The Vol XXI- Issue IV April 2009 Saying of a Desert Father: Abba Moses said, “When someone is occupied with his own faults, he does not see those of his neighbor.” Calendar pg 7 Youth pg 11 Philoptochos pg 16 Parish News pages 18-20 Oasis Newsletter of Assumption Greek Orthodox Church Rev. Andrew Barakos, Presiding Priest & V. Rev. Virgil Suciu, Liturgical Assistant www. assumptionaz.org [email protected] [email protected] 8202 E. Cactus Road Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Phone 480.991.3009 Fax 480.991.3717 “How To Find LIFE!” by Allan Boyd, Graduating Senior Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Rusty & Me A little over 20 years ago, during the 1980s, I was attending a little church in Tempe, where a man came in whom I had never seen before. Rusty was his name. Rusty was in his mid 50s and I was in my mid 20s. He too had been a redhead, although he had now begun to gray up a bit. He had a gregarious personality and I was drawn to his warm friendship. Rusty told all of us that he had long been a member of that church, but hadn’t ever attended much. He said that he had recently, however, gained a new appreciation for his own need to be there with the rest of us. Regrettably, I must admit that I was too distracted to try to figure out what he meant by that. Rusty took a liking to me, and spent time talking to me as a bit of a fatherly figure. Since I was young and pretty broke, I was quite impressed with the fact that Rusty drove a shiny new Mercedes 380SL roadster-convertible, and had been a successful businessman for several years. Rusty was everything I knew I wanted to be as a young man Rich and Riding in Style (hey it was the 80’s). I remember, one day when Rusty and I were talking, I told him how cool his Mercedes was and how I wished I could be just like him. Rusty’s response was like a kick in the gut. He said, “Allan, the doctors tell me I have cancer. They say I only have a few months left to live. Sure I’ve made some pretty good money in life, and I drive a nice car, but my grown up kids resent all the time I was out making money instead of being a dad to them. Now, as adults, they’ll hardly talk to me any more.” He poked me in the chest and said intensely, “You want my life? I’ll trade you everything right now for yours! Do you want to trade me?” With my adoration abruptly disabled, I stood paralyzed in my own stupidity. I had no idea what to say. Suddenly Continued on page 2 PASTORAL Continued from page 1 Lette r Rusty’s cool looking car seemed cheap and disgusting compared to his LIFE. I just felt dazed and sick to my stomach. That’s when this beautiful human being gave me a gift far better than a Mercedes 380 SL convertible. With the most intensely loving rebuke, Rusty said, “Allan, it doesn’t matter how much money you make, how successful people think you are, or the kind of car you drive. What matters is if you’ve really LIVED.” He said, “Allan, I’ve never lived so much and so well as when that doctor told me that I only have 6 months left to live. My doctor’s words were one of the greatest gifts anyone could have ever given me, because I now began to focus on really living.” He said, “If you want to really LIVE, then live your life as though you knew you only had 6 months left to live.” He went on to tell me how hard he had been working to restore his relationship with his kids and to be a better husband to his wife. He told me about his renewed interest in coming to church to be a part of a spiritual family. He told me how he tried hard to serve the folks that were around him and what a hoot it had been. For the first time as an adult, Rusty saw what was MOST important, he was putting those important things at the forefront of living, and now he was finally loving LIFE. Since then, Rusty’s loving rebuke to me has made all the difference in the world. It has made me a better father and husband and friend than I was, but it is also something that I Page 2 “How To Find LIFE!” continue to struggle with. How can I live my life as though I knew I only had 6 months left to live? If I knew that I was going to die soon, how would I treat the people around me? What would become really important? What would I say to people that I might have otherwise left unsaid? We All Have Death in Common In truth, all of us are a lot closer to our own looming mortality than we would like to admit. It is something that every last one of us has in common. We are all going to die at some point, and we have no idea when that might happen. Some of us might (God-willing) live to a ripe old age, and yet we will STILL, eventually meet our own demise. Some of us will find that grave encounter within some illness, like my friend Rusty. And even some of the youngest of us may find, some day very soon (please Godforbid), that we will end up meeting our fate in something quick and surprising like a car accident. None of us will ever know for sure when, or necessarily how it will happen. However, one thing is certain – we are ALL somehow dying. The question is, can we all look at the sum of our lives and honestly say that we have been TRULY LIVING? When you are gone, how will people remember you? How will God remember you? Will it be as someone who left an abundance of love and life behind? Or will it be as someone who has wasted LIVING in more selfabsorbed pursuits? I suspect that, like me, many of you struggle with this as well. You also want to know (need to know), “How can I really LIVE?” Christ’s Struggle – Nurturing Real LIFE in the Midst of Dying In Mark 10:32-45, we see Jesus approaching the end of His life. As He walks along the road toward Jerusalem with His disciples, He knows that He has a limited amount of time left with them. Because of this, there is the feel of greater intensity in His ministry with them. Since time is running short, Jesus focuses His actions and words more intently as He approaches His passion week. Like every single one of us, He too is about to have a grave encounter with death and thus He wants to make sure that He leaves His beloved disciples with an understanding of what it means to really LIVE. Yet, as He takes these guys aside to try to explain to them the cruel and violent demise that awaits Him in Jerusalem before He will arise. James and John decide that this is a great time to negotiate their cut in that deal. ‘Oh, OH! Jesus, we want THRONES. Yeah, because we want to be your right hand and left hand guys – because we want to be just like you. You’re the guy in charge. You’re the man of glory! And we want some of that! Yeah! – Some matching, 380SL, convertible, golden thrones is what we need!’ Now, it’s important to realize that in the chapter just previous to this one, the disciples were just fighting over which one of The Orthodox Oasis PASTORAL Letter Continued from page 2 “How To Find LIFE!” them was the greatest – and Jesus had to set them straight. Now here they are again, still whistling the same sour, self-serving tune. At this point, I can just imagine that Jesus wants to smack both of these guys on the backs of their heads, and say, ‘You knuckleheads! You still don’t get it? I’m about to die a horrible death and I’ve been trying to teach you what LIFE really is, and you’re asking me about thrones?’ So Jesus, once again pulls all of His 12 disciples together for a ‘Come to Jesus meeting.’ He says, “You guys are pursuing all of the same stuff that only feeds death.” Essentially He is saying, “Look at the world around you – at the entertainment industry and the CEOs. Look at the folks who have been using their power and wealth to consume other people. Look at the pervasive sickness of self-absorption. These are not happy, LIVING people. They’re already so dead in their tracks, they’re starting to stink. If you want to know what it means to really LIVE, then pick up a bucket & a towel and take up the role of the servant. When you take up My WAY of being, in serving all others, that’s when you get to experience the authentic WAY of LIFE.” When we, as disciples of Jesus, become servants, we see God’s Spirit create the character of Christ within us and this growing Christ-likeness always gives us the confidence and power to face our own mortality with peace and confidence in the love of God, for even ‘God Himself doesn’t come to be served but to serve!’ (Mark 10:45 and Matthew 20:28) So think about it. If God Himself doesn’t come to be served but to serve, who are we to think that we can LIVE doing anything less??? When we serve others, we enter more fully into the April 2009 victory of the real LIFE of Jesus as He faces His own death with faith and confidence in the faithfulness of the Father. The Blessing of Servanthood During this Holy Week, as we quickly approach Christ’s death let us focus in more clearly on His Life and Words. Imagine what our parish will look and feel like when each of us carries around our own Christ-like means of joyful servant-hood? Remember my friend Rusty? Remember how he said life was such a hoot, once he began to live life this way? Remember how he said he had never really LIVED until he started living this way? Rusty’s life found a peaceful and joyful end in the servant’s LIFE – a life filled with both the offering of Christ’s Love and the receiving of Christ’s Love. Can you imagine yourself filled with such LIFE? Can you imagine our beloved Assumption filled with such LIFE? What a hoot! As such, we will surely become a blessing to the city of Scottsdale and to each other. Today might be your last chance to serve. Today might be your last chance to experience LIFE. For each of us, with so little time left, LIFE begins at the moment of COMPASSION! So, in hopes of Christ’s resurrection, let’s LIVE!!! Allan Boyd is a Graduating Senior from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. Page 3 STEWARDSHIP Report Dollar Range 20-365 400-960 1000-1900 2000-3640 4000-6000 9360-13000 TOTALS Count 77 64 57 20 10 4 232 Value $16,478.00 $32,645.00 $66,650.00 $47,985.00 $46,120.00 $43,360.00 $253,238.00 Total 2009 stewards as of March 10, 2009 Top 2/3rds of pledges average $1,528 Many of us believe that the official Stewardship campaign “begins” in November and “ends” with the Blessing of the Commitments on Stewardship Sunday. Well, that is a myth! In reality, the Stewardship campaign is a year-long effort and these periodic articles are a reminder that stewardship is not just a one-month program! We are pleased to announce that as of March 10, the 2009 campaign is well on its way to meeting, and hopefully exceeding, our expectations! We have 232 stewards committing $253,238 (see chart). The two main goals of a successful Stewardship campaign are to: (1) attract new stewards to join the church and (2) have current stewards increase their giving year after year. We thank those who have already made their commitments for 2009 and look forward to receiving additional commitments from new stewards of Assumption. As you can see from the chart, our campaign commitments have been very successful to date. in expected “income” puts the church in a very difficult situation. Due to this shortfall and higher-than-expected expenses, Assumption finished 2008 with a $60,000 deficit! It is critical that as the year progresses, all of our stewards make every effort possible to meet their commitments in a timely manner! The church has monthly obligations to meet and when our cash flow is squeezed because of delayed or slow payment of stewardship obligations, the Parish Council may be faced with having to make some very difficult decisions about where and how to “cut” expenses. Our goal is that we do not have to reduce any financial support to the many ministries at Assumption nor do we want to tap any reserve (“rainy day”) funds. We need your help and support to meet this goal. It is reassuring to see that in a year of economic uncertainty and turmoil that you have made the choice to commit to your church and support its various ministries! If you have not made your Stewardship commitment yet, this is a good time to prayerfully consider the investment of your hard-earned dollars where you will get rewarding returns. Thank you and God Bless! Dennis Stell However, there is another aspect to the Stewardship campaign that is often overlooked and that is the fact that during the year, all of us must do our part in fulfilling the commitments that we have made! In 2008, our stewardship commitments totaled $296,000 yet the total dollars collected at year-end 2008 were $259,600. This resulted in a $36,400 shortfall in the expected total commitments to Assumption for our fiscal year 2008. As you can imagine, a shortfall of any amount Page 4 The Orthodox Oasis AGAPE ALLIANCE Report April 2009 Page 5 STEWARDSHIP Page 6 Form The Orthodox Oasis April Assumption Calendar 2009 MONTHLY CALENDAR April 2009 Page 7 ASSUMPTION STEWARDS 2009 Steve & Zoe Acheson Kyrieckos & Mary Lou Aleck Laz & Popy Amanatidis Kiki Amanatidis Jerry & Amanda Ameduri Athena Ames Nicholas & Athena Anastos John & Melisa Angelone Georgia Apostolos Peter Aravosis Ann Argyropoulos Apostolos Argyros Ennis & Sophia Ashby Paul & Christine Babey Louisa Babu George & Kristine Banis Rev. & Pres. Andrew Barakos John & Eva Barakos Leon & Ann Bartol Nancy Belisle Dale & Tammy Belt James & Hilda Bourdamis Donald & Elaine Bowman Oscar Bracamonte & Heidi Contes Slater & Elaine Browne Stephen & Lana Bull Dean & Mary Burton Peter & Patti Cacos Margarita Carres Constantine & Sotera Catsadimas George & Eva Chandiles Pete & Bessie Chirbas Janet Christ Steve & Sheryl Christenson Patricia Christopoulos Charles & Betty Chronis Adam Clark Andrew & Irene Clary Scott & Maggie Cole Olivia Contos Pete & Elizabeth Contos Sam & Kris Costanzo Michael & Christina Craig Janet Cummings-Geiser Nicholas & Angie Daddario Nickoletta Daddario-Zafirakis Gus Dandas Charles David Jack & Shannon David Joseph & Paru David Michael & Sherine David John & Mary Deffigos Chris & Mary Demetrulias Leo & Jesse Diamont Dorothy Dimtsios John & Christina Dimtsios Byron & Elaine Dollas Nicholas & Kerrie Drakides Peter & Virginia Economopoulos Nick & Angie Eliades George Elias Chris & Sophie Evangelides Anthony & Thomasine Flangos Mary Floor Timothy & Karla Floor Theodore & Evangeline Fotias Andrew & Anne Francis Edward & Katherine Francis Greg & Frantzeska Gallo Effie Garcia Effie Gardner Constantine & Irene Gekas George & Michele Genetos Ellen George Jordan & Christyann Geotas Johnny Giakouminakis Geoff & Cynthia Godfrey Dean Goumas/ Snyder Family Charles & Katherine Gray Mylan & Joanne Grubor James & Sophia Guaclides Page 8 Hoda Hannallah Diana Harris Robert & Dawn Harris Stefan & Lynn Harrison Michael Hiras & Sophia Fountis Peter & Mary Houlis Diane & Steven Hubbard Peter & Stella Hydrean Panayiotis & Connie Issichopoulos David & Alice Jasmer Dn. Paul & Alexandria Kalina James & Linda Kalivas Marika Kallonas Paul & Kathy Karagiannis Jeannie Karamigios John Karamouzis John & Julia Kastran John Katerelos Nicole Katerinos Sylvia Katsuleas Leslie Kenney Don & Andrea Kenworthy Bill & Amy Kircos Spiro & Christine Kircos Louis & Maura Kireopoulos Artin Knadjian & Maria Apostolatos Ken & Sophia Kobs Nicholas & Vickie Koines Kyle & Melissa Koistinen Richard & Mary Ann Koss George & Lia Kossaras John & Maria Kostaras Spiros & Krista Kotsovos Phil & Angela Koufidakis The Kouvelas Family Nitsa Kovas Nick & Marina Kretsedemas Bill & Evie Kypreos Steven & Constance Lemere Craig & Joanne Lewandowski Nicholas & Katherine Liakas Stacy & Ginger Logan Charleen Lucia Frank & Susan Luksik Chloe Magouliotis Takis & Vanessa Makridis Maria Maniatis Anna T. Manos Michael & Deborah Markakis Gregory & Susan Marmas Peter & Karen Mavrikos Michael & Stacie McKenzie Edward & Andrea McNamara Neal & Crista Meinke Nicholas A. & Georgia Mellas Nicholas N. & Roxana Mellas Stephen Mellas Andrew & Joanne Metanias Nick & Irene Mihailidis Delores Mitchell Jeffrey Mittendorf & Jennifer Triant Constantine & Debbie Moschonas Marc & Terah Nassos Nick & Bettie Neckopulos Donald & Lorraine Nemer Toula New William & Sonia New Alaxandra Nicholson Nicholas & Rennie Nicholson Christopher & Robyn Nickle Joanne Nickolas Chris & Kanella Nicolopoulos Paula Nicols John Nixon Catherine Noplos Mary Noplos Philip & Helen Noplos Diana Ozee George & Enty Palivos Theofana Pantazopulos Anthony & Sandra Papadopoulos Effie Pappas John & DeLaine Pappas Chris & Nitsa Parides George & Dorothy Parides Brian & Penelope Parkinson George & Vicky Pasisis Theodoros & Fotini Pasisis George & Kirsten Paterakis Angelo & Joyce Pateras John & Jan Patrou Myron & Gerry Patten John & Stella Paul Elenitsa Pena Anthony Perdik Pantelis Petroulakis Ken & Penelope Plache Mariellena Politis Andrew & Angela Poulos Amy Priftakis Christina Pullos Leslie Gail Quinn Michael & Antonia Ristagno Robert & Laura Robertson Bradley & Nikoletta Roosma Mary Ann Rossi Star Rothenbucher Konstance Rutzakis Marwan & Ida Crocker Sabbagh John Sampanes Valentino & Eleftheria Scalise Helen Serelis George & Traci Sgouros Douglass & Juliet Shewmaker Hanadi Shraiky Michele Siapkaris Robert & Donna Sioles Rocky & Connie Sisson Sophia Sisson Konstantinos Skandalis & Rosmarie Von Topfer Sally Solomon Scott & Elaine Sommerschield George & Effe Sourvanos Elaine Spelius Eugenia Speropoulos Jim & Kim Speros James & Laurie Stamas Kimberly Stamatelos Andrew & Christine Stamatis Carol Stamos Dennis & Estelle Stell Sean & Stephanie Stephenson Roy & Maria Stuck Alice Tangalos Alexxa Tavlarides Dean & Nickolette Tavlarides Anna Theodorou Evangelia Theodoru Constantino & Karen Theoharatos William & Carole Tobey Georgia Towery Gust & Barbara Tsikalas Marvin & Eleni Tucker Walter & Helen Tuman Maria Tutelman Constantine & Katherine Tzavaras Thomas & Bessie Tzavaras Ray & Dee Unks Hector Villela-Caleti & SandyKotrotsios Helen Vouniozos Karen Wallerich Ed Weiss & Stephanie Demogenes Steven West & Jennifer Hadd Rick Wolfe & Victoria Keegan Athena Wright George & Helen Yannakopoulos Jimmy Yannakopoulos Harry & J.B. Zarvos Nestor & Angela Zavras Sotery & Anna Zulia The Orthodox Oasis PHOTO Gallery April 2009 Page 9 LENTEN STUDY Classes c ese ate Th Page 10 sm chi to s pic we r re ep sen to ted inq rs uire an e d th like fai la thfu rch a in M The Orthodox Oasis YOUTH Ministries GOYA.......MOMS ‘N’ TOTS.......JOY.......GREEK DANCE....... ALTAR SERVERS.......MYRRHBEARERS.......SUNDAY SCHOOL Please contact Father Andrew or the church office if your child’s school requests a formal letter for excusal from classes on Great and Holy Friday, April 17. M o m s ‘ N ’ To t s Although March was a great month filled with fun crafts, the highlight of our Moms 'N' Tots group had to be the beautiful day we spent at the Train Park! We played at the playground, rode the train and carousel, and enjoyed a relaxing picnic on a blanket under a tree. The kids shared cookies and Cheetos while the moms told funny stories, took lots of pictures, and talked about lenten foods. The group will NOT meet on Holy Wednesday, April 15. On Bright Wednesday, (the Wednesday following Easter), we will meet at Cactus Park for our annual Easter Egg Hunt! Bring your hats and sunscreen! Easter Blessings, Presvytera Andrea Akathist Prayer to the Theotokos, Nurturer of Children You are invited to pray for the children of Assumption the “Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos, Nurturer of Children.” This prayer booklet is available to our parish in the bookstore for a modest fee. We gather Thursday evenings, from 6-7 PM at the church. Before April 23, Bright Thursday, we will pray privately. For more information on The Akathist Prayer Ministry for Assumption children, contact Fran Gallo (602) 463-1407. April 2009 Sunday School Thank you, parents, who are making the effort to arrive at church on time. We’re making progress; but we still have a way to go. Keep up the good work! We want to see “The Priest’s List” continue to grow! It was wonderful to see so many Godparents sitting with their Godchildren on March 8. Hopefully, many of you spent the day together after church. It was nice that so many of the students remembered to bring their icon for the Sunday of Orthodoxy procession, too. Your child came home with a coin box from the Orthodox Christian Mission Center. Each class is discussing the importance of “doing for others” during the Lenten Season. We are encouraging the students to “earn” the coins that are placed in the box. The boxes will be collected on the Sunday following Pascha. A few dates to keep in mind: -March 29 following the liturgy, Assumption will host the parish youth speeches for the St. John Oratorical Festival. -Sunday, April 5, Assumption will host the Southwest District Oratorical Festival at 3:00. -Friday, April 17, the Sunday School will host the annual Holy Friday Retreat from 9:003:00. Please sign-up with your child’s teacher so that we may plan for crafts and lunch. Priest’s List Chris Anastos, Evan Barakos, Cara & Callie Belt, Erika David, Andrew Dimtsios, James & Jason New, Michael Lewandowski, Michael Ristagno, Nick Barakos, Perry & Katerina Nicolopoulos, Justin Gray, Amy Geiser, Anastasia Deffigos, Angelica Sisson, Christian David, Cassandra, Victor, Charlie & Luke Quinn, Niko Siapkaris, Gabriela Genetos, Connor Garrison, Nicholas Babey, Nicholas Spelius, Bella, Vasili Anagnostopoulos, Sam Acheson, Dimitri Anagnostopoulos, Joshua Babu, Cole Daddario, Nicholas Demogenes, Katherine Hubbard, Teddy Lewandowski, Cole & Grant Roosma, Maria Tangalos. The 4th-5th grade class is not listed for this month. The preschool is exempt from the priest’s list. Kali Anastasi, Presvytera Andrea Page 11 PALM SUNDAY LUNCHEON Page 12 Invitation The Orthodox Oasis AGAPE April 2009 Picnic Page 13 REST ON CHRIST Juvenile Prison Ministry Lent always calls to mind our feeble, finite, and insufficient human nature, as our sins come up--front and center --to be acknowledged and expunged. The glory of the Paschal season crowns our struggles, of course, as we embrace and transcend our human limitations in communion with the Risen Lord on Pascha. And so too, for the “Rest On Christ” juvenile prison ministry here at Assumption. The enemy continues to taunt the ROC team with whisps of smokey accusations like: “There aren’t enough of you! You have no special training! The need is too great for anyone to make a difference! You are too busy! There aren’t enough resources! It’s no use! Ad nauseum.” Our observations are that juvenile populations in the state secured schools appear to be dropping, while offenders are being directed to other programs and county/local placements for treatment and care. There are restructurings, personnel shortages and budget cuts (school is in session only Monday through Thursday, for instance). How to proceed? Contemplating the future of the ministry, my eyes are drawn to the church dome. Invariably, my gaze ascends to the center of the church. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s comforting to see the white expanse—like a blank sheet of paper ripe with potential to be written on? Maybe it’s the stillness and absence of color in the midst of our richly adorned, melodic and fragrant worship? Have you noticed that no matter where you stand inside the church as you gaze at the dome, you usually see only one perfect window? It’s symmetrical and boasts a full view of the sky. All the other windows are less perfect, curved, and askew. They appear partially there (from a ground level view) or not visible at all! But there are 24 perfect windows encircling the space for the Pantocrator’s icon. I’ve never personally seen 24 perfect windows at the same time, but the construction plan says they are there. Then a flood of images greet me of past programs the ROC has done at the secured schools. Like how Mary Lou Aleck got the girls at Black Canyon School singing and moving with worship songs last May. And Father Andrew visited the boys at Adobe Mountain School one Saturday when he might have been with his own family, and spoke about spiritual fatherhood. David Jasmer taught about the Theotokos, because the girls insisted on wanting to know more about her. Allan Boyd was able to speak with the boys on two moving occasions. Athena Anastos, Elaine Bowman, and Connie Sisson graciously tape recorded the hymn of Kassiani to be played for the girls at a later date. Or how about when Lydia Vlachos was inspired to tell ROC about the girls needing a program on their guardian angels? It just so happened that that morning, Tammy Belt, Mindy Spelius, and Stephanie Demogenes were headed to St. Paisius monastery for Page 14 a day trip. Tammy was driving, and meanwhile, Mindy’s phone had signal so we could relay the request for Akathist booklets praying to the angels. Fortunately, Stephanie had her checkbook. So virtually that same day the booklets were purchased and then handed-off to Janet Cummings-Geiser who removed the staples and machine-stitched the bindings so ROC could present the booklets at Black Canyon School later that week! Then there was the coincidence of George Genetos securing a kitchen cart that has been borrowed by the ROC more than once to trek across hot parking lots at the schools with all the provisions at the same time. At Christmas, the boys enjoyed a sing-along (a special treat since the unit isn’t invited to participate in choir activity on campus). And so many other examples. A new member, Bonnie Karraz, recently joined Barbara Tsikalas, Rennie Nicholson and Victoria Keegan. The Assumption Prayer Ministry, directed by Janet Cummings-Geiser, has been a call-to-arms to answer the enemy’s insinuations. Likewise, the Akathist Prayer Ministry, headed by Fran Gallo, has also implored Theotoko’s mantle of protection around our Assumption youth, Camp Agape, and both of the secured schools visited by ROC. Philoptochos has sponsored ROC’s financial needs faithfully. For 2009, only one group has stepped forward to adopt one unit (of the dozen available) at Adobe Mountain School. ROC adopted Kachina unit again. The facility chaplain wants every unit on campus adopted, since it’s had a significant impact on the boys. To that end, he has requested that ROC mentor a new group forming that plans to adopt one more of the cottages. He wants ROC to assist in prototyping the “adoption” program. Even a partnership opportunity is being explored for juveniles upon release. Last year, ROC (on behalf of Assumption) received the “Outstanding Community Partner Award” from the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections for their efforts. Suddenly, the answer is revealed. The wisdom is conveyed through the dome as it patiently awaits the icon of our Lord to be written. Another perfect window! And yet another! Not simply one, but a community of perfect windows! They are all there, they are all perfect, and they are all revolving around Christ’s calling to serve Him. He alone sees all the perfect windows at once. Perhaps by grace, He allows us to perceive them too. Our collective offering from Assumption as the body of Christ-- to follow His will, in service to youth-- is enough, in and of itself. He does the rest. May we all continue to Rest On Christ as we follow the living Lord, our Pantocrator, this Lenten Season. V. Keegan The Orthodox Oasis ICON CAMPAIGN UPDATE St. John the Evangelist Icon is sponsored! Thank you to the many donors who gave miscellaneous donations. Together, you One full sized Angel remains. Sponsorship of this angel is $4,100 have sponsored this beautiful St. John the The full size angels are depicted around the Pantocrator, vested as deacons and priests, celebrating the liturgy. Theologian icon. The icon installation is scheduled to begin on June 22! If you have an outstanding balance on a sponsorship, or still want to contribute to the campaign, please submit your check to Fr. Andrew or the Accounting Office. Please write “Icon campaign” in the memo. Donations in any amount are welcome! Expect to see workmen and scaffolding in the future as we prepare to receive the icons. GOYA: Assumption's Youth Ministry An Orthodox Christian community of high school and middle school students whose purpose is to honor and glorify God through worship, fellowship, witnessing, and service Even if we have thousands of acts of great virtue to our credit, our confidence in being heard must be based on God's mercy and His love for men. Even if we stand at the very summit of virtue, it is by mercy that we shall be saved. --St. John Chrysostom Many thanks to our friends at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, who graciously invited us to join them for Lenten studies, vespers, and hockey at the Teen SOYO Retreat! This month, we will meet outdoors to enjoy sports and BBQ for our annual JOY-GOYA picnic on Sunday, April 26. Look for e-mail updates as the date approaches. We hope to see you there! Spring 2009 Upcoming Events * 04/26 at TBA JOY-GOYA Picnic (4th Sunday of April) * 05/06 at 6:30 p.m. GOYA Forum (1st Wednesday of May) April 2009 WANTED! GOYA Volunteers Please watch your email for information about the Good Friday Food Drive for Vista Del Camino! This will occur on April 17, all day. It is the 7th annual drive, and the GOYA youth are instrumental in assisting Assumption AGAPE Alliance with this outreach. Parishioners bring foodstuffs and drop off their offering to the hands of a GOYA volunteer who loads it into a waiting trailer for transport. You are the backbone who make certain that our offerings get to Vista Del Camino in good condition. Our community appreciates your efforts! Page 15 PHILOPTOCHOS Crab Feast Our annual Crab Feast is scheduled for Saturday, March 28. We are anticipating another successful event as the committee is working hard, completing final plans. Thank you to those who have donated items for the raffle, silent and live auctions as well as a food and beverage items plus to those who will be helping with the food preparations, set up and clean up. A big thank you to the co-chairs: Estelle and Dennis Stell and Nia and Mike Ristagno. Loukoumathes Sale We are planning a Loukoumathes sale on April 5, immediately following Liturgy. The proceeds from the sale will benefit our St. Barbara Icon Fund. Pascha Plant Sale Our Pascha Plant Sale is scheduled for March 8-April 5, Remember beloved family and friends; beautify the Church with plants this Pascha. To order plants, please use the order form in this issue of the Oasis on page 17. Tsourekia/Koulouria Sale Once again, Philoptochos is planning our annual Tsourekia and Koulouria Sale, scheduled for Palm Sunday, April 12, following Divine Liturgy. Please contact Helen Serelis to let her know you will be baking Tsourekia and/or Koulouria. General Membership Meeting The next scheduled Philoptochos meeting will be on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 6:30 PM in the Community Center. This is our annual potluck dinner. Please bring a dish to pass. If you have not attended our meetings in the past, new faces are always Page 16 News welcome. Come and join our dynamic group. Please mark your calendar. Coffee Hour Philoptochos is looking for Coffee Hour hosts. If you would like to volunteer for an upcoming Sunday, please call Sotera Catsadimas at (480) 6615700 to check for available dates. You may choose any Sunday that works for you and you may co-host with one or two other persons. May 05-03-09 05-10-09 05-17-09 05-24-09 05-31-09 Available Parish Council Available Available Available ~~Sotera Catsadimas, President Coffee Hour Responsibilities Arranging coffee and juice cups along with napkins, plates and forks (all items are located in the kitchen on shelves), bringing in simple food items like cookies, cake and donuts as well as juice for the children. It is not necessary for you to make or plug in the coffee in the morning, as it is done by volunteer George Genetos every Sunday. You need to arrange your food items on the tables provided in time to accommodate people as soon as they come out of church. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE HOSTS CLEAN UP EVERYTHING AFTER COFFEE HOUR (remove all unused food, clean any dishes used, place trash and garbage in the proper containers). The coffeepots are to be left to cool, make sure they have been unplugged. Coffee Hour hosts for the following upcoming dates: April 04-05-09 Loukoumathes Sale 04-12-09 PalmSunday Luncheon 04-19-09 Pascha 04-26-09 Choir Brunch Fundraiser The Orthodox Oasis PASCHA MEMORIAL Plants April 2009 Page 17 PARISH NEWS & Information Baptisms On February 28, 2009, Benjamin Nash Polynin was baptised. His Godmother is Angela Polynin. On February 28, 2009, Jake Iakovos Demogenes was baptised. His Godparents are Steven Demogenes and Stephanie Demogenes. On February 28, 2009, Alexander Alexios Dafnis was baptised. his Godmother is Diane Demos. Assumption Women’s Book Club The Women's Book Club met last month to discuss Left to Tell, by Imaculee Ilibagiza. The book is the true story of a young survivor of the 1995 Rwandan Holocaust. Although difficult to read at times, all of the book club members felt that it was a book that they would highly recommend to others. Our high school Sunday School class, under the guidance of Dr. John Nixon and Mrs. Shannon David, will be reading Left to Tell with their students during the next few months. The Book Club will meet to discuss Bread & Water, Wine & Oil: An Orthodox Christian Experience of God, by Archimandrite Meletios Webber. Our April book will be Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, by Joanna Weaver. All are welcome to join us April 23 at 9:30AM. Presvytera Andrea Page 18 Holy Week Transportation Assumption Parishioners Easter is not too far away. If you are having difficulty getting to church during the evening of Holy Week and need a ride please contact Mariellena Politis at 480-7670868. Arrangements can me made for transportation April 13-17th, Monday through Friday of Holy Week. Please let Mariellena know as soon as possible. 2009 Festival Our dates for the 2009 Festival of Greece in Downtown Scottsdale will be Friday through Sunday, November 6th - 8th. The popularity of the Festival has grown, but to ensure the financial success going forward it will be imperative to increase our sponsorship dollars coming into this year's event. It looks like we have secured someone to lead our Sponsorship Committee that will be in charge of soliciting funds from businesses to advertise with us. However, we are asking for additional volunteers to be a part of this process now so that a maximum amount of sponsorship can be reached. Anyone interested in becoming a part of this committee should contact Dennis Stell (480) 5635358 or John Dimtsios (480) 661-7623 as soon as possible. Bookstore Open Sundays after Liturgy until 11:45AM; & Tues 9:30AM1:30PM For information or special orders, please contact Diana Ozee at (480) 734-5307. The bookstore carries 14-karat & sterling silver crosses, birthday or nameday cards, CD’s, and other items. Please browse the selection of books for adults and children. Also available is communion wine for parishioners wishing to offer it for the Divine Liturgy. The Bookstore is not authorized to sell this wine for personal consumption; it can only be donated to the Church. AHEPA NEWS Chapter 219 of AHEPA will be meeting on Thursday, April 23 at the Community Center. AHEPA is an International philanthropic and social organization open to all adult men that has been a leader in a wide variety of civicminded causes since it's inception in 1922. Dinner will be served at 6PM followed by a formal meeting. For more details on AHEPA please contact Paul Koines at (480) 244-1524. The Orthodox Oasis PARISH COUNCIL Report This year’s Lenten Journey is well underway and it is a busy time at Assumption. In addition to the regular Liturgy service on Sundays, there are many additional services held weekly throughout the Lenten season. Please review the monthly calendar for April, included in this newsletter, for details on when these services are scheduled. Plans are currently underway for several dinners to be held at Assumption Church during the upcoming Lenten season: The Annual Palm Sunday Luncheon is scheduled for Sunday, April 12; the Parish Council will be serving a meal following the Pascha midnight service; and an Agape Picnic Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 19, following the 4PM Agape Vesper Service. Please look for details about these events in this issue of the Oasis as well as in the Community Center and weekly bulletins. Our annual Saturday of Lazarus pancake breakfast and palm-making event will be held on Saturday, April 11, in the Community Center following the morning service. This is a great family event and all are welcome so please make plans to join us. The 2009 Metropolis of San Francisco Clergy Laity Assembly meeting will be held on May 45, 2009, at St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center in Dunlap, California. Father Andrew and Dennis Stell, Parish Council President, will be representing Assumption. In addition to the priest and Parish Council president, Assumption has traditionally provided funding in the budget for two parishioners to attend. If you are interested in representing Assumption at this meeting, please let Father Andrew or Dennis Stell know. opportunity to be heard and to provide input on the direction of Assumption. We hope that you will set aside a few hours of your time on May 3 to participate in this all important meeting. Details of the meeting will be mailed to your homes in the next few weeks. Estelle Stell, Parish Council Secretary Saturday of Lazarus, April 11 Come join us at the Saturday of Lazarus Service, Matins at 8:30AM and Liturgy at 9:30AM. Afterwards there is a pancake breakfast, and palm cross making event. Every year during Lent we ask our families with children (JOY) and teens (GOYA) to join us for the Saturday of Lazarus services followed by a pancake breakfast. After breakfast we will demonstrate how to fold crosses out of palm branches for Palm Sunday. It's a great way to gather for services and fellowship. We invite everyone of all ages to participate on that morning. Father Andrew will hear confessions from children after the pancake breakfast, for those wanting to confess. Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend the Spring Parish Assembly meeting which will be held on Sunday, May 3, immediately following Liturgy. Attending the Parish Assembly meeting is an important part of your life in the Church. This event, held semiannually, is a general meeting of the Parishioners in good standing of the Parish and is the general policymaking and appropriating body of the Parish. This meeting is your April 2009 Page 19 PARISH NEWS & Information HOLY FRIDAY FOOD DRIVE for Vista del Camino Food Bank A Food Bank truck will be at Assumption Friday April 17, 2009 from 9 am to 5 pm Please bring donations only during this time The following are the most needed items: Peanut butter, tuna, canned meats, pasta, spaghetti sauce, rice, dried pinto beans, cereal, jelly, boxes of macaroni & cheese, canned fruit and vegetables, soup No perishable food can be accepted Sponsored by Assumption Agape Alliance assisted by G.O.Y.A. The Assumption Greek Dancers performed for a multicultural event sponsored by the McKemy Middle School in Tempe. The dancers who particpated (pictured page 9 from left to right) were Malee Kenworthy, Charlie Quinn, Callie Belt, Victor Quinn, Sasha Pasic, Luke Quinn, Angelica Sisson and Perry Nicolopoulos. A few days prior to the performance, dance director Joanne Lewandowski, along with her teachers Michelle Siapkaris and Georgia Towery (and beautiful little Epiphany Towery) were asked to speak to the middle schoolers about Greek culture and teach the students some basic Greek dances. Georgia and Epiphany dressed-up in our dance costumes, despite the hot weather, and helped promote our dance group. Epiphany was a real trooper, and we are very proud of her for supporting her church and showing off her dancing skills. Joanne would like to thank all the dancers who performed, the teachers who helped during the daytime presentation and Leslie Quinn and Connie Sisson who helped drive the dancers to the event. They all did an amazing job. OPA!!! PULL OUT QUOTE Page 20 The Orthodox Oasis For information about ad sponsorship, please call St. George Publishing at 262-650-0030 or 1-800-447-0030. ©St. George Publishing, Inc. N0183 4c LP www.stgeorgepublishing.com Title of Article Seventh Annual www.stgeorgepublishing.com For information about ad sponsorship, please call St. George Publishing at 262-650-0030 or 1-800-447-0030. ©St. George Publishing, Inc. N0183 4c LP G ENERAL Assumption Greek Orthodox Church Heading PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Phoenix, AZ Permit #2659 Title of Article 8202 East Cactus Road Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Return Service Requested GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA April 19, 2009 The Orthodox Oasis
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