 |
|
From the desk of Fr. Andrew: The New Testament records actions of God being manifested on various mountains. Early in the Gospel of St. Matthew we know that Jesus faced the temptations set forth by the devil. The devil took Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and said all things would be His if He fell down and worship ed the devil. From this mountain top, Jesus exclaimed the powerful words: "Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."(Mt.4:8-l0) Jesus had a number of experiences on various mountains which command our consideration. His incomparable Sermon on the Mount recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew is a constant source of inspiration for all who seek the Lord. Each Divine Liturgy we are nourished with the Beatitudes which are framed in the Sermon on the Mount.(Mt.5-7) Mt.Tabor is the site of Jesus’ transfiguration. We know that Jesus went up on a high mountain with Peter, James and John. He was transfigured before them, his face being like the sun and his clothes as white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Christ. Out of a cloud came a voice exclaiming: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."(Mt.l7:l-5) Each year on August 6th our churches celebrate the Transfiguration as major feast and we enter into the mountain experience of Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John. Our hearts are lifted up. We raise our thoughts and consider the enormity of this divine occurrence. The Mount of Olives was the site Jesus chose to prepare for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It was at the Mount of Olives that He instructed two disciples to go forward to locate the donkey and the colt and bring them to Him. He made His entry into Jerusalem listening to the words we hear each Palm Sunday.(Mt.21:l-9) If we are to fully appreciate the place of mountains in God’s scheme of things, we must continue to examine their presence in the history of the world which we associate with Christianity. We should not overlook the fact that Moses and Elijah, both of whom had experiences on mountains during their lives on earth, centuries later appeared with Jesus Christ on Mt.Tabor at the Transfiguration. This must be viewed as more than a passing coincidence As Orthodox Christians, we are challenged to examine many aspects of the teachings and writings which have been preserved for us through the centuries. We are not to be stagnant in our beliefs and understanding of the world and in our view and relationship with God. Many centuries ago, the Holy Prophet Isaiah proclaimed the measured words: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths."(Is.2:3) Each of us must make the trek to the mountain of God, that we may seek His understanding and learn of His presence. Each of us must climb the mountain, struggling with the terrain, gripping the slippery edges, and holding to the vision. God has nourished and fed us in the fertile valleys of life. God has provided the waters to quench our thirst. His mountain is set before us, calling us to the place of rest it was for Noah, the place of direction and vision it was for Moses, the place of certainty and mission it was for Elijah. Let us draw from the Sermon on the Mount, to feed our spiritual hunger. Let us look to Mount Tabor, to the glistening Christ and join with Peter in saying: "Lord it is good for us to be here..."(Mt.l7:4) Let us remember His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and say: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest." (Mt.21:9) New Church Construction:
Progress on the new Church continues weekly, and slowly but surely the buildings are taking shape. Please check our web page for picture updates of the construction and or events that may have taken place at Saint Barbara. Pictures may be seen by clicking on the "latest pictures" tab on the menu bar. If you have an e-mail address and would like to be added to our parish mailing list and to receive the weekly Church Bulletin, updates, and an occasional anecdote please send your request by e-mail to Father Andrew, he can be reached at this e-mail address koufopoulos@bellsouth.net
Hospital Visitations:
Please be advised if parishioners that are hospitalized or find themselves in other healthcare facility and they would like the priest to visit them, they are asked to contact Father Andrew either directly or through a family member. The name of the Hospital and room number or care facility and a phone would be helpful in arranging "visitations".for bedside prayers, Holy Communion, or other needs. Many times hospitalizations may be one day or overnight procedures and the hospital stay may be short please notify Father if you have such a need. In many cases hospitals NO LONGER contact clergy about the hospitalization of the members of their respective congregations - and please do not rely on the "phone tree" for messages to reach Father, he is usually the last to hear. So please contact him, he can be reached through the Church office phone, 682-1414, his residence So please contact him, he can be reached through the Church office phone, 682-1414, his residence and his cell phone 368-3954. All phones have voice mail - and calls when possible are returned in a timely manner
|
|
Philoptchos News:
Fellowship Monday mornings Aug 4, 18 @ 10 am Panera's @ Patterson Place Fellowship Thursday evenings Aug. 14, 28 @6:30 Spice Street University Mall
Welcoming Committee Meeting:
Monday, August 18th, The Welcome Committee will once again meet at my store at 6:00 PM (at my store) for reviewing the decisions made at the past meeting and establishing a rotating roster for serving in the narthex
|
|
Youth Ministry News::
Join the St. Barbara's Youth Ministry in a night of fellowship and some good ol' Durham Bull's baseball (there will be fireworks too)!!!
When: Friday, August 29th at 7:05 pm
Where: Durham Bulls Baseball Park
Who: The St. Barbara's Youth and their families
Price: Group ticket prices will range from $6-$9/person Deadline of August 14 if they would like to sit with the group or they can purchase tickets at the gate. We are currently in the process of getting a head count so please contact either Cleo Pantermakis or Cathy Mariakakis with the number of youth and adults from your family that will be joining us! Your Youth Ministry are really looking forward to the upcoming 2008-2009 school year and have lots of exciting ideas for upcoming events! We hope to see all of the Youth of Saint Barbara's Orthodox Church at the game! Cleo Pantermakis filotimo73@hotmail.com (919)619-1586 Cathy Mariakakis mariakakis@verizon.net
AHEPA News: Members of the local AHEPA Chapter 277 wish our President Lazar Odzak a speedy and and complete recovery from his recent hip operation. .
Liturgical Calendar
calendar.goarch.org
|
|
New Church Wish List
As we approach the end of PHASE-I of our New Church construction, we must first pause and give Thanks to God Who has Blessed our Parish Very Richly in many ways, and for Having Guided us successfully to achieving a great accomplishment that will provide a glorious place of worship and social interaction for the St. Barbara's Parish for many years to come. The great spirit of support and giving by St. Barbara's parishioners and Friends has been, also, outstanding, and May God Bless each and every one of you abundantly! In order to offer all our parishioners and friends the opportunity to personalize in a tangible and meaningful way a contribution to The New St. Barbara Church complex, the Parish Council has approved a prioritized list of Appointments and Other important items which are needed in a properly functioning Christian Orthodox Church community. Parishioners and Friends may purchase any of these items individually or by joining a group of donors who may be interested in purchasing jointly a more substantial item such as the Icon Screen or the Bishop's Throne. Prioritized List of Appointments and Other Items Needed for the Proper Functioning of Our Church Community
For more information or for donations, please, contact either
Fr. Andrew (919)6821414 (koufopoulos@bellsouth.net) or Peter N. Marinos (919) 641-8404 (pnm@ee.duke.edu). THANK YOU! Item | Approx. Value | Donated by: | 1) Altar Table | $15,000 | St.Barbara Philoptochos | | 2) Bishop's Throne | $25,000 | | | 3) Pews (150 seats) | $300 per seat | 4 (seats) Donated to date | | 4) Church Chairs (200) | $200 per chair | | | 5) Icon Screen | $180,000 | | 6) Chanters Stand (3-seat) | $12,000 | | | 7) Candlestick/Sandbox (Two) | $3,000 each | | 8) Banquet Chairs (200) | $100 each | | 9) Banquet Tables ( 10 Rect) | $200 each | | | 10) Banquet Tables (28 Round) | $350 each | | | 11) Pre-function Hall Furniture | $6,000 | | 12) Icon Stands (Two) | $6,000 each | | 13) CandlestandslPagaria (Two) | $3,000 each | | | 14) Nursery Room Furniture | $2,000 | | 15) Conference room furniture | $2,000 | | | 16) Arts & Craft Room | $3,000 | | 17) Classroom Furnishings | $3,000 | | | 18) Mobile Presentation Stand | $1,000 | | | 19) Amplified Lectern | $2,500 | | 20) Freezer | $5,000 | | 21) Refrigerator | $4,000 | | | 22) Electric Convection Oven | $5,000 | | 23) Organ | $7.000 | |
Rejoice! Our new St. Barbara Church Building has been crowned! Parish Council Meeting Highlights – July 2008
Treasurer's Reportcapital fund raising committees will be mailed soon.
Motion to allocate the amount of $40,000 to cover the costs of widening Highway 751 was unanimously approved.
Offerings were down about 20% from expectations. This may be due to no candles being used at our temporary location.
Stewardship There are approximately 160 stewards to date. A letter to the community on mid-year status of the stewardship and A process and written handout materials for visitors to our church explaining all the ministries, services, and community information will be developed by the Welcoming Committee.
A formal policy on the use / rental of our new facilities will also be developed prior to our move.
Festival 2009 There may be a conflict with the May 1st through May 3rd Festival date with ECCHS for 2009. Negotiations are on going.
Our Church Annual Picnic has been scheduled for October 19, 2008. Save the date.
Sunday School Christi Kleoudis has been appointed Superintendent of the St. Barbara Sunday School. With the guidance and continued support of Presvytera Bonnie and Father Andrew and the quality staff of teachers we have, we see great successes in the horizon. Congratulations Christi and good luck! Thank you, Presvytera Bonnie and Father Andrew, for your continued efforts and support on keeping the program going while we are in transition. A leader for HOPE is still needed. Volunteers are always welcome! We need everyone’s participation to make our community successful. Alec Alexiades President :
STEWARDSHIP and CAPITAL Fund raising Committee:
Dear parishioners and friends of St. Barbara a financial statement of our personal STEWARDSHIP, Offerings and CAPITAL Fundraising accounts covering the first third of the year, January through April, 2008. This short communication is to provide you with important general information about our Stewardship and CAPITAL Fundraising outcomes through APRIL, 2008. Amount Collected: $51,579.23 Total Annual Amount Approved by Parish Assembly in 2008 Budget: $120,000 Number of Families Completing Pledges in 2008: 46 (or 66 stewards) Amount Pledged: $48,412 Amount Collected: $41,263* Total Annual Amount Needed to Meet Our Capital Needs: $160,000 *This figure includes collections from 2008 Pledges and remaining balances from the original Building Fund which runs through December, 2008. Total Amount Collected: $9,050.89 Total Annual Amount Approved by Parish Assembly in 2008 Budget: $35,000 The figures provided above give us a complete picture of our Parish’s financial status as of April 30, 2008, and if you have any questions, please, contact either our Treasurer, Donna Trohanis or Pete Marinos, Chairman of the Stewardship and CAPITAL Fundraising Committee As it was broadly conveyed in our recent Parish Assembly, our St. Barbara parish has been multiply blessed. We are a very small parish, but thanks to the enerosity of its people and its friends, our accomplishments have been phenomenal. May God be with us always as we labor in His vineyard for the glory of His Name and for our salvation. Amount Pledged (by 112 stewards out-of-149): $85,088
Parish Assembly Meeting Minutes
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING March 16, 2008 The meeting was called to order by President Alec Alexiades at 11:55 am after an opening prayer The purpose of the General Assembly meeting was to vote on the Church Budget for 2008 presented at the previous meeting in February. Alec introduced the new Treasurer, Donna Trohanis. Burt Keener was thanked for his previous contributions as Treasurer. Donna requested that all contributors to either the Stewardship or Capital Campaign indicate on the checks where the money should go. Burt reviewed the 2008 Budget in detail. (See Exhibit 1). Alec pointed out that this budget is a best guess estimate and is not reflective of a full year in our new church, however Pete Marinos, Vice-President, pointed out that the full year budget would not be twice as large but may show changes in utilities, grounds maintenance, insurance, mailing costs etc. Pete also indicated that we are ahead of last year’s stewardship contributions by over $600 for the months of Jan and Feb. Alec opened the floor for a vote. Jim Glekas made a motion to accept the budget as presented. Andrew Christakos seconded the motion. The budget was accepted unanimously. Pete Marinos indicated that the General Assembly Meeting Minutes have to be presented to the General Assembly. Frances Eliadis, Secretary, read the minutes of Sunday, November 18, 2007. (Exhibit 2) Pete Marinos moved that the minutes be accepted as read. John Paliouras seconded the motion. The General Assembly Meeting Minutes of Sunday, November 18, 2007 were accepted unanimously. John Paliouras made a motion to adjourn. Donna Trohanis seconded the motion. After a closing prayer the meeting was adjourned at 12:15 pm. Respectfully submitted, Frances Eliadis, Parish Council Secretary Alec Alexiades, Parish Council President Fr. Andrew Koufopoulos, Parish Priest
|
|
