WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS Whether you are new to Bangor or if you're just passing through - welcome! Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to someone you've never met and consider staying for some refreshments and fellowship after the morning service. If you would like to receive mailings or otherwise stay in touch, please leave your contact information (name, address, phone, email) with the person in the church office.
THE ADVENT FAST IS BUMPED UP A NOTCH Starting tomorrow December 12 - December 24, the Church's wisdom guides us to omit fish from the Advent fasting rule. Basically, observe a vegan type of diet (veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts) and continue to include seafood as desired, but omit the fish that was permitted earlier in the fast. Seafood is completely acceptable on any day during the Advent period. Enjoy seafoods such as clams, mussels, shrimp, lobster or crab. Seafood pairs very nicely with pasta or rice dishes. Forego meat, dairy products, eggs and fish for the remaining days of Holy Advent (the fast is broken after the Divine Liturgy of Christmas). When the Christmas Feast arrives on December 25, we can then truly enjoy the Twelve Holy Days of Christmas with much joy and feasting. It is well-worth preparing for.
ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS CARDS HAVE ARRIVED They are available in the bookshop in the hall. They're beautiful, too! They are reasonably priced and appropriate for expressing the Truth of our Orthodox Faith and the great miracle of Christ's Incarnation--God with us!
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS This year's Greek Dance raised $3444 which has been applied to the recent deficit number. A great time was had by all--a very special THANK YOU to Cynthia, Lambros & Cathy! Parish Council elections start today Dec 11 and complete next Sunday, Dec 18. We're looking to fill three openings. If you would like to serve, please let Lee know. URGENT REQUEST We are getting close to the end of 2022. We need to raise $7854 to pay our expenses for the rest of this year (Thank You for the gifts received last week that gave us the new, reduced figure)! Please search your heart and see if you can help us through the holiday season. Thank you and may your love for God and St. George be more than rewarded in return! Lee
SAINTS CELEBRATED THIS WEEK Monday, Dec 12 - St. Spyridon the Wonderworker and St. Peter the Aleut; Tuesday, Dec 13 - St. Lucia,Virgin Martyr and St. Herman of Alaska; Thursday, Dec 15 - St. Eleutherios, Bishop of Illyria; Friday, Dec 16 - St. Modestos of Jerusalem (Orthodox Patron Saint for animals); Saturday, Dec 17 - Prophet Daniel & the Three Holy Youths and St. Dionysios of Zakynthos.
HOLIDAY DECORATING AT ST. GEORGE It's been a tradition to decorate the nave and narthex for the holiday season. We have decorations upstairs, but we need a team to decorate (set up) and later remove & stow decorations right before Holy Theophany (January 6). Would someone be willing to organize this activity? The result will be a ministry of beauty to glorify the upcoming Holy Days. Please let Presbytera know if you're willing. Thank you.
CHRISTMAS SERVICE SCHEDULE Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve - Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at 5;30PM. Sunday, December 25, Christmas morning - 9AM Orthros / 10AM Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. Please realize that the Christmas Eve services are not a substitute for the Christmas Day services. We hope and pray that all who love and worship the Lord Jesus will attend all the services offered for Christ's Holy Nativity this year. Let us give first place to Christ--with our time and worship this Christmas, He truly is the reason for the season.
NO AFTERGLOW MEAL IS PLANNED ON CHRISTMAS EVE...BUT if the faithful would like to have an afterglow meal this year, it needs a planner and helpers to carry out the plan. At this point, our church has no definite plans for an afterglow meal, however maybe that will change? Stay tuned. Any volunteers?
LOOKING FOR A MISSING DISH Emily brought a dish to the Greek Dance that has somehow gotten misplaced. Have you seen a dish of this description? "The dish we brought was a glass dish-quite large- called L’Echalotte with colorful veggies above the name such as mushrooms artichokes pumpkins pomegranate and leaves, quite a colorful assortment." Has anyone seen this dish?
A MINISTRY TO OUR CHURCH'S NEIGHBORS Our church sits in a neighborhood where there are some obvious on-going needs. A number of lower income people living nearby rely on Manna Ministries' food pantry and soup kitchen (located in the Old Brick Church) somewhat regularly. In an effort to help the pantry help our neighbors, let us make the effort to bring some staple foods to church every Sunday and leave them in the office. We will take the donated foods down to Manna Ministries so we can be part of the effort to feed those who are hungry in our area. This is not meant to be a one-time thing, rather something we do routinely as a ministry to our neighbors. A verse from the Old Testament speaks to the needs for on-going charity, Deuteronomy 15:11, For there will never cease to be poor in the land; that is why I am commanding you to open wide your hand to your brother and to the poor and needy in your land. And the Lord Jesus speaks about the effects of our charitable giving in Matthew 25:40, And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ So, let us fulfill that which pleases God and He will reward the love and obedience of the giver.