The MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE

HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS · 60714 PHONE (847) 647-8880 WWW.SAINTHARALAMBOSGOC.ORG

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)

You Belong Here!

OCTOBER 2016

Over $2.2 Million Raised!

Now is the time to faithfully consider a pledge to help

achieve our target for groundbreaking

in Spring 2017.

WORSHIP SCHEDULE October Schedule of Services

Sunday, Oct 2 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy Sunday, Oct 9 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy Sunday, Oct 16 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy Thurs, Oct 20 - Saint Gerasimos of Cephalonia 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy Sunday, Oct 23 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy Sunday, Oct 30 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy OUR SISTER CHURCHES of St. Demetrios (in Chicago, Libertyville, Elmhurst and Hammond) invites you to Great Vespers on Tuesday evening, October 25 and Liturgy on October 26 in honor of their parish Feastday. (Liturgy will NOT be celebrated at St. Haralambos on October 26.)

SACRAMENTS AND BLESSINGS MINISTRY TO PERSONS WHO ARE SICK-We urge Orthodox Christians who would like to receive Holy Sacraments but are unable to attend church (hospitalized or at home) to contact the church office so Holy Sacraments can be administered to them.

If your loved one is hospitalized please call us, even if the illness is not serious! In a wholistic approach to healing and well-being, a visit from the priest can be very positive. Most hospitals do not inform us when they receive patients from our parish. We depend on you!

BLESSINGS OF INFANTS—Forty days after birth, a child and its mother come to church to receive a 40 Day Blessing, imitating Christ who was presented in the Temple 40 days after He was born. Please call the church office to arrange this blessing.

BAPTISMS—Please call the church office to schedule Baptisms. Plan ahead!—there are some days when Baptisms are not performed. Keep in mind that there should be only one Godparent and that a child is supposed to be given one name when he or she is baptized.

WEDDINGS—Please arrange an appointment with Fr. Dean at least eight months before the proposed wedding date to allow time for all necessary marriage preparation.

CONFESSION—Confessions are arranged by appointment. Please call the church office to schedule Confession.

MEMORIAL SERVICES—Memorial Services are offered for the eternal rest of persons who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Customari-ly, these services are offered at 40 days, at 6 months, at 1 year and at 3 years. When three years have passed, the departed are more proper-ly remembered on the Saturdays of the Souls.

END OF LIFE ISSUES 1 - The Right to a Proper Funeral It is an honor to have a church funeral. When the funeral does not take place at the church it indicates that someone is not in good order. Sometimes out of convenience, we consider omitting a church funeral for our loved ones, not realizing that we are depriving them of their right to be honored. Let us honor our parents and relatives with the respect they deserve!

2 - About Cremation Orthodox Christians believe that in the General Resurrection, our bodies and souls will be restored to each other. Cremation is the de-liberate desecration and destruction of what God has made, and is viewed as the denial of the Resurrection. In cases where there is intention for the body of a deceased person to be cremated, thus choosing to disregard our understanding of the Resurrection, the honor of a church funeral is not given, either in the church, or the funeral home or any other place. Additionally, memorial services with kolyva are not allowed, since the connection of the “kernel of wheat” as a sign of the Resurrection has been intentionally destroyed.

2016 STEWARDSHIP

YOU BELONG HERE!

2016 STEWARDSHIP UPDATE

As of September 19,

616 families have committed $ 323,067

How about you? Father Dean elevates the Cross while also holding basil on the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (Sept 14).

HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

7373 CALDWELL AVENUE, NILES, ILLINOIS 60714 PHONE: 847/647-8880

From Father George IS IT POSSIBLE TO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING? The school year has begun! Our high school and college students are back in the classroom. Their afternoons are filled with homework, perhaps Greek school, athletics, youth ministries and extra-curricular activities. Adults are going to work and taking care of their families. We have established a rou-tine and a rhythm in our lives that can sometimes feel monotonous.

As we get caught up in life’s daily endeavors, I recall the words of Saint Paul who tells us to “Pray always without ceasing.” This can sound really intimi-dating. We are really busy in life…do we really have to add constant prayer to our daily life? If we are not monks or nuns, is constant prayer actually possible?

In order to understand this, let’s look at the Greek word for prayer: προσευχή. The word includes the prefix προς, which means towards, and ευχή, which means prayer. So the word προσευχή means prayer towards someone. It’s not simply words; it implies that our prayer must be active -- it is movement as we grow closer to someone. It’s communion! So how do we get to a point where we are always praying -- where we are reaching out to God in every moment and every day? What does it look like for us who are busy at school and working each day?

Reaching this goal begins with daily discipline, in which we set aside time for silence and prayer. That can be difficult for us to do! Some days we might not be able to do it. But even when prayer seems impossible, we can find little times throughout our day to set our minds, hearts and bodies on God; to show him that we want to get closer to Him. When our lives seem out of control, we can choose to simply stand in front of an icon and offer our struggles to God and even kneel in front of him.

There’s a story of a man who struggled and didn’t want to pray, but came to Saint Paisios, the newly canonized Saint, seeking advice about his life. Saint Paisios told him that he needs to learn to say the Jesus prayer, “Lord, Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” throughout his day, and he muust learn to humbly bow in front of his icons. The man laughed and said, “That just looks silly! Why do I have to bend down like that?” So the Elder told him, “Look, you bend down to tie your shoes, don’t you? Every time you do that, say one Jesus prayer.” The young man did this, and he found out over time his heart softened to prayer. Over time, prayer transitioned from something he simply did mechanically and mindlessly to something that transformed and warmed his heart.

Just like this man, we can also use simple daily routines as a starting point for our prayer; when we wash our face in the morning, when we brush our teeth, when we drive our car, when we put our seatbelt on, before we eat and while we are eating by ourselves, when we are in a meeting, or when we tie our shoes. We can use these moments of silence in our lives and direct them to God with a prayer like the Jesus prayer, the Lord’s prayer, or the countless other prayers in the church. It’s also a good idea to speak to your Spiritual Father about how you can improve your prayer life. There are other tools he can offer you, like different prayer books and services. You can learn to pray as you deepen your awareness of God and communication with Him.

What kind of opportunities throughout your day can you transform to make them opportunities of prayer? As we build our prayer outward from our prayer rule to different activities throughout the day, we begin moving in the direction of constant prayer. We will find that we will become more aware of God’s presence in our everyday lives -- that our entire lives become an unin-terrupted prayer and joyful offering to God in every moment. With much love,

Father George

IN THIS ISSUE:

Letter from our Priest (pg 3) Announcements/Ανακοινώσεις (pg 4) 2016 Synergy Symposium (pg 6) Upcoming Parish & Metropolis Events (pg 7) “Look up Not Down” Article (pg 8) 2016 Golf Outing & Youth Ministries (pg 9) Calendar (pg 10)

HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS

GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH NILES, ILLINOIS

Proistamenos…………....…... Fr. Constantine P. Botsis Synefimerios…………..….…....... Fr. George Lamberis Pastoral Assistant....….…..... Deacon John G. Suhayda Chanter…………..........…….....…..…..Nick Harisiadis Parish Council Officers President………...…...………..… Perry Giannopoulos Vice President….................…...……..… Nick Andrews Treasurer……….…............................... David Loomos Secretary……………….………..….... Argy Koutsikos Phase III Chairman......................... Perry Giannopoulos Stewardship………………………………. Budget Committee Chairman .........Perry Giannopoulos Building & Grounds Chairman……. …... Michael Pontikes and Theodoros Karabatsos Decor Committee Chairman..............Stephan Aliferakis Finance Committee Chairman...…............. Tom Sikoral Outreach Committee………....………...…..John Pierce School Board Chairman….................Olympia Bournias Audit Committee Chairman……...…….... Evan Houpis ..

Food Fest Chairman………………. Philoptochos President..…………........Maria Dimitriou PTA Co-Presidents (Afternoon School)…. ….....Anna Sikoral and Kathy Ioannidis PTA President (Preschool)…....…...Marianna Memmos PTA Co-Presidents (Saturday School)……. ......Dorothea Dimoutsikos and Maria Kouzoukas Greek School Principal….............. Mrs. Anastasia Liapi Saturday School Director…Mrs. Andrianna Panayiotou Preschool Director…..…...…….........Mrs. Rita Petratos Sunday School Director….....Presvytera Georgia Botsis Athletic Director…………...…....…..… David Loomos Scoutmaster..……..…………....…..... Vasili Zimbrakos Asst Cubmaster…...…………...………....... John Frake Little Angels…………..……...Mrs. Christine Blackaby YAL President……..................….....Christina Pappadis GOYA President….......................... ……... Alex Anton Jr. Goya Advisor……..….….…..……… Father George Bookstore Manager….........…......……Jolynn Ruggerio Web Master…...….....…....…....…..…. George Houpis Facebook……………..………………...Elizabeth Kotis Office Staff….. …………………….. Barbara Skaouris, Alexandra Grivas, Anna Sikoral Maintenance Staff…..Juan Caro and Carolina Contreras

OCTOBER BOOK & ICON SALE!! Please visit our Bookstore for selected discounted items on Books and Icons through the month of October!

STEWARDSHIP 2016! What does your church mean to you? What does your church offer to you? What keeps the doors open to serve your needs? How important is Baptism, Holy Communion, for-

giveness and the many other blessings you derive from your church?

What gives the church the “fuel” to power its activities and programs?

A N S W E R: Your STEWARDSHIP! These are the questions we should ask when we determine our level of stewardship every year! Everyone should have a different stewardship level from everyone else, and every year it should change according to our means and our love! Our stewardship level should be an amount that reflects our growing love of God and our appreciation for the blessings and benefits we derive from our Church. If you have not yet made your 2016 commitments, please do so. There is no minimum, but true stewardship means heartfelt giving in proportion to our resources and income. You belong here!

OUR ANNUAL METROPOLITAN IAKOVOS Names-day Banquet will take place this year on Thursday evening, October 27 at Georgio’s Banquets in Orland Park! Mark your calendar; plan to attend and honor our beloved spiritu-al father.

NATIONAL ELECTIONS ARE COMING UP! Are you registered to vote?

These photos are from the Annual Philoptochos Membership Dinner on Monday, September 26. The next Philoptochos meetings are October 5 and November 2.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 IS GODPARENT

SUNDAY!!

Join us for our GODPARENT SUNDAY

LUNCH BUFFET hosted by our Afternoon School PTA

A great selection of Lunch options! Games and Activities for the Children

Photo area for Pictures with your Godchild

$10 per person (Children 3 and under are free)

Please call the church office (847-647-8880) by November1 for reservations!

P h i l o p t o c h o s C o r n e r

SAINT HARALAMBOS

8TH ANNUAL WALKATHON

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16 All donations will support the Archdi-ocesan Ionian Village Summer Camp in Greece which sustained severe damage on September 8, 2016 from fierce tornadoes. The Walkathon will begin at 1 pm and there will also be a cookout after the walk.. The suggested donation per person is $10 and $25 per family to participate.

SAINT HARALAMBOS OUTREACH COMMITTEE NEWS

Our most recent Meals on Wheels was September 24, and we delivered 29 meals. The next MOW will be Saturday, Oct 29.

We have organized a date for Feed My Starving Children Outreach on Monday, October 10. See page 7 for more de-tails.

The next Bessie’s Table will be Monday, Oct 24, from 4 PM – 7 PM. Bessie’s Table provides a hot home-cooked meal in a welcoming environment to individuals and families in need at no cost. St. Haralambos serves on the 4th Monday of every month except August at the First United Methodist Church in Des Plaines.

We are planning our third annual Thanksgiving Luncheon for people in our community who do not have a place to eat for the holiday.

We are also planning another annual coat drive for those less fortunate than us.

We continue to ask for donations of dry goods, hygiene items and baby needs for the Niles Township Food Pantry. Those may be brought to the Church Center and dropped off in bins in the lobby.

The Outreach Committee will host Coffee Hour Sunday, October 23, after Church services. We invite you to join us and learn more about the volunteer work we do. We wel-come new members and volunteers. If you are interested in joining or volunteering in any of our projects, please con-tact us at ChrysoKB@gmail.com or contact President John Pierce or any of the members of the Outreach Commit-tee.

ΠΕΡΙ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΤΙΚΩΝ ΕΥΧΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΜΥΣΤΗΡΙΩΝ

ΕΥΧΕΣ ΝΕΟΓΕΝΝΗΤΩΝ ΤΕΚΝΩΝ--Κάθε μάνα και το παιδί της, σαράντα ημέρες μετά την γέννησή του προσέρχονται στην εκκλησία για να λάβουν την Ευλογία των 40 Ημερών, κατά μίμησην του Ιησού Χριστού ο οποίος παρουσιάσθηκε στον Ιερόν Ναόν σαράντα ημέρες μετά την γέννησή του. Παρακαλούμε τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας για να κανονίσετε την ευλογία αυτή.

ΒΑΠΤΙΣΕΙΣ—Παρακαλούμε όπως τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια να προγραμματίσετε Βαπτίσεις. Σχεδιάστε πολύ ενωρίτερα!-Υπάρχουν μερικές μέρες που δεν γίνονται βαπτίσεις.

ΓΑΜΟΙ-Παρακαλούμε όπως κανονίζετε συνάντηση με τον π. Κωνσταντίνο τουλάχιστον οκτώ μήνες πριν την προτεινόμενη ημερομηνία του γάμου δια τις απαιτούμενες προετοιμασίες.

ΕΞΟΜΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ—Οι Εξομολογήσεις κανονίζονται κατόπιν ραντεβού. Δια να προγραμματίσετε εξομολογήσεις, παρακαλούμε τηλεφωνείτε στο γραφείο της εκκλησίας.

ΜΕΡΙΜΝΑ ΑΡΡΩΣΤΩΝ—Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί που θα ήθελαν να λάβουν τα Άγια Μυστήρια και δεν μπορούν να έλθουν στην εκκλησία (βρίσκονται εις νοσοκομεία ή ανήμποροι εις τα σπίτια τους) παρακαλούνται να επικοινωνούν με το γραφείο της εκκλησίας δια να μπορέσουν να τα λάβουν.

Παρακαλούμε να επικοινωνείτε με το γραφείο της εκκλησίας εαν κάποιος συγγενής σας είναι στο νοσοκομείο! Τα νοσοκομεία πλέον δεν μας πληροφορούν όταν έχουν αρρώστους από την ενορία μας.

ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΑ—Επιμνημόσυνες δεήσεις γίνονται για την αιώνιον ανάπαυση των τεθνεώντων. Συνήθως, αυτές οι δεήσεις γίνονται κατά τις 40 ημέρες, τους 6 μήνες, τον 1ον χρόνο και τον 3ον χρόνο. Όταν έχουν περάσει τρία χρόνια, είναι πιο αρμόζον να ενθυμούμεθα τους αποθανόντας κατά τα Ψυχοσάββατα.

END OF LIFE ISSUES Η Θρησκευτική Κηδεία Είναι Δικαίωμα μας Η κηδεία μέσα στην Εκκλησία είναι μεγάλη τιμή. Όταν μια κηδεία δεν λαμβάνει χώρα στην εκκλησία, υποδεικνύει ότι κάποιος δεν είναι εντάξει με τους κανόνες της εκκλησίας. Δυστυχώς, μερικές φορές (λόγω ευκολίας), σκεφτόμεθα να παραλείψουμε την εκκλησιαστική κηδεία των αγαπημένων μας, κυρίως των ηλικιωμένων, χωρίς να καταλαβαίνουμε ότι τους στερούμε την απονομή της τιμής που τους αρμόζει. Ας τιμήσουμε τους γονείς και τους συγγενείς μας με τον σεβασμό που τους αρμόζει!

Αποτέφρωσις Νεκρού Οι Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί πιστεύουμε ότι, στην Γενική Ανάσταση, τα σώματά μας και οι ψυχές μας θα γίνουν ένα. Η καύσις (αποτέφρωσις) του νεκρού είναι μία εσκεμμένη βεβήλωση και καταστροφή του σώματος, που θεωρείται ως άρνηση της Αναστάσεως.

Σε περιπτώσεις όπου υπάρχει πρόθεσις αποτέφρωσης του αποθανόντος, αποφασίζοντας κατά αυτόν τον τρόπο να παραβλέψουμε την σημασία της Αναστάσεως, δεν αποδίδεται τιμή της εκκλησιαστικής κηδείας είτε στην εκκλησία είτε στο νεκροπομπείο ή σε οποιοδήποτε άλλο μέρος.

Επιπροσθέτως, επιμνημόσυνες δεήσεις με κόλυβα δεν επιτρέπονται, αφού ο σύνδεσμος «του πυρήνα του σίτου» ως σύμβολο της ανάστασης έχει εσκεμμένα καταστραφεί.

STEWARDSHIP Πόσο σπουδαία είναι η εκκλησία για σας; Τι σας προσφέρει η εκκλησία σας; Πως παραμένουν οι πόρτες ανοικτές για να εξυπηρετηθείτε; Πόσο σπουδαίο είναι το βάπτισμα, η Θεία Κοινωνία, η συγχώρηση και οι άλλες ευλογίες που απορρέουν από την εκκλησία σας; Τι είναι αυτό που ενδυναμώνει την εκκλησία για να ανταποκρίνεται σε όλα τα προγράμματα και τις δραστηριότητές της; ΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΗ: Η δική σας STEWARDSHIP! Αυτές είναι οι ερωτήσεις που πρέπει να ερωτάμε για να προσδιορίζουμε το επίπεδο προσφοράς του stewardship κάθε χρόνο! Καθένας μας πρέπει να προσφέρει διαφορετικό stewardship και κάθε χρόνο πρέπει να το αλλάζει ανάλογα με τα εισοδήματά μας και την αγάπη μας! Το επίπεδο προσφοράς του stewardship θα πρέπει να είναι ποσό που θα αντιπροσωπεύει την αγάπη μας προς τον Θεό και την εκτίμησή μας για τις ευλογίες και όλα τα καλά που μας προσφέρει η εκκλησία μας. Παρακαλούμε όπως συμπληρώσετε την κάρτα σας για το 2016, εαν δεν το έχετε ήδη κάνει ως τώρα. Δεν έχουμε θέσει όρια προσφοράς, αλλά stewardship σημαίνει να δίνουμε ευσυνείδητα και ανάλογα με τα εισοδήματά μας. Ανήκετε εδώ!

ΚΥΡIΑΚΗ ΝΟΝΩΝ ΚΑI ΑΝΑΔΕΞΙΜΙΩΝ θα εορτασθεί την Κυριακή, 6 Νοεμβρίου! Προσκαλούμε όλους τους αναδόχους και αναδεξιμιούς να έλθετε μαζί στην εκκλησία αυτήν την ημέρα, και να ενισχύσετε το δεσμό που δημιουργήσατε την ημέρα της βαπτίσεως του αναδόχου σας, vα λάβετε Θ. Κoιvωvία μαζί, και vα παρακαθήσετε στo γεύμα μετά τηv Θ. Λειτoυργία εις τηv Κoιvoτική μας Αίθoυσα! Τηλεφωνήστε το γραφείο της εκκλησίας να κρατήσετε θέσεις στο γεύμα (847-647-8880).

ΕΝΟΡΙΑΚΕΣ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΕΙΣ

All of our schools are in session! Our Aristotle Pre-School and Kindergarten (Monday thru Friday from 9AM to 2:30 PM), our Afternoon Greek School (Tuesdays and Fridays from 4:30PM to 6:30 PM) and our Saturday Greek School (9AM—12:30PM) are still taking enrollment! Please contact the Church Office for more information!

INTRODUCTION TO THE GREEK ORTHODOX LITURGY

You are invited to a special series of presentations to study the Divine Liturgy, beginning Tuesday night, Sep-tember 20 at 7:30. The study is based on a small book about the Liturgy, written by Fr. Demetrios Treantafeles, and the sessions will include abundant discussion and Q&A. Join us!

ANNUAL

ST IAKOVOS DAY

BANQUET honoring

His Eminence

Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago

6:00 pm Reception

7:00 pm Dinner

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Georgio’s Banquets, 8800 W. 159th Street

Orland Park, IL

Donation: $100

For reservations, please call

St. Haralambos church office

847.647.8880

Your support would be

greatly appreciated!

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN OUTREACH

Monday., Oct 10—5:45PM – 7:30 PM.

1072 National Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL 60173

Please contact Christine Blackaby at

ChrysoKB@gmail.com

if you would like to volunteer.

We need 60 volunteers!

(Kids 8 years old or older)

Please list all members by their full names and indicate if child or adult. Also, indicate a contact email address for the accompanying adult so that you receive contact infor-mation from the FMSC organization.

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit organization which empowers volunteers to pack meals for the malnour-ished in over 70 countries!

“LOOK UP!” Everyone has heard that shouted at them at some point when they were playing sports or just having something thrown their way. If you don’t, you will probably end up getting bopped on the head, or in some other body part, by a ball or other thing being thrown at you. It is great advice since it is harder to see (and catch) things with your eyes closed. More recently, I found the need to exclaim “LOOK UP!” more frequently in daily life as we all have become fixated with our eyes looking downward at so-called “smart” phones. Ever notice that when you are in an elevator, waiting in line, on a train, etc., more people are looking down at their devices than at each other or what is going on around them. And how many times have you either called out “LOOK UP!” or been tempted to do so (or use your car horn equivalent) at people walking down the street or headed your way who are not look-ing where they are going but are instead glued to the little elec-tronic screen in their hands. In a study released by the Pew Research Center, as of January 2014:

90% of American adults have a cell phone 58% of American adults have a smartphone

42% of American adults own a tablet computer 67% of cell owners find themselves checking their phone for messages, alerts, or calls (even when they don’t notice their

phone ringing or vibrating). Think about it. Do you know anybody who does not own a cell or smart phone? The Knight Foundation, in partnership with the Pew Research Center, found that:

64% of adults in the United States use Facebook, and stagger-ingly 30% of Americans get their news on Facebook

There is a whole lot of “looking down” going on in our socie-ty. And these downward looking trends are increasing. In contrast, “The State of the Bible 2013” study completed by The Barna Group for the American Bible Society found that:

77% of Americans think the nation’s morality is headed down-hill 88% of respondents said they own a Bible 80% of respondents think the Bible is sacred

Yet only 26 % of Americans said they read their Bible on a regular basis (4 or more times a week). In other words, we may be looking down more, but perhaps at the wrong things! These disturbing facts got me wondering about the great ad-vice “LOOK UP!” and where else I had heard it. My Yiayia (paternal grandmother), an uneducated, immigrant woman of strong faith would frequently admonish me to look upward to the heavens where our Lord resides and where he is waiting for us if we live a righteous and faithful life. And while we clearly bow our heads for many prayers, she reminded me that it was in looking up that we saw the glory of God’s great crea-tion and could be inspired to aim toward the goal of all of eter-nity in a state of theosis.

Are you living your life by looking down or up? And what form of example are you setting for others who may be watching (in between glances up from their electronic tethering devices). Are you following the clear guidance of our Lord in Matthew 5:14-16?: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Indeed, the Holy Gospel is replete with many admonitions to “LOOK UP!” and see the wonders and miracles of the Lord, and also some examples of those who could not “LOOK UP!” in shame for what they had done (or not done), including the repent-ant tax collector in Luke 18:13. The message today is to humbly, inquisitively and prayerfully “LOOK UP!” as we celebrate the glory of God’s creation, the wonder of the world around us, the incredible actions of faith we can pursue in our lives, and the proper living of the stewardship callings each us have been given. We also do this as a testament and in grateful appreciation of Christ’s redeeming love and on our journeys on The Path toward theosis. I believe stewardship is what you do with all of the gifts God gave you. All of those gifts and talents. So if you want to live the stewardship calling entrusted to you by your Father, ask yourself, “What have I done today (or this week) to live the stewardship calling given to me through the many gifts of which I am a mere steward on this earth?” In what person or ministry of your church or community have you “invested” your valuable time and talents in hopes of the ultimate “return on that investment” of an eternal life filled with joy, peace and love? Yes, you must periodically look down to humbly pray, or answer (or screen) a call on your cell phone, or to ensure that you don’t stumble or misstep as you walk on your journey through this life. But your ultimate destination is hopefully headed toward a higher trajectory. So take aim on that which you seek, and expend your energy in that direction. You just might be amazed at the wonders of God’s creation available to those who seek, see and hear, and then pursue their stewardship callings. May God bless you as you pursue your own unique stewardship calling. Stay on The Path and enjoy the journey. Written by Bill Marianes

LOOK UP NOT DOWN!

S r . G O Y A C A R W A S H

Thanks to everyone who supported our car wash! We would like to thank Mr. Peter Flevaris for donating some of the supplies. A portion of the earnings were donated to the Phase 3 Project.

2016 ST HARALAMBOS GOLF OUTING September 22, 2016

Thank you to Angelo Demeros, Richard Kozlowski, all the donors, sponsors and participants who made this year’s golf outing such a success!

(photo credited to John Zouras)

LITTLE ANGELS (Ages 4 and under)

Our play group for chil-dren 4 and under is a fantastic opportunity for toddlers to become familiar with an Ortho-dox environment, and for parent and grandpar-ents to meet one anoth-er. We learn to kiss icons, light candles, play, sing, etc. We meet every Tuesday.

In our secular world, there are few places where our children can build an Orthodox Christian identity and learn the basics about the Scriptures, our faith and our traditions. Sun-

day School is so important! Be sure that your children at-tend! Don’t forget to come on time at 9:30 am so you don’t miss our youth sermon!

SUNDAY SCHOOL

All our High School teens are invited to join Sr. GOYA! We gather every other Monday and we have discussions, social events, plan trips,

SR GOYA (High School)

We invite all our students in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades to be a part of Jr. GOYA. We gather every other Monday and we have discussions, social events, plan trips, and per-

form outreach. Join us for another wonderful year!

JR GOYA (6th, 7th & 8th Grades)

FAMILY NIGHT (Youth & families in Pre-k thru 5th Parents and children from Pre-K through 5th grade are welcomed to be a part of Family Night! Join us every other Monday as we learn about our faith, make crafts ad share dinner. All are invited.

GOAL CHURCH BASKETBALL Basketball is a great sport where young people learn and experience teamwork and fi-delity to their teammates! Reg-istration begins now for Bas-ketball! Practices will begin soon at the Culver School gymnasium. We have teams for kids of all grades from Kindergarten thru 12th grade!

SCOUTS The St. Haralambos Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are the only Greek Orthodox scout troops in the Midwest. The Scout program builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.

YOUTH MINISTRIES OF SAINT HARALAMBOS V I S I T T H E W E B S I T E F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N O R C A L L T H E C H U R C H O F F I C E ! ! !

October 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 9:00 am—

Saturday Greek School

2 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy

BEARS TAIL-GATE & POT-LUCK

3 6:30 pm—Jr. Goya

4 11:30 am—Little Angels Playgroup 4:30 pm—Greek School

7:30—Bible Study

5 7:30 pm—Philoptochos mtg

6 7 4:30 pm—Greek School 4:30 pm-PTA Mtg

8 9:00 am—

Saturday Greek School

9 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy

10 COLUMBUS

DAY (no school)

5:45 pm —Feed My Staving Chil-dren Outreach in Schaumburg

11 11:30 am—Little Angels Playgroup

4:30 pm—Greek School PICTURE DAY

7:30—Bible Study

12 7:00-Phase 3 Meeting

13 Preschool

PICTURE DAY

14 Preschool

PICTURE DAY 4:30 pm—Greek School & Picture Day 6:30—Fall Dance

15 9:00 am—

Saturday Greek School & Group Pic-ture Day

ANNUAL SYNERGY

SYMPOSIUM

16 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy

WALK-A-THON

17

6:30 pm—Jr. Goya Bon-fire & Marsh-mallow Roast

18 11:30 am—Little Angels Playgroup Field Trip to Lambs Farm

4:30 pm—Greek School 7:30—Bible Study

19 7:30 pm—Parish Council Mtg

20 ST

GERASIMOS 8:30 am-Orthros and Liturgy

21 4:30 pm—Greek School

22 9:00 am—

Saturday Greek School & Individual Picture Day

23 Feastday

ST IAKOVOS

8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy

24

4:00 pm —Bessie’s Table Outreach

5:30 pm—Family Night 7:30 pm—GOYA Camp fire & Smores

25 11:30 am—Little Angels Playgroup

4:30 pm—Greek School 7:30—Bible Study

26 ST

DEMETRIOS (-Liturgy at

St. Demetrios Church)

27

St Iakovos Day Annual Banquet

honoring Metropolitan

Iakovos

28 Preschool OXI Day Parade 4:30 pm—Greek School and Student Assembly

29 9:00 am— Satur-day Greek School

10:00 am—Meals on Wheels Outreach Time TBD—Jr. GOYA Lazer Tag at Laser Quest in Arlington Heights

30 8:15 am—Orthros 9:30 am—Sunday School 9:30 am—Divine Liturgy

31 Preschool PJ Party

HOLY TAXIARHAI AND SAINT HARALAMBOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH 7373 CALDWELL AVENUE NILES, IL 60714-4503

Address Service Requested

Please visit www.saintharalambos.org/phase-iii for more information and for a copy of the pledge forms below!