TODAY’S EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES 

Ladies Philoptochos Meeting

The Philoptochos will hold a meeting today in the Fireside Room following Divine Liturgy. New members always welcome!

Ladies Philoptochos Bake Sale

The Ladies Philoptochos will be offering frozen 9x13 pans of Spanakopita and Tiropita for $35/pan that are ready to bake for the holidays! We will also have ready to serve pans of Baklava for $40/pan (baklava is not individually cupped). Impress your friends and family this Thanksgiving with homemade baked goods and help the Ladies Philoptochos continue their philanthropic work at the same time!  Visit our table in the Gallery after Liturgy TODAY to get started on your holiday baking!  Don’t forget to pick up an order form for your Christmas baked goods too!

Sisters of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery – Christmas Boutique Today!

The Sisters of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in Saxonburg, PA are worshiping with us today. Please be sure to stop by and visit their Christmas Boutique in the Gallery following Liturgy. You can help support the Monastery while getting an early start on your Christmas gift shopping this year!

OUTREACH NEWS: FOCUS Christmas Angel Tags Available Today

We are partnering with FOCUS-Pittsburgh again this year to help make a child’s or senior citizen’s Christmas a special one.  “Angel Tags” will be available in the Gallery, beginning today after Liturgy.  As the FOCUS report states, “just as Christ comes and extends his mercy to us, so we work hard to give a small measure of His compassion to our neighbors who are fighting to find the material and emotional necessities of life.”  Gifts are due back to the church no later than Sunday, December 8^th. Your participation is deeply appreciated!

“Feed the Homeless” 2020 Dates Available at Pleasant Valley Shelter – Sign Up Today!

Holy Trinity has a long-standing commitment to serve meals to the men at Pleasant Valley homeless shelter.  The organization has just made available our dinner dates for 2020.  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.  The following five dates are available, to prepare and serve these men dinner - they are all Sunday evenings. (They're served dinner at 8:00pm. Our volunteers bring the cooked food to the shelter and serve it): Jan 12; Mar 8; May 10; July 12; and Sept 13.  Please see Mike Kritiotis today, or contact him at 412-518-0588, or at mkritiotis@gmail.com to sign up your family/group/ministry.

 UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Services This Week: (“SG” = St. George Chapel)

TOMORROW, Monday, November 25: 8:30am Orthros/9:30am Liturgy – St. Katherine the Great Martyr (SG)

Saturday, November 30: 8:30am Orthros/9:30am Liturgy – St. Andrew the Apostle (SG)

[Nov 25] “Faith and Family WEEKDAYS” This Week

Holy Trinity Church’s “Faith and Family WEEKDAYS” ministry has been updated once again to provide valuable faith growth and learning to the entire Holy Trinity family. Building on the fruits of our five six years, we are now including more days and more opportunities for everyone to participate in and grow from worship, spiritual life and educational ministries beyond Sunday morning and to make the Church the "crossroad of daily life”.

THIS WEEK’S OFFERINGS:

 Daily: Prayer Partners. Have you remembered your prayer partner every day? Please keep the promise.

• Mon. Nov 25, 7:00pm “Discover Orthodoxy” – An all-new teaching series for anyone who wants to learn more about the “fullness of the faith” found in Orthodox Christianity, whether as inquirers, catechumens or life-long members. Interested in becoming an Orthodox Christian? This is for you. Just want to refresh your knowledge of the Faith? This is for you, too! Informative, interesting and interactive.

Church School Dismissal Times
A message from our Church School Staff to all parents: Please assist us in offering our children the time to fully participate in their lessons each Sunday by allowing them to remain in class until the end of the session. IMPORTANT: ALL CLASSES CONCLUDE AT 11:30am. Parents of Pre-School and Kindergarten students may pick up their children on the upper level Education Center by using the Education Center stairs in the Gallery near the Bookstore. Parents of all other students are asked to wait for their children downstairs in the Gallery or Grand Room during Coffee Hour. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Offices Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
The offices of the Archdiocese, Metropolis and Holy Trinity Church will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday and Friday. May God bless us all with safe travels, a peaceful, safe and blessed celebration of thanks for all His gifts and continued strength and inspiration in the work of reaching out to the poor, needy and down-trodden of the area and the world so that they, too, might come to know God’s “agape” through our own witness, words and works of love.

Philoptochos Turkey Fundraiser - Thank You!

The Ladies Philoptochos would like to thank everyone who has donated to their Annual Turkey Fundraiser so far, this year.  Your donations will be used to assist local needy families and food banks during the holiday season.  If you have not sent in your donation, there is still time to support this worthy cause.  Checks can be made payable to "Holy Trinity Philoptochos" with “Turkey Fundraiser” written on the memo line and mailed to the church office. Thank you!

[Dec 1] GOYA Turkey Bowl

The GOYA will hold its annual Turkey Bowl Football Game next Sunday, December 1, following Divine Liturgy. This is a fun and friendly GOYA tradition, and everyone is invited: players, non-players, cheerleaders, parents and fans! Players should bring a change of clothes and shoes for play. The flag football game will be followed by hot chocolate, meatless “walking tacos” and other goodies. Yum!

[Dec 1] Church School Reminder: Thanksgiving Outreach - Bring Your Bags of Food for FOCUS

Attention Church School Students: Three weeks you received brown grocery bags and an instruction sheet for the annual FOCUS Food Drive for the needy. Please remember to collect your items and return them to your classroom by next Sunday, December 1, at the latest. Thank you for your generosity!

[Dec 1] Visitation Ministry Christmas Gift Delivery – Sign Up - We Need Your Help!

The Home Visitation Ministry has prepared Christmas gifts for parishioners who are homebound or in nursing facilities. We need visitors who are willing to deliver the gifts. Volunteers are asked to sign up on Sunday, Dec 1 at the VM table in the Gallery. Gifts will be ready for pickup on Sunday, Dec 8. Allow God to use your hands and time to bless those in need this Christmas season!  

[Dec 2] Bereavement Support Ministry: Monthly Group Sessions - Come & Join Us

Our Bereavement Support Ministry Team provides spiritual care to our parishioners and their extended family & friends in time of grief and loss. If you have questions about grief, want to learn more, and share conversation, then please attend our next Bereavement Support Group session on Monday, December 2^nd in the Fireside Room. Please feel free to bring a photo of your loved one too.  Light refreshments and relaxed fellowship begin at 6:30 pm for those who choose. Then 7:00-8:30 pm is group learning and sharing with our Bereavement facilitators. Doesn’t matter if your loss has been recent or many years ago… just come. Feel free to bring a family member and/or friend. Contact Amy Armanious, Visitation Ministry Coordinator with any questions by email at Visitation@holytrinitypgh.org

[Dec 6] Holy Trinity Christmas Card and Poinsettias Forms Due December 6
Please remember that the forms and donations for the Holy Trinity Community Christmas Card and Poinsettias are due by Wednesday, December 6. Forms can be found in the November edition of the Herald and at the church office window.

[Dec 8] Philoptochos Holiday Bake Sale – Deadline to Place Your Orders

As we approach the holiday season let the ladies of the Philoptochos help check something off your list!  It is time for our annual Holiday Bake Sale of Spanakopita, Tiropita, Baklava, Kourambiedes, Koulourakia, Finikia, Paximadia and Sweet Breads. Order forms are available at the church office window and were also included in the November edition of the Herald.  Order now as quantities are limited!  All orders must be received and PREPAID by Sunday, December 8. Orders will be ready for pick up following Liturgy on Sunday, December 22. Questions? Call Nicole Steiner at 412-781-6109.

[Dec 11-20] Philoptochos Baking Dates

We will be preparing homemade pastries and breads for our Holiday Bake Sale.  If you are available to help with baking on any of the days, please join us for an hour or more! Don’t know how to make Greek pastries? We offer on the job training!  Any questions? Please call Nicole Steiner 412-781-6109.

• Wednesday, Dec 11: 9am-4pm Pastry Making             Friday, Dec 20: 9am-4pm Sweet Bread

[Dec 12] Philoptochos Senior Christmas Luncheon

Holy Trinity members age 60 and over are cordially invited to our annual Philoptochos Senior Christmas Luncheon on Thursday, December 12. The Luncheon will begin at 11:00am in our Grand Room following the 9:30am Feast Day Liturgy of St. Spyridon. Please RSVP for your lunch selection (choice of Chicken, Fish, or Pasta) by Thursday, November 28^th to Yvonne Balouris 724-934-4850 or ybalouris@zoominternet.net.

“ONE HOLY TRINITY” – Please Make Your Commitment and Submit Your 2020 Cards Today – AND, be Sure to Fulfil your 2019 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 2020 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 2019 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.

The “Connect Center” is a great resource and contact display prominently located in the Gallery every Sunday and it is for YOU! The purpose is to help EVERYONE in our Holy Trinity community become more informed about the many ministries and opportunities offered here and to make it easier to become involved in all areas of life at Holy Trinity Church. Want to CONNECT with a person or ministry? We can help!

[Jan 26] Looking for Holy Trinity’s Top Male Chefs – Rescheduled - SAVE THE DATE!

Mark your calendars for a fun evening feasting on edible creations from our top Holy Trinity Male Chefs! “Men Who Cook” will be held on Sunday, January 26, 2020 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. If you are interested in competing for the title, please see Kathy Balouris or Karen Georgiadis or email them at social@HolyTrinityPgh.org.  More details to follow!

In the Hospital? Home-Bound? Please let the Church Office know! 
In today’s age of information privacy, churches are not notified when parishioners are admitted to hospitals, nursing homes or other care facilities. Both those facilities and your church depend on having the church notified by a friend or family member so that pastoral care and outreach can be offered. The same goes for those homebound. If you or any of your loved ones are in any of these situations, please contact the Church Office at 412-366-8700 to request a visit from our priests or our wonderful Visitation Ministry. Also, interested in helping reach out to fellow parishioners in those situations? Please contact Amy Armanious at visitation@HolyTrinityPgh.org.

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!

Upcoming Memorials Dec 1: Diana Andromalos-Dale (1 year)

Dec 22: Freda Boyaci (40 days), Sandra Lolis (40 days) and Pitsa Yeatras (40 days)