In order to better engage with the community, due to the time frame around Thanksgiving and to the absence of many this coming weekend, the Parish Assembly is changed to Sunday, December 15, after the Divine Liturgy and lunch, when we hope to have a better attendance. The Council of Ministries (COM-2) scheduled for December 15, moves to January 19, 2020.

Each and every baptized Orthodox Christian must make some effort of active commitment to the Church. Some serve by participating in the choir, teaching Sunday School, with the Ladies Philoptochos Society, or in other capacities, while others offer themselves to the Church by serving in the Parish Council. The Parish Council is a ministry that calls all its members to witness Christ and the Orthodox Faith to those they encounter in all aspects of life. It is a truly a high responsibility task that requires serious individual committed to our Lord. The calling of a Parish Council member is holy and spiritual. In assisting in the administrative responsibilities of the Church, a Parish Council member acknowledges and makes real the importance of strengthening the earthly ministry of Christ through God’s Church. This takes humility, faith and a deep commitment to Christ our Lord.

In accordance with the 2014 Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, all candidates seeking election to serve on the Parish Council must attend a PARISH COUNCIL SEMINAR organized by the local Parish Council and under the leadership of the Parish Priest. The purpose of the Seminar is to prepare candidates for the Parish Council, as well as making aware of the sacred responsibilities expected of a Council member.     

Saint John the Baptist Church will hold a PARISH COUNCIL SEMINAR on a date convenient to the candidates. All potential Parish Council members, including those seeking re-election, must attend the Seminar. In order to be placed on the ballot, one must complete the Application for candidacy form and return it to Brian Balcom not later than December 1. Elections will be held Sunday, December 8, 2019.

Our 2019 Stewardship campaign inches closer to our 2019 Stewardship budget of $144,000!  We are now 13% from meeting our Stewardship Budget Goal. We still need to raise another $30,000 to both close that difference entirely and meet our overall budget.

For the last few years we have had to dip into reserves to pay all the bills. And we will have to do the same this year. To get a better picture of this, it is so important you attend our approaching Parish Assembly on December 1st. We need your commitment and involvement before we can take the next step in our community growth. We encourage you to reassess the many ministries now being offered and participate in all the very rewarding encounters we have with each other and with God. Let us meet the challenge!  Complete a 2019 Stewardship Card available at church or at Saint John's web site. For online donations, go here.

The children will meet in Saint Nektarios chapel for a quick CHOIR PRACTICE from 12 noon with Father Ion. The children learn hymns from the Nativity season as celebrated in the Orthodox Church and also some popular carols. The class will  be enriching not only musically, but also in the theology and Tradition of our Church, in bringing Christmas to the children and the children to Christmas.

The Catechism/ Orthodoxy 101 Class will meet on Sunday December 8 to begin topic #9 of the curriculum, Man, Sin, Salvation. The curriculum including audio resources can be found at our web site under Adult Education.

Our visitors and newcomers are encouraged to attend and participate. The class is also offered as RECATECHISM to all for their own benefit, for connecting with our visitors and catechumens and for strengthening our community. No asked questions are silly. Come, ask, learn, change and be transformed!

The Congregational Chanting Workshop will take place this week. The next class will be on Tuesday, December 3, from 10 am (before the Book Forum). Open to all.

The book that we are reading and discussing together  is The Gurus, the Young Man and Elder Paisios. Get your copy from our bookstore and start reading it. You will not be able to put it down... At the next class we will continue and finish Chapters 2.

This powerful memoir tells the story of a Greek youth who, out of a desire to know the truth empirically, began to experiment in yoga, hypnotism, and various occult techniques. Eventually drawn back to the Faith of his forefathers Orthodox Christianity he visited the ancient monastic republic of Mount Athos in his native Greece, where he was brought to a knowledge of the Truth of Jesus Christ by the saintly Elder Paisios (1924 1994). Nevertheless, believing he had only found part of the truth on the Holy Mountain, he chose to give the same opportunity to Hindu yogis that he had given to Elder Paisios and other Orthodox monks. Thus, at the age of twenty-five, he embarked on a trip to India, where he undertook his search in the ashrams of three famous gurus, one of whom was worshipped as a god. His experiences in India, along with his subsequent encounters with Elder Paisios on Mount Athos, are recounted in the present book in vivid detail. Popular in Greece since its first publication there in 2001, The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios is a page-turning narrative of both outward adventures and inward struggles. What stands out most in this book, however, is the radiant image of Elder Paisios, possessed of divine gifts, laboring in prayer for his fellow man, and overflowing with unconditional love. Through this, one sees the uncreated Source of the elder's love and of the author's spiritual transformation: the true God-man Jesus Christ, Who honors man's personal freedom while drawing him, through love, into everlasting union with Himself.

Our community is blessed to host the I-Help ministry for women on the first Tuesday of every month - coming up Tuesday December 3, from 4pm! The guest ladies will be staying overnight in the hall. We are responsible for cooking a meal for them on this evening each month, and for ministering to them while they are with us (connect, encourage, pray, etc). Items are needed for preparing the dinner for them. Please sign up at tinyurl.com/ihelp1203

NEW: I-Prayer is the offering of quality time for prayer in our chapel. The Small Compline will be prayed from around 6pm, right after dinner. Plan to participate.

Our Wednesday evening service and dinner have been an excellent venue for building community, growing spiritually and learning the Orthodox faith. We are enjoying a new cycle for these presentations: Contemporary Ascetics of Mount Athos. We will learn about amazing elders from Mount Athos as presented by some of our own parishioners - many thanks to Athanasios and Greta who got us started. Join us for faith, community and the delicious lenten potluck dinner! Wednesdays evening right after Paraklesis. Due to the busy liturgical calendar through Epiphany, we will resume the lectures in January.

NEW DATE: Our Council of Ministries will have the second meeting (COM-2) on January 19 following the brief lunch after Liturgy. The date change was necessary to make room for the Parish Assembly on December 15. This will be a very interesting meeting as we will be resetting our mission and vision. So much has changed in the last 4-5 years! Not only have we met goals set back then, but we are now in a new setting with new parishioners and new missions and new strengths (and weaknesses)...  So let’s meet to define our path ahead and what we see for our future. Open to all.

Council of Ministry Leaders, turn in your worksheets as soon as possible!

Serving this Sunday in church and at the fellowship hour following Liturgy:

 December 8
Parish Council member: Kevin Wheeler
Greeter: Rania Zavitsanos
Fellowship: Green Team – Every 4th Sunday each month

December 15 
Parish Council member: Corkey Balcom
Greeter: Carrie Voyce
Fellowship: Gold Team – Every 1st Sunday each month

Interested in joining our Fellowship Hour or Welcome Ministry Teams in 2020? There is an opportunity for you to serve! Our Welcome Ministry greeters welcome guests and parishioners with a smile as they arrive for Divine Services each Sunday. Our Fellowship Hour teams offer hospitality and refreshments following Liturgy so that Saint John’s community can join in fellowship and get to know each other better. 

If you'd like to join the Welcome Ministry, please contact Temia Demakopoulos. And if you’d like to join the Coffee Hour team, please contact Corkey Balcom.

Father Ion is available to hear confessions after services and also by appointment at other times. If you need to do confession, please contact Father Ion ahead of time.

We are finally able to receive stewardship payments and any donation through our Facebook page. Go to our page and select the DONATE button for a free-of-charge donation (no fee to be payed). Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/SaintJohnTheBaptistGreekOrthodoxChurch/

You can also donate through PayPal by visiting our web site or clicking here: PayPal Donation

if you already shop on Amazon, or if you’re looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, we invite you to shop at smile.amazon.com and choose Saint John the Baptist Church Carmel as your charity of choice and 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to Saint John’s. This is no cost to you. Below you can read about how to use Amazon Smile.

How Does it Work?

1. Visit smile.amazon.com.
The entire shopping experience is the same and most products available on amazon.com are available at Amazon Smile. Link to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-6136359.
2. Sign in and Choose Saint John the Baptist Church Carmel
The screen will look slightly different depending on whether you’re already signed into Amazon. If you’re already signed in, you’ll see a screen like the one below. Simply search for “Saint John the Baptist Church Carmel” and proceed to step 3.
3. Begin Shopping

His Eminence Gerasimos and the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos
joyfully invite you to attend 

Light the Path
~
A Christmas Luncheon in support of the 
Bishop Anthony Philoptochos Student Aid Endowment Fund,

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
245 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA  94103

11:00 am
$75 Per Person

Call 415-431-2600 - email office@stphiloptochos.org -
visit www.sfphiloptochos.org