St. Vasilios Greek Festival The 2009 Greek Festival will be held the weekend of October 16th, 17th, & 18th



STEWARDSHIP TOWN HALL MEETING On Sunday, October 25, there will be a Stewardship Town Hall Meeting in the Parlor Room from 10:30 to 11:30.  All are invited to attend to hear a brief presentation on the 2010 stewardship program, and ask questions regarding stewardship. 


STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION Save the Date:  On Saturday, November 7, our Parish will host a strategic planning session to help create a long term vision for our community.  Every organization is asked to send their officers, and any other members that are interested in helping in this task.  The session will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a light breakfast and lunch will be served.  More information will follow in upcoming bulletins.


A CALL FOR PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS As we prepare for 2010, we have many challenges ahead of us. First, we need to create a balanced and adequate budget for the needs of the church. Secondly, our church family needs to create a master plan to determine the direction of our parish for the decades to follow.

To this end, our St. Vasilios Church needs dedicated men and women who place their love for Christ and the needs of the parish as key priorities in their lives. Moreover, this prescription of a healthy spiritual life should be the norm not just of Council Members, but of all Orthodox Christians. If you share these priorities, it is my hope and prayer that you would submit your name to the Church Office as a candidate for the Parish Council no later than Monday, November 16, 2009. Elections will be held on December 13, 2009. This year, we will be electing 11 members to a two year term beginning on January 1, 2010.

By fully realizing the importance of the service offered to the Church by members of the Parish Council, a person assumes a spiritual position that demands love, fidelity and dedication to the Holy Orthodox Church. As an official representative of the Church, Council Members will make every effort to exemplify its sacred character and spirit.

If you are such a person and are willing to be a candidate for election to the Parish Council, your participation in one of The District Parish Council Seminars is required. Ongoing Parish Council members are welcome to attend as well. Seminar locations, dates and times are yet to be decided.

For more information regarding the Parish Council, please contact Dr. Nicholas Marinakis Chairperson of Election Committee at 781-248-6747, Fr. Chris at 978-531-0777 or Parish Council President Speros Venios at 978-531-0476.


Sun Oct 18th; One Divine Liturgy PLEASE NOTE
Due to the festival there will be only one Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 18th . Orthros 8 am Liturgy 9 am


EXPLORING ORTHODOX WORSHIP Through Scripture, Music, and Iconography
Fr. Peter will offer a series on Orthodox Worship that will focus on the revelation of God’s Word, the prayers that His faithful raise in song, and the beauty of His house.
The schedule for the series will be either Mondays, from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M. or Thursdays, from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M., depending on interest and availability. Please let us know which session is preferred by calling the Church office, at 978-531-0777, or emailing Fr. Peter at frpeter@stvasilios.org.


SAINT STEPHEN`S MINISTRIES We would like to invite all the Volunteers, the Philoptochos ladies who do the Christmas and Easter deliveries and anyone who is interested in joining our efforts, to a luncheon meeting. We will meet immediately after the Saint Nectarios Divine Liturgy on Monday, November 9th at the Educational Hall. Please bring with you any materials you have concerning your ministry. Please R.S.V.P. by Sunday, November 1st by calling Kristi at 781 334 4043. We also would like to encourage you to attend the `Caring for the Elders` presentation on Wednesday, November 4th at 6:30. This is a very informative presentation sponsored by our Parish Nurse Ministry. 


PROPER CHURCH ETIQUETTE There are times during the Divine Liturgy which are considered so important that we should know when to enter and when to stand. An easy rule of thumb is as follows: One should always stand when reciting the Creed or the Lord’s Prayer; when a blessing is offered by the priest; during the administering of Holy Communion or anytime we are called upon to rise with “Sophia Orthee – Wisdom! Arise!’
We should therefore keep in mind that the church is a very holy place and we are standing before God; therefore we should stand at the proper times unless we are unable to do so because of advanced age or health reasons.
Let us try to keep order and proper decorum within the church. We should not enter the church at these times:
During the Small or Gospel Entrance
During the Epistle and Gospel readings
During the Great Entrance
During the Creed
During the “Se Ymnoumen”
During the Lord’s Prayer
During the Sermon
Whenever the priest faces the congregation
Please allow our Church School children to come to Holy Communion first with their parents. While we must understand that children will be children and that the Liturgy is for them as well as for adults, we ask that discretion be used by parents if their children become, from time to time, excessively noisy or distracting for others. Children may well need a break from the service and it is perfectly permissible to take them to the Narthex or the hall if necessary. But please remember that noisy or distracting adults have no excuse!


Philoptochos News We would like to remind you that on Sunday, November 1sr, we celebrate the feast of St. Cosmas and Damian, patrons of the Philoptochos. At the first liturgy that Sunday, the
Philoptochos will sponsor a bread blessing service for the health of the members of our parish, At the second Liturgy it will sponsor a memorial service for its deceased members, at which all of the more than 350 members of blessed memory will be individually commemorated by name.


GREEK SCHOOL NEWS Greek school is looking for laptops to use in their classroom. If you have one that you could donate please call the church office

DOXA CONFERENCE Save the Date
Fall Doxa Conference Saturday November 14  9AM to 2PM
Transfiguration Church Lowell Ma.
Subject  Equipping Teachers to Address Social and Moral Issues in the Classroom. Guest speakers Father Theodore Barbas former  Youth Director of the Metropolis
Summer Camp and current  Chancellor of the Boston Metropolis   also 
Theo Nicolakis M.Div,M.S. 10 year staff member and current Director of Internet
Ministries of the Archdiocese of America open to all parishioners

PARISH NURSE MINISTRY Today there will be a BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING, from
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. during coffee hour in the parlor room.

Caring for the Elderly Workshop on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Are you overwhelmed caring for aging loved ones? Please join us
for an educational program sponsored by the Parish Nurse Ministry
and presented by Mary Demakes RN Elder care specialist and
Attorney Nicholas P.  Vontzalides. They will be able to answer all your questions regarding medical and legal issues.


Parish Nurse Ministry


ST VASILIOS FAMILY CHOIR (Formally known as Youth Choir)
Please notice the change in the name. You are all invited to come and sing with us. It is great to see and hear the different generations of faithful voices. Consider yourselves invited: toddlers and adolescents, moms and dads, theos and theas, yiayiades and papoudes. I would like to recognize our youth for singing last week: Eleni and Pam Coufos, Deana Dalkouras, Dina and Katie Difruscia, Annie and Artie Kalivas, Anna and Nick Khouri, Mia Lomasney, Ari and Hannah Lowe, Alexandra Najjar, Xanthi and Maria Pantazelos, Eleni Stefanopoulos, Stelio and Alex Vatousios. Also, providing guidance and experience Marietta Brooks and Brett Kirkpatrick.
Keep’ em coming!


Fall Family Festival St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church
Presents
Fall Family Festival
Saturday, October 24, 2009
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Please join us for a fun afternoon of games, raffles and fun for the whole family.
Sponsored by the Parish Organizations
Parish Council - Philoptochos -Men’s Club - PTA - Youth Choir
Church School - Greek School- Sr. GOYA - Jr. GOYA -JOY
For more information, please contact
Jessica Stasinos at 978 -210 -6855 or Chrissa Pissios at 508-527-4371


PTA NEWS COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Helen Papadopoulos is the current Volunteer coordinator for coffee hour. She is looking for someone to assist her and take over this position next year. The PTA will also have the signup sheet for monthly help to serve at the coffee hour. Please let us know if you can assist Helen or serve.


ALTAR BOYS Any young man 10 years of age or older may serve as an altar boy. A necessary prerequisite is enrollment in our Church School. This experience provides a boy with a closer acquaintance with our tradition of liturgical worship, as well as with fellowship with other young men with whom he serves. Altar boys are assigned to regular teams, and are expected to serve according to the schedule which is provided.
Parents are asked to encourage their sons to be faithful in meeting this responsibility. The team captain will help new boys to be properly fitted in robes, and will offer necessary training, orientation and support.
If you would like to become an altar boy or have any questions regarding serving your church, please call (978-531-0777

ST. MAKRINA STUDY GROUP This is a ladies study group led by Presvytera Claire. This group meets each Fall and Spring for about a 9 week period meeting each Wednesday from 9:30-11:00 a.m. The group spends time in a relaxed atmosphere reading and discussing various Orthodox books of interest in order to deepen participants spirituality

PHILOPTOCHOS “CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER” THE PHILOPTOCHOS IS HOSTING A
“CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER” BOOTH

We need your help. Please look through your Christmas decorations and donate either new or used decorations (in very good condition) to our Christmas booth at our October Church Festival. We will
be accepting your donations and refreshing them (if needed) on Monday and Thursday mornings, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, in the parlor room from September 10th through October 1st. Please do not donate items that are not saleable. Due to a space problem, we are not accepting large artificial trees. All proceeds will go to St. Vasilios Church, so please, let’s make this a great success. If you have any questions, please call Paula Raftopoulos at 781-254-4102. Thank you.


Dates to Remember Dates to Remember

2009 Greek Festival
October 16, 17, 18, 2009

Fall Family Festival
Saturday, October 24, 2009
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Veterans Day/St. Val’s Men’s Club Memorial Service
Breakfast for all
November 2009
Date to be announced


NO PARKING DO NOT PARK WHERE IT IS LEGALLY MARKED: NO PARKING". You will receive a ticket from Peabody Police Dept. reserved spots for New England Market when you attend our services. Violators will be towed. They are great neighbors and we don't want to offend them!