| Maranatha! Come, O Christ the Lord! On November 25/December 8, the Holy Orthodox Church commemorates the Leavetaking of the the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple, Hieromartyr Clement, the Pope of Rome, St. Catherine the Great Martyr, Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria, St. Peter Galata of Syria, St. Celment of Ochrid, the Martyr Porphyrius the Soldier and 300 with him, and the Martyr Mercurius. Through the prayers of Thy Saints, O God, save, have mercy upon, and protect Thy people! Amen. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27: THANKSGIVING LITURGY 7: 00 PM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30: FEAST OF ST. ANDREW THE FIRST-CALLED Orthros 8:30 AM and Divine Liturgy 9:30 AM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM: PRE-NATIVITY REFLECTION DAY. The theme is “From the Altar to Belief: Orthodox Worship as the Source and Summit of Faith” The Orthodox Faith is established on different “connections” — one of which is the intimate link between the Divine Liturgy and Orthodox spirituality and theology. Discover in this presentation by Chrysostomos Gunning what those links are and how they might deepen both our worship and our personal spirituality. For all Sunday School teachers, Ministry Leads, and St. George families. A separate program will be offered for children who attend with their parents. Make ready to commemorate the coming of the Lord in the flesh and His coming again in glory. Join us! BIBLE STUDY 2019-2020: NO BIBLE STUDY THIS THURSDAY, NOV. 28. IT WILL RESUME NEXT THURSDAY, DEC 5 “The Prison Epistles of St. Paul” – This Bible Study will focus on the epistles that St. Paul wrote while in prison to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. Meets Thursdays at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM in the Church Library. ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Adult Religious Education for 2019-2020 at 11:30 AM following Divine Liturgy in the Church Library. The theme is “Forming Christian Culture.” In His parables to the masses, Christ always uses practical examples from everyday life to help people understand and draw near to God. The format is a round-table discussion in a relaxed atmosphere. Please join and participate freely. JOURNEY TO ORTHODOXY: Ongoing inquiry class for adults becoming members of the Orthodox Church, culminating in the Holy Mysteries of Baptism or Chrismation. Final session at 6:30 PM on Dec. 11, in the Church Library. If you just want to learn more about the faith that you hold, please attend these sessions. For more information or to sign up for the class, contact Fr. Dimitrios at FrAntokas@stgeorge.org FOR REFLECTION…..
“When you sit down to eat, pray. When you eat bread, do so thanking Him for being so generous to you. If you drink wine, be mindful of Him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a relief in sickness. When you dress, thank Him for His kindness in providing you with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw yourself at God’s feet and adore Him who in His wisdom has arranged things in this way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your benefit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator.” (St. Basil the Great, from Homily V)
____________________________________________ PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS, Sunday, Dec. 15. To serve on a Parish Council is a ministry and all those who serve are called to represent Christ and the Orthodox Faith to all whom they meet in all aspects of life. The Parish Council consists of the Priest as the head of the Parish along with elected lay members together responsible to the entire parish for conducting all affairs in keeping with the mission, aims and purposes of our Church. If you are inspired to serve, please contact Father Dimitrios at FrAntokas@stgeorge.org STEWARDSHIP: As you consider end-of-the-year donations, please offer or fulfill your 2019 pledges, and reflect on offering a generous 2020 pledge. Your support helps to sustain our church’s ministries and our operations budget of $1.3 million, or $3,560 each day. Thank you for your strong and enduring commitment to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, so we may continue to express our gratitude to Christ our God and carry out his will in our own lives, those of our families, and throughout our wider St. George community. GOYA: Restaurant Night Fundraiser at Trapezaria Greek Kouzina (Rockville, MD) on Thursday, December 12th. Enjoy some delicious Greek food while supporting GOYA. Please mark your calendars and join us to help raise money for our youth ministry. GOYA: Annual Christmas Caroling/Party and Gift Exchange will take place Saturday, December 14th. We will meet at St. George and carpool to area nursing homes and St. George shut-in homes, followed by a fun potluck dinner party and a mid-year general meeting. We hope to see all of our GOYAns. NEW PARISH DIRECTORY: Sign up now to receive a free 8×10 family portrait and a free St. George Parish Directory scheduled to be published in Spring 2020. Working with Lifetouch, we invite every family to register following Divine Liturgy for the free one-hour portrait photography sessions, to be conducted Nov. 26-Jan. 3 (available date & time details at the sign-up table). Additional photographs can be purchased directly from Lifetouch, which will offer a $5.00 coupon to every family that donates clothing for the St. George “Clothing Drive.” PHILOPTOCHOS: 2019 Christmas Card. Send your Nativity greetings to your fellow St. George parishioners. Monday, Nov. 25 deadline for donation and submitted form, available at https://stgeorge.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2019_StG_CC_Form-1.pdf Please visit our table following Divine Liturgy for cash and credit card payment, and to purchase 50th Anniversary commemorative ornament ($25). For information, contact Myranda Nickoloff at (301) 768-6364 or stgchristmascard@gmail.com LUNCH WITH SANTA: A beautiful tradition at St. George — will be hosted by the St. George Greek Preschool on Sunday, December 8th following the Divine Liturgy. Join us for lunch with a special visit from Santa. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://stgeorge.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/346/responses/new.
Space is limited. If you have any questions please email St. George Greek.Preschool@gmail.com. We look forward to you joining us! “Gracious and merciful is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. The Lord is good to all and His compassion is over all that He has made.” (Psalm145:8-9) | 