and distribute 40-day blessing bags
• Support of our Homeless Ministry with $200 in backpack items
• Support of Families in Need in our community with food cards - $1,000
• Reaching Out Ministries – Living the Philoptochos commitment to help the poor, the hungry, the needy throughout the world - $6,250
• Ronald McDonald House – since we are not able to cook for CHOP families, we contributed $500 to assist their efforts
• Caring For Friends (formerly Aid for Friends) $500 to support food pantries throughout Philadelphia addressing those impacted by the crisis, in addition to the preparation and distribution of 200 meals for hungry families throughout our area
• Jenkintown Food Cupboard - $500 to support food pantries addressing food insecurities in our local community
• Purchase and distribution of 550 KN95 masks to 3 local area hospitals, Elkins Park fire, police, and emergency workers - $1,250
• Support for local restaurants that have helped our church and Philoptochos in the past by purchasing food for delivery to front-line health care workers at Nazareth, Temple, Einstein, and Doylestown hospitals, with Jefferson Hospital food delivery in May - $1,000
• Support of IOCC efforts in Lebanon - $1,000
• Support of our sister parishes in California impacted by the wildfires - $1,000
• American Heart Association - $500
• We will not be hosting our annual Bid-N-Buy due to the uncertainties surrounding COVID but will be publishing a special program to recognize all those who have supported us through the donor letter.  There is still time to participate!  Any amount is greatly appreciated.   We are looking for other creative ways to fundraise so we can continue our Trinity of Good Works. 

As always, we thank Father John and our Philoptochos Board members for being ready and eager to help in whatever way they can.

Your Sister in Christ,

Stella Fisfis

Philoptochos Nausica President

2020 Philoptochos Community Christmas Card

Please view the invitation letter HERE and return your submission by November 30, 2020

Thanks to all the generous donations from our church family, we have been blessed to be able to collaborate with Whosoever Gospel Mission to help make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness. 

The mission is less than five miles from our church with thrift stores in 2 different locations. 

The Whosoever Gospel Mission is a Christian nonprofit organization whose purpose is to provide shelter, food, clothing, education, counseling, rehabilitation, and other assistance to homeless and/or needy men, women, and children in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. As the lighted sign on their rooftop proclaims each night, "we seek to offer the love of Jesus and the hope of the Gospel in both word and deed to those who are hurting".

Please explore the Whosoever Gospel Mission website to learn more about the good work that is being done. 

www.whosoevergospel.org

With your continued support, Annunciation will be participating in their upcoming annual toy giveaway 

to help homeless men provide gifts to their children and grandchildren:

www.whosoevergospel.org/wp/2019-toy-giveaway-video  

Please look for more information in the November bulletin. 

In Christ's service,

The Homeless Ministry

Together We’re Charging Ahead and Making Progress!

Thank you for being part of positive change within our community.  Matthew 25 works very hard to reduce hunger in our local communities, as you often hear in our bulletins. Our ministry is grateful for the generosity you have shown us with the outpouring of donations during Covid. We are excited to announce that with your help, we delivered our monthly egg donation (100 dozen eggs) to the Seeds of Hope food pantry and were able to add $100 in nourishing soups, $100 in nutrient-rich frozen vegetables, and $100 in heart-healthy oil as well as butter.  We also delivered the items that you added to our bins.  The pantry was thrilled, and they are always so thankful and blessed with our offerings.  Please continue to donate in any capacity that you can. We would love to be able to continue this level of contribution in the future!

To expand our community reach with our increased funding, we added a visit to Mattie Dixon Community Cupboard, located in Ambler, this month. They feed, clothe, and even help with job placement and bill assistance to the neighboring communities—what a remarkable group of volunteers and people who run this amazing facility. Feel free to look them up and drop off clothing and food. We discovered that they would need help fulfilling approximately 400+ Christmas gifts, so we will be working with them this Christmas through our Angel Tree program to make some dreams come true. Next month we will fill you in on the various ways you can participate in Angel Tree this year.

We are always hearing about the impact of Covid on people financially, but when you visit the pantry and see the faces of hunger and need, it leaves you with a feeling of sadness that quickly sparks into a sense of hope.  We are that hope, and we are all part of this mission to help serve “the least of our brethren.” Our ministry name and scripture of Matthew 25:40 reminds us.  We must see and serve our fellow man for the Glory of God. Thank you for helping us accomplish our mission.

Our Annual Turkey Drive is on. Please see information HERE.  We are ready to take orders!  We hope to purchase over 150 turkeys this year! You can always donate to M25  on the GivePlus+ at any time and in any amount. 

November: Angels & The Nativity Fast 

"An angel of peace, a faithful guide, and a guardian of our souls and bodies."

On Nov. 8 we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Archangels. The Holy Scriptures describe the angels as ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation (Heb. 1:14). The Holy Tradition of our Orthodox Church also teaches that each of us is assigned a guardian angel at our baptism to watch over us throughout our earthly lives. 

Enjoy a three-minute video on angels from GOARCH.

The following books on angels and the Nativity season, and many other books, icons, CDs, and other personal worship items are available through our Annunciation bookstore.

Please consider using them as resources for your spiritual journey! 

What Do You Hear, Angel? by Elizabeth Crispina Johnson. Annie's going for a walk in the woods with her angel. For everything, Annie hears—a frog, a bird, a brook, a breeze—the angel hears a corresponding song of praise in heaven. Young children are shown that heaven and earth are not so very far apart, after all. ($18.95)

The Holy Angels by Mother Alexandra. In layperson's terms, Mother Alexandra presents the essence of everything the Church has to teach us about the angels, from the Old and New Testaments to the Tradition of the Church as expressed in her theology, hymnography, and iconography. For those who’d like to understand the role of these holy servants of God in our lives, this book is a great place to start. ($19.95) 

Complete November update here: Angels & The Nativity Fast

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 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, Fr. George, Helen, Luke, Lia, Mary, Stefanos.

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 wedding anniversary! To those who are celebrating birthdays this coming week: Dinoulis, Thomas & Jodie; Cierski, Joshua & Christine; Mackrides, Simeon & Galatea; Coutros, John & Irene; Metzler, Bill & Voula; Vafiadis, George & Bessie; Apostolidis, Nikos & Tricia; Boulageris, Peter & Maria.

Χρόνια πολλά & ευλογημένα!  God grant you many years!  To those who are celebrating birthdays this coming week: Salvatore Loiacono, Michael Robertson, Peter Zavitsanos, Nikolaos Karras, Panayiotis Vasiliadis, Alexandra Verros, Elizabeth McClintock, Frank Voutsinos, Alexandros Karras, Antoni Sourias, Christina Tsiobikas, Marie Zeman, Katerina Dafsios, Anastasia Magrini, Magdalene Malitas, Nicolas Vlahos, James Contoudis, Brighton Couppas, George Kagiavas, Alexander Matarangas, Alexis Matarangas, Declan Petrogiannis, Nicholas Trivelis, Jessica Degroot, Bessie Derk, Elise Fiorita, Maria Morris, Vrisida Nanos, Susan Pashos, Krista Ricks, Iliana Sklikas.

Our deepest sympathy to the family of Athanasios Dafsios, 90, who fell asleep in the Lord on October 23, 2020. May his memory be eternal.

Like all gifts that benefit Annunciation / Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church, endowed gifts to the church contribute to its growth, to ministry creation, and to 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 is considered “asset stewardship”. As Orthodox Christian faithful, we are encouraged to give 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 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

• Will, bequest, beneficiary form or check made to: Annunciation / Evangelismos Endowment Fund, EIN#  83-3399560

To Learn More about the Annunciation / Evangelismos Endowment Fund

Please call the church office 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.