september 2015 orator

MESSAGE FROM FR. NICHOLAS Do you love me? Feed my sheep.

In the last chapter of the Gospel of St. John, Jesus asks this simple

question of Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me …?” (Jn

21:15).

Do you love me? It is not a difficult question. Even in our own lives, He

asks us this same question, “Do you love me?” Jesus asked this question of

Peter three times as a way of receiving Peter back as one of His disciples

after he denied knowing Jesus at the crucifixion (Jn 18:15). Jesus and Peter

are reconciled by his confession of love.

Peter responds each time in the affirmative, he says, “Lord, you know all

things, You know that I love you” (Jn 21:17). Much like in our own

baptismal service, we are asked “Do you join Christ?,” (three times) and

“Have you joined Christ” (three times). The candidate for Baptism or the

God Parent will affirm three times, “I do,” and “I have.” We pledge

ourselves to Christ. We confess our love for Him.

In like manner we are reconciled with Christ when we confess Him as our

Lord and our God. We too are called disciples. As His disciples, He will

never leave us and will continue to care for us, feed us, bless us and show us

His Mercy. As we continue to dedicate our lives to Him, He continues to

lead us to the kingdom. Christ says “Follow Me” (Jn 21:19).

From the gospel to our very own lives Christ asks us if we love Him. But

do we recognize the commitment we make when we answer that question?

If we keep reading the Gospel, we recognize there is a command after each

response. Do you love me, then “feed my lambs” (Jn 21:15), “tend my

sheep” (Jn 21:16), “feed my sheep,” (Jn 21:17). How should we understand

this?

When we attend the Divine Liturgy, many of us seek this same

reconciliation, and we seek to be fed. We experience it by hearing the Word

of His Holy Gospel, through the homily of the priest, through the prayers and

petitions and through the reception of His sacred body and precious blood.

We will sing praises to Him, offer up by thanks and gratitude for His grace

and mercy. We all seek to be spiritually fed. We each have spiritual needs,

and we lift them up to Him and He satisfies them.

ST. DEMETRIOS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

THE ORATOR Presiding Priest:

Fr. Nicholas Hadzellis

Cell: 617.530.0885

Parish Assistant:

Samia Shiber

Office: 817.626.5578

Fax: 817.626.5073

Parish Council Members

Elias Shiber, President

John Sempeles, V. President

Matt Lee, Treasurer

Georgia Sparto, Secretary

Magda Fleming

Marina Katzianis

Lisa Kelly

Terry Kouris

Artemis Moon

Elaine Reidl

George Vardakis

Office email:

[email protected]

Orator:

[email protected]

Web: www.stdemetrios.net

Parish Office Hours:

Tuesday - Friday

9:00 am - 1:00 pm

It is easy to think of ourselves as the sheep, and we desire and need to be spiritually fed, and have

those needs met by the church. Indeed we should be. But one day of seven is hardly enough (roughly

14% of your week). The remaining time is influenced by the news, TV, talk radio and social media. We

should be feeding ourselves as well, especially in today’s modern age with the book store, internet,

libraries, and access to Ancient Faith Radio and Orthodox Christian Network. There is a lot of Orthodox

spiritual food waiting to be consumed. We have to be eager and take the initiative to learn more about

Jesus Christ, our Church and our salvation.

It is true we are His sheep, but Jesus Christ also calls us into discipleship. We are to submit to Him,

learn from Him, call on Him and follow Him, as did the disciples of the Gospel. But as His disciples, we

are to lead, teach and raise up new disciples. According to the Gospel of St. Matthew, Jesus instructs His

disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”(Matt 28:19). We are already a part of

the Church that is called to meet the needs of the world, the needs of our neighbor.

Do you love me? Feed my sheep. So how do we feed His sheep? One might think that it is the job of

the clergy, the missionary, and the soup kitchen workers to feed the sheep. And it is. But it’s also all of

our jobs. This includes the parents, the godparents, the chanters, the parish council, the person sitting in

the pew etc. It’s the job of those who have joined Christ.

One way we feed His sheep is by offering hospitality to strangers and charity to the poor. This may

be in our home, at the shelter, even during fellowship hour. But perhaps there is another way of how we

can spiritually feed the sheep and lead others to Christ.

Another way, is by our own example. As we take matters of salvation seriously, others will take

notice. Saint Seraphim of Sarov said, “Acquire the Spirit of peace, and thousands around you will be

saved.” We receive God’s grace in Baptism and Chrismation in particular, and we are called to bear

good fruit. When we do, that grace is multiplied. When the grace is multiplied, it becomes a greater

witness than what we can possibly say.

So how do we bear good fruit? The easy answer is participating in the sacraments, especially Holy

Communion and Holy Confession. Additionally, Father Stephen Freeman writes “This is a question

particularly about the small things of the day. Do we pray? Do we begin the day by crossing ourselves

before our feet ever hit the floor? When tempted to grumble do we refrain and give thanks instead? Do

we condemn others, even when we could have been silent? Do we forgive when we could have nursed a

grudge?” It comes down to the choices we make, how we choose to live and respond to those around us.

How we intend to invest the grace already given to us.

Father Stephen continues “there is grace for each of these things and thousands more. We are able,

because God has made us able. Grace that is put to use in our lives produces dividends of grace. St.

Seraphim did not ecome what he was through a momentary gift, but through a lifetime of ascesis (ascetic

work, ie fasting, prayer, acts of charity) and “reinvesting” the grace given him.”

When we reinvest the grace that God has given us, we are able to feed the sheep around us, our children,

our God Children, the people next to us in the pew, the neighbor, the co-worker and the stranger. We are

empowered to lead them to salvation that is found in Jesus Christ.

This year we are introducing a new theme to tie in our ministries at St. Demetrios. Our theme is “Lead

Me.” You will find that we introduced this theme in our stewardswhip ministry for 2016. But also, we

will incorporate the theme through our Sunday Church School, Adult Education, sermons and articles in

the Orator. We are all called to be leaders as we follow Christ. You may not know it, or intend it, but you

are leading someone right now. We have to be intentional.

As part of our Sunday Church School curriculum, we have include pre-communion prayers in the pews.

One side is for the elementary school aged children, the other is side is for the middle school aged children.

There are also pre-communion prayer in the back of the Green Hymnal books for high school aged

children and adults. Please take the time to prepare for Holy Communion.

We are also starting a three week adult Bible study class beginning October 14 at 6:30pm. This series we

will discuss the Parables of Jesus. Please take these opportunites to expand upon your spiritual lives and

grow closer to Jesus Christ, as He leads us closer to His Kingdom.

Additionally there will be two Church Community “Lead Me Retreat”, to include Adult and Children

activities. The First will be September 26th, the second will be schedule during lent in 2016.

In our spiritual journey it is not enough to maintain our current posture, but rather, we are to grow and

build each other up in Christ.

SERVICE TO OUR CHURCH Date Parish Council Ushers Orthros Readers

September 6

Matt Lee

George Vardakis

Phil Hieger-Chanter

Open - Reader

Greek-Stathis Michaelides

English-Lexi Vardakis

September 13 Georgia Sparto

Artemis Moon

Phil Hieger-Chanter

Open - Reader

Greek-Morfoula Mouzakis

English-Grace Beasley

September 20

Elaine Reidl

Magda Fleming

Ken George- Chanter

Open - Reader

Greek-Tony Xenios

English-Katherine Kallinikos

September 27 Lisa Kelly

Terry Kouris

Phil Hieger -Chanter

Open - Reader

Greek-Cathy Xydas

English-Issa Shiber

If you would like to be a St. Demetrios Usher, please speak to a Parish Council Member. If you would like to

be a Reader (Youth and Adult), please see Cathy Xydas or Ali Winters.

PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO BE AN ORTHROS READER OR CHANTER - see Ellyn Ponton or Phil Hieger

FELLOWSHIP HOUR

Date Hosts September 6 Coula Panagopoulos

September 13 Parish Council

September 20 Open

September 27 Open Witnessing the love of Christ to our parishioners and guests alike, Fellowship Coffee Hour is a ministry that

generously provides care and kindness by building up our community through refreshments after the Divine Liturgy on Sundays.

Contact Leeann Hieger(817.295.3704 / 817.556.1963 or [email protected]) or Artemis Moon (817.800.6407 or [email protected]) to host the next Fellowship Hour.

The sign-up sheet is on the wall opposite the doors to the fellowship hall.

Many thanks go out to all of you that have taken your turn to make the Fellowship hour a success.

You can say, Fellowship Hour is your second communion, as we come together after the Divine Liturgy

as the body of Christ to care for one another and spend time with each other.

Some great occasions to Host a Fellowship Hour are:

Anniversary

Baby Blessing

Birthday

Memorial

Name Day

In effort to make hosting Fellowship Hour easier, please consider a suggested Fellowship Hour List

of items to serve:

-Bagels (sliced and halved)

-Loaves of Specialty Bread (sliced)

-Donuts (halved)

-Coffee Cake (sliced)

-Cookies/Cupcakes

-Cakes (sliced)

-Butter/Margarine

-Peanut Butter/Cream Cheese

-Fruit/Juice

-Cheese and Crackers

Additionally, if you are unable to Host, you may still sponsor a Fellowship Hour by making a donation.

As part of your contribution and responsibility, please plan on cleaning up at the end of coffee hour.

Thank you

ORTHODOX TRADITIONS

The Nativity of the Mother God - September 8 The church honors the Virgin Mary on the day of her birth, for it was through her that God became man. Mary's parents, Joachim and Anna, who had been married for twenty years, had no children. One day an angel appeared in a separate vision to each of them, announcing that they would have a daughter whom they should dedicate to God. Her nativity is celebrated with a Divine Liturgy and hymns composed in her honor. FEAST SERVICE: Orthors 8:00am Divine Liturgy 9:00am September 8th The Exaltation of the Holy Cross - September 14 The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is one of the most revered observances in all of Orthodoxy. In 325 A.D., after the persecutions against the Christians had just ended, Christians were free to express their religious feelings and to adorn their places of worship with symbols of the faith, such as the cross. The church has established September 14 as a day of fasting equal to that of Good Friday, as a reminder that Christ died on the cross; many parishioners take communion that day. The Gospel reading at the Divine Liturgy describes the Crucifixion of Christ. After the service, each parishioner receives a basil sprig. FEAST DAY SERVICES: Great Vespers 6:00pm September 13 Orthros 8:00am Divine Liturgy 9:00am September 14th

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church

STEWARDSHIP

The Divine Liturgy, and especially the Anaphora (the offering) are filled with hymns and prayers that

speak directly to thanksgiving and gratitude, from which spring our tithes and offerings.

… [T]hanksgiving (Greek eucharistia) reveals the essence of Christian faith. As Fr. Alexander Schmemann said

in his final sermon, “Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy,” for Christians

find their fundamental calling in thanksgiving… [A]ny life not built upon the foundation of gratitude to God is

not authentic Christian life. Thanksgiving to God proves that we are truly alive: “The dead do not praise the

Lord, / Nor any who go down into silence” (Ps. 115:17). We rightly call the Divine Liturgy “the Eucharist”

(thanksgiving), for thanksgiving is the sign of the spiritual life, and the Eucharist keeps us alive.

From Let Us Attend: A Journey Through the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, by Fr. Lawrence Farley, Chapter 13,

The Anaphora (the offering).

For more information on stewardship and tithing visit: www.Everygoodandperfectgift.org

Please consider this stewardship pledge chart to aid you in your planning for 2016 Stewardship Pledge.

Our Ministries are Growing and we need you support! Please consider supporting our ministries

directly by making a restricted contriubution:

Altar Fund: Priest Discretionary Fund for those in need and special projects

Daily Bread: a ministry supporting Tarrant Area Food Bank, One Harvest Food Ministries and the

Samaritian House. All gifts will help provide food supplies to assist those who are in need.

Friends of the Festival: Will assist in the preparations of the Greek Festival

Greek Language and Culture School: Youth and Adult ministry teaching the Hellenic Language and

Culture

OCF: College Ministry

Peace Beyond Understanding: Visitation and Prayer ministry for those who are sick.

Sunday Church School: Youth Enrichment program

YAM: Young Adult Ministries ages 21-35

Youth Ministries: Hope and Joy (Elementary Aged) GOYA (Middle and High School Age)

Please see Fr. Nicholas if you would like to make an additional Special Offering

http://www.everygoodandperfectgift.org/


ALPHA OMEGA

Pease join us on Tuesday, September 8th at 11:30 a.m. at Tex's Star Grill

6101 Rufe Snow Dr, Watauga, TX 76148

Looking forward to seeing you there!!!…..Mary Galanis

PHILOPTOCHOS ST. BARBARA CHAPTER

Please join us for our kick-off meeting, Saturday, September 19th beginning at 10:00am.

At St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church

YOUTH MINISTRIES

HOPE & JOY Ministries

September 20th

Games with Fr. Nicholas during Fellowship Hour

Stranger Danger Saturday October 24

10:00am- 2:00pm Fort Worth Northside Crime Prevention with

Kid’s ID System

ATTENTION ALL GOYA

Our next GOYA meeting is scheduled for September 6th.

Thank you to the GOYAns who helped volunteer and paint our Sunday school classrooms!

. . . Katherine Kallinikos


SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL

SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 13th!! Don’t miss out on a

year filled with fun, learning, and growth!

“He who is able to pray correctly, even if he is the poorest of all

people, is essentially the richest. And he who does not have

proper prayer, is the poorest of all, even if he sits on a royal

throne.”-St. John Chrysostom

As Orthodox Christians, we pray to give thanks, seek

forgiveness, ask for help, renew and grow our souls, and

ultimately, because Christ asks us to pray. God intends for us to

live our lives as a continuous prayer, and to pray without

ceasing. This will help us grow our relationship with God.

This years’ Sunday Church School theme is “Lead Me.”Children must be led by example and by doing.

They are led to eat the right things, led to do well in school, led to have proper manners, and led to

achieve in sports and the arts. Much in the same way, children must be led in the life of the church and

led in the life of Christ. Thus, they must be led in daily prayer. This Sunday Church School year, we will be

focused on expanding religious education at home. We hope to provide ways to successfully make this

happen. Prayer is such a crucial part in our Orthodox lives. One way we are going to be doing so, is by

providing a monthly prayer. Our hope is for you to participate in daily prayer with your child in order to

begin fostering spiritual growth.

September's Prayer of the Month: The Jesus Prayer

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."

This prayer is essential to our spiritual growth. It makes us humble and helps us focus our mind

exclusively on God. Eventually, this is to be prayed repeatedly, in longer increments of time, with the

end goal being the discipline of our souls.

CHURCH COMMUNITY RETREAT

SAVE THE DATE “LEAD ME RETREAT”

September 26, 2015

Feast of St. John the Evangelist

9:00am Teaching Liturgy

Followed by lunch and Church Family Retreat

Everyone is invited to participate!

RSVP to Fr. Nicholas by September 20, 2015.

MENS PAREA

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, October 17th Hitting the Mark! Cinnamon Creek Archery RSVP to Fr. Nicholas if you are interested


BOOKSTORE

Start the New Ecclesiastical Year off right with a new book from our

St. Demetrios Book Store

Orthodox Study Bibles are now available!

Orthodox Daily Prayer Books are now available

FESTIVAL NEWS

2015 Festival Needs

The 2015 Greek Festival is around the corner and we need your help! Planning is complete

and it is time to start the preparations. There are several ways in which you can help. These

include:

Help cook and bake. The calendar is directly below. It shows when each item will be

prepared. Come as often as you can to lend a hand in making our legendary food

and desserts!

Volunteer for one or more shifts during the Festival itself in your favorite booth. See

John Semples to sign up. Many spots are already filled.

Friends of the Festival Donations

o General cash donations

o Cash donations for a specific Festival item

o Ingredient and item donations

o Booth Sponsorship (individual and business)

o Purchase an ad in the Festival Guide Book (individual and business)

Businesses that donate will receive a link on the Festival website.

Festival Baking Schedule for September

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Thursday, September 10 (9:00am) Tyropita

Tuesday, September 15 (9:00am) Koulourakia

Wednesday, September 16 (9:00am) Koulourakia

Sunday, September 20 (After Liturgy) Spanakopita

Monday, September 21 (9:00am) Spanakopita


Orthodox Christian Mission Center: News from the Mission Field

Today on August 26, 2015, before dawn at around

4 o’clock in the morning, in order not to confront the

residents of Dhermi in Himara, the Orthodox church

of St. Athanasius was secretly and insidiously

destroyed by construction inspection forces which

were brought from other areas of the country.

It was dejecting and offensive to see the Holy

Gospel, the Icons and the sacred objects buried

under the rubble. This act reminds us of the

desecration at St. Mary's Church in Permet, where

the holy objects were thrown into a garbage truck.

This action is a flagrant violation of the Law no.

10057, 22.01.2009, "On ratification of the

Agreement between the Government of the

Republic of Albania and the Orthodox Church of

Albania", Article 21 / 1,2 according to which

"Buildings and facilities which serve for religious

ceremonies and services are considered sacred by

the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania.

The intervention of the state authorities is

prohibited, except in cases of urgency when it is

required pursuant to an order of prosecution, a

judicial or executive title, or in case of threat of an

imminent danger. 2. The inviolability of public space

is guaranteed by the State. The State protects

religious objects and religious areas, in accordance

with the Law. "The intervention was made without

prior official or informal notification and the clergy

were ignored. The hierarchical representatives,

Protopresbyter Fr. Pandeli Mitru, Fr. Efthim Bixhili

and Fr. Athanasius Kareem demanded an

explanation by local authorities.

From the beginning, those

who had planned the

destruction of this holy

place were contradictory,

megalomaniac and

inconsistent throughout

their statements, claims,

and actions. They stated that the church was an

illegal construction recently built. However, the

church was erected by the faithful at the dawn of

Democracy (over 20 years ago), in the same place

where the old church had been destroyed by the

Communist Regime. They said that it was a

monument of culture but this is not true. They

stated that it was not under the possession of the

Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, but

documents prove the opposite. They stated that the

concrete layer was laid at the walls of the historic

old church and then it was flattened etc.

This event is a violation of the universal right of

belief and secularism promulgated at the

Constitution of the State, which privately

undertakes the demolition of an object of religion to

establish another one by undertaking initiatives and

commitments that do not belong or comprise with

the internal religious issues. Such irresponsible and

reckless actions endanger religious harmony in the

country bringing up conflicts among religions and

religious communities.

This action occurs at a time when the Orthodox

Autocephalous Church of Albania, along with the

community of Saint Egidios and the Catholic

Church in Albania, are preparing an event in

September in early to organize a great

interreligious activity "Peace is Always Possible."

This is a historic event for Albania. It will be

attended by 500 delegates from 30 different

religious communities from all over the world. Such

actions undertaken against the Orthodox

Autocephalous Church of

Albania are in opposition to

the spirit of the event and

provoke and distort the image

of our country and its people.

Internation Orthodox Christian Charities: News and Information

IOCC ASSISTS SYRIAN FAMILIES ESCAPING BLOODSHED IN IDLIB

As the security and humanitarian situation in Idlib, Syria, continues to deteriorate following escalated

fighting this past spring, IOCC and church partner in Syria, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All

the East (GOPA), is providing emergency medical assistance, hygiene kits, and personal care items to

displaced Idlib families who have fled to the Syrian port city of Lattakia.

According to staff on the ground, approximately 300 of the nearly 5,000 displaced people fleeing Idlib

arrived in Lattakia with injuries, many related to flying shrapnel. Some of them arrived alone knowing nothing

about the rest of their families, while others managed to get out with their families intact.

"I escaped with all of my 14 family members," said Fadi, a displaced Idlib resident. "We barely fit in the

small car which was our only transportation. Many cars around us crashed as they tried to flee, because they

were shot by a sniper while trying to escape the city."

Rami, who also fled Idlib, said he and his 9-year-old daughter made it out through the city's sewage

channels to avoid snipers. They walked all night to reach safety, but he now faces new fears for his family. "My

daughter is in complete shock from what she witnessed, and I can't stop thinking about my parents who are

still trapped in Idlib." IOCC/GOPA is helping traumatized parents like Rami through counseling that will equip

them and their children with the coping skills they need to deal with such difficult experiences.

In addition to those families who fled to Lattakia, IOCC/ GOPA rapid action teams are on the ground

responding to the needs of other families arriving to the cities of Hamah and Jableh with relief such as shelter,

bedding, clothing, and hygiene kits

Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry

“ The Meal” By: James (Seraphim) Blackstock

Every Year our ministry caters in a meal to the men

at Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach. It

usually coincides with the Feasts of Pascha or The

Nativity but due to circumstances beyond our control

this year, it had to be delayed until August 12th. The

menu this year consisted of Italian Subs with macaroni

salad and chips and soft drinks and for desert, Apple

Pie and Pecan Pie with Whipped Cream of course!.

There were a total of 13 of us this year who attended.

Due to changed rules in the prison, some men were not

permitted to attend the feast. Unfortunately, if a man

has a call out for the doctor or even for a legitimate

work detail, these absences still count against their

attendance record in our weekly meetings and they

become disqualified to attend the Feast. There is a

total of 20 men in our group and we know how

disappointed the men were who were not allowed to

come. All of the men in our group are currently

attending catechism classes and are excited to learn

about our Holy Orthodox Faith. The food, however, is

the least important thing that happens at the meal.

There is something very special that happens when we

share a meal in the context of meeting as the Church.

There is a bond that is created that serves to place the

focus of our get togethers on the ontological

relationship that we, as Orthodox, have with Christ. Our

whole life, after all, is a meal, One that is served to us by

Christ Himself. So, how does this relate to The Church?

We Orthodox draw no distinction between the Body

of Christ in heaven and those on earth, viewing both

parts of the Church as inseparable and in continuous

worship together of God. Orthodox worship therefore

expresses this unity of earth and heaven in every

possible way so that the earthly worshippers are

continually reminded through all their senses of the

heavenly state of the Church. The particular methods

for doing this are very far from arbitrary but have been


passed down from the earliest periods in Christian

history. Orthodox worship, in keeping with the earliest

traditions of Christian worship, involves eating as part of

services probably more than any other denomination.

Besides the bread and wine in the Eucharist, bread,

wine, wheat, fruits and other foods are eaten at a

number of special services. Of course, within the prison

walls ,there are no services of the kind that we

experience in an Orthodox Church,. The prisons many

times will not permit candles, or wine, or incense,

something I hope will change as the Orthodox make a

more concerted effort to be present in our country’s

prisons “but we have the meal!” In these meals that we

serve to the men in prison, they start to appreciate that

they are truly a part of The Body of Christ. They come to

realize that they are in fellowship with not only us but

with the very saints of heaven that we tell them so

much about. They begin to have a new appreciation

for real prayer.

In our Divine liturgy, we are reminded of the need to

reach unity in faith as well as in prayer. Rather than

regarding Tradition as something beneath Scripture or

parallel to Scripture, Orthodox Christians consider

Scripture the culmination and supreme expression of

the church's divinely communicated Tradition. Councils

and creeds recognized as authoritative are interpreted

only as defining and more fully explicating the orthodox

faith handed to the apostles, without adding to it. “The

Church, (according to a historic statement by the late

G. Florovsky), “is first of all is a worshipping community.

Worship comes first, doctrine and discipline second. The

lex Orandi has a privileged priority in the life of the

Christian Church. The lex Credendi depends on the

devotional experience and vision of the Church.” These

men, although not able to attend a real liturgy, come

to experience our meal and fellowship as the natural

consequence of the liturgical, i.e. eucharistic,

communion experience of the Church. The men inside,

do not always fully understand the Theology of our

Church, but they do have a pretty good understanding

of the importance of relationships in The Body of Christ.

Daily Bread For this month and next month, both events will be on the same day. Volunteers have the

option to sign up for either one the same day. Contact Magda Fleming in advance to set

up which event you wish to participate in.

Saturday, September 19th 9AM-10AM

St. Demetrios One Harvest*

*For One Harvest, we will need to be at the St. Demetrios Hall by 8:30am to prepare, and

one volunteer will need to go to the distribution center (300 Belmont Street, Saginaw) by

7:30am to pick up the kits. Please contact Magda Fleming (901.292.9546,

[email protected]) if you want to volunteer for the One Harvest events.

Saturday, September 19th 9AM-12PM

Tarrant County Food Bank Sorting**

**Next available Food Bank date is October 24th. Please contact Magda Fleming

(901.292.9546, [email protected]) if you are interested in volunteering for any Food

Bank events. On Food Bank days we will meet at St. Demetrios parking lot and leave for

the Food Bank by 8:30am.

Thursday October 1st 4:30PM-6PM

St. Demetrios Supper Club

Samaritan House 929 Hemphill St. Fort Worth TX 76194

Please contact Megan Hieger at 817.556.1964 or [email protected] to pariticate.


CHALLENGE QUESTIONS

1. The word Orthodox means

a. Christian

b. Correct action

c. People of God

d. True belief

2. The name "Jesus" means

a. God is salvation

b. Messiah

c. Lord

d. King

3. A parable is

a. A letter from one of the Apostles

b. A book of the New Testament

c. A simple story with a moral

d. A commandment from God

4. Alpha and Omega are used in the Book of

Revelations to symbolize

a. The eternity of heaven

b. The Beast

c. The people of God

d. The eternal Father, God Almighty

5. The English word "laity" (or Lay people) comes

from the Greek work "laos. This Greek word

means

a. Unordained

b. People of God

c. Unprofessional

d. Unimportant

6. Who can perform a baptism?

a. Bishop only

b. Bishop and priest only

c. Bishop, priest, or deacon only

d. Any baptized Christian

7. The Beatitudes are

a. A prayer read during the Great Entrance of the

Divine Liturgy

b. Words of Christ on the cross

c. Sections from the Nicene Creed

d. Blessings taught by Christ at the beginning of

the Sermon on the Mount

8. The creed we read during the Liturgy in the

Orthodox Church is

a. The Apostle's Creed

b. Sts. Peter and Paul Creed

c. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

d. The Arian Creed

9. True or False. We fast because we are

commanded to do so by Christ; fasting starves the

body to feed the soul and brings us closer to God.

10. When in the ancient Roman empire did

Christianity become legal?

a. 215

b. 313

c. 787

d. 1054

1.d 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. b 6. d 7. d 8. c 9. true 10. b


Burn the Mortgage Challenge

Dear St. Demetrios Family,

Two years ago, we joined together to launch our

St. Demetrios Burn the Mortgage campaign. We

have come so far!!!! We have paid $127,000 with

the help of our generous matching donor and 40

families!

Join us TODAY! I invite you to be a part of this

monumental undertaking. Please prayerfully

consider making a fruitful contribution toward our

Burn the Mortgage campaign. Let's watch this

mortgage go up in flames!

Together in Christ,

Fr. Nicholas


COMMUNITY NEWS

Congratulations to Katie and Joel Pool on the birth of their daughter Elyse Rose Friday August 28,

2015

Να σας ζησει

Congratulations to Maria and Derek Johnson on the birth of their son Jacob Benjamin, Monday

August 31, 2015.

Babies and Mommies are all great!

Να σας ζησει

COMMUNITY IN PICTURES

Festival Cooking Has Begun . . .

Thank you to all our volunteers!

September 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Beginning of the Ecclesiastical Year 8am Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy 7pm Parish Council Meeting

2 3 5pm Supper Club at Samaritan House

4 5

6 7:45am Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy 10:30am GOYA Meeting

7 Labor Day

8 11:30Alpha Omega Tex’s Star Grill 7pm AHEPA Meeting

9

10 9am Festival Baking Tyropita

11

12

13 Sunday before Holy Cross 7:45am Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy 10:30am Stewardship Sun. & Ministry Fair 10:30am Church School 11:30am Greek Dance Practice 11:30am Festival Meeting 6pm Great Vespers

14 Exaltation of the Holy Cross 8am Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy

15 9am Festival Baking Koulourakia

16 9am Festival Baking Koulourakia

17

18 19 10am Philoptochos

20 7:45am Orthros 8:45am Blessing: Kaity & John Sempeles 9am Divine Liturgy 10:30am Church School 11am Festival Baking: Spanakopita 11:30am Greek Dance Practice 11:30am Hope/Joy Activity

21 9am Festival Baking Spanakopita 4:30pm Greek School

22 6pm Ladies Parea Shaw’s

23

24

25 Dallas Greek Festival

26 9am Teaching Liturgy: Feast of the Falling Asleep of John the Evangelist 10:30am - 4pm Retreat: Lead Me Dallas Greek Festival

27 7:45am Orthros 9am Divine Liturgy 11:00am Greek Dance Practice Dallas Greek Festival

28 4:30pm Greek School

29 30 Strict Fast

Fish allowed Dairy,

Eggs, and Fish allowed

Wine and Oil allowed


Sunday Readings for September 2015

Sept. 6 14th Sunday of Matthew

Epistle: Hebrews 2:2-10

Gospel: Matthew 22:2-14

Sept. 13 Sunday before Holy

Cross

Epistle: Galatians 6:11-18

Gospel: John 3:13-17

Sept. 20 Sunday after Holy Cross Epistle: Galatians 2:16-20

Gospel: Mark 8:34-38; 9:1

Sept. 27 1st Sunday of Luke Epistle: II Corinthians 6:16-18; 7:1

Gospel: Luke 5:1-11


2020 NW 21st St.

Fort Worth, Texas 76164

www.stdemetrios.net

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T H E F I R S T G R E E K O R T H O D O X P A R I S H I N T E X A S

september 2015 orator

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