SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021, 15^TH SUNDAY OF LUKE

Memorials:    

DAISPENA RAPTIS – 40 Days

THEMETRA TOULA BRATA – 1 Year

May their memory be eternal!

SERVICES THIS WEEK

Saints Constantine and Helen services are open for parishioners and we encourage those who are not in high-risk categories to attend services.  Parish guidelines regarding capacity limits and safety restrictions are posted on the home page of our church website, https://www.stcons.org

The church building is professionally cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized weekly. 

We strongly encourage those who will not be attending church to participate in services through our website, at  https://www.stcons.org/video-streaming  

Sunday, January 31    15^TH SUNDAY OF LUKE - Orthros 9:00 am, Divine Liturgy 10:00 am

If you wish to follow along with the text, please use the link listed below:https://www.agesinitiatives.com/dcs/public/dcs/p/s/2021/01/31/li/gr-en/se.m08.d30.li.pdf

There are no additional services this week.

LIGHT A CANDLE AND SAY A PRAYER:  When you are not able to attend church, you can purchase a candle from our church website (home page or video-streaming page), which Father Teodor will light before the following service or a service that you specify.  Please give specific names, living or deceased, that you would like Father to remember in prayer.  Father will light candles one hour before each service.  For Sunday services, please place candle orders prior to 8:00 am Sunday morning.

Please Pray For:  Michael, Barbara, Lisa, Pat, Christopher, Jonathan, Alexandra, Tracy, Dianna, Lazarus, Henry, Betty, Catherine, Susan, Evelyn, Gregg, Peter, Stella, Ann Marie, Vasilios, Carol, George, Demetri, Steve, Molly, Maria, Elizabeth, Carol, Evans, Katherine, Mike, Connie, Mary, Margaret, Angela, Connie, Bill, Carrie, Vito, Pete, Amalia, Stephanie, Lisa, Connie, Jacob, Anastasia, Rima, Kylie, Effie, Nicholas, and Maria. (Names may be added by request. Please contact the church office)

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES:

WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY:  Our Adult Bible Study group will meet this week only on Wednesday evening, February 3^rd at 7:00 pm on the Zoom platform. (We will return to Tuesday evenings next week.)  All adults are welcome to join.  Zoom link is: https://zoom.us/j/7345256789, Meeting ID: 734 525 6789  If you have trouble connecting, or are in need of more information, contact: stcons2@gmail.com

GODPARENTS’ SUNDAY: Our next “Family Sunday” will be Valentine’s Day, February 14^th. On that day, our parish will celebrate Godparents’ Sunday.  Please plan to attend church and take communion with your Godchildren/Godparents on that day.

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE: Be a hero!  Give blood!  Our hospitals are experiencing a critical shortage of blood and convalescent plasma as our country continues to deal with the COVID pandemic. On Thursday February 25^th, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, we will be hosting another American Red Cross blood drive in the Hellenic Cultural Center. To schedule an appointment, please log onto RedCrossBlood.org (our sponsor code: stcons) or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) today.

NEWS AND NOTICES

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL:  Things will look a little different this year, but all young people grades 6 – 12 are encouraged to participate in the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival! This is a great opportunity for young people to apply our faith to current issues, and to gain confidence in speaking in public. Finalists in this year’s writing and speaking competition will receive cash prizes of up to $500.

GODPARENT VALENTINE PROJECTS:  Sunday School families should have received an email with a couple of easy Valentine projects to share with our Godparents to say thank you and let them know they are loved!  If we missed your house and you’d like to receive the projects, please contact the church office.

ICONOGRAPHY: Father Teodor announced in church last week that some of our icons may be installed in the church in time for the Sunday of Orthodoxy (Sunday, March 21)!  This is the day when Orthodox Christians celebrate the restoration of icons in the churches, and there is a procession of icons around the church. What a perfect day to witness the first installation of our new iconography!

We are still seeking sponsorship for the following icons: St Matthew, St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and St. Iakovos (James). We are also in need of general donations of any amount to complete our fundraising on Phase One: East and Dome. For those who are interested in sponsoring an icon, please talk to Father Teodor or contact the church office for more information. We are about 92% to completion of our fundraising goal!

STEWARDSHIP PLEDGES:  All parishioners must complete a Stewardship Pledge form each year to be considered a “member in good standing” at an Orthodox Church.  All parish households were mailed 2021 Stewardship Pledge Forms and the 2021 Archdiocese Calendars by mail; forms can also be picked up at the Pangari or Church office.  Please bring your completed pledge form with you when you attend church.  This year, if it is more convenient, you may also complete your 2021 Stewardship Pledge online at our website, athttps://www.stcons.org/stewardship 

VOLUNTEER NEEDS: At this time, we are particularly in need of Adult Greeters, Ushers, and Youth and Young Adult Readers for Sunday services. We are also in need of volunteers to help with office/building clean up and organization tasks.  If you can help, please contact Annette at the church office 734.525.6789 or stcons2@gmail.com

QUESTIONS FOR FATHER TEODOR: Don’t forget to submit your questions to Father Teodor! In this unusual year with no regular Sunday School classes, Father will take a few minutes on Sunday mornings to answer questions from our young people (or adults!) about our faith. Questions can be submitted online using this link:  https://forms.gle/7ae8mqd6DNSghbQs6

HELLENIC CULTURAL CENTER BOOKING:  At the current time, the HCC is booking events beginning March of 2021. Masks and social distance restrictions are still in place, along with increased precautions in the preparation and serving of food and drink. Although they are not yet keeping regular office hours, if would like to discuss future bookings or other issues with the HCC staff, please contact Victoria at 734.525.3550 or Kathy at 313.303.6350 or helleniccc@gmail.com

DID YOU KNOW?   THE THREE HIERARCHS:  On January 30th, the Orthodox Church celebrated the Three Holy Hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. They were highly influential bishops of the early church who played pivotal roles in shaping Christian theology. The three are venerated as saints in Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism, and other Christian churches.

These ecumenical Teachers made significant contributions, not only in relation to their explanations of Christian Faith but also because all three demonstrated a passion for educational opportunities. True philanthropists, they are considered patrons of the institution of Education because, having received a brilliant education themselves, they acknowledged the significance of this high privilege. The Holy Hierarchs managed to create a constructive dialogue between ancient Greek philosophy and the Christian Faith (Basil had been educated in Athens). They used Greek to disseminate both their messages and the Greek language.  For this reason, our Greek School ministry with Nativity Church is named for the “Three Hierarchs”.

THE 28 DAYS OF KINDNESS CHALLENGE

If you're like most of us, you might feel like the world is a little short on kindness and understanding these days. Valentine’s month is the perfect time to share some simple activities to promote kindness.  This year, challenge your family to 28 Days of Kindness – quick and easy kindness actions to implement EACH DAY IN FEBRUARY.

It’s that simple - 28 days of doing kind things for the sole purpose of...being kind!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Give a hug.

Greet the mail carrier and say hello.

Call an elderly person to see how they are.

Mail a card to a friend.

Take a day to only post positive messages on social media.

Share.

Surprise a neighbor by sweeping or shoveling their driveway.

Tell a family member that you love them.

See how many times you can say thank you in one day.

Bake a treat for somebody special.

Listen without interrupting.

Help clear the table or do another household task.

Leave a thank you note for somebody who was kind.

Feed the birds.

Play a game with somebody much older or younger than you.

Invite somebody to join you in church.

Pass along a gift card to a special teacher or nurse.

Hold the door for the person behind you.

Donate to a local shelter.

Give somebody a sincere compliment.

Donate blood or plasma.

Make a Valentine decoration for your front door.

Say a prayer for somebody who is sick or hurting.

Let somebody else go first.

Memorial Service Information:  Please call the church office to schedule memorials in a timely manner so we can include the information in the bulletin.  On the day of the service, please bring a list of family names you would like Father to remember in prayer. At this time, due to COVID restrictions, koliva that has been prepared for the memorial service cannot be distributed to parishioners, but will be returned to the family to take home.  We are not currently allowed to have coffee hour, or distribute any cookies, paximadia or koulourakia.

Non-Orthodox Visitors Please Note:  Holy Communion is offered to Orthodox Christians who have properly prepared themselves.  Visitors are welcome to receive the Antidoron (Blessed Bread), which is distributed at the end of the Divine Liturgy.