REMINDER: It is already July and more than half the year of 2017 has passed. Yet many of our members still have failed to submit a stewardship pledge for 2017 to the church office or have paid or kept current with their pledges. Please don't wait to the very end to pay. Our parish, just like our homes, has financial obligations to meet. If you haven't submitted your 2017 pledge, please do so today. If you have fallen behind in your payments, please catch up and be current by the end of June. Remember, you are the church and her strength comes from you! Won't you help her stay strong with your membership commitment?
COMMUNION ANNOUNCEMENT: While we pray and work for the reconcili-ation and unity of all the world's Christians, the reality remains that there is still no intercommunion between our Orthodox Churches and the Churches of the West. This means that only baptized, chrismated and observant Orthodox faithful receive Communion in our churches. At the same time, we warmly welcome all non-Orthodox to join us in prayer and celebration, and humbly offer to all present the Antidoro bread of fellowship at the end of the service. We offer this important symbol 'instead of the Gifts', in the words of the Apostle Paul, 'Till we all come to the unity of the Faith' (Eph. 4.13).
YOUR COOPERATION IS NEEDED: We remind our faithful that the Divine Liturgy begins at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Please be prompt and on time! Please turn off cell phones before entering church. No conversation should take place during worship. During the reading of the Gospel people in the narthex should not be purchasing or lighting candles but standing reverently and listen to the reading. If possible avoid using center aisle during high points of Divine Liturgy. Lipstick and lip-gloss should be removed before kissing icons, receiving Holy Communion and kissing the hand of the priest. When receiving antidoron, please use both hands and do not allow the crumbs to fall to the floor
THE SAINT NICHOLAS GOLF OUTING: Will be on Thursday, July 27th Sign up as soon as you can, to be part of good fellowship, great golf & delicious food, at the Odyssey Country Club. This year we are moving our Golf outing Date to Thursday, July 27th due to many of you asking for an earlier date so kids will not be back in school yet and all are able to make it. More details will be coming out soon along with a flier.
SAVE THIS IMPORTANT DATE: Our Saint Nicholas Church will be turning 90 Years old this year and we are going to celebrate in a big way! Saint Nicholas’ 90th Anniversary Dinner Dance is on Sunday, September 24th, 2017 at Tuscany Falls in Mokena. The cost will be $125 per adult, and $25 for children 3 to 12 years of age. Children under 3 are free. The ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, a four hour open bar, a full four-course meal, music, dancing and other surprises.
HOLY LAND PILGRAMAGE: We are now only 5 months away from our Holy Land Pilgrimage in November. This is truly a once in a life time experience and I Strongly recommend that if you are considering it. Take the leap and join. We are currently collecting deposits and the total cost f the trip will be around $3,100. That includes air fare, hotel and breakfast & dinner everyday. For those planning on going, we hope to have the deposits in by July 15th.
GREEK CULTURE DAY CAMP AT ST. NICHOLAS: It’s not too late to make summer plans for your children. The Greek Culture Camp is the week of July 24 to 28th, everyday, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. A wide variety of ac-tivities will be offered and children ages 7 to 12 will have fun while learning about ancient Greece and modern Greek traditions. Children of both Greek and non-Greek descent are welcome. Please see the enclosed flyer and contact Kathy Roupas at 312-286-5639, if you are interested.
SACRAMENT OF HOLY CONFESSION: The Sacrament of Confession is one of the most important sacraments of the Church. We should always be striving to reconcile ourselves with God. Take a moment this summer to set up a time for the most blessed sacrament. Please call Fr. Christodoulos if you would like to schedule an appointment. God Bless
PLEASE don’t leave your weekly bulletin in the pew. Take it home with you and share the message and announcements, written here, with your family and friends. Thank You
ENJOY YOUR SUMMER REST, but don’t be neglectful of your duties to God and Church. Worship God wherever your summer plans take you. Remember that there is an Orthodox Church within driving distance in almost all parts of the Unit-ed States. Also, if you are going away for a period of time, perhaps you might consider sending your stewardship offering that you give weekly, so that our Church will continue to meet her obligations. Although church attendance during the summer months has improved, it is not sufficient to help meet all our financial responsibilities.
SOUVLAKI SALE: Today and next Sunday we will be selling some of our left over souvlaki from the festival. If you are interested in purchasing souvlakia. They are $5 per skewer and will be sold at coffee hour.