Sundays:
Orthros - 8:30 a.m.
Divine Liturgy - 9:30 a.m.
Weekdays:
Evening Vespers - 6:00 p.m.
A Letter from Father
Dearly Beloved Parishioners of St. George,
While navigating our parish through the ongoing Covid-19 storm, I remember a Greek child’s picture of “Christ at the helm”. It reminds
me that He is at the helm of our Church and will bring us to safe harbor. As you might know, all houses of worship in Kern County (and most CA counties) have been asked to avoid indoor worship gatherings at this time, due to the spike in Covid 19 cases.Outdoor worship gatherings are fine as long as face masks are worn and proper distancing is maintained. We are blessed to have a good size church parking lot and large solar parking structure to temporarily accommodate Sunday services until the restrictions are lifted. To beat the heat, we will begin early with Matins at 7:00 am and Divine Liturgy at 8:00 am. We should be finished by 9:15 am. The service will be streamed online as usual.Based on recent Bakersfield weather charts, we can expect the temperatures throughoutthe Liturgy to be around 75-79℉. It should still be cool by the time we finish and return home. Please bring a mask, and a chair from home if you like. Chairs from the hall will be provided. A little reminder that if you are ill or have been around someone ill, please stay at home, get
some rest and watch the online live stream on Facebook or Youtube or our Parish website.This will be a once in a lifetime experience for our parish. It’s probably been over 100 years since our Parish of St. George last had an outdoor Divine Liturgy (here in Bakersfield): I imagine the last time was probably when our founding Orthodox pioneers gathered here for services before they gathered the means to build our first church: May their memory be eternal!
I remain,
Yours in Christ
Rev. Fr. Joseph Chaffee
IT’S SAINT SOPHIA PHILOPTOCHOS’ ONLY FUN-D-RAISER OF THE YEAR! “FROM HER KITCHEN TO YOURS” ONLINE COOKING CLASSES WITH ACCLAIMED CHEF AND GREEK FOOD AMBASSADOR MARIA LOI VIA ZOOM! Join us for An Epicurean Journey with Friends series of master chef cooking classes celebrating the seasonal flavors of Greece. Saturday(s) October 10, November 7 and December 5 from11a.m. – 12:00 noon via Zoom. $65 per kitchen for all 3 classes. $25 per kitchen a la carte class. Silent Auction, prizes and plenty of expert tips. No passport required and aprons are optional! R.s.v.p. to Tonifaye Palomares 310-560-0865 Ssphiloptochos@gmail.com
Stewardship
1. Stewardship Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4JyYCaQYMnK4HmGGUI-DEZKHgpAyaAo3VH811fg5Xch3ZHg/formResponse
2. Make donation via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=P8ZZAQSCL53BQ&source=url
Envelopes will be made available to all of our families so that we may continue our stewrship to our beloved parish during this crisis.
GOYA ZOOM
Will meet every Wednesday, Ages 12-18 at 3:00 p.m., Ages 5-11 at 4:00 p.m. Zoom meeting login will be emailed.
Bible Study
Please join us for Bible studies on Tuesday's at 7:30 p.m. Look for the link on our website or Facebook. Contact Irene Sinopole for information at 832-1871.
Next meeting is September 24th, at 7:00 p.m.
Prosphora Schedule
8/30 Joyce Cisneros, 9/6 Olympia Hackleman, 9/13 Anna Cornett, 9/20 Basema Madain, 9/27 Mary Mekhel. Thank you.Please make arrangements with Sahar or Despina to bring the offering Saturday night either to the church or Father's home. We are looking for more people to make the blessed bread. Please approach Father Joseph if interested. If you want to learn more about how to make Prosphora, you can visit our Prosphoro site under the "Resources" tab on our website. Thank you.
Social Media
Follow and join us on Facebook!
St George Orthodox Christian Church of Bakersfield: www.facebook.com/StGeorgeOrthodoxBakersfield
St George Orthodox Community of Bakersfield (Facebook Group): www.facebook.com/groups/175227557308
General Announcements:
Legacy
Leave your mark!
Consider naming St. George Church as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy. It's a great legacy gift to your parish and very easy to do...just ask your provider for the change beneficiary form and complete and return to them. The legal name for the church is Hellenic Community St. George Church Tax ID #95-3575365 God bless you.
Honor your loved ones birthday and or anniversary by making a contribution to the Endowment Fund in their name. Make checks payable to St. George Church and write Endowment Fund on the memo line. Distributions from the fund will benefit the youth and maintenance needs of the Parish. For more information contact a Parish Council Member.
Thank you.
Text Notifications
If you would like to be part of our system, please provide your phone number to Sahar (stgeosecretary@gmail.com).
This service will only be used to notify parishioners of any changes to service times or to provide information on events or occurences that affect the entire parish. We see this as being used infrequently but feel that we need to an effective way to communicate important information quickly.
Father Joseph's Hours
Father Joseph will be in the office Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 to 3:00.
Father will also maintain office hours on Friday evenings from from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the sacrament of Holy Confession. He will be available to meet in the hall, narthex, or crying room on these nights. Please feel free to send Father Joseph a text message at 661-496-5768 during this time to check his availability. You will receive an estimated wait time if any.
Confessions appointments can be made with Sahar or Presbytera.
If you need to meet with Father please make appointments during the week. Sunday should be left for Father to have time to visit with parishioners during coffee hour. Please give him the time to do so unless it is an emergency. Thank you for your understanding.
Prayers/Thanksgiving
Glory to God for His Bountiful Blessings
Please add to your daily prayers for:
Annivesaries
Birthdays
Please note: All bulletin announcements must be received each week by 3:00 pm Tuesday to be included in the Sunday bulletin for that week.
Prokeimenon. Third Tone. Psalm 46.6,1.
Sing praises to our God, sing praises.
Verse: Clap your hands, all you nations.
The reading is from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians 15:1-11.
Brethren, I would remind you in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
12th Sunday of Matthew
The Reading is from Matthew 19:16-26
At that time, a young man came up to Jesus, kneeling and saying, "Good Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you call me good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which?" And Jesus said, "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have observed; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
7:00AM Orthros
8:00AM Divine Liturgy
10:15AM Women’s Psalter Study Group
6:00PM Vespers
7:30PM Bible Study
11:00AM Father Joseph Office Hours
3:00PM GOYA Ages12-18
4:00PM GOYA Ages 5-11
6:00PM Vespers
11:00AM Father Joseph Office Hours
6:00PM Vespers
5:00PM Evening Office Hours - Sacrament of Holy Confession, No Appointment Necessary
6:00PM Paraklesis
6:00PM Vespers
7:00AM Orthros
8:00AM Divine Liturgy