The MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE

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1 The MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE (847) Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) OFFICIAL NOTICE September 25, 2009 All 2009 Stewards Holy Taxiarhai and St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church Niles, IL Dear Stewards, A General Assembly of the Stewards of our Church will take place after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday afternoon, October 18, 2009 in our Community Center. The AGENDA will be: 1. Prayer 2. Election of Assembly Chairman and Secretary 3. Minutes of Previous General Assembly 4. Election of Members of Board of Elections, to supervise Parish Council Elections. 5. Election of Board of Auditors for 2009 audit 6. Old Business/New Business 7. Adjournment and prayer Please note that if there is no Quorum on October 18, the General Assembly will be rescheduled for Sunday, October 25 th, following the Divine Liturgy. According to the Uniform Parish By-Laws of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, any number attending at that time will constitute a quorum for conducting the business of this agenda. We look forward to seeing you on October 18th. Faithfully yours, Niki Tziavaras, Parish Council President Fr. Constantine P. Botsis, Parish Priest

2 WORSHIP SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER 2009 Sunday, October 4 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy Sunday, October 11 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy Sunday, October 18 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy Community Dinner after Church Services Sunday, October 25 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy OUR SISTER COMMUNITIES of St. Demetrios (Chicago, Libertyville, Elmhurst, Hammond) invite you to Vespers on Sunday evening, October 25th, and Divine Liturgy on Monday, October 26th, in honor of the Feastday of St. Demetrios. (Liturgy WILL NOT be celebrated at St. Haralambos on October 26th.) JOIN US FOR OKTOBER- FEST! Sunday, October 18 after church services! St. Haralambos Community Center German Food, Libations and Music! Ach du lieber! GENERAL ASSEMBLY A GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the stewards of the Holy Taxiarhai and St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church will take place on Sunday, October 18 after church services, to choose a Board of Elections for this year. If there is no quorum that day, the General Assembly will take place on Sunday, October 25. Any number attending on October 25 will comprise a quorum for the purpose of conducting the business of this agenda. Plan to come to the General Assembly! SACRAMENTS AND BLESSINGS BLESSINGS OF INFANTS Forty days after birth, a child and its mother come to church to receive a 40 Day Blessing, imitating Christ who was presented in the Temple 40 days after He was born. Please call the church office to arrange this blessing. BAPTISMS Please call the church office to schedule Baptisms. Plan ahead! there are some days when Baptisms are not performed. DID YOU KNOW that there is supposed to be only one Godparent and that a child is supposed to be given but one name when he or she is baptized? WEDDINGS Please arrange an appointment with Fr. Dean at least eight months before the proposed wedding date to allow time for all necessary marriage preparation. CONFESSION Confessions are arranged by appointment. Please call the church office to schedule Confession. MINISTRY TO PERSONS WHO ARE SICK Orthodox Christians who would like to receive Holy Sacraments but are unable to attend church (hospitalized or at home) should contact the church office so Holy Sacraments can be administered to them. Please inform the church office if your loved one is hospitalized! Most hospitals no longer inform us when they receive patients from our parish. MEMORIAL SERVICES Memorial Services are offered for the eternal rest of persons who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Customarily, these services are offered at 40 days, at 6 months, at 1 year and at 3 years. When three years have passed, the departed are more properly remembered on the Saturdays of the Souls. DID YOU KNOW?.....About Saturday nights: Saturday night is the time of preparation for the Lord s Day (Sunday) and for the Divine Liturgy. It should be a quiet time of prayer and contemplation, a time to offer incense in our homes. Did you know that the day begins with the setting of the sun? DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH? The Orthodox Church traces its origin to the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Christ s Resurrection from the dead, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Holy Disciples. If you are interested in learning more about the Orthodox Faith, feel free to visit our Bible Study, or call the church office. Instruction for adults who desire to become Orthodox Christians is also offered. Please call Fr. Chris Kerkeres ( ) if you have questions or would like to attend! 2

3 HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS PHONE: 847/ From Father Dean October 2009 Dear Stewards and Friends of St. Haralambos, Our new church/school/activity year is off to a great start! On Sunday, September 20, we had our Tailgate Party, and it looked like everyone had a great time. (The young people loved the moon bounce!) On September 21st, we kicked off our Family Night and our GOYA with Cookouts; it looks like we re going to have a lot of involvement and enthusiasm with these programs this year, and we invite all the children of St. Haralambos to join us! (See page 6 for more information.) Our Philoptochos Ladies inaugurated the new year in style at their Annual Philoptochos Membership Dinner. Finally we are happy to report that our Greek and Sunday enrollment is very encouraging, and we are looking forward to a wonderful year! We welcome and congratulate Mrs. Anastasia Liapi as the new Principal of our Aristotle Afternoon Greek. Mrs. Liapi is most enthusiastic and conscientious, and we anticipate a new spirit of creativity and learning for the benefit of all the children in our Greek. The annual Synergy SYMPOSIUM will take place on Saturday, October 17, with the most important and interesting theme, THE FUTURE OF ORTHODOXY IN AMERICA. Fr. Stanley Harakas and Fr. Nicholas Belcher will be the guest speakers, and we are looking forward to their presentations! See page 9 for more information! On the Sunday, October 18, we will have an OKTOBERFEST Family Dinner after church services in our community center. We will serve a delicious Oktoberfest-style Dinner, and we ask you to plan to join us. Last year we had a lot of fun at this event! These fund-raisers serve two important purposes. One is to raise additional funds for our church s operational needs, and the other is to build a stronger sense of community. Did you know that our Big Greek Food Fest merely got us out of the red? Although some people seem to think that our church has excess funds, we struggle just to pay our expenses! The second purpose is to bond us together and build a sense of community. That is why Stewardship and your support of these extra events is so important! Every year, we have a General Assembly to prepare for Parish Council Elections. As you know, half of our parish council members are elected every year. This provides continuity so that new members can join the council and be introduced to the workings of the council from the ongoing members. We are always anxious to see new people join the Parish Council and contribute new ideas and energy to the work of our church! This General Assembly will take place on October 18 (or October 25 if we do not have a quorum on the 18 th ). Information about this year s Toy Drive for DCFS Foster children will be available soon. Please support us! Fr. Dean HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH NILES, ILLINOIS Proistamenos....Fr. Constantine P. Botsis Synefimerios Fr. Chrysanthos Kerkeres Pastoral Assistant..... Deacon John G. Suhayda Chanter......Nick Harisiadis Parish Council Officers President Niki Tziavaras Vice President..... Nick Andrews Treasurer... George Houpis Secretary Angelo Anastasiadis Budget Committee Chairman...George Conopeotis Building & Grounds Chairman...Michael Pontikes Decor Committee Chairman...Stephan Aliferakis Finance Committee Chairman...George Kotsionis Phase III Chairman...Pete Zouras Board Chairman..... John Pierce Stewardship Com Chairman...Dr. Thomas Bournias Philoptochos President......Ritsa Bazianos PTA President (Afternoon )...Linda Politis PTA President (Preschool). Joanne Kereakes Greek Principal... Mrs. Anastasia Liapi GSL Director.....Katina Vaselopulos Preschool Director.....Stacey Chiampas Sunday Director...Presvytera Georgia Botsis YAL President......Patricia Grivas GOYA President George Adams Book Store Manager... Jolynn Ruggerio Web Page.... John Melonides Office Staff... Barbara Skaouris and Alexandra Grivas IN THIS ISSUE: Letter from our Priest (pg 3) Parish Announcements (pg 4) Ανακοινώσεις (pg 5) Youth news (pg 6) Ο Αγιος ηµήτριος (pg 7) Stewardship (pp 8) Symposium (pg 9) Calendar for October (pg 10) 2009 STEWARDSHIP & TITHING FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT FOR OUR FAITH As of September 15, 558 stewards have committed $272, to the ministries of our church. Have you become a 2009 Steward yet? 3

4 Sunday, October 18 Right after church services!! Stewardship and Tithing for 2009 FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT FOR OUR FAITH Stewardship is the greatest source of our church s support base, accounting for almost half of our church s income. Ideally, we all know that our Stewardship should provide 100% of our Church s needs and so, this year, we introduced tithing as the foundation for determining our Stewardship. In the Old Testament, the People of God were expected to tithe, that is to give 10% of their income to support the Temple. As today s People of God, we should do the same! But this is a new idea to us and few of us are prepared to give 10% in For this reason, we asked everyone to start at a mere 1% this year, and we strongly urge everyone to think of their stewardship commitment as a MONTHLY contribution. Every year, we can gradually increase our giving level. We are especially grateful to those many stewards who have increased their level of giving this year!! See page 7 for more information about good stewardship and tithing! ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TOY DRIVE FOR FOSTER CHILDREN Again this year, the Orthodox Christian parishes of Chicago are collecting new toys to be given to foster children, under the direction of OCCA. St. Haralambos has volunteered to provide for 150 children this year! Visit the church office for more information; toys must be collected between November 29 and December 3. ST. HARALAMBOS KINDERGARTEN There are still a few openings for in our St. Haralambos Preschool! Don t miss this opportunity to enroll your children in this excellent daily, bi-lingual school program from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in our Community Center. For more information, please call the church office (847/ )! PHILOPTOCHOS HOLIDAY BAZAAR NOVEMBER The St. Haralambos Philoptochos will be hosting its annual Holiday Bazaar this fall, on November Help is needed! Take some time, if you can, to sew an apron, make some Christmas decorations, knit a baby blanket or do some needlepoint or crocheting. These are the kinds of things that are needed for our Bazaar! Lots of help will be needed! Please call the church office to offer your help. By working together, we can have a most successful Bazaar! It's only one month away! BASKETBALL REGISTRATION HAS BEGUN! Basketball Season begins soon, and it's time to register. This year, we will have a Jr. Boys Team, a Girls Team and a Sr. Boys Team! All interested players should get a registration form from the church office and complete it right away. The families of all players must be 2009 Stewards of St. Haralambos before registration, and players over age 12 must be active GOYA members in order to play. Registration for Basketball ends October 18! BIBLE STUDY Plan to attend our Bible Study, which meets every Tuesday evening at 7:30 in our Community Center. We are beginning the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament! BYOB--Bring your own Bible! All are welcome, young and young at heart! HELLENIC AMERICAN VETERANS MEMORIAL The American Legion Hellenic Post #343 announces the Hellenic American Veterans Memorial in honor and memory of the men and women of Hellenic heritage who have served the United States in times of war and peace. This Memorial will be erected at Elmwood Cemetery and is projected to cost $150,000. Names and information about our veterans is needed, and donations are tax deductible. For info, contact or CONGRATULATIONS TO.....Patricia Giannoulias, who was recently honored as Woman of the Year by the Leukemia Lymphoma Association! BASKETBALL SEASON There will be a Jr. Boys Team, Girls Team and Sr. Boys Team! DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS OCTOBER 18th! (The families of all players must be 2009 Stewards of St. Haralambos before registration.) 4

5 ΕΝΟΡΙΑΚΕΣ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΕΙΣ 2009 STEWARDSHIP AND TITHING: ΤΟΝ ΑΓΩΝΑ ΤΟΝ ΚΑΛΟΝ ΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΙΣΤΙΝ ΜΑΣ Το Stewardship είναι η µεγαλύτερη πηγή υποστήριξης της εκκλησίας µας και αντιστοιχεί στο ήµισυ του εισοδήµατος της εκκλησίας µας. Όλοι µας γνωρίζουµε ότι το ιδανικό θα ήτανε το Stewardship να καλύπτει το 100% των αναγκών της εκκλησίας µας και έτσι εφέτος παρουσιάσαµε το δέκατον ( tithe ) ως την βάσιν του προσδιορισµού του Stewardship µας. Tην εποχή της Παλαιάς ιαθήκης, ο Λαός του Θεού έπρεπε να δίνει το 10% του εισοδήµατός τους δια να υποστηρίξουν τον Ναό. Έτσι κι εµείς, ο σηµερινός Λαός του Θεού, θα πρέπει να κάνουµε το ίδιο! Αλλά η ιδέα αυτή είναι καινούργια και πολύ λίγοι από εµάς διατίθενται να δώσουν το 10% κατά το έτος του ια τον λόγο αυτό ζητούµε από όλους να αρχίσουµε να δίνουµε το ελάχιστο 1% εφέτος, και ενθαρρύνουµε όλους να θεωρούν το Stewardship ως ΜΗΝΙΑΙΑ συνεισφορά. Μπορούµε να αυξάνουµε την συνεισφορά µας βαθµιαία κάθε χρόνο! Είµεθα ευγνώµονες εις όλους αυτούς τους stewards του Αγ. Χαραλάµπους που αύξησαν εφέτος το ποσόν της συνεισφοράς τους! ΩΡΑ ΓΙΑ ΘΕΤΑ ΠΑΙ ΙΑ-Οι Ορθόδοξες Χριστιανικές ενορίες της περιφέρειας Σικάγο, υπό την αιγίδα του OCCA, συγκεντρώνουν και πάλιν εφέτος Χριστουγεννιάτικα καινούργια δώρα για θετά παιδιά. Η ενορία του Αγίου Χαραλάµπους ανέλαβε να δώση δώρα σε 150 παιδιά. Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες επικοινωνείτε µε το γραφείο της εκκλησίας. Τα δώρα πρέπει να συγκεντρωθούν από 29 Νοεµβρίου - 3 εκεµβρίου! ΝΗΠΙΑΓΩΓΕΙΟ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΥΣ έχει ακόµα λίγες θέσεις για το σχολικό έτος Μην χάσετε την ευκαιρία να εγγράψετε τα παιδιά σας σ αυτό το άριστο δίγλωσσο σχολικό πρόγραµµα που λειτουργεί κάθε µέρα 9:00-1:00 µ.µ. ια περισσότερες πληροφορίες παρακαλούµε όπως τηλεφωνείτε εις το γραφείο της εκκλησίας (847) ΧΡIΣΤΟΥΓΕΝΝIΑΤIΚΟ ΠΑΖΑΡI ΤΗΣ ΦIΛΟΠΤΩΧΟΥ ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ: Η Φιλόπτωχoς πρoετoιµάζει τo Χριστoυγεvvιάτικo Παζάρι δια τις Νoεµβρίoυ Χρειάζεται µεγάλη βoήθεια! Εάv έχετε λίγη ελεύθερη ώρα, πρoσπαθήστε vα ετoιµάσετε µερικά Χριστoυγεvvιάτικα στoλίδια, vα φιάξετε µερικές πoδιές, ή vα πλέξετε κoυβερτoύλες δια µωρά, ή διάφoρα διακoσµητικά κεvτήµατα. Ολα αυτά χρειάζovται δια τo παζάρι. Παρακαλoύµε τηλεφωvήσατε στo γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια περισσότερες πληρoφoρίες και εαν θέλετε να προσφέρετε την βοήθειά σας. Οταv εργασθoύµε όλoι µαζί, θα έχoυµε έvα πoλύ επιτυχηµέvo Παζάρι! Ένας µήνας έµεινε! ΑΡΧΙΣΑΝ ΟΙ ΕΓΓΡΑΦΕΣ ΙΑ ΤΟ ΜΠΑΣΚΕΤ ΜΠΩΛ! Η περίοδος του Μπάσκετ Μπώλ θα αρχίσει και ήρθε η ώρα των εγγραφών. Εφέτος θα έχουµε Junior Boys Team, Girls Team and Sr. Boys Team! Όσοι παίκτες ενδιαφέρονται να συµµετάσχουν µπορούν να προµηθευτούν έντυπα εγγραφών από το γραφείο της εκκλησίας και να το συµπληρώσουν αµέσως. Οι οικογένειες των παικτών πρέπει να είναι Stewards εις τον Άγιον Χαράλαµπον δια το έτος 2009 πριν από την ηµέρα της εγγραφής των, και οι παίκτες πρέπει να είναι ενεργά µέλη της GOYA δια να παίζουν στις οµάδες. Οι εγγραφές δια το Μπάσκετ Μπώλ λήγουν την 18ην Οκτωβρίου! 5 ΠΕΡΙ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΤΙΚΩΝ ΕΥΧΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΜΥΣΤΗΡΙΩΝ ΕΥΧΕΣ ΝΕΟΓΕΝΝΗΤΩΝ ΤΕΚΝΩΝ--Κάθε µάνα και το παιδί της, σαράντα ηµέρες µετά την γέννησή του προσέρχονται στην εκκλησία για να λάβουν την Ευλογία των 40 Ηµερών, κατά µίµησην του Ιησού Χριστού ο οποίος παρουσιάσθηκε στον Ιερόν Ναόν σαράντα ηµέρες µετά την γέννησή του. Παρακαλούµε τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας για να κανονίσετε την ευλογία αυτή. ΒΑΠΤΙΣΕΙΣ Παρακαλούµε όπως τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια να προγραµµατίσετε Βαπτίσεις. Σχεδιάστε πολύ ενωρίτερα!-υπάρχουν µερικές µέρες που δεν γίνονται βαπτίσεις. ΓΑΜΟΙ-Παρακαλούµε όπως κανονίζετε συνάντηση µε τον π. Κωνσταντίνο τουλάχιστον οκτώ µήνες πριν την προτεινόµενη ηµεροµηνία του γάµου δια τις απαιτούµενες προετοιµασίες. ΕΞΟΜΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ Οι Εξοµολογήσεις κανονίζονται κατόπιν ραντεβού. ια να προγραµµατίσετε εξοµολογήσεις, παρακαλούµε τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας. ΜΕΡΙΜΝΑ ΑΡΡΩΣΤΩΝ Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί που θα ήθελαν να λάβουν τα Άγια Μυστήρια και δεν µπορούν να έλθουν στην εκκλησία (βρίσκονται εις νοσοκοµεία ή ανήµποροι εις τα σπίτια τους) παρακαλούνται να επικοινωνούν µε το γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια να µπορέσουν να τα λάβουν. Παρακαλούµε να επικοινωνείτε µε το γραφείο της εκκλησίας εαν κάποιος συγγενής σας είναι στο νοσοκοµείο! Τα νοσοκοµεία πλέον δεν µας πληροφορούν όταν έχουν αρρώστους από την ενορία µας. ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΑ Επιµνηµόσυνες δεήσεις γίνονται για την αιώνιον ανάπαυση των τεθνεώντων. Συνήθως, αυτές οι δεήσεις γίνονται κατά τις 40 ηµέρες, τους 6 µήνες, τον 1 ον χρόνο και τον 3 ον χρόνο. Όταν έχουν περάσει τρία χρόνια, είναι πιο αρµόζον να ενθυµούµεθα τους αποθανόντας κατά τα Ψυχοσάββατα. ΓΝΩΡΙΖΕΤΕ;.. ΤΙ ΜΑΣ Ι ΑΣΚΕΙ Η ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΜΑΣ ΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΤΕΦΡΩΣΗ ( ΚΑΨΙΜΟ); Η Καινή ιαθήκη µας διδάσκει ότι το σώµα είναι ο Ναός του Αγίου Πνεύµατος. Με την ενσάρκωση του Χριστού, ο Θεός έγινε άνθρωπος εις το σώµα, το σώµα καθίσταται ακόµα πιο ιερό. Σύµφωνα µε αυτή την διδασκαλία, το σώµα είναι ένα αναπόσπαστο µέρος του ολόκληρου ανθρώπου, και όταν έλθει το πλήρωµα της βασιλείας του Θεού, η εκκλησία διδάσκει και προσδοκεί την ανάσταση των νεκρών εις το σώµα και την ψυχή. Η εκκλησία θεωρεί την αποτέφρωση προµελετηµένη βεβήλωση και καταστροφή του ό,τι ο Θεός εδηµιούργησε, και επιµένει ότι το σώµα πρέπει να ενταφιασθεί για να ακολουθήσει η φυσιολογική διαδικασία. Καθόσον η αποτέφρωση αποτελεί άρνηση της αναστάσεως, στις περιπτώσεις που το σώµα του αποθανόντος αποτεφρώνεται, δεν επιτρέπεται θρησκευτική κηδεία, είτε εις την εκκλησία, είτε στο νεκροποµπείο ή όπουδήποτε αλλού. Επιπροσθέτως δεν επιτρέπονται µνηµόσυνα µε κόλυβα, αφού η σηµασία µεταξύ του «πυρήνα του σιταριού» και του «σώµατος» έχει καταστραφεί σκοπίµως.

6 On Friday September 11 th our Morning Preschool and Kindergarten participated in an Agiasmos service with Father Chrysanthos. Prior to going into church, Mrs. Jolynn explained to the children what the Agiasmos service was all about. Indeed as she said we were all extra hugged by God. We are looking forward to a wonderful school year with our teachers and aides: Mrs. Stacey Chiampas, Mrs. Rita Petratos, Mrs. Evangelia Vlahou-Khouri, Mrs. Tasia Liapi and Mrs Jolynn Ruggerio. FAMILY NIGHT Our Saint Haralambos Family Nights are for all Orthodox Christians who are 4 years old through 6 th grade and their parents. We meet every other Monday Evening from 5:30-7:00. Dinner will be provided during these events and we will eat as a community. Following our meal the children will be divided into groups and have activities, while the parents also have activities. There will also be many fun outings throughout the year. During October, we will have family night on Monday, October 5 and Monday, October 19. SEE YOU ON OCTOBER 5! 6 ST HARALAMBOS GOYA That s right - GOYA is Back! The GOYA is our Church s teen group, which meets and has activities every 2nd Monday at 7:30 pm. All Orthodox teens are invited, so plan on coming to join in the fun! SKI TRIP! SCAVENGER HUNT! GOYA DINNER DANCE! PIZZA NIGHT! PICNIC! DISCUSSIONS! JUNIOR OLYMPICS! BASKETBALL SEASON! BASKETBALL SIGN-UP STARTS NOW! Basketball season begins Oct 24! We will have basketball for grades 3 through high school this year, and registration has begun! Registration ends October 18 don t delay!

7 We welcome Mrs. Anastasia Liapi, our new Greek Principal! Mrs. Liapi is a graduate of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She has worked as a Greek teacher for many years at parish and private Greek s in Chicago and NW Indiana, and joined our school in She is married to George Koroneos and they have a daughter, Eva. We welcome her as our principal and look forward to a great school year! Friday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ST HARALAMBOS COMMUNITY CENTER 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE NILES, ILLINOIS Christmas treasures, Hand made crafts, Gifts, Floral arrangements, Music, Jewelry, Raffle, Coffee Shop, And our famous home-made Greek Pastries Lunch served both days Dinner served Friday only Call ahead to place your pastry order! ( ) FREE ADMISSION! FREE PARKING! 7

8 STEWARDSHIP AND TITHING AT ST HARALAMBOS CHURCH The first nine months of the year have ended, and Stewardship statements for the last quarter of 2009 are being mailed. By now, everyone should know how important Stewardship is! It is the major source of support for our church, and it is FAIR, because we are all asked to give in proportion to our means. This year, we asked everyone to think about the concept of tithing, which means giving 10 percent of our income to the Church. Many other Christian groups have been supporting their churches this way for many generations. TITHING is a concept that comes from the Bible and was practiced by the People of God in Old Testament times! Since we are just beginning to introduce tithing, we knew that it would be difficult for all of us to give 10% of our income in the first year, but this should be our goal. As we begin planning our budgets for the year 2010, it is time to think about this more seriously. Can we implement tithing in 2010? If not 10%, how about 2%, or even 1%? One way that will be of great help is to fill our stewardship commitment in monthly (or even weekly) installments. A mere $50 per month amounts to $600 for the year! $100 per month is $1200 for the year, and $120 a month is $1,440 for the year! Giving a smaller amount monthly is much easier than giving a larger amount in one payment! How important how valuable is your Church to you? If you did not have your church, would it matter? Is forgiveness important? Is it significant that you have a place to baptize your children? Are funerals really necessary? Do we need our priests and teachers and organizations? MONTHLY DONATION AS 1% OF INCOME = ANNUAL INCOME $ 8.33 $ 10,000 $ ,000 $ ,000 $ ,000 $ ,000 $ ,000 According to this chart, if someone wants to give 1% for stewardship, and donates $25 per month, it means their income is $30,000 annually. Where do you stand? When you consider your Stewardship/Tithing contribution for 2010, will you donate 10%, or 5%, or 2% or 1%? We need our Church and our Church needs us! Oh, and please think about monthly Stewardship installments! ΒΙΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΜΑΡΤΥΡΟΣ ΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ Ὁ Ἃγιος Δημήτριος ἒζησε κατά τούς χρόνους τῶν βασιλέων Διοκλητιανοῦ καί Μαξιμιανοῦ (296 μ. Χ.). Κατήγετο ἀπό τήν Θεσσαλονίκην, εὐσεβής ὢν ἐκ γονέων καί διδάσκαλος τῆς εἰς Χριστόν πίστεως. Ὃτε ἐπῆγεν εἰς τήν Θεσσαλονίκην ὁ Μαξιμιανός, τότε ἐπιάσθη ὁ μέγας Δημήτριος καί ἐφυλακίσθη, διότι ἦτο κατά την εὐσέβειαν καί τήν εἰς Χριστόν πίστιν περιβόητος. Ἐπειδή δέ ὁ βασιλεύς ἐκαυχᾶτο δι ἓνα ἂνθρωπον, Λυαῖον ὀνομαζόμενον, ὃτι ὑπερέβαλλε τούς ἂλλους εἰς τό μέγεθος τοῦ σώματος καί τήν ἀνδρείαν, καί παρεκίνει τούς Θεσσαλονικεῖς νά πολεμήσουν μέ αὐτόν εἰς τό στάδιον, διά τοῦτο νέος τις Χριστιανός κατά τήν πίστιν, ὀνομαζόμενος Νέστωρ, ἐπῆγεν εἰς τόν Ἃγιον Δημήτριον, εὑρισκόμενον εἰς τήν φυλακήν, καί εἶπε πρός αύτόν Δοῦλε τοῦ Θεοῦ, θέλω νά πολεμήσω με τόν Λυαῖον. Ὃθεν, παρακάλεσον τόν Κύριον ὑπέρ ἐμοῦ. Ὁ δέ Ἂγιος ἐσφράγισε τό μέτωπον αὐτοῦ καί εἶπε Καί τόν Λυαῖον θέλεις νικήσει καί διά τόν Χριστόν θέλεις μαρτυρήσει. Ὃθεν ἀπό τόν λόγον τοῦτον τοῦ Ἁγίου λαβών θάρρος ὁ Νέστωρ καί δύναμιν, εὐθύς ἐπήδησεν εἰς τό στάδιον καί πολεμήσας μέ τόν Λυαῖον ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτόν, καί οὓτω κατέβαλε καί τήν ὑπερηφάνειαν ἐκείνου καί τό καύχημα τοῦ βασιλέως. Ὁ βασιλεύς λοιπόν ἐντροπιασθείς, ἐλυπήθη ὁμοῦ καί ἐθυμώθη, καί ἐπειδή ἒμαθεν ὃτι ὁ Ἃγιος Δημήτριος παρεκίνησεν εἰς τοῦτο τόν Νέστορα, ἒστειλε στρατιώτας καί ἐπρόσταξεν αὐτούς νά κατατρυπήσουν μέ λόγχας τόν Ἃγιον μέσα εἰς τήν φυλακήν, διότι ἒγινεν αἲτιος τῆς σφαγῆς τοῦ Λυαίου. Γενομένου δέ τούτου, εὐθύς ὁ μέγας Δημήτριος παρέδωκε τήν ἁγίαν ψυχήν του εἰς χείρας Θεοῦ πολλά δέ θαύματα καί ἰατρείας παραδόξους ἐποίει μετά θάνατον. Ἒπειτα, κατά προσταγήν τοῦ βασιλέως ἀπεκεφαλίσθη καί ὁ Ἃγιος Νέστωρ. Μέ τοιοῦτον μέν τρόπον συνέβη ὁ θάνατος τοῦ Ἁγίου Δημητρίου, καί τό νεκρόν αὐτοῦ λείψανον εὑρίσκετο ἐρριμμένον, τινές δέ Χριστιανοί λαβόντες αὐτό, ἐκήδευσαν καί ένεταφίασαν εἰς γῆν εἷς δέ δοῦλος τοῦ Ἁγίου ὀνόματι Λοῦπος, ὁ ὁποῖος παρεστέκετο εἰς αὐτόν ὃτε ἐλάμβανε τόν ὑπέρ Χριστοῦ μακάριον θάνατον, οὗτος λαβών τό αἷμα τοῦ μάρτυρος ἐπάνω εἰς τό τοῦ Ἁγίου ἐπανωφόριον καί τό δακτυλίδιον τοῦ Ἁγίου, καί χρίσας αὐτό μέ τό αἷμα του, ἒκαμνε δι αὐτῶν πολλά θαύματα, ὣστε ἐγέμισεν ὃλη ἡ πόλις ἀπό τήν φήμην των. Ὃθεν δέν ἧτο δυνατόν νά ὑπομένη ταῦτα ὁ φθόνος τοῦ διαβόλου, οὐδέ νά μή τά μάθη ὁ βασιλεύς. Διό καί ὁ ὑπηρέτης Λοῦπος ἐπιάσθη καί ἐφονεύθη, γενόμενος καί αὐτός μάρτυς τοῦ Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ. (Συναξαριστής Ἁγίου Νικοδήμου) 8

9 Orthodox Christian SYNERGY s Fifteenth Annual SYMPOSIUM: THE FUTURE OF ORTHODOXY IN AMERICA Saturday, October 17, :00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church 1220 S. 60 th Court Cicero, IL Speakers: Rev. Dr. Stanley S. Harakas, Th.D., D.D. (Hon) Archbishop Iakovos Professor Orthodox Theology (Emeritus): "The Future of Orthodoxy in America: Challenges and Required Attitudes and Actions Rev. Dn. Nicholas Belcher, M.Div. Dean of Students at Holy Cross Seminary: Orthodox Christians in the Next Generation: Changes, Challenges, Choices Registration and Payment prior to October 9, 2009: $35. October 10 October 17, 2009: $40. Early Registration and Payment (prior to October 9 only) for husband and wife couples: $50. High and College Students: $ Registration includes coffee service and lunch. For more information, Please see Synergy s website chicagosynergy.org/symposium or call (847) or (630) Orthodox Christian SYNERGY consists of clergy and lay representative of Chicago-area Orthodox Christian parishes who seek to project awareness of Orthodox Christianity to the public at large. SYNERGY works together with its parent organization, the Orthodox Christian Clergy Association of Greater Chicago, and with the blessings of the Chicago area Orthodox Hierarchs. 9

10 October 2009 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00 am GSL 4:30 pm PTA mtg 5:30 pm Greek Open House 6:00 pm Holy Land pilgrim reunion 4 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy 5 5:30 pm Family Night 7:30 pm GOYA 6 7:30 pm Bible Study 7 7:30 pm Philoptochos Meeting :00 am GSL 10:30 am GSL Open House 11 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy 12 COLUMBUS DAY (no school) 13 7:30 pm Bible Study Preschool Picture Day 17 9:00 am GSL Synergy SYMPOSIUM at St. George in Cicero 18 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy OKTOBERFEST DINNER AFTER CHURCH! 19 5:30 pm Family Night 7:30 pm GOYA 20 7:30 pm Bible Study 21 7:30 pm Parish Council Meeting FEASTDAY OF ST IAKOVOS 24 9:00 am GSL 25 9:30 am Sunday 9:45 am Divine Liturgy GENERAL ASSEMBLY 26 FEASTDAY OF ST DEMETRIOS 27 PTA Taffy Apple Sale 6:00 pm OXI Day Program 7:30 pm Bible Study :00 am GSL 10

11 For information about ad sponsorship, please call St. George Publishing at or St. George Publishing, Inc. N0194 4c LP

12 HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE NILES, IL Address Service Requested PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID MILWAUKEE, WI PERMIT #5654 Sunday, October 18 right after church services!! Good German Food, Libations and Fun! Plan to join us! 12