A Word from Fr. John:

“For the way of all those who see is single and upward, illuminated by the heavenly light, but the ways of those who do not see are many, dark, and divergent. The one leads to the kingdom of heaven, uniting man to God, while the others lead down to death, separating man from God. Thus, it is necessary for you and for all who are concerned about their salvation to make your way by faith, without deviation, surely and resolutely; lest, in slacking, you remain in gross desires, or, erring, wander far from the right path….

So, faith procures this for us, as the elders, the disciples of the apostles, have handed down to us: firstly, it exhorts us to remember that we have received baptism for the remission of sins, in the name of God the Father, and in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was incarnate, and died, and was raised, and in the Holy Spirit of God; and that this baptism is the seal of eternal life and rebirth unto God, that we may no longer be sons of mortal men, but of the eternal and everlasting God.…”

            – St. Irenaeus (Eirenaios) of Lyons, On the Apostolic Preaching, about A.D. 180-200

Special Prayer Requests:  We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing of Jim Manos (at Moultrie Creek Nursing & Rehab Center), Chresanthe Lemieux, Jane Anderson, Betty & Fred Day, Despina Xynidis, George P. Nichols, JoAnne Long, our parish, those we serve, the Sunday School teachers and students, and our two missionary families: Dn. Stephanos, Dka. Alexandria & Moses Ritsi serving Albania; and Michael Lisa & Liam Colburn serving translators worldwide. We also pray for the newly reposed Steve Sarris, who passed from this life on August 13^th. May his memory be eternal!

Also, Father Michael Byars, the priest at Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Daytona, suffered the loss of his house when it burned down last Sunday afternoon. The family is safe but they did lose their pets in the blaze. They have lodging and are thankful to God for his mercy and grace.

Father Michael asked that we refrain from calling or texting him while they are busy for the next few days sorting out the tragedy that has befallen them. You can email him at fathermichaelbyars@gmail.com but it may be a while before he is able to answer. The church does have a relief fund and way to donate set up on their website: https://www.holycrossoc.org/

Please keep Father Michael, Khouria Denise, and their family in your prayers.

Offering a Phanouropita - August 26^th:

Dear Holy Trinity parish family,

Fr. John wants everyone to know that the Great Martyr Phanourios is commemorated on August 27, and accordingly, the Lekos family will be offering a Phanouropita on Sunday, August 26^th, to be blessed after the Liturgy by Fr. John.

The Lekos family invites others to offer their own Phanouropita as well.

Through the prayers of the holy Great Martyr Phanourios, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us and save us! Amen.

Today, August 26^th - Blessing of the Backpacks:

Join us today as our children and their backpacks receive a special blessing for the new school year.  We pray they are blessed by your prayers throughout the school year.

Hostess Schedule:  Carman Gaetanos (904) 540-0367 or carmgaet@gmail.com

• August 26        
• Monthly Potluck
• September 2     
• Carman Gaetanos

Sunday, September 2^nd – One-Year Memorial for Fred Allen

Sunday School Begins September 9th: September 9th will be the first day of the 2018/19 Sunday School year!  We must have a registration form for every child, turned in to either Carman Gaetanos or Presbytera Renee Ritsi.  The form is included in the digital weekly bulletin, and copies are in the narthex.

We ask that the community allow the students and their teachers to be the first to receive Holy Communion, so that they may immediately head to class.  In all of our work and with all of our plans for the year, we recognize that the only way for what we do to be truly effective is if we have the support of YOU, our wonderful Church Family.  Together we will share Christ’s message of love with the children of our parish and with those around us.  Thank you.  Again, we welcome all of our youth back to Sunday School on September 9th.

Weekly Offering:  You can decide how much you might contribute to support this church’s ministry.  Your gift goes to ensuring that our church is open and accessible to all who seek her comfort.  These donations are very important to the vitality of our parish.  Your offering can be made at the collection basket as you exit the service.

Treasurers Report

Income Statement (Jan - Jul 2018)

                        Actual             Budget (YTD)

Revenues:        $104.376         $110,726

Expenses:        $126,214         $128,309

Rev over Exp:  ($22,636)         ($17,583)

Balance of Accounts (Jul 2018)

Operating Account:     $16,573.42     

Mortgage Account:        $8,049.41

Mortgage Balance:     $1,337,012.55

Reserves:

Clergy reserve fund:      $18,500.00

Maintenance reserve:    $37,884.00

Iconography:                $22,603.97

Mortgage refinance:     $353,301.27

Outreach Update: Dick Billeter dickbilleter@yahoo.com  Praying that all of our students have a wonderful return to school! School Supplies for Needy: A blessed thank you for all the fantastic school supplies we received and donated just in time for the new school year.  Visit us anytime at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/holytrinityoutreach

Greek Dance Practice:  Children in grades VPK-8th are welcome to join as we prepare for the Greek Festival. Practices will be held on Friday evenings 5:30pm-6:30pm starting on 8/31. These will be every week until 10/5 (a total of 6 practices). If you are interested in committing to these practices and performing with the dance group, please contact Angela Lekos (angelmou1@att.net).

The New Panagia Chapel to receive the Miraculous Panagia Vimatarissa Icon September 29^th at 11 a.m.: Join in procession of the miraculous icon into the new Panagia Chapel at the Diakonia Center, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta with the Monks of Vatopaidi on Mount Athos, and Clergy of the Metropolis of Atlanta. All will venerate the miraculous icon of our Lady, offer glory to our God and Creator, and thank those who made this day possible while enjoying the fellowship of our Metropolis of Atlanta family. Please RSVP with this link and call Ethel Gjerde 404-634-9345 with any questions.  In addition, St. Demetrios Church in Daytona is sponsoring a two-day pilgrimage package (see flyer in hall).

The miracle of this icon was eventually revealed in a shallow well of the monastery. There, around 910 AD, the monk who served as the Caretaker of the Altar (Vimatarissa in Greek) secretly hid the icon just before being taken prisoner by Arab raiders looting and leaving in ruins the monastery.  70 years later, he was released and returned to the monastery, unknown to the new monks who rebuilt the monastery. He told them how he hid the sacred icon and, there in the shallow well, stood on the water, the icon, the cross, and the lit candle. (Source with more details and photos: Mystogogy Resource Center https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/04/saint-savvas-vimataris-and-miracle-of.html).

Greek Summer Night Paniyiri:The third annual Greek Summer Night Paniyiri was an intimate family evening!  Thank you to everyone who supported the Paniyiri and attended this evening of fun, fellowship, family and food.  Everyone truly enjoyed themselves!  Not only did we honor the Feast of the Dormition, we were also able to support the St. Francis House, the Ladies Philoptochos, and our beloved parish.

Visiting the Church Outside of Office Hours:We strive to always welcome parishioners and the many visiting out-of-towners to the best of our ability. Please call the office to arrange a visit. If there is no answer, call the emergency number on the voicemail, (602) 617-2467, to discuss options that may exist. 

Wild Fires in Greece:Our brothers and sisters in Greece need our love and support at this time.  The National Philoptochos has established a humanitarian relief fund.  Donations can be sent to the “2018 Fires in Greece Fund” at the National Philoptochos Society, 126 East 37^th Street, New York, NY 10016 or donations can be made online at http://bit.ly/1MpMsF3, and select “2018 Fires in Greece Fund.”

Job Openings Available at OCMC: Join our team at the Orthodox Christian Mission Center, as we help to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth! To apply please send your resume to Missions@ocmc.org.  Full job descriptions available at OrthodoxJobs.com

Development & Marketing Administrative Assistant

Responsible for assisting in the administrative activity for the OCMC Development and Marketing Departments. They work to help educate, engage, and inform the faithful of the United States in Orthodox Missions.

Missions Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant to serve both the Missionary and Mission Teams Directors. The primary role is to assist in all administrative and clerical functions associated with the recruitment, training, and deployment of missionaries and short-term team members.

Bulletin Submission:Please submit your articles weekly by Wednesday, or at the latest, Thursday.  Please be aware that Fr. John and Margo Kelley will edit bulletin prior to publication.