Matthew: A Commentary & Meditation. As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me

Transcription

1 Matthew: A Commentary & Meditation February 2015 As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' 40 And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' 45 Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 4 Appleton Street Arlington, MA church continued on inside cover Fr. Kastanas Emergency Voic Pager fax athanasius.org Office Address: stathanasiusgoc@gmail.com

2 Meditation: Do you allow the love of God to rule in your heart? St. Augustine says, Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him. Jesus came not only to fulfill the law, but to transform it through the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills our hearts with the love of God (Romans 5:5). Do you allow God s love to purify your heart, thoughts, and actions? Jesus s story about the separation of goats and sheep must have unsettled his audience. In arid lands goats and sheep often grazed together during the day because green pasture was sparse. They were separated at night because goats needed shelter. Goats were also less docile and more restless than sheep. They came to symbolize evil and the expression scape-goat has become a common expression for someone bearing blame for others. (See Leviticus 26:20-22 for a description of the ritual expulsion of sin-bearing goat on the Day of Atonement.) Separation is an inevitable consequence of judgement. The Day of Judgement will reveal who showed true compassion and mercy toward their neighbor. As much as we might like to judge the parables, the parables, nonetheless, judge us. Jesus teaches us a very important lesson about loving our neighbor and taking responsibility for others. God will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but also for what we have failed to do. Now is the time of God s mercy for seeking his help and grace to turn away from sin and to walk in his way of love. Ask the Lord to purify your heart that you may love as he loves and live charitably with all. This parable is similar to the parable about Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man let Lazarus die on his doorstep and was doomed to crave for drops of cold water he had not thought of giving to the poor man. When Martin of Tours (who lived in the 4th century), a young Roman soldier and seeker of the Christian faith, met an unclothed man begging for alms in the freezing cold, he stopped and cut his coat in two and gave half to the stranger. That night he dreamt he saw the heavenly court with Jesus robed in a torn cloak. One of the angels present asked, "Master, why do you wear that battered cloak?" Jesus replied, "My servant Martin gave it to me." Martin s disciple and biographer Sulpicius Severus states that as a consequence of this vision Martin flew to be baptized. God is gracious and merciful; His love compels us to treat others with mercy and kindness. When we do something for one of Christ's little ones, we do it for Christ. Do you treat your neighbor with mercy and love as Christ has treated you? "Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my heart. May your love rule in my heart " Blessings to all! As we all know, Holy And Great Lent (Tessarakoste) commences on Monday, February 23, 2015 with Kathara Deutera/Pure Monday. On Sunday, February 15th we celebrate Meatfare Sunday/Apokries. It is typically referred to as "Judgment Sunday" because we read the Scripture Passage from St. Matthew 25:31-36 whereby Christ tells gives us some insight as to how we will be judged and where we will go after death... A blessed and fruitful Lenten Season to all filled with acts of charity, prayer, and fasting... Easter/Pascha for us as Orthodox is Sunday, April 12, (Easter for the Western world is April 5th) With agape, Fr. Kastanas 2

3 Parish Council News Dear Parishioners: As we prepare for the start of Great Lent in February, I would like to thank all our parishioners, families and friends for your continued participation and support of the St. Athanasius Parish. Our new year began in January with the election of officers for the 2015 year. This year s officers are as follows: Paul Tsitsopoulos - President, Theodore Speros - 1st Vice President, Head of Ministries Maria Tsaousidis - 2nd Vice President, Head of Stewardship Stefanos Bouboulis - Treasurer, Nikitas Splagounias, Dean Ioakimidis, George Katsarakes - Associate Treasurers S. Nicholas Kriketos - Secretary Bill Karras - Associate Secretary. Council members Thanasi Arvanitis, David Bowling, John Ioakimidis, Peter Ladas, Charlie Pappas, Vassilios Pantazopoulos, Eleanor Profis and Mark Ypsilantis will all actively participate on various Parish committees. Ministries Sunday & New Parish Ministries Book Sunday February 1st will be ministries Sunday at Saint Athanasius. This is an opportunity for each group to highlight its ministry and mission to our parishioners. Each ministry will have a table set up in the hall for all to see. Please join us after Liturgy, pick up our new Parish Ministries handbook and visit each table to show them your support. Also consider joining at least one of our ministries and becoming active in our Parish. Paying Down the Mortgage Many thanks to our Parishioners who gave generously towards a mortgage tray passed after Liturgy on the feast day of St. Athanasius, Sunday, January 18th. That tray raised $1,226 and helped us to pay an extra $4,000 towards our mortgage principal this month. In total, we paid $11,239 towards the principal in February. Paying at this rate will allow us to pay off our mortgage in approximately 18.5 years! To help us achieve this goal, we will continue passing a second tray specifically for the mortgage at least once each month going forward. James Bouboulis Auditorium Renovation Anybody that has participated in fellowship hour following Liturgy on Sundays knows how challenging the acoustics in our hall can be. The Parish Council recognizes this problem and is working on a plan to improve acoustics in the hall with a new acoustic tile ceiling. We re also looking at improved lighting and new wallpaper & paint to make the hall more attractive. Special thanks to the Philoptochos for helping to sponsor a part of this project. Please let us know if you are also interested in helping and/or contributing to this project s success. Celebrating as a Parish Family Lastly, this year the Parish Council will be sponsoring a monthly fellowship event aimed at bringing our parishioners together and helping to build new friendships. These will be informal events focused on fun, family and friends. Our first celebration occurred on the feast day of our patron saint, St. Athanasius the Great, where we all sat together following Liturgy and enjoyed a delicious meal. Our next event will be a Taverna Night on Friday, February 20th. Please join us with your family and enjoy some mezedakia, wine, music and fellowship. Faithfully, Apostolos Paul Tsitsopoulos, Parish Council President 3

4 REFLECTIONS ON HOLY and GREAT LENT In the grand schema of events, the Great and Holy 40-day preparation period or Great Lent, as it is commonly referred to, will commence on/with Pure or Clean Monday (In Greek: Kathara Deftera ), Monday, February 23, Forty days from this day takes us to the Friday (April 3, 2015), the day before the Saturday of the Raising of Lazarus (April 4, 2015), where Christ raises Lazarus from the tomb/from the dead (John 11:1-46). From this day forward, Holy Week begins for every Eastern Orthodox Christian. Pascha or Easter is on Sunday, April 12, The themes for the 5 Sundays In Lent are: 1. <<Triumph and Joy>> (1st Sun in Lent, March 1, 2015): The Sunday of Orthodoxy) The icons of the Church are restored to their proper place of veneration(8th century). 2. <<Prayer, Meditation and Self-Examination>> (2nd Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2015): St. Gregory Palamas, born in Thessalonica, A.D.) St. Gregory is remembered this day for sharing with us the Jesus Prayer ( Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner ), and giving us the guidance on intensive, inner/reflective prayer. 3. <<The Cross is THE Way to the Resurrection>> (3rd Sunday in Lent, March 15, 2015); We celebrate the veneration of the Holy Cross. It s an opportunity to remember that there are no shortcuts on the road to salvation. Sacrifice is a part of life...the road to the Resurrection is through the Crucifixion...This is the midpoint of Holy and Great Lent. 4. <<The Ascent to Heaven>> (4th Sunday in Lent, March 22, 2015; St. John Klimakos {St. John of the ladder of divine ascent}) St. John Klimakos (6th-7th century) who authored the classic work on how to get to Paradise through spiritual work ( The Ladder of Divine Ascent )...A true Christian lifestyle will guide us to Paradise. This year, the Great Feast of the Annunciation falls on Wednesday, March 25, <<Humility and Repentence>> (5th Sunday in Lent, March 29, 2015; St Mary of Egypt). St. Mary of Egypt lived a sinful life, but changed her ways when she found Christ. We too can change and become better Christians at any time, when we want to... A BLESSED AND HOLY 40 Day PREPARATION PERIOD/GREAT LENT TO All! +Fr. Kastanas 4

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8 News and Announcements Parish Council Oath Of Office On Sunday January 4, 2015, the Parish Council received the Affirmation of Office from Fr. Kastanas assisted by Deacon Markos Nikolas. The 17 new Parish Council members are: Athanasios Arvanitis, Stefanos Bouboulis, David Bowling, Constandinos Ioakimidis, John Ioakimidis, Bill Karras, George Katsarakes, S. Nicholas Kriketos, Peter Ladas, Vassilios Pantazopoulos, Charles Pappas, Eleanor Profis, Ted Speros, Nikitas Splagounias, Maria Tsaousidis, Paul Tsitsopoulos, and Mark Ypsilantis. Absent from the pictures were Athanasios Arvanitis and Eleanor Profis. 8

9 News and Announcements St. Athanasius Great Vespers On Saturday, January 17, 2015, our St. Athanasius Parish celebrated the Great Vespers Service of the Feast of our Patron Saint!Clergy from neighbouring Parishes celebrated with the multitude of parishioners and Fr. Kastanas. Those officiating at the Vespers included Fr. Vasilios Bebis. Fr. Dimitri Costarakis, Fr. Astergios Gerostergios, and Fr. Konstantinos Manetas. On Sunday morning, January 18, 2015, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in honour of the Great Patriarch! Three Hierarchs/Hellenic Letter Program On Sunday, February 1, 2015 (Kalo Mina!) our Parish of St. Athanasius The Great in Arlington, MA celebrated The Feast of the Three Hierarchs/Hellenic Letter (St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. John Chrysostom) with the 70 children from our Greek School and Little Halos offering songs and poems in a brief program at the conclusion of Liturgy! These photos capture the sweet moments! JOY On Friday, January 23rd, the JOY hosted JOY Bowls at the Woburn Bowladrome. It was a great night for all! 9

10 News and Announcements Little Halos Happy New Year 2015! January was a busy month for the children of the Little Halos Day School. Little Halos curriculum this month included the feasts of St. Basil the Great, St. John the Baptist, Theophania, and St. Athanasius, our church s Patron, and talked about the reasons for which the Orthodox Church has labeled them "Great". We discussed their significance within the Greek Orthodox tradition and how to recognize their icon. In addition, we spent time studying the winter weather, how people and animals behave, and where they spend the winter months. We also explored the life of animals thriving in the coldest climates. We read lots of interesting books and did experiments to understand how polar animals survive in such low temperatures in frozen lands. Children enjoyed many hands-on interdisciplinary activities that enriched their understanding of our themed studies. Little Halos Preschool has New Flexible Schedule Options for the current and school year: 8:30am-12:00noon OR 8:30am-3:00pm **Registration for the school year has now begun and an Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, February 4, 5, and 6, 2015 at 10:00-11:00am. For more information and registration materials, please call the school at or

11 Ενα πρόγραμμα Ελληνικής μουσικής και κίνησης για παιδιά ηλικίας από 6 μηνών έως 3 ετών με συνοδεία γονέων. Little Halos Preschool & Prekindergarten Dayschool, Αρχίζουμε ένα νέο πρόγραμμα Ελληνικής μουσικής και κίνησης για παιδιά από 6 μηνών έως 3 ετών με συνοδεία γονέων. Τα μαθήματα είναι διαρκείας 8 εβδομάδων και προσφέρουν την εξοικείωση των παιδιών με τον ρυθμό την κίνηση και την κουλτούρα των Ελληνικών παιδικών τραγουδιών. Το πρόγραμμα διδάσκει η Ελληνίδα πτυχιούχος εκπαιδευτικός της μουσικής κ. Νεκταρία Μπούστρη. Η κ. Νεκταρία έχει διδάξει μουσική επί σειρά ετών στα δημόσια σχολεία του Νήνταμ, και για τα 3 τελευταία χρόνια στο ημερήσιο σχολείο της ενορίας μας Λίττλ Χάλος. Τα μαθήματα θα παραδίδονται τις Παρασκευές το πρωί στις 10, και αρχίζουν Φεβρουάριος 27/2015, έως Μαίος 1/2015. Let s sing together in Greek!!! Every Friday morning starting at 2/27/15 ending 5/1/15. This is an 8 week music program for children ages 6month to 2.9 years old. Registration for: Ας τραγουδήσουμε μαζί Ελληνικά: Child s Name: Birth Date 2nd Child s Name: Birth Date Parents Name: Home Phone: Cell Phone Street Address: City: Zip: Address: Person accompanying child if not parent: I will be bringing a sibling under 3 months (circle) Yes No, Name and DOB: Class Fee: $ (+Sibling Fee:$ ) Total$ *Younger siblings under 3 months are free, Little Halos Families: $ 120 for 8 sessions Call or for more information. Location: Four Appleton Street (corner of Massachusetts Ave.) Arlington, Massachusetts Tel: (781) Fax: (781) littlehalospreschool@gmail.com

12 February 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Strict Fast Wine/Oil Allowed Dairy Allowed Fast Free 5 Little Halos 8: Little Halos 8: The Presentation of Christ 8The Sunday of the Prodigal 9 Little Halos 8:30-3pm Greek School K1 and K2 4-6pmGreek Dancing for the children 6-8pm Adult Rel.Ed.and Bible Study in Greek 7:15-8:30pm Adult Grk Dancing 8pm 10 Little Halos 8: MEATFARE SUNDAY(Apokries) Orthros 8:45am D. Liturgy 10-11:30 SundayCat Ch. School 10 Baptism 2:30 Baby Demosthenes Delellis 16 PRESIDENT S DAY 17 WINTER VACATION NO SCHOOL 18 WINTER VACATION NO SCHOOL Parish Council 7pm 19 WINTER VACATION NO SCHOOL 20 WINTER VACATION NO SCHOOL Taverna Night 8 pm 21 2nd PsychoSavvato 22 CHEESEFARE SUNDAY Orthros 8:45am D. Liturgy 10-11:30 SundayCat Ch. School 10 Pine St. Inn 5pm Forgiveness Vespers 6:30pm 23 HOLY & Great Lent Begins Kathara Deutera Pre-Sanctified Liturgy 8-9:45am Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2 and 5 26 Little Halos 8: Little Halos 8: rd PsychoSavvato Son(Teaching Liturgy GODCHILDREN &GODPARENTS SUNDAY Orthr. 8:45 D. Lit10-11:30 Memorial:+Maria Lempesis+, Eleni Livieratos+; Sun.Cat.Ch Sch 10 GO RED SUNDAY PHILOPTOCHOS To the Temple Orthros8 D.Lit 9-10 Little Halos 8:30-3pm Greek School K1 and K2 4-6pmGreek Dancing for the children 6-8pm Adult Rel.Ed.and Bible Study in Greek 7:15-8:30 Adult Grk Dancing 8pm WINTER VACATION NO SCHOOL Office Closed No Bible Study Little Halos 8:30-3pm Greek School K1 and K2 4-6pmGreek Dancing for the children 6-8pm Adult Rel.Ed.and Bible Study in Greek 7:15-8:30pm Adult Grk Dancing 8pm 3 4 Little Halos 8:30-3 1The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee MINISTRIES SUNDAY Three Hierarchs Program Orthros 8:45am D. Liturgy 10-11:30 SundayCat.Ch. Sch 10 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Bible Study in English 7:15-8:30 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2 and 5 Parish Council 7pm 11 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 2 and 5 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 3 and 6 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:157pm 7 Great Vespers Service 4:30pm Greek School PTO Apokreatiko GLENDI 7pm 12 Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 3 and 6 13 Little Halos 8:30-3 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:157pm 14 1st PsychoSavvato (Sat.of the Souls) Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10:30am Baptism: Sophie Katsos 11:30 A.M. Wedding in Braintree 3pm No Vespers Little Halos 8:30-3 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 1 and 4 Bible Study in English 7:15-8:30 Greek School 4-6:30 Grades 3 and 6 Basketball Practice for the Ottoson Gym 5:157pm 1st Salutations Service to the Theotokos (Sat.of the Souls) Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10:30am Great Vespers Service 4:30 Altar Servers Meeting 5:30-6:30pm (Sat.of the Souls) Orthros 8 Divine Liturgy 9-10:30am Chrismation of Ted Markos Saturday s Bread 12:30 (Soup Kitchen) Great Vespers 4:30 12

13 Φεβρουάριος 2015 Κυριακή Δευτέρα Τρίτη Τετάρτη Πέμπτη Παρασκευή Σάββατο Ταβέρνα Γλέντι 8 μμ Χρίσμα Θεόδωρος Μάρκος Λιβιερατος Αργιά Γραφείου πμ 13

14 News and Announcements Philoptochos We will be recruiting nominations for our Elections to be held May Please, please, come forward if you would enjoy to be part of Philoptochos. Our term is ending June 2015, and a new Board will begin. If you have questions or interest, please reach a current member or contact Kathy VanKuilenburg (978) or by at k.vankuilenburg@comcast.net. Our membership will continue to thrive with energy and enthusiasm only with your help. We appreciate any time and participation and as much or little you are able to offer. St. Barbara's involvement in the church are endless. These photos will show you what we do together and for the church. Hellenic Nursing Home Visit Housewarming Baskets for Veteran's Epitaphio Decorating Epitaphio Decorating Luncheon Preparation Fun Philoptochos Retreat Taste of Greece Cuisine Christmas Party 2014 Egg Preparation for Easter Taste of Greece Cuisine Christmas Party Christmas Party 2014

15 News and Announcements St. Barbara's Philoptochos will be celebrating GO RED on Sunday, February 8, We will take a collection for the AHA and provide handouts for healthy eating tips. Let's support and stand together for "Go Red for Woman" by wearing something Red this month. The provision of food cards for the "Homeless and Needy Fund" is open to all parishioners. If you are able, please donate a $10 food card from Stop & Shop and leave it in the church office for those in need this holiday season. Food cards are welcome and will continue to be handed out through the month of February. The church office will regulate the distribution of the cards with care. Who is Graduating this year? Being a paid steward of this church brings you many benefits. St. Barbara's Philoptochos is honored to celebrate the high school and college graduates each year. Graduates are presented with a gift on Graduation Sunday each May. Every year, we ask parents to inform St. Barbara's their graduates. We strongly urge graduates and their families to be present in order to receive their gift. Please call or Kathy VanKuilenburg ( below) with your graduate's name and where they are graduating from. * * * Graduate submission deadline is APRIL 30, 2015 * * * We are happy to prepare and present these gifts, therefore, we respectfully decline any submissions after April 30. Thank you for your understanding S A V E T H E D A T E: PHILOPTOCHOS RETREAT AT THE FAITH AND HERITAGE CENTER, CONTOOKCOOK, NH Friday, March 6 & 7, 2015 Registration Details coming soon Our next General Assembly will be held on Thursday, March 5, :00 p.m. ~ James Bouboulis Auditorium Speaker at 8:00 p.m.: Lou Zagami from the IOCC is planned If you have questions about Philoptochos or any events, please feel free to contact Kathy VanKuilenburg at (978) or by at k.vankuilenburg@comcast.net 15

16 News and Announcements Sunday Catechetical School January was a rich month for Orthodox celebrations including the Feast of Theophany and the commemoration of St. Basil, St. John the Baptist, St. Anthony, St. Euthymios, St. Gregory, St. John Chrysostom, as well as, the celebration of the patron Saint of our Church, St. Athanasius. For all of you in our St. Athanasius family that celebrated their name days, we wish you Χρονια Πολλα and many blessings in our Lord Jesus. These name day celebrations are a great teaching aid in our classrooms and homes. The Church adds titles, such as the Great, the Theologian, the Baptist etc, to the names of saints to help identify them, but also to help us remember important details about them. Our children are interested in learning about their patron Saints and we indeed use these feast days to teach and learn many new things about the lives and titles of January Saints. While all saints are important and worthy of imitation, some saints have been given extra significance in the Church and these details, often in their titles, helps us remember. On Sunday, February 8, 2015, Fr. Nick will celebrate a special Teaching Divine Liturgy for our St. Athanasius Parish and on this same Sunday we will also host the annual celebration Godparents and Godchildren. Activities include a special Godparent/Godchildren blessing during the Divine Liturgy, invitation to classroom activities, cake, pictures and a special commemorative board featuring Godparents and their Godchildren. We pray that you will all be able to participate and we are looking forward to seeing all Godparents and their Godchildren. For those who may have not participated in a Teaching Divine Liturgy in the past, we invite you to come and receive new insights and knowledge about the most central expression of our Faith, The Divine Liturgy. Special lessons will take place in the classroom before and after this Liturgy, to further enhance this unique learning opportunity. We thank Fr. Nick for this special opportunity to experience the Divine Liturgy up close and personal and we hope to see all of our students and their families there. We will also soon start preparing our students for the annual St. John Chrysostom oratorical festival. Please, encourage your students to participate. The parish level festival will take place on Saturday, March 28th, The next staff meeting is scheduled for Sunday February 15th, immediately after the end of classes. 16

17 News and Announcements GOYA Hello all! This winter GOYA has been participating in a canned food drive for the Arlington Food Pantry. During church each Sunday of the month, GOYA has been collecting canned goods to deliver to the pantry. Thank you to all who have donated. On February 6th we hosted our annual Black Light Dance. Thank you to everyone who donated snacks, helped with set up and clean up, and who came! Thank you to the parents who volunteered as chaperones and to Stavro Ioakimidis of the Salonica Boys for DJing. We had a wonderful turnout this year and we hope to see the same great support from the GOYAns in upcoming years. On the following Saturday, February 7th, the GOYAns visited the Philoxenia House. It was a blessing to be able to show our support and love. Thank you so much to the parents who volunteered their time to carpool all of us there and back. We couldn't have organized this without them! Stay warm in the upcoming weeks of snow. With love, GOYA Young Adults The Young Adults will be participating the Saturday s/sunday Bread program at Church of St. John the Evangelist, 35 Bowdoin Street, Boston on Saturday, February 28th, Saturday s/sunday s Bread is a program that serves free hot meals to people in need in Boston every Saturday and Sunday. The program lasts from 12:30 P.M. 4:00 P.M. We will be gathering at the St. Athanasius Parking Lot to carpool at 11:00 A.M. All interested should arrive before that time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dimitrios Loucagos (dloucagos@gmail.com). 17

18 2015 SAINT ATHANASIUS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY INFORMATION FORM complete return thispoint. form to the Church Office [Type a quote from the document orplease the summary of and an interesting You can position the text box anywhere in the 4 Appleton Street, of Arlington, document. Use the Drawing Tools tab to change the formatting the pull MA quote text box.] Name: Address : City: Home Telephone: I would like bulletin via mail Member Spouse State Zip via Children / Age Name: / Mobile Tel: / E mail: / Occupation: / Work Tel: / SAINT ATHANASIUS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH CONFIDENTIAL FAMILY INFORMATION FORM Please complete and return this form to the Church Office Please check those items in which you or a member of your family has some expertise or interest. Place name or initials of the specific family member after each item checked. Bible Study Youth Work Real Estate Management Teaching Sunday School Medical/Nurse Church Choir Art/Design Services Greek School/Little Halos Visitation of Elderly/Infirm Soup Kitchen Youth Ministry Scouting Finance New parents Computer software Legal Ushering / Welcome Web Design Mechanical / Plumbing Reader (in liturgy) Computer Hardware/Systems Electrical Architecture Outreach to Community Evangelism Festival Publishing/Marketing Construction Philoptochos Other Gardening Office Work STEWARDSHIP PLEDGE / DONATION Family Name I understand it takes approximately $1,010 per active Stewardship family to operate and support the ministries and facility of the St. Athanasius Parish in We would like to pledge $ We would like to pledge $ We would like to pledge $ Monthly Semi Annually Yearly You can also pledge at 18

19 St. Athanasius Stewardship Goal Based on 2015 Budget 515 families contributing an average of $1,000 per family will cover nearly all our variable operating expenses $800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 What does this mean? 2015 Stewardship Goal to Support your Church and its Ministries, $520,126 Ministries, $232,500 Church Payroll, $48,000 Operating Expense, $83,200 Property Expense, $111,500 Mortgage - Extra Principal Pmts, $48,000 $300,000 Mortgage - Principal Pmts, $90,115 $200,000 Net Rental Income, $268,789 $100,000 Mortgage - Interest Pmts, $175,600 $0 Cash In Cash Out St. Athanasius Ministries we Support Sacraments, Visitation ministry, JOY, GOYA & Youth Athletics ministries, Catechetical Education, Bible Study, Greek Language and Cultural Education, Altar Servers, Choir & Chanting ministries, Local outreach for homeless and needy, Clergy payroll & benefits (Priest & Deacon) Metropolis Ministries we Support Summer, Winter and Family Camp (MBC), Philoxenia House, Greek Education, Orthodox Christian Religious Education, Youth & Young Adult Ministries, Youth Greek Dance & Athletic Ministries, Orthodox Christian Fellowship Archdiocese Ministries we Support Hellenic College/Holy Cross, Ecumenical, Patriarchate, World Orthodoxy, Outreach, Military Bibles, Missions and Evangelism Church Payroll Church Administrative Assistants, Bookkeeper, Cantor, taxes & expense. note: Clergy payroll included in Ministries Operating Expenses Church & Religious Supplies, Telecom, Office Supplies & Equip, Auto Expenses Property Expenses Utilities, Building Maintenance & Repairs, Property & Liability Insurance Mortgage Includes Interest & Principal. Extra Principal payments to be made as finances allow Net Rental Income AHNS School, House, Parking & Hall rental 19

20 Join thousands of teens across the nation & #ShareOrthodoxy! 2015 ORATORICAL FESTIVAL EXPLORE a deeper knowledge of your Orthodox faith THINK critically about current issues SPEAK to a gentle and loving audience Junior Division for Grades 7-9 Senior Division for Grades AWARDS - The Chrysostom Scholarship for Hellenic College The 2015 finalists are eligible to receive a Chrysostom Scholarship to Hellenic College. This scholarship provides awards ranging from $2,500 up to $30,000 per year. Parish Festival Date Saturday, March 28th, 2015 at 9:00 A.M. Parish Chairperson Tina Pavlakis Bowling Contact Information cpbowling@verizon.net/ The St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is a Ministry of the Department of Religious Education from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. Find the topics, rules, and prize information at 20