Greeters

Paul Werger & Bob Baffa

Prosphora (Offering Bread)

Dimitra Kaniamos

Fellowship Hour

Thank you to Tim & Renee Zitzloff for hosting this Sunday! 

Philoptochos News

Please join us this Sunday, February 13, after liturgy for our first meeting of the year. We will be discussing programs and projects for 2022 and would love your ideas & support! New members are always welcomed!! For your convenience the meeting will be available via zoom using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88228225202?pwd=V2Y5ZVFlOVd2OTJlNGExL2VxMHh0QT09; Meeting ID: 882 2822 5202; Passcode: 824978; or dial 1 312 626 6799.

High School Sunday School Class Relationship Program

Attention Sunday School parents... Our High School class will begin a special four-week program entitled the Relationship Project beginning next Sunday, February 13. To learn more, please visit https://www.faithtree.org/the-relationship-project.

Online Bible Study February 16

We will meet Wednesday, February 16 from 1:30 pm-3:00 pm. We continue to meet exclusively on Zoom (not in-person) and everyone is welcome to join us. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84641369368?pwd=VTBiS1UrN0Izc3l1QjJvSTJObHAwdz09 Meeting ID: 846 4136 9368 Passcode: 416613; or dial +1 312 626 6799.

Our Bible Study is led and organized by Mrs. Kathy Ryan. We read the scheduled readings together and make plenty of time for discussion. Fr. Perry often joins in for the discussion but is not at every class. Questions? Email Kathy at kathy.aeiou@gmail.com.

NEW: 55+ Get-Togethers (formerly Young-at-Heart)

Goal:  Interactive socializing, fellowship, usually with an outing
Plan:  Events once every 2 months, come when you can, no cost for membership, 55+ is approx. age, when in doubt, join us!
Co-Chairs: Joanne Halatsis and Krisandrea Ballas-Rylander

We will finalize the name for our ministry soon. If you have any suggestions, please email Joanne & Krisandrea.

55+ Get-Together February 18

Our next fellowship event will be at church in the hall at 11:00 am on Friday, February 18. Our first theme is "Grecian getaway." A catered meal will be free for St. George parishioners (covered by our F&L endowment) for this event. Friends of St. George $20.

Please RSVP by today, February 13, to Joanne or Krisandrea. Joanne Halatsis, halatsis@iphouse.com, 651-778-2485; Krisandrea Ballas, krisandreambr@icloud.com, 641-261-9009.

Details: Lunch, socializing, and fun! The special fast-free meal (it is a fast-free week) - appetizer, mousaka (eggplant dish), spanakorizo (spinach and rice), Greek salad, dessert (baklava and ice cream), and chocolate bugatsa (a dessert pastry). 

Godparent-Godchild Sunday, February 20

Join us next Sunday, February 20 for our annual Godparent-Godchild Sunday! Pray together in Liturgy followed by Sunday School and a light meal. Thank you to our hosts Dean and Joanna and our Parish Council. Please contact Dean (dean@stgeorgegoc.org) if you are interested in volunteering. We will offer a prayer during Liturgy for our Godparents and Godchildren. 

Urban Expedition – See GREECE at the Landmark Center on February 27

Support the St. George Missions & Benevolence programs by visiting the Urban Expedition in downtown St. Paul on Sunday, February 27 from 1-3pm. Featured will be The Greek Dancers of MN, Greek musicians, baked goods, cultural exhibits, crafts, and bazaar. See https://www.landmarkcenter.org/urban-expedition/ for more information.

The St. George Annual Ski Trip is Back, March 5!

Mark your calendars for March 5, and get ready for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing at Trollhaugen Ski Area in Dresser, WI → 2232 100th Ave, Dresser, WI 54009.  

We will arrive at 2:15 pm, and lift tickets are active at 2:45 pm. Tickets are valid until closing at 9 pm (the last tubing session starts at 5pm). We will meet at Trollhaugen at the arrival time. Parents/Guardians/Families are responsible for chaperoning their own youth at the event. 

Pricing is as follows: Lift Ticket = $22/person – Rental = $22/person – Tubing = $15/ person 2 hour session. Youth 17 and under and adults 55 and older $10 off lift tickets and $5 off tubing. Money can be submitted to the church office. Scholarships available, see Fr. Perry. Register and pay by Monday, February 28th at https://bit.ly/saintgeorgeskitrip. Checks payable to St. George GOC, memo “ski trip”

Please direct questions regarding skiing/snowboarding age appropriateness and lessons to Wendy Loudas wsl2@comcast.net (651-235-2646) All other questions can be directed to Niko Vasilopoulos niko@stgeorgegoc.org. 

Volunteers Needed!

In order to make sure this year's ski trip on March 5 is a success, we need help from you! If you are able to volunteer and assist with check-in, passing out lift tickets, coordinating tubers, and organizing late arrivals, please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/skitripvolunteer. Direct any questions to Niko Vasilopoulos niko@stgeorgegoc.org. 

Winter Camp March 11-13! 

YAL Events

Twin Cities Young Adults are invited to these upcoming February events:

Sunday, February 13
Twin Cities YAL Super Bowl Party. Hosted by St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church. 4:30 P.M. 1250 Oakdale Ave, West St. Paul. Donation of 2 canned goods/nonperishable items for FOCUS MN encouraged. Main dish will be provided, please bring something to share. RSVP: Click here to sign up 

Saturday, February 26
5:00 PM Vespers followed by meet and greet with Fr. Tim at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church.  Join us for fellowship, drinks, and snacks as we get to know Fr. Tim. 

Connect with YAL! Twin Cities Young Adult League is for 18 to 35 year-olds, married or single. Facebook, Instagram,  twincitiesyal@gmail.com

Divorce Rebuilders February 14-March 21

Saints Peter and Paul Divorce Rebuilders offers support, guidance and hope to those who are separated and divorced.  Meetings this Spring of 2022 will be hosted by SS Peter and Paul, Glenview, by ZOOM on Mondays, February 14 through March 21^st starting at 7pm. for six weeks.  This group provides a place where you can learn, heal and rebuild from the hurt of divorce.  New insights and perspectives will help you create new understandings towards developing new personal, relational and spiritual goals in your life.  Discussion, feedback and support are integral components of this program.  In addition, our group engages in ongoing social activities.  Leader:  Maria Boyle, Counseling, Northwestern University. To enroll in this program please email: sspp.divorcerebuilders@gmail.com or mariaharduvel4@gmail.com and please note in the subject heading: Divorce Rebuilders. For more information on this program, visit SS Peter & Paul’s website under Ministries and Support. There is no cost for this program.  

Discover OCF: February 25

Calling all High School Juniors and Seniors! The college students at the University of Minnesota want to meet YOU and share all about the Orthodox opportunities in college! Orthodox Christian Fellowship is a national organization for college students to explore their faith. We are inviting you to join us on Friday, February 25th from 6-7:30 pm at the University of Minnesota to get a sneak peek into the college experience. Please RSVP on our website under events at www.ocfumn.com! For parking instructions and meeting location, email ocf@umn.edu. See you there!

Greek Festival Scheduled for July 29-30, 2022

Congratulations and thank you to Phyllis Kapetanakis for serving as our 2022 festival chairperson! Sub-committee chairs include Dino Contolatis- Food; Jon Kennedy- Operations; George Mastrogiorgis- Communications; Anastasia Mastrogiorgis, Irene Loudas, & Nanette Gomez- Baking; Emilio Kapetanakis- Beverage; Angela Mortari- Entertainment; Stella Hofrenning- Bazaar; Steve Arsenault- Church tours; TBD- Staffing. Please contact Phyllis or one of our chairs to get involved.

Orthodox Daily Prayer App

Faithtree Resources, an Orthodox non-profit, is introducing a free daily Orthodox prayer app for your phone. Download it and give it a try…then share it with everyone you know. What could be better than praying for our world?  Praying together with 1000’s of other Orthodox Christians!  Download app for Androids: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.faithtree&mc_cid=4590ed1f4b&mc_eid=feb26ca396 Download app for Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-encounter/id1596789782?mc_cid=4590ed1f4b&mc_eid=feb26ca396

Intro to Orthodox Christianity Course

Join us for our MEOCCA, Winter 2022 cooperative catechism course, already in session on Mondays from 7-9 pm. The course is open to all; people interested in learning more about Orthodox Christianity, inquirers, catechumens, and current Orthodox Christians we well! The course is an excellent opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the Orthodox Christian Faith. Classes will be held in person and online via Zoom. Register online at https://forms.gle/fwkxDmA2P7AkcqNj8  or  www.meocca.org. Feel free to join us for an individual session as well! Facebook event:  https://fb.me/e/2iwrFZa9u

Support for those in Need

Please contact Fr. Perry or our Ladies Philoptochos if you or someone you know is in need (food, clothing, shelter, etc.). Our Ladies Philoptochos, Missions & Benevolence, Discretionary support, FOCUS MN, etc. are here to help.

Online Volunteer System Ready to Use

We always need volunteers in order to keep the ministry of FOCUS Minnesota running smoothly, so we are happy to invite you to our new online system through HelperHelper! We have moved to an online platform to make it easier to match your interests with the current and evolving needs of FOCUS House.

You can now go directly to our new volunteer management system in the following ways:
1.  Download the App to your Smart Phone Search for HelperHelper in the app store, then FOCUS House MN.
2.  Go to focusmn.org | Click Get Involved on Home Page | Click Volunteer Today on Get Involved Page.
3.  Scan this QR Code 

ONCE YOU'RE IN...

Once in the HelperHelper system, you will be asked to sign in. If you've never used the system, you'll need to provide basic information (name, email address) and create a password.

A list of dates and volunteer opportunities for FOCUS House MN will appear, as shown below. Simply scroll down the dates, click on one that works for you, and click the SIGN UP button. Opportunities currently include:

   •   Weekly lunch bag production
   •   Weekly clothes closet shoppers
   •   Weekly clothes sorters
   •   On-call list for Sunday night meal distribution
   •   Service window receptionist/greeter

READY, SET, GO!

The programs at FOCUS Minnesota continue to expand, thus needing an expansion of our volunteer base. With your involvement, we can improve our work and do more to help those in need. Please consider taking a look today and trying something new. On-the-job training will be provided along with coffee, good fellowship, and gratefulness.

Lenten Vespers Schedule

March 13, Orthodoxy Sunday, St. Mary’s OCA Cathedral, Minneapolis

March 20, St. George Greek Orthodox Church, St. Paul

March 27, St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, W. St. Paul

April 3, St. Mary Greek Orthodox Church, Minneapolis

April 10, Holy Myrrhbearers OCA Church, St. Cloud

April 17, St. Herman OCA Church, Minneapolis

Vespers begin at 4:00 pm.

Mark Wesche will be leading a men’s choir that will sing at all the services this year (except at St. George GOC). Their next rehearsal will be on February 18th, Friday, at 7pm at St. Mary OCA Cathedral. Once Lent begins, the men will meet for a rehearsal before every service. Part of the reason for the rehearsals prior to Lent is in the hope to shorten the length of time needed for these weekly rehearsals.

Our 2022 theme is, "…Our Church Our Spiritual Home." In the words of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos, "...in the Church we live eternal life starting from now. We do not simply await the life to come, but we experience and enjoy it from the present. The Kingdom of God, according to the Fathers, is not life beyond the grave but communion with God...“

2022 Stewardship Goal

$... of $260,000 (updated numbers coming soon)

Pledges Received

As of February 3, 2022, 49 families have pledged a total of $98,985.

Make Your Stewardship Pledge Online

Thank you for your continued support! Make your 2022 pledge by visiting https://forms.gle/NjsemfkEqFihqn4F7. Please make sure to note any updates to your contact information as we prepare to publish our new pictorial directory. Please make special note of any information you would like unlisted/omitted from the directory.

Welcome Visitors!

Thank you for joining us in worship. Whether you are an Orthodox Christian or this is your first visit to an Orthodox Church, we are pleased to have you with us! Although Holy Communion is offered only to baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians, all are invited to receive the Antidoron (blessed bread) at the end of the service. The Antidoron and fellowship hour are reminiscent of the Agape Feast that followed worship in the early Church. One does not have to be of Greek descent, nor speak Greek, to be an Orthodox Christian and member of our parish. All people, of any background, are welcome to join the Orthodox Church. For those interested in learning more about the Christian Faith or becoming a member of our church, please contact Fr. Perry after services or at frperry@stgeorgegoc.org or (651) 222-6220.

You may also sign our Guest Book with your preferred contact and we will follow up. We hope you will join us in our hall upstairs after service this morning for fellowship and refreshments.