TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Memorials Today
Memorial prayers will be offered at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy today for the repose of the souls of the servant of God, Sandra Balouris (1 year), Father David Sedor (10 years), Themistocles Balouris (17 years), John Balouris (22 years) and Helen Balouris (29 years). May their memory be eternal! Coffee Hour is being sponsored by the Balouris family.
No Church School Class
Attention, parents: there will be no Church School class today and next Sunday, December 30 due to the holiday celebrations, so please join together and worship as a family.
Philoptochos Pastries and Bread Available Today
Delicious Christmas sweets will be available for purchase today in the Gallery. Holy Trinity Philoptochos has their sweets available for pickup for those who pre-ordered and has a limited number of items for sale as well. Look for their table in the Gallery during Coffee Hour.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
[Dec 24, 25] Services for the Nativity of Christ – NOTE UPDATED DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES – Corrected from previous Herald and Bulletins
Please remember these festal celebrations for the Nativity of Christ and participate in them with your family. Please note that all Christmas services will be held at Holy Trinity Church.
- Mon. Dec. 24, 9:30 am - Royal Hours of the Nativity: This special service offers readings, prophecies and hymns which point to and interpret the Divine Incarnation.
- Mon. Dec. 24, 6:30pm - Vesperal Liturgy of the Nativity: This service “opens the liturgical day” and begins the celebration of the Nativity. Also, the Holy Trinity Choir will be offering a selection of beautiful Christmas carols following the service. (Note: This is a combined Vespers/Divine Liturgy with Holy Communion) Those wishing to receive Holy Communion should refrain from eating or drinking following their noon meal.
- Tues. Dec. 25. 8:30am Orthros/9:30am Liturgy - The Nativity of our Lord: This is the main service of the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Open the best gift first by attending Liturgy with your family and receiving the Holy Mysteries together! Make it a family tradition to keep the most important thing about Christmas the most important thing in your home!
“Faith and Family WEEKDAYS” Off This Week
Our “Faith and Family WEEKDAYS” will take a break for the Christmas and New Year this week and next, and will resume on Tuesday, January 8 with the Journey of Marriage seminar. In the meantime, please remember your Prayer Partners! Even over the holidays, please remember to lift up your prayer partner every day! Please keep the promise.
[Jan 2, 8, 22] GOYA Basketball Practice
GOYA will hold basketball practice in preparation for the 2019 basketball tournament season on January 2, 8 & 22 from 6:30-8:30pm at Hosack Elementary School, 9275 Peebles Road, Allison Park, PA 15101.
“Feed the Homeless” 2019 Dates Still Available at Pleasant Valley Shelter – Please Sign Up!
This shelter, near our old neighborhood on the North Side, provides overnight accommodations to 30 homeless men, 365 nights each year and relies totally on volunteers to feed the men. We only have 2 dates left for HT volunteers to take! They are all Sunday evenings (they're served dinner at 8:00pm): Jan 13 and Mar 10. Please see Mike Kritiotis today, or contact him at 412-518-0588, or at mkritiotis@gmail.com to sign your family/group/ministry up.
The 2019 Schedule is Out! Sign Up to Provide FOCUS Lunches for the Needy
It’s time once again to get your group or family together for a meaningful day of giving to the poor and hungry in our region. Sponsored through FOCUS Pittsburgh, the 2019 weekly schedule of delivering 140 lunch bags to our less fortunate neighbors, every Saturday of the year, has many open dates available. Holy Trinity Church’s participation has been critical in fulfilling this goal in the past, and we are grateful for our parishioners’ renewed generosity this time around. Please see Mike Kritiotis after Liturgy to sign up for a Saturday that fits your schedule or contact him by emailing outreach@holytrinitypgh.org for available dates. Thank you, good and faithful servants of Christ!
[Jan 19] LOOKING FOR HOLY TRINITY’S TOP MALE CHEFS - SAVE THE DATE!
Mark your calendars for a fun evening feasting on edible creations from our top Holy Trinity Male Chefs! The event will be held on Saturday, January 19, 2019 in the Grand Room. Join us as Holy Trinity’s most notable men compete for the coveted title of HT’s Top Chef! Guests will visit food stations and be served samples of appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. Vote for all your favorite chefs via tip jars in this friendly fundraising competition! Reservations are $30.00 per person. Proceeds to benefit the HT Capital Campaign, kitchen needs and FOCUS Pittsburgh. Reserve your seats online today at www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/events. If you are interested in competing for the title, please see Kathy Balouris, Karen Georgiadis or George Athanasiou or email them at social@HolyTrinityPgh.org. More details to follow.
FOCUS Pantry Food Drive - Thank You!
We would like to thank all the Holy Trinity Church School students and their families for the amazing response to our FOCUS Pantry Food Drive. Over 1,500 items were collected! Thank you, good and faithful servants!
FOCUS Christmas Angel Gifts – Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who graciously provided gifts to help make a child’s or a senior citizen’s Christmas a special one!
Holding a Ministry Activity or Committee Meeting at Church? Reservations Required!
Our community and its ministries are growing! If your ministry or committee is planning a meeting or activity and you are planning to hold it at the church, please note that reservations for rooms and event spaces are required. Please call the Church Office at 412-366-8700 and speak to our Office Administrator, Mary Portellos. There have been times when all the spaces have been filled, so your cooperation helps ensure every group that needs a place has one and helps minimize space conflicts. We have a beautiful facility – let’s work together so everyone who needs it can use it. Thank you!
“ONE HOLY TRINITY” – Please Make Your Commitment and Submit Your 2019 Cards Today – AND, be Sure to Fulfil your 2018 Pledge!
Once again, this year’s pledge card system carries the theme of ONE Holy Trinity. Just like God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, we, the members of Holy Trinity Church, need to join together in love as one to serve the Church and to provide for its critical missions in today’s society. If you have not yet received a 2019 pledge card or are new to Holy Trinity, please note that additional pledge cards can be found at the Welcome Table located in the Narthex of the church. Also, this is the time to catch up and fulfil/exceed your 2018 pledge. Our member-funded church needs each and every one of us, no matter the amount. And remember, a signed pledge card is required as part of maintaining your membership in good standing at Holy Trinity Church each year. We’re grateful to all of you for your commitment. If you have any questions, please see a member of the Stewardship Committee or visit www.HolyTrinityPgh.org/stewardship.
Calling All Spero’s Books: Please Come Home in December!
Attention Church School parents and students: Spero needs your help! There are many books and DVDs missing from his library. If you have any books out from the St. Spyridon Children’s Library, please return them by the end of December. That would be a great Christmas gift for Spero! If you cannot locate any books or materials, please see a library staff member about replacing them. Also, if a staff member contacts you about missing materials checked out by your children, please respectfully and responsibly fulfill their request to return or replace them. Many years of development and investment have gone into our Saint Spyridon Library. It is a valuable community resource - let`s respect it and care for it properly. Thank you!
Sunday Bulletin and Holy Trinity Herald Deadlines Reminder
Have an announcement for a Holy Trinity event or ministry for the Sunday Bulletin or the Herald? Please keep these regular deadlines in mind: Sunday Bulletin – each Wednesday; The Herald – the 15th of each month. Thank you!
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Welcome, Holy Trinity Guests!
We welcome all our guests to Holy Trinity Church today, whether as visitors from out of town, family members joining others here for worship today or even soon-to-be members here for the first time. No matter what the reason the Holy Spirit brought you here today, we welcome you with open arms and hearts filled with the love of Christ. Please help us welcome you by signing in at the hospitality table in the Narthex, where you will be presented with a yellow lapel Cross to help our Holy Trinity family know you're here. Please fill out an information card so we can contact you with any information you may need concerning life here at Holy Trinity Church. Following Liturgy, we invite you to stop by our Connect Center located in the Gallery and join us for our Fellowship Coffee hour.
About Receiving Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church
As an extension of our hospitality and outreach ministries, we welcome all who have come to worship with us today. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian, an inquirer to the faith or a first-time guest in an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us and thankful for the opportunity to share and bear witness to this ancient and timeless Faith. In accordance with the holy canons and traditions of the Church, please note that Holy Communion and the other Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) are received only by those who are baptized and chrismated (confirmed) Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared through prayer, fasting and confession. All others are invited receive the antidoron (blessed bread) and a blessing from the priest at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. The antidoron is not a sacramental offering but is blessing and a reflection of the agape (love) feast that followed worship in the ancient Christian Church. Please join our parish family for hospitality after the holy services and allow us to meet and welcome you. Interested in joining or learning more about the Orthodox Christian Faith? Please see one of our priests or complete a visitor’s card today!
For those who do receive, please remember the following helpful hints aimed at helping to preserve the solemnity and safety of the Holy Mystery: 1) The Church School Staff only is asked to please proceed first to receive from the left-most chalice so they may depart for their classrooms before their students arrive; 2) All other students, parishioners and Orthodox Christian guests, please remain at your place until you are dismissed by the Parish Council down the center aisle only; 3) We respectfully ask women to remove their lipstick before approaching the Holy Chalice; 4) Please wait in the Holy Communion line reverently, prayerfully and quietly without talking; 5) It is traditional as we approach with awe that we make the sign of the Cross or bow down with a “metanoia” as an act of humility before the Lord; 5) Be sure to offer your baptismal name to priest before receiving; 6) Please take great care to place the red cloth under your chin and to fully open your mouth so that none of the precious Body and Blood of Christ is accidentally spilled, then to dab your lips on the cloth afterwards so none of the Holy Gifts are left on other objects. Thank you for your cooperation, and may God have mercy on us all!