A Word from Fr. John:

From the Orthros service:

O Jordan River, * What did you see and were amazed? * I saw naked Him whom none * can see, and shuddered in fear.

* And how was I not to shudder at Him and be frightened? * The Angels, when they saw Him also shuddered in awe. *

And heaven was astonished, and astounded was the earth. * The sea recoiled along with all things * both visible and invisible. *

For Christ appeared in the River Jordan, * to sanctify the waters.

++++++++++++

You hallowed the waters of the Jordan River, O Lord; * and by your own might You shattered sin's dominion, O Christ our God.

* You bowed Yourself, O Savior, beneath the hand of the Baptist, * and saved the human race from deception and error. *

Therefore, we intently entreat You to save your world.

++++++++++++

And... “Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, which contains all the mysteries of our salvation, is not only his epiphany as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant of the Lord. It is also the first manifestation to the world of the greatest mystery of all, the worship of the Holy Trinity.... At Jesus’ baptism the mystery of all mysteries is clearly revealed to the world for the very first time.... This is the unique doctrine of Orthodox Christianity: the worship of the Divine Trinity “one in essence and undivided.”

                        – Fr. Thomas Hopko, The Winter Pascha

Special Prayer Requests: We pray for mercy, life, peace, and healing for families needing/seeking assistance in this season: Mike Chelikas, Irene Hastalis, Jim Manos, Chresanthe Lemieux, Jane Anderson, Betty & Fred Day, Despina Xynidis, George P. Nichols, and for their families; for continued growth of the parish family and for those the Lord receives, serves, and sends through her lifesaving ministry.  We pray for the prospects traveling to OCMC this week for missionary training and for our two missionary families: Dn. Stephanos, Dka. Alexandria & Moses Ritsi serving Albania; and Michael (traveling to Kenya on Wednesday), Lisa & Liam Colburn serving translators worldwide. 

Call and Notify the Church in Times of Need:When challenging times come upon us and especially in times of illness, hospitalization, emergency, and need for intercession, be sure to call and notify Father John through the church office.  Please e-mail prayer requests and updates to holy3goc@gmail.com. Enter into your phones the 24-hour emergency number on the Church voicemail: (602) 617-2467.

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

• January 6^th                    Carman Gaetanos
• January 13^th                  Pancake Fundraiser Breakfast

Sunday School:Sunday School News: A huge thank you to the Philoptochos for their generosity and gifts.  Another huge thank you to all the teachers and kids whose efforts made the pageant such a wonderful moment in the life of our parish.

Parish Council Announcements:

• Parish Council Nominations are Open & the Election is set for January 13th: Contact any Member of the Elections Committee: Gregory Alatas, Stephanie Burke, and Connie Gaitanis.  Absentee ballots will be available December 30^th and due by January 13^th.
• Spirited Projection for a Full-Time Priest & Commitment Presented at the General Assembly: For the good of the community and for salvation, parish council members unanimously agreed to work toward raising up support for a full-time priest and projected a 2019 budget inclusive of a 35% priest salary increase.  Members pledged publicly to increase their own 2019 Stewardship 35%.  Prayerful, sacrificial offering has made possible the growth of this parish, and our good stewarding will continue that spirit.  Let us also match the spirit of generosity of the late Charles Maragon, recent benefactor of this community whose estate value brought the mortgage under a million dollars. Might you consider matching or growing toward the 35% increase of your commitment for 2019?
• Sacrificial Offerings:  Continue offering as generously as possible in support of the Church and Her ministries. Together, we ensure the care, administration, and open doors to all who seek Her comfort. Combined with our prayerful presence and intentional involvement, our weekly offerings continue making possible a growing vitality and sustainability of our parish. The weekly collection basket is in the Narthex on your way into the hall to join in fellowship.

January 13^th Joshua Gaetanos Pancake Fundraiser Breakfast:  Joshua Gaetanos and his family will be hosting a pancake fundraiser breakfast next Sunday, January 13th, to help them in support of his upcoming mission trip to Belize.  Joshua will share pictures and his experiences from last year and talk about the mission work he and his school, St. Joseph Academy, do all year long.  Joshua is excited to return to Belize and see the many children he was able to meet and bond with last year. 

Please join us and help support Joshua.  Thank you, The Gaetanos Family

Stewardship: 

• Stewardship means living our lives as active members of the Church, the Body of Christ. The stewardship theme for all parishes this year is "Stewards of the Faith -- All things are possible to the one who believes in Christ".  We invite everyone to participate fully in the sacramental life of our parish, caring for the Church and our fellow parishioners, and supporting the life of our parish in every way with contributions of our personal time, talents and treasure. 
• Managing the financial affairs of the Church responsibly requires a projection of what we expect to receive in revenues for our parish each year. Stewardship is our largest source of revenue. Please submit your pledge card as soon as possible to help with this important task. Even if your circumstances change and you ultimately give more or less, the card itself is evidence of your intention to actively support your parish and make a difference.
• If you are new to our parish, we welcome your active support as a steward for the coming year. For those that have supported our parish with past stewardship we thank you and look forward to your continued commitment.  

37^th Anniversary St. Photios Pilgrimage:Mark your calendars and purchase event tickets to partake in the edifying Feastday events at the St. Photios National Shrine, 41 St. George St. in historic St. Augustine. 

• Wednesday, February 6^th at 9:00 AM …   Feast Day Orthros and Divine Liturgy
• Saturday, February 9^th at 5:30 PM …   Great Vespers followed by Dinner with St. Photios Trustees
• Sunday, February 10^th at 1:00 PM …   37^th Anniversary Pilgrimage Banquet with Keynote Speaker Dr. Tom Papademetriou, Stockton University

Bulletin Submission:Please submit your articles weekly by Wednesday, or at the latest, Thursday. Please note that all submissions will be reviewed and edited by Father John.