St. George Greek Orthodox Church - September 5, 2021

St. George Greek
    Orthodox Church
     September 5, 2021

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Face Mask Guidelines
With continued guidance from the County of Fresno Health Department, and the
Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco, we are requesting that all parish mem-
bers continue to wear masks while inside the church, during indoor services. Our
appeal is intended to lower the risk of infection for all of our beloved parishioners
due to the ongoing pandemic, which include uncertainties due to COVID variants.
We are thankful for your understanding and cooperation. If you forget your mask,
we will happily provide one for you in the Narthex.

Parish Council Members Serving Today
Peter Vallis, Mark Archon, Alex Carter & Cristian Panoff

Prayer List
Does someone need prayer? Call or email the office in order to request a name to be
put on the prayer list. When a family requests a name be placed on the list, the name
will remain on the list for one month.
Health: Alfred, Angie B., Joanna, Patty, Demetri, Pat, John C., Tom, Mary, Robert,
Elizabeth, Peter, Michael, Dee, Carlo Military/First Responders: Cindi, Andreas,
Joseph, Justin, Andy, Nick, Matthew, Gail & Tarek

Coffee Hour Sponsor
If you would like to sponsor a Coffee Hour please contact Pam Sopp at (209)986-
5273.

Services, Classes and Activities This Week
Monday: Office Closed in observance of Labor Day
Wednesday: Feastday of the Nativity of the Theotokos- Orthros at 9:00am and Di-
vine Liturgy at 9:45am; SGOM meeting via Zoom at 4:00pm
Thursday: AHEPA/DOP meeting at 7:00pm
Friday: Catechism at 5:30pm

St. George Bookstore
The Bookstore will be closed today.

Welcome Back Sunday
We will kickoff our Welcome Back Week with on September 12th with Welcome
Back Sunday. Join us for Orthros at 8:30am and Divine Liturgy at 9:30am followed
by food, music, activities, ministry engagement booths, Sunday School registration,
gifts and more! See the full schedule of events planned for the week on the next
page. We look forward to welcoming back our St. George family!

Schedule for “Welcome Back” Week
We will kick off our Church New Year (celebrated annually on September 1 st)
with the following special activities and events to take place during the week of
the finding of the Cross of Christ.
             Sunday, September 12th
                      Orthros at 8:30am and Divine Liturgy at 9:30am
                         “Welcome Back Sunday” Ministry Kickoff with Food
                         and Fellowship
             Monday, September 13th
                      Vespers for the Holy Cross 6:00pm
                      Jr. High & High School Kickoff Pizza Party (7th-12th)
                              • Joining Vesper at 6:00pm
                              • Kickoff Pizza Party at 7:00pm
             Tuesday, September 14th
                      Feastday for the Elevation of the Cross- Orthros
                         9:00am; Divine Liturgy at 9:45am
             Wednesday, September 15th
                      First Philopotochos meeting of the year at 10:00am
                      Senior Zoomers Picnic at 11:30am.
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We invite you to “Take up your Cross and follow Christ”

Today’s Epistle & Gospel Reading
Orthros Gospel: John 21: 14– 25
At that time, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples after he was raised from the
dead, and he said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more
than these?" He said to him "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to
him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do
you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said
to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John,
do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do
you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know
that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you,
when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but
when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you
and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what
death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."

Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had
lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is go-
ing to betray you?" When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about
this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what
is that to you? Follow me!" So, the word went out among the brethren that
this disciple would not die; but Jesus did not say to him that he would not die,
but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is
the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these
things; and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other
things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that
the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

I Corinthians 9: 2– 12
Brethren, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to
those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to our food and
drink? Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other
apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I
who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier
at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit?
Who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say this on human
authority? Does not the law say the same? For it is written in the law of Moses,
"You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain." Is it for oxen
                                                         Continued on next page.

Today’s Epistle & Gospel Reading Cont.
that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written
for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher
thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have sown spiritual good among
you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? If others share this right-
ful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use
of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of
the gospel of Christ.

Matthew 18: 23– 25
The Lord said this parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a
king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reck-
oning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he
could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and
all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, im-
ploring him, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And
out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the
debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow serv-
ants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said,
'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, 'Have
patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in
prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had tak-
en place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord
all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You
wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and
should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
And in anger his lord delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all his
debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not
forgive your brother from your heart."

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                             Nativity of the Theotokos
                           Celebrated on September 8th

Hymns of the Day

When You descended to the realm of death, You as life immortal ren-
dered to Hades a mortal blow by Your all radiant divinity. And when
You from infernal depths and the darkness below did raise the dead, all
the hosts of heaven’s powers did proclaim and cry out, O life giving
Christ and our God, we give glory.

For the Feast
As a priest according to the Law of God you offered up * whole-burnt
offerings, and they were most acceptable to Him, * dressed in the vest-
ments of the priesthood, O Zacharias. * And you became a light, and
you beheld mysteries; * and clearly you displayed the signs and symbols
of grace * within yourself. And you, were assassinated * by the sword in
the Temple of God. * O all-wise Prophet of Christ the Savior,* join the
Forerunner in praying that our souls be saved.

Hymn for the Church of St. George
As the one renowned for setting captives free and for defending those in
poverty, the physician of the sick and the champion of emperors, great
and victorious Martyr George, interceded with Christ our God, beseech-
ing Him to save our souls.

Kontakion
Both Joachim and Anna from their sterility's stigma, and Adam and Eve
from their mortality's ruin have been set free, O immaculate Maid, by
your holy nativity. For this do your people hold celebration, redeemed
from the guilt of transgression as they cry to you, "The barren one bears
the Theotokos, the nourisher of our Life."

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Vestment Drive 2.0!
As many of us know, Michael Makredes is finishing up his studies to become a
deacon and continue in this service to our St. George Community! As his antic-
ipated ordination approaches by the end of the year, we are collecting funds to
purchase his sets of vestments needed for his service to our community. Further,
after many decades and even more boys, it’s time to begin replacing our altar
boy robes. Fortunately, for our parish vestment needs, we have a high quality
and reasonably priced supplier who understands the stresses that young men put
on clothing!
If you would like to contribute to this fund, please contact the church office or
Peter Vallis directly at pvallis@gmail.com or 559-905-7748.
Thank you for your generous support!

Fresno State Health Survey
Kara Zografos, and some of her colleagues from the Department of Public
Health at Fresno State, are asking for your participation in a survey aimed at
assessing the impact of religion and spirituality during the COVID-19 pandem-
ic. They are interested in learning the factors associated with time spent in pri-
vate religious activities, such as prayer, meditation, or Bible study, the various
factors associated with religious behaviors, such as attending church and reading
sacred scriptures, etc. Data will be collected from various congregations in our
area.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and several $25 gift
cards will be raffled to study participants at the end of the data collection pro-
cess as a "thank you" for your time and effort. The research study has been ap-
proved by the IRB committee at California State University, Fresno. The link
to the survey is below, and will be sent via email. Paper copies will also be pro-
vided at church. Please note that all responses will be kept confidential.

Please contact Kara Zografos at 559-259-0282 or at
kzografos@mail.fresnostate.edu if you have any questions. Thank you!
Survey link: https://fresnostate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/
SV_eJuzsxRBb4LaJoy

Fresno Greek Fest Presents…
                 Street Food Night
             Saturday, October 2, 2021
                on the Church Patio
              *Masks are required while in food hall.

  We are excited to invite everyone to our patio for Street Food
 Night on Saturday, October 2nd. Join us to enjoy a selection of
classic Greek street food items including gyros, souvlaki, feta fries,
Greek salad, ice cream and loukoumades along with a variety of fa-
             vorite beverages from our Greek taverna.

THANK YOU to our community for your love and support dur-
ing our 2020/2021 Greek Fest TO-GO drive-thru series. We are
 so excited to finally be able to welcome you back to our outdoor
                                 patio!

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“A Time for Every Purpose Under
                                               Heaven”
                              Orthodox Christian Stewardship Program
                                   St. George Greek Orthodox Church
                                               2219 N. Orchard Street
                                                    Fresno, CA 93703
                                                        559 233-0397
This past year has brought unforeseen challenges for everyone. In spite of
these challenges, our Community is at a point of strong, positive growth.
This time has also given us an opportunity for change. A change to allow us
to work together to grow our community instead of simply sustaining it. It’s
time to fully invest in ourselves today– for the future by become a Financial
Steward of St. George Church in 2021.

Become a Financial Steward of St. George Church:
• Fill out a confidential 2021 Stewardship Commitment Form* and return
    it to the church office.
•    *Commitment forms are located in the monthly newsletter and on the
    parish website:
  http://stgeorgefresno.org/assets/files/Stewardship%20Card%202021
                                  (2).pdf

Fulfill your stewardship commitment in numerous ways:
• Setup automatic monthly payments to be mailed from your bank to the
    church. (Mailing Address: 2219 N. Orchard St.; Fresno, CA 93703)
• Make a one time Stewardship payment or setup automatic monthly pay-
    ments with your credit card through the church website: http://
    www.stgeorgefresno.org/giving/treasure
•   Mail monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual stewardship checks to the
    church office. (Mailing Address: 2219 N. Orchard St.; Fresno, CA
    93703)
•   Place monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual stewardship checks in
    the Sunday offering tray.

As highlighted in our 2021 annual budget, if the families that were Financial
Stewards last year increased the average commitment to $2,330 per family,
per year, we would fulfill the financial obligations of our church, freeing us
from relying on the Food Festival to cover operating expenses.

*Copies of Vision 100 are available on our website at: http://
stgeorgefresno.org/st.-george-strategic-plan.

2021 Confidential Stewardship Commitment Form
               Please return your completed form to the church office by
  Mail: 2219 N. Orchard St. Fresno, CA 93703; Email: sggoc@comcast.net or Fax:
                                     559-233-0564.
Did you know that out of the 400+ families to which our church ministers, only 220
families are stewards? Of those 220 families, 82 families give less than $500 per year.
 If each of these 220 families gave at least $2,330 per year, we would be able to fulfill
the financial obligations of our church. This would free up income from fundraisers,
like the Food Festival, to use on property improvements and future growth. We ask
that if God has blessed you with the means, please consider giving at least $2,330 per
year in stewardship. If you already give at least $2,330 per year, we ask that you con-
                  sider increasing your stewardship by 10% for 2021.
   No matter what you are financially able to give, you are a valued parishioner of St.
                                     George Church.

   In gratitude and thanksgiving for God’s blessings, I/we offer Him through His
                        Church the following Annual Tithe:
An annual amount of: ___$2,330 _____$2,700 _____$3,000 _____$3,600 ____$4,800
                     ($194/mo) ($225/mo) ($250/mo) ($300/mo) ($400/mo)
Other:____

Name: (first/last) ________________________________
Cell Phone: _________________Home Phone: _____________
Email ________________________

Spouse: (first/last) ____________________________
Cell Phone: ______________ Home Phone: _________________
Email_________________________

Address: _________________________________________________
City/State: _________________ Zip: _________

   Please fill out the information below if you would like to make your stewardship
 donation using your credit card, and would like our office to setup the donation(s).
                             You can also go to our website
 http://www.stgeorgefresno.org/giving/treasure to setup automatic stewardship do-
                                        nations.
Name on card:____________________________________________
Card number: ___________________________ Expires: ________________
CSC#: __________ Billing address:________________________________
Email Address: _________________________(Required for credit card donations)
              11 ___________ Or
Monthly amount:                             One time donation amount:__________
I hereby authorize St. George Greek Orthodox Church to debit the above amount,
per instructions, from my credit/debit card.
Signature: ________________________________ Date: _______________

Church Income & Expense Update
  The figures below reflect current actual income and the budgeted expenses
  for the week prior to this Sunday. Followed by current actual year to date
 income and expenses. They are provided in order to give an ongoing report
    as to what is necessary to cover the financial needs of our congregation.
                     Thank you for your continued support.

Weekly Income and Expenses
Income (actual) for the week of 8/29/2021                         $     4,320.00
Budgeted expenses ($601,335 for the year divided into 52 weeks)   $    11,564.00
Difference of:                                                    $    (7,244.00)

Year to Date Income (Actual) and Expense (Actual)
Income (actual) 1/1/2021- 8/29/2021                               $   325,674.00
Expenses (actual) 1/1/2021-8/29/2021                              $   360,797.00
Difference of:                                                    $   (35,123.00)