PROTOCOLS FOR OUR PARISHES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19:
Except where these GOMNJ Reopening Guidelines are more restrictive, each Parish must also follow the orders and directives of their State, County, and Local Authorities. Regulations NOW allow us to open with a maximum of 100 people.
PARISH SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:
- Parishioners must wear protective masks throughout the Service.
- There are to be no gatherings of any kind after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.
- There will be no access for parishioners to enter other buildings or areas, other than where the Liturgy is being celebrated, except for use of the restroom.
- Parishioners must sanitize their hands upon entering the Church.
- Parishioners upon entry must register their attendance with their full names and contact information.
- Parishioners must adhere to the social distancing guidelines of keeping a 6 foot distance from other parishioners at all times in the pews and throughout the Church. The only exception being for families that have quarantined together, as they will be able to sit together in a designated section of the Church.
- Parishioners are not to wander in the Church, in the Parish facilities, or outside on the parish grounds.
- Parishioners must leave the Church premises, including the parking lot and exterior grounds, upon conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.
- The traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion will not be changed.
Parishioners MUST register online at St. George's website in order to attend services. Please visit stgeorgeclifton.org and click on "CHURCH SERVICE RSVP" on the home page. Orthros will begin at 8:30 am and the Divine Liturgy at 9:30 am. If you have difficulty registering online, please call the Church office at 973.779.2626 to register.
Follow us on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Stgeorgeclifton.org/ or on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJEO_34m3S9yKpiFfzZQo5A or visit the church's website at www.stgeorgeclifton.org for online streaming links. To find the prayers for each service and to follow along, go to agesinitiatives.com.
To light a candle or make a donation follow this link https://st-george-greek-orthodox-churchand-the-shrine-of-st-nectarios.square.site/. All Ministry and non-worship events are STILL CANCELLED until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation and we pray that God keeps everyone resilient and strong through these unsettling times.
The mission of our beloved parish of St. George is to put into practice our Orthodox faith for our spiritual growth while creating fellowship and ministries for all the faithful. It should be our mission to spread the word of the Gospel and build harmony and love within the community and be the example of our Orthodox faith for our youth.
Memorial Services Today For:
George Kalloudis - 6 months
Panagiota Tsimpedes - 1 years
Speros Tsimpedes - 5 years
May their memory be eternal.
Sunday Memorials, Artoclasias and Other Blessings:
Please inform the church office well in advance of Sunday mornings for all memorials, artoclasias, 40 day blessings and other blessings so as not to disrupt the Divine Liturgy. If any requests or lists of names are received after the Great Entrance they will have to wait until the following Sunday.
****Additionally, in order to preserve the sanctity of the Divine Liturgy, please wait to light candles in the St. Nectarios Chapel at the correct time. If one arrives after the Great Entrance, they will have to wait until the end of Liturgy, while the Andithoron is being given out, to light candles in the Chapel.
Church Office:
For all matters, please make sure to call the office directly or email directly rather than using texts or various forms of social media. Office hours are limited so please leave a message and we will respond as soon as possible. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
St. Paraskevi Philoptochos:
“Save the Date” - Monday, October 19, 2020 at 7:30 pm - St Paraskevi Philoptochos is having a Virtual Meet & Greet - more details to follow!
IN HONOR OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Support the Fighter
Admire the Survivor
Honor the Taken
Never Give Up Hope
Schedule Your Mammogram
Sunday Church School:
During these difficult and unprecedented times, maintaining a connection to our Orthodox faith is especially important. Registration for St. George Church School is in progress and we have reduced the fee to only $20 per family. Until we are able to meet safely indoors, our Church School program will take place virtually. Lessons will be emailed to students and families every Saturday. We hope that you will take a few minutes each week to review with your child. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: stgeochsch@gmail.com.
Adult Bible Study With Fr. Peter:
Fr. Peter will conduct a virtual adult bible study through ZOOM at 7:00PM on Thursday evenings. We will continue with the study of the Book of Romans. Also, please make a list of topics that you will submit to Fr. Peter of what you would like to discuss throughout the year. We will notify everyone through a separate email to join the meeting with a ZOOM invitation so that all the faithful can join us in learning.
CROSS+ROAD Virtual Scripture Course:
The CrossRoad office is running a virtual Scripture course this fall for high school seniors and college freshmen. This nine-week course will be taught by Dr. Michael Legaspi, an Orthodox Scripture scholar and beloved CrossRoad professor, who teaches at both Penn State and Phillips Andover Academy. See below for a description of the course—it's going to be an amazing opportunity to have access to a phenomenal professor and scholar, meet Orthodox peers, and explore some challenging topics!
Dates and Times:
Thursdays: 6:00–7:00 PM Eastern
October 15, 2020–December 17, 2020 (no class on Thanksgiving)
Cost:
$75 (with scholarships available for those in need of financial assistance)
Spread the word to any high school seniors or college freshmen you know who would be interested in this unique opportunity!
Register by Monday, October 12, 2020
Space is limited (use this link to register - https://www.tfaforms.com/4850048)
Introduction to Scripture
Dr. Michael Legaspi
THE CHALLENGE
Though the Scriptures are essential to the Christian life, the Bible can be difficult to understand. Portions of the Bible feel strange, obscure, and antiquated, while other parts seem unscientific or even morally scandalous. So how do we make sense of the Scriptures being “written down for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11) as St. Paul writes?
COURSE VISION
In this course, we will:
- learn how to read the Bible intelligently
- discuss the themes, figures, and narratives by which the biblical writings cohere
- examine the challenges that modern science and critical biblical scholarship have posed to traditional understandings of the Bible
- situate the role of the Scriptures within the living tradition of Orthodoxy
In this way, we will endeavor to move beyond basic, unreflective understandings of the Scriptures and see, more deeply, how they function in the life of the Church within our 21st-century world, becoming better hearer and readers of the Bible.
ELIGIBILITY
For first-year college students and current high school seniors. Previous experience in the academic study of the Bible is neither assumed nor required.
REQUIREMENTS
Students should expect to do one to two hours of reading in preparation for each one-hour class (held once a week). They should come each week prepared for discussion and active participation. Though there will not be any quizzes or tests, students will be asked to write three short reflection papers over the course of the nine-week term. There is no course grading; students who complete the course and assignments will receive a certificate of completion.
Sponsor A Day Program:
As a church community, it is our ambitious goal to meet our operating budget through Stewardship. It is estimated that the operating expenses of our church average to be $1,400 per steward/family. If this average were to be reached, then the Church would be able to pay all its bills only with Stewardship donations. All other funds collected from candles, trays, raffles, fundraisers, etc. could be used towards capital improvements. One way to bridge the gap is through our “Sponsor a Day” program. We encourage our parishioners to select a day that has special meaning to them like a birthday, feast day, anniversary or a memorial and make a $250 donation. We would like to thank an Anonymous donor for sponsoring October 15th. For more information about the program, speak to one of our Parish Council members, Ministry Leaders or call the church office.
Orthodox Life Institute:
We have moved our lessons online to Wednesday nights at 7:00pm through ZOOM. If you would like to join us virtually, send your email address and contact information to Lisa Marcopulos at lmarcopul@gmail.com and we will send you the ZOOM invitation.
St. George Endowment Fund Scholarship Deadline Extension:
The Endowment Committee has elected to extend this year's application deadline for the scholarship to October 15, 2020. Since applicants are experiencing difficulties in retrieving high school transcripts and other necessary documents as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions, we hope the extension gives them sufficient time to complete their application. Scholarship awards are tentatively scheduled to be presented on November 29, 2020. For more information about the memorial scholarship, please inquire at the church office or read our online bulletin.