Parish Newsletter for the remainder of September

Regular Service Schedule:

Saturday:

• 4pm - Confessions

• 5pm - Vigil

 Sunday:

• 10am - Liturgy
• 12pm - Trapeza (Lunch)
• 12:30 - Church School

Other services and events for the remainder of September

There are two great Feasts of the Church in September:

Friday, September 21st - Nativity of the Theotokos: the Church's celebration of the birth of the Mother of God, which (in the words of the festal Troparion) "hath proclaimed joy to all the world, for from [her] hath shown forth the Son of Righteousness, Christ our God, annulling the curse and bestowing the blessing; abolishing death and granting unto us life everlasting!"

• Thursday, 6:30 pm - Vigil
• Friday, 8:00 am - Divine Liturgy

Thursday, September 27th - Exaltation of the Cross: the Church's celebration of the finding of the precious Cross of the Lord, three centuries after the Resurrection.

• Thursday, 6:30 pm - Vigil
• Friday, 8:00 am - Divine Liturgy

Name Days

• Wednesday, September 19th - Mykael Enright
• Sunday, September 30th - Nadezhda (Nadia) Newell, Sophia Park, Sophia T.
  

Announcements

• Please continue to pray for Dimitry, Olga and Vladimir Maximov, who will be returning to Dallas this fall for Dima's surgery.
• Our calendar of services is now available online at the following site: http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=keeahidiiec6pld7f5ut1jr2r0%40group.calendar.google.com .
• We are trying to develop a bilingual monthly newsletter that will be distributed both in church and online at the start of each month. We will include a copy of the church calendar, announcements, and readings in both English and Russian. If anybody would like to assist with this project, please let us know.
• Our Sunday school class for older children has resumed after summer break. We are meeting at 12:30 or so each Sunday, after we have had time to get something to eat. This year, we will be using the book The Incarnate God, which uses the cycle of the church's feast days to give a structured presentation of the essentials of our faith. Adults are welcome to participate. There is no homework for the class, but anybody who desires read the book may do so online, or purchase it, by using this link: http://tinyurl.com/2kg8q6.
  

Prayer Requests

"I was sick and you visited me." We have petitions for the sick, for travellers, and in general for those in need during the Liturgy; so, if you or someone you know needs prayer or would like a visit, please let Father Seraphim know.

Help with the Services

Helping with the services is an important ministry to God and to other members of the parish. We can always use help singing in the choir, reading the prayers and psalms, or assisting in the Altar during the Divine Liturgy. If you wish to help in the Altar, please speak to Father Seraphim. If you wish to help sing or read, please speak to Nicholas Park.

Our Bookstore

Please see and use our bookstore. We are currently having a 60% off sale on all items! We have books, icons, CD's, Pascha and Nativity cards, souveniers and other items. When you buy something, please put the following into the donation box, together with the payment: the item name and the dollar ($) amount of the payment. There are pads for your use for this purpose in the bookstore. If you wish to help maintain the bookstore, please speak to Nicholas Park.
       
Our Parish Library

Our parish library is an opportunity to pool our resources, given each of us access to spiritually profitable books, CD's and other items that we would not otherwise be able to afford. By borrowing from the library, you can have more resources to help you grow in the love of God, and by donating to the library, you can express your love for others by helping them to do the same. When you borrow from the library, please write the name of the book or CD on the clipboard, and return the items within four weeks. If you have materials to donate to the library, or if you wish to help maintain the collection, please speak to Nicholas Park

St. Juliana Sisterhood

All women are welcome to be members of our Sisterhood. To join, please contact Raisa Dudar.

Mary meets Martha! – Cleaning the Church

An excellent opportunity open to both men and women to help maintain the beauty, warmth and hospitable atmosphere of our parish is to help clean the church. In addition to participating in our periodic clean-up days, you may also sign-up to help with one of the tasks that must be done on a weekly basis. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the kitchen. You may see Matushka Marina for more information.

Financial Stewardship

All Orthodox Christians should make financial contributions to the parish of which they are a part. Doing so enables the parish to be sustained financially, puts one in the position of being a benefactor to the Church, and is an important way to put Christ first in our lives. Our Lord says, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Our parish needs a larger monthly income; currently we are just able to meet our expenses, despite having cut these back to the bare minimum. May the Lord help us as we prayerfully consider our pledge to our church. Tithing (giving 10%) from one's income is a good foundation for personal giving with ample precedent in the life of the Church.

Our Building Fund

Every Orthodox community should build a temple to God's glory. Given the condition of our current facility, it is important for us to move forward with our building plans. To make a contribution to the Building Fund, you can make out a check to St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, and write in the memo line, "Building Fund."