Attention all young adults!

St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church is starting a virtual book club! Through the Telos Project at Hellenic College Holy Cross, a project dedicated to engaging young adults in their communities, we are receiving funds to buy books for participants.  Discussions will be held on Zoom (TBA).

If you are interested, please contact Kirsti Settas at ksettas@nevada.unr.edu or the church office at saintanthonyreno@sbcglobal.net will be held on Zoom (TBA).

High-School Youth: The Relationship Project is an all-inclusive program that engages teens in today’s most needed conversations. We will launch this program later in September.

This program is presented in a visually stunning and highly engaging format: Teens will have fun connecting with  each other as they learn the timeless wisdom and freedom that is found in the Orthodox Faith. It is composed of three connected parts, with multiple sequential teaching segments, The Relationship Project brings the teens into an exciting exploration of how they were designed by God, and what that design means within their relationships.  By exploring all three Parts of The Relationship Project, our teens will discover who they are as children of God, how they were designed to be in relationship with others, with themselves, and ultimately with God. See our flyer below.  

If you have a young person interested in this program please let us know. Send an email to fatherstephen@att.net

Here is the link  for the Children's Word bulletin for this Sunday, September 6th 

Bible Study Resumes Online on Thursday morning, September 24th at 11am. Please RSVP to receive a ZOOM invite by contacting Father Stephen at fatherstephen@att.net

Evening Online Orthodoxy Class starts this month and is intended for inquirers, catechumens & parishioners wanting to learn more about Orthodox Christianity. This class will be online via ZOOM on Wednesday evenings at 7pm.

Dates, Topics & References:

Sept. 16: Introduction & Orthodox Church History

Text: Orthodox Life, An Introduction to Orthodoxy = OL (OL pages 7-41)

Sept. 23: Orthodox Church History 2 (OL pages 7-41)

Sept. 30: Who is God? (OL pages 42-53)

Oct. 7: Creation (OL pages 54-62)

Oct. 14: What is the ‘Fall of Mankind’? (OL pages 64-69)

Oct. 21:  How are We Saved? (OL pages 70-80) 

Oct. 28: What is the Orthodox Way of Life? (OL pages 81-91)

Nov. 4: Mysteries or Sacraments of the Church (OL pages 92-131) 

Nov. 11: Ascetic Practices & Orthodox Way of Life cont’d (OL pages 133-153)

Break for the Nativity Fast and Holidays

To receive a digital link to the text and a ZOOM invite, please contact Father Stephen by emailing him at fatherstephen@att.net 

Save the Dates

Tuesday, September 8th  Nativity of the Holy Theotokos  Orthros 8a; Divine Liturgy 9a

Monday, September 14th  Exaltation of the Holy Cross  Orthros 8a, Divine Liturgy 9a 

Our Parish is our Treasure 

This pandemic has brought hardship to each of us. As Orthodox Christians, it is our priority to keep our parish alive. We want to continue to experience and share the mercy, forgiveness, and blessing of God.  Church is an expression of God’s love for us, it is our source of FAITH and LIGHT, holiness and power. Our Parish is our Treasure.  

Current Situation: We are blessed with parishioners who continue to express their love, faith, and support for church through maintaining their stewardship commitment.  Yet, we are still facing a deep impact due to the cancellation of our festival and reduction in our “other income” normally received through weekly in-church offerings, general donations, and small fundraisers.   

Our Plan: We are embarking on an income generation campaign to sustain our FAITH and LIGHT for All Generations.  It has distinct elements that complement one another and will be anchored by a comprehensive communication approach.  

We are strongest when we are working together in unity! Additionally, we are putting together a team to support our campaign!  Andreia Pop & Dimi Sakelarios have partnered with Father Stephen in leading our overall effort.  Stephanie Rossi is leading our Communication Team, supported by Andrea Jervinis, Nasi Karcher, Maria Borrego & Georgie Anastassatos.  Kiki Virden & Tom Stamos are working on our Fund-Raising efforts.  Corinne  Sakelarios is leading our Stewardship team supported by Nancy Surina & Danilo Simich.    

Your involvement is also critical as more help from parishioners is needed in all areas.  In particular, we are looking for that special someone to lead our Donations effort.  Please get involved by reaching out to Andreia, Dimi, Father Stephen or the Church office.  All offers of time and talent are appreciated, no matter how big or small.  “For the body is not one member, but many.” (1 Corinthians 12:14)  

What’s Next: Information Sharing – A “Town Hall” Zoom meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept 9^th @ 7pm.  This will be an opportunity for parishioners to learn more about our plan and approach, as well as ask questions and share ideas. 

Special Parish Assembly Meeting – This will be held in the coming weeks (date TBD) to discuss and approve a safety net option the Parish Council would like to pursue.  This includes capitalizing on the advantageous loan opportunities being offered by the government and encouraged by the Metropolis.  

Regular Progress Updates – To keep you informed of progress we are making towards our goal and upcoming activities.  

How You Can Help: Get Involved – Join us by supporting and becoming active in this wonderful ministry of light to our community! Please reach out to Andreia, Dimi, Father Stephen or the Church office to get involved.   

Donate – Our Online Giving Portal has been updated to accept donations toward our goal. Links can be found on our website or below.  Donations by check can be mailed or dropped off to the church office.  Please be sure to write “Faith & Light” in the memo so we can attribute to our campaign and goal. If you are interested in donating stock, bonds, etc., please contact the church office for assistance.   

“Put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Do good, be rich in good deeds, and be generous and willing to share. In this way you will lay up treasure for yourselves as a firm foundation for the coming age and take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6: 17-19 

Reminders & Guideline Adjustments

Live Streaming

All scheduled services are being live-streamed on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/saintanthonychurchreno/.We have seen great improvement with the quality of our streaming, but we are still learning.  We now have someone at church monitoring the live-streaming and correcting issues as they arise.  If your video freezes or disconnects, please refresh your screen.  Sometimes you will need to look for a new post to pick up on services where they cut out.  Thank you for your continued patience and support as we learn and grow with this capability.  It is a blessing to be able to connect with those at home in this way.

Parishioners who are sick or at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to refrain from attending services at this time.  This includes those who are 65 or older, have underlying medical conditions, have been exposed to the virus, or are experiencing symptoms of illness. (If you are high-risk with underlying health challenges, you can make a personal appointment with Father Stephen to receive Holy Communion during the week.) 

Online Giving Portal for Stewardship & Donation Offerings 

The Online Giving Portal can be accessed through our Church Website by clicking the new “Donations & Stewardship” tab. This functionality is secured for your protection and gives you the opportunity to make a one-time contribution or set up a recurring offering. 

Our traditional ways of accepting offerings remain the same – the portal has been added for those who prefer the convenience of online giving.  It also helps to mitigate the risks associated with handling cash.  Our office remains open during weekdays and at services a collection tray will be placed in the Narthex (as a health and safety precaution it will not be passed). 

Also be reminded it is still important to fill out a Stewardship Pledge card each year - this helps us to plan and budget effectively.  If you have not completed one yet, please view and print a 2020 Stewardship Commitment Card by clicking on this address:  http://www.saintanthonyreno.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Pledge-Card-PDF.pdf

Our prayers remain with you, your families, our community and our world for good health, strength, peace, and resilience now and in the days ahead!