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

2020 Philoptochos Community Christmas Card

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

R e m a s t e r e d

The Angel Tree is back and better than ever! This year we are offering multiple ways to participate in this Matthew 25 Outreach Ministry project if you are interested.

Option #1: Due to the pandemic, the Angel Tree, which is usually placed in the Fellowship Hall, will now be located outside, under the portico at the entrance of the Narthex. Those attending church can feel free to select an ornament from the Angel Tree.*   As always, print your name on the bottom of the green tag that is attached to the ornament. Detach the bottom portion of the tag and place it in the red box under the tree.

Option #2:  For those who are not physically attending church, you can select a gift online through  SignUp Genius. By clicking on SignUp Genius here you will be directed to the page where you can sign up for as many gifts as you like.

Option #3: Visa Gift cards can be used for a variety of needs and are always welcomed by our recipients. You can enclose a gift card (in an amount of your choosing) in an envelope addressed to Lisa Trivelis (31 Trailwood Drive Holland, PA 18966). On the form provided in the mailer, you can let us know whether you would like us to use your gift card to purchase any unclaimed Angel Tree gifts on your behalf or to distribute the gift cards to those who need them for various important needs.

This year we will be working with various individuals within our parish to fulfill the wishes and needs of adults and children in our local community. Please wrap all gifts and place the number of your gift on the outside of the package to ensure the gift gets to the right special someone (see the number on the top part of the green tag or the number next to your gift on SignUp Genius). Feel free to drop your gifts off at the church office at your convenience prior to December 13^th, but all gifts must be dropped off at church NO LATER THAN December 13^th.

For more information or questions, please contact:

Sophia Penning at (267) 266-1499 or sophiagreekgirl@gmail.com

Lisa Trivelis at (215) 284-1345 or oceancitymom@aol.com 

*To access Angel Tree ornaments on days other than Sunday and to make sure the church office is open to accept your wrapped gifts, please contact George Dalagelis at the Church Office at

(215) 635-0316 or office@anngoc.org

Thank You!

Matthew 25 would like to wish all of you a very Happy and blessed Thanksgiving.  We all seem to dwell on the negative that has impacted our country and lives over the past few months. Today, we would like to focus on the positive.  This year, with the support of our generous parish, we were blessed with an abundance of donations.  On November 16th,  Giant supermarket delivered over 200 turkeys to Seeds of Hope. That’s a lot of turkeys! In addition, we provided our own homeless ministry with 3 frozen turkeys.  Our community service project is traditionally one that provides turkeys for Thanksgiving. This year, with your generosity and Giant as our partner, we will not only deliver Thanksgiving turkey but Christmas dinner too.  Thank you for reading our bulletins, responding to our requests, and coming together to be part of something that continues to meet the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves.  We are so grateful.

This is a very busy time for our ministry. The Angel Tree went up on 11/22/20 and over ½ of the tree, tags were taken.  There are still many gift tags available through the sign–up genius.  If you would like to select a gift but are not comfortable with the sign-up genius please reach out to Sophia Penning. 

Wishing you the gift of faith and the blessing of hope this Nativity Season.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. PSALM 107:8-9

 The Homeless Ministry is thankful to be partnering with Matthew 25 on the annual Angel Tree. Angel Tree gifts #61-80 will be delivered to Whosoever Gospel Mission for their Annual Toy Give-Away - an important initiative the Homeless Ministry supports through your generosity!

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) 

The Nativity Fast, one of the four canonical fasting seasons in the Church year, begins on November 15. It’s a joyous fast in anticipation of the Nativity of Christ and a time when we prepare ourselves for His birth through introspection and prayer. The focus is not on worldly demands such as shopping and decorating, but rather a time of reflective preparation and meditation on the awesome miracle of the Son of God taking on flesh and becoming one of us.

A Lenten Cookbook for Orthodox Christians. Published by St. Nektarios Press, this classic Lenten cookbook contains the life of St. Euphrosynos the Cook, basic Orthodox fasting information and rules, as well as scores of Lenten recipes. ($12)

Meditations for Advent: Preparing for Christ’s Birth by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou. The author takes us through the hymnography, scripture readings, and iconography for the forty days leading up to the Nativity of Christ, showing how a full understanding of the Incarnation can enrich our spiritual lives. ($12.95) 

The Winter Pascha by Fr. Thomas Hopko. Fr. Hopko draws on the biblical readings and liturgical hymns of the season to illumine the way for us to follow the Church's days of preparation and celebration for the Coming of Jesus in the flesh. References are made to the writings of the saints and Church Fathers, as well as to contemporary Christian teachers and spiritual guides. All those who love the Lord's Coming will find comfort and strength, as well as enlightenment and instruction, for having passed through the Winter Pascha with this book as their companion. ($20)

Let All Creation Rejoice: Reflections for Advent, the Nativity, and Epiphany by Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis. Short daily reflections on the Scripture readings for Nov.15 through Jan. 7. Spending a few minutes each day reading and reflecting on these scriptures will change your heart. Topics include:

- It was a cave, not a barn!

- Is there room in your Inn?

- Are you "giving" or "exchanging"? ($16)

Toolkit for Spiritual Growth by Fr. Evan Armatas. Confused about what you need to do to grow in your faith? Fr. Armatas, a popular podcaster, explains the fundamentals of the three-legged stool of Orthodox practice – prayer, almsgiving, and fasting –in terms that everyone can understand and implement, whether you’re a new Orthodox Christian or have been one for life. ($12.95)

You may also want to consider one of these programs being offered this Nativity Season: 

"Seven Holy Women & You: Walking with the Saints"

An Online Ancient Faith Women's Retreat

November 14th and 15th

7 sessions including:

- Finding strength and softness in a world of hard edges

- Settling down with God in troubling times

For more info, please go to https://store.ancientfaith.com/events/

"My Beautiful Advent"

Presented by Holistic Christian Life

For more info, please visit www.mybeautifuladvent.com

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, Mary, Fr. George, Helen, Luke, Lia, Mary, Irene, Agnes.

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 this coming week: Bentz, Justin & Stephanie; Laspee, Harry & Connie; Sjostedt, Maria-Maggie; Weggel, Michael & Christa; Fentross, Kai & Argie; Kalogrias, Dean & Kara; Hulayew, Nicholas & Lauren Hladchuk.

Χρόνια πολλά & ευλογημένα!  God grant you many years!  To those who are celebrating birthdays this coming week: Riley Bouikidis, Jodie Dinoulis, Peggy Lambrou, Alexandra McNally, James Paidas, Brian Wittig, Katrina Chiariello, Argiris Fafalios, Melissa Justice, Chris Papakostantinou, John Vellios, Evangelia Warner, Benjamin Worthington, Joyce Zeka, James Chiariello III, Arieta Kerasinis, Kayla Kontogeorgos, Demetrios Papakirk, Timothy Sutcliffe, Melissa Tsiobikas, Nicholas Kalogrias, Matthew Karagianis, David Sidelsky, Marianna Siokos, Cosmas Trifonidis, Stephen Ferello, Eleni Pappas, Christine Georgiou, Agnes Louridas, Andrew McClintock, Samuel Pasles, Aybec Balis, Chrisovalantis Karidas, Efstratia Limberis, James Patella, Polikriti Vafiadis.

Our deepest sympathy to the Zervos & George families for the passing of their beloved mother & grandmother, Aspasia Zervos, 91, of blessed memory. May her 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.