october 2014

THE WORD

Featured Article On how the soul must feed on Christ in order to live By St. Nicholas Velimirovich, Homily.

!He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me (John 6:57).

Thus speaks Christ the Lord, the Life and Source of life. A tree feeds on the earth, air and light. If a tree does not feed on the earth, the air and the light, will it be able to grow and live? What does an infant at its mother's breast feed on, except its mother?

CHECK US OUT AT WWW.KIMISISNY.ORG

…continued on page 5

The Monthly Newsletter of the Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church, Poughkeepsie, NYOctober 2014

The Word | Ο Λογος

Table Of Contents !

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Contact Us 3 Get Involved 4 Featured Article (….continued from cover page) 5 Father’s Corner 6 Featured Feast 10 Liturgical Schedule 12 Parish Calendar 13 The Sayings of our Holy Fathers and Mothers 14 Featured Saint 15 President’s Corner 16 Ministry Updates 18 Financial Report 21 2014 Stewardship List 22 From The Church Registry 23

�2Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church | 140 South Grand Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 | 845.452.0772 | [email protected]


Contact Us !Our Office

Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church (845) 452-0772 [email protected] South Grand AvenuePoughkeepsie, NY 12603

!Our Office Secretary

Joanna Hovling Office Hours Mon-Fri (10am - 2pm)

!Our Priest:

Father Gregory Patsis (845) 475-5673 [email protected]

Office Hours Tues-Fri (10am - 1pm) or by Appt

!Our Parish Council:

Anestis Karpalis (845) 464-4516 [email protected] President

John Giogakis (845) 901-7582 [email protected] Treasurer

Georgia Verven (914) 475-6007 [email protected] Secretary

Marian Rassias (917) 655-4059 [email protected] Corresponding Secretary

Dixie Moustakas (914) 475-4650

Hrisoula Papadopoulos (845) 264-1307 [email protected]

Telly Simou (914) 475-5480 [email protected]

�3Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church


Get Involved


Items Needed! Each year brings us new hopes and new opportunities; yet there are some things that remain constant and they are the upkeep of our Holy Altar and the upkeep of our liturgical vessels as well as other items unique to the Holy Altar. Below is a list of items and expense for the various liturgical items required for the upkeep of our Holy Altar. My hope is that you will support our Liturgical Ministry by making a donation towards one or several of the various needs listed. May God continue to bless you and your family!

• Altar Candles (Natural Beeswax) $1,000.00 (Annual)

• Gold-plating of Liturgical Vessels $1,000.00 (Annual)

• Repair/Replacement of Altar Cloths $2,000.00 (Seasonal)

• Flower Decorations (Icons for Feast Days throughout year) $500.00 (Annual)

!When making payment, please indicate that your donation is: ALTAR DONATION

Volunteers Needed! As a home, our church home here at Kimisis has its needs as well. The first step in getting involved is, of course, stepping forward. Then it is off to work! So what can you do to help your Church?

Interested in Ministry? Currently there are a number of active church ministries. These include: Stewardship Ministry (1st Thursday of the month); Building & Maintenance Ministry (3rd Tuesday of the month); Finance Ministry (2nd Thursday of the month); and the Hellenic Center Ministry (2nd Tuesday of the Month). Please come and join any of these ministries or if there is a particular need that we need to address, please let us know so that we can begin the process of filling this need. All the aforementioned ministry meetings begin at 7pm. More ministry information is available in the ministry reports below.

Would you like to help us before, during and after church services? There are many things that happen during a service. We need: Greeters, Ushers, Candilonaftes (Take care of candles)

Handy with Floorwork? The women's bathroom on the second floor of the church needs some floor repairs. Think you can help and have some free time to give a hand? Please let us know.


Featured Article (….continued from cover page) !If it does not feed on its mother, will it grow and live? So it is that our soul will not grow or live, if it does not feed on Christ, the Living and Immortal One. The words here are not about life in general, by which nature lives, nor about the stunted life by which pagans live but rather about the special, divine and eternal life-a life full and joyful.

Only Christ gives this life to men, and it comes only to those who feed on Christ. Each man is as great as the food he feeds on, and each man is as alive as the food he feeds on. The words here are not about bodily food, for only man's body-not man's soul-is fed by bodily food.

Men differ both in physical growth and physical life but these differences are totally insignificant. However, the difference in spiritual growth and life among men is enormous. While some men, by the growth of their souls, barely raise themselves above the earth, others raise themselves to the heavens. The difference between Herod and John the Baptist is no less than the difference between a king and an angel. While the former drags his body and soul through the earth and wickedly defends his throne on earth, the latter stands his body on a rock in the wilderness and is raised in soul to the heavens among the angels.

O my brethren, let us lift up our souls to the heavens, where Christ the Lord sits on the throne of eternal glory and let us feed and nourish our soul and heart with Him, the pure and almighty Life. Only then will we be made worthy to be His fellow heirs in the Kingdom of Heaven.

O Lord Jesus, our true God, our sweet food and our man-loving Nourisher; cast us not away from Thy divine bosom, for we are weak and helpless. Nourish us with Thyself, O our merciful Nourisher.

!St. Nikolai Velimirovich, Prolog from Ochrid, Sept. 12th

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Father’s Corner Thoughts and Reflections by Rev. Gregory S. Patsis, Proïstamenos Kimisis tis Theotokou, Poughkeepsie, NY

!Is the Church an Organization or is She an Organism?

Seeing the Church with a different set of eyes The GMO’s of Parish Life: A Continuing Discussion of Growing a Parish

“Wherefore, brethren, let us plant ourselves upon the rock of faith and the Tradition of the Church, removing not the landmarks set by our holy fathers, nor giving room to those who are anxious to

introduce novelties and to undermine the structure of God’s holy ecumenical and apostolic Church; for if everyone were allowed a free hand, little by little the entire Body of the Church would be

destroyed.”

+ St. John of Damascus

The Parable of the Seed Growing

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by

itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.”

– Gospel According to St. Mark 4:26-29

!And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

– Gospel According to St. Mark (4:8)

!I thank God that blessedly enough when I began my ministry in the mid-2000 that a return to gardening, to planting and harvesting came to the forefront of our consciousness. The reason why I was so thankful was because just prior to that time period, I really didn’t think that our ever-advancing technological society would understand the imagery of the Gospel. And why should this have concerned me so much; because the rapid advances in technology only distance us from the rustic and the agricultural imagery of Scripture. In Jesus’ time, you didn’t go around the corner to the grocery store to get your fish and vegetables or your bread and muffins; either you provided your own or you bartered with someone to get it!

!�6Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church


As much as I was thankful for this shift in consciousness, I was saddened by the circumstances that brought it about; the awareness of “Genetically Modified Organisms” (GMO’s). I, along with millions upon millions of people, was saddened to learn that animal DNA was finding its way into our fruits and vegetables and, now lately, how our feedstock is being fed steroids and hormones. Rightfully or wrongfully, the nightmare of “Frankenfood” (Frankenstein being the allegory of technology run amok) had many people throughout the entire world saying “Enough!” for even science and technology has its limits (right?). All of a sudden, even City dwellers across our country, on rooftops and window ledges, began planting their own gardens, desiring to feed their bodies with wholesome, natural foods; such is our hunger to connect with God and all the blessings He originally intended it for us.

Seemingly overnight, the Gospel with the “Parable of the Sower”, the “Parable of the Mustard Seed” as well as what we referenced last month with the “Parable of the Seed Growing” along with the critical reference to Jesus as “the Vine” made more sense; actually, when we decide to get our “hands dirty,” the Gospel begins to make a whole lot more sense. And another thing, since we literally lack for nothing (at least nothing essential as any modern grocery store shows us), how would our Faithful appreciate the truly immense amount of hard labor required to “farm,” to “plant and water”, “till the earth” and the other aspects required to grow and maintain a garden? Foolish me for doubting the abundant compassion and mercy of our Lord and His Holy Mother Who made it so our mind would be changed! Why do we need news of “Genetically Modified Organisms” to bring us away from the dark abyss; the dark abyss of non-being?

It seems somewhat logical to me that when an organism is not as healthy as it should be or attempts to accomplish things unnatural to it in the first place that we turn to “artificial” and expedient ways to meet these needs; this seemingly is what was behind the idea of “GMOs” in the first place. When you need fruits and vegetables to grow in soil they’re not meant to grow in or to maintain their ripeness beyond what nature intended, then you need to create a GMO to meet these artificial needs. It takes a whole lot of hard work to do things the way God intended; it is so very expedient to do things the way we want to do them.

So, if our parish is not growing as vibrantly and healthily as she should, then what are the “GMO’s” we have introduced to our parish life? In a lot of respects, a major “GMO” is the concept of the “Two-story Universe” introduced last month in the “Parish Life” section of “Father’s Corner”: The “Two-story Universe” that separates God from His Creation as parishes separate the Priest from God’s House. The essence of the “Two-story Universe” is that God is somewhere “up there” and we are “down here” and that we “down here” take care of things “down here.” This is most non-Orthodox. In Orthodoxy, we have a priestly prayers: “Heavenly King, Who is present everywhere filling all things…; in the liturgical Greek: ὁ πάντων πάρων και πάντων πλήρων...So, in authentic Orthodoxy and not the “GMO” Orthodoxy that has spread to many parishes, the priest is involved and oversees all aspects of parish life and works together with parish Stewardship to ensure that Christ’s mission is fulfilled.

The other “GMO” that has spread throughout our parish is this notion of “equality” especially as it pertains to gifts and ministry. Yes, we all become Christians through baptism and chrismation; however, we do not all have the same gift or charisma for each and every ministry. The Great Apostle addresses this quite simply in his letter to the Corinthians: Now you are the body of Christ (this expresses our unity) and individually members of it (this expresses our unique contribution or



ministry). And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? (1 Cor. 12:27-29) Yes, we are made one in Christ, yet we all have a unique talent to offer Him.

The blessed thing here at Kimisis is that we have enthusiastic parishioners who want to get involved and help. The important question is: which ministry will allow these enthusiastic parishioners to truly blossom and fully express the gifts that God has given them; is the criterion of ministry how “strongly” or “passionately” someone is about this or that ministry or is it better to direct them to the ministry that truly allows them to give back to God the fullness of the gift given to them? This “Gift–based” determination of ministry, since it is Scriptural, is yet another essential component of a healthy and vibrant parish as is the “Empowered Leadership” quality described above. So, if we are truly committed to growing a healthy and vibrant parish, we are called to discern and nurture the gifts that God has given to each and every one of us in order for His most beloved “garden” the organism that is His Church may prosper and grow.

We all know that healthy and wholesome nutrition can be a bit more costly and is harder to produce due to the care required to sustain it, the question becomes: are we “hungry” enough for the wholesomeness and goodness of God’s “natural foods”? Do we truly want to be properly “fed and nourished”; or are we simply giving “lip service” to God’s Commandments and the teachings of the Church? Eating “artificial foods,” another way of saying false teachings and alien practices of the Church, do not kill us immediately; yet over time they cause health issues. Such is the case with a lack of enthusiasm for our faith. The tepid condition present in a parish does not develop overnight; rather is the result of years of indifference.

So, then what do we consider to be God’s “natural foods”? The most basic, fundamental and all-encompassing food is the Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, Holy Communion offered by the Eucharist. It truly does not get more fundamental or basic as that; however, the Church offers more “natural foods”: Holy and Blessed Water; Holy and Blessed Bread (Artoclasia & Antidoro); even the Hymns and Prayers of our liturgical tradition and private prayer are food and nourishment that sustain and nurture our souls.

We appreciate that anything worth doing is worth doing well; so, we have to ask ourselves: to what extent are we ready to plant God’s garden or to care for it? Anything less than a full commitment is not sufficient; however, we need to start somewhere. There are a host of ministries that you can get involved in from A to Z (okay, maybe not “Z”; however, I am open to ideas). Are you good at drawing or writing or even reading; Internet, Newsletter or teaching ministries are available to you. Do you have an interest in gardening; then let’s start a Community Garden or even take care of the church grounds. In God’s “Garden,” the possibilities are truly infinite; the only thing required on our part is a strong desire and an equally strong commitment to see it through. The rest is truly in God’s Hands which is okay; that’s exactly where we want it to be.

When Jesus gave us the Great Command in the Gospel of Matthew to “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt. 28:16), how do we to understand this; did this mean that we were to simply go to church on Sundays or whenever Christmas and Easter occurred or when the church was holding its next Glendi, buy our ticket, enjoy the food and drink that was being served and somehow this meant that we had fulfilled our Christian duty? That this was all that was required on



our part; that the parish was to grow on its own? In other words, did we miss the memo that suggested that there was more required of us to fulfill our Christian calling to “make disciples of all nations” then simply showing up to church once and a while, whenever it suited our schedules since the “business” (there’s that word again) was the responsibility of the priest and the parish council?

This is not the time and place to retrace our footsteps to point the finger to when and where and possibly to whom is responsible for giving the wrong message to the parish; now is the time to gather ourselves to begin anew in understanding what Christ, through the only organism that speaks for Him to the world, His Church, expects of us and to do the right thing. And we do this by appreciating the imagery most associated with our Christian calling and that is the gardener.

!Ὁ Θεὸς να σας φυλάσσει!

May God protect and keep you all!

!

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Featured Feast Saint Luke the Evangelist as a Model for our Lives (Feast Day-Oct. 18th) By Protopresbyter Fr. George Papavarnavas!The Evangelist Luke, "the beloved physician" as the Apostle Paul calls him, is the author of the Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. A native of Antioch in Syria, he belonged to the chorus of the Seventy Apostles of Christ. He was a close associate of the Apostle Paul and accompanied him on his journeys in Troas, Philippi, from Philippi to Jerusalem and from Caesarea to Rome. He was also with him both times he was imprisoned. Indeed, during his second imprisonment, the Apostle Paul writes in his second epistle to Timothy that "Luke alone is with me”.

The Evangelist Luke preached the Gospel in Dalmatia, France and Italy. Also in Boeotia and in Achaia, where he composed, according to St. Gregory the Theologian, the Gospel According to Luke. According to tradition, he was a painter and he depicted the Theotokos. He had an agonizing end, as indeed all the Apostles. Only John the Evangelist "was perfected in peace", and this happened because he experienced martyrdom "next to the Cross of Jesus." The relic of Saint Luke was transferred to the Sacred Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople in 357 A.D.

His life and times give us the opportunity to emphasize the following:

First, for someone to serve a person of power and glory is very natural according to the logic of the world and they justify this by the fact that for the inconvenience and toil given, a return awaits them. But for someone to toil and be inconvenienced for serving one who has no worldly power and therefore does not expect to reap something, and most importantly remains close to that person during trials and temptations, this exceeds fallen human logic, but also highlights the majesty of selfless love. For everything that does not agree with fallen human logic is not necessarily irrational, but it can also be super-rational, as is it is with true, selfless love. True love is not just a feeling, but sacrifice and a cross.

Second, in the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Luke the Evangelist refers to an event of a meeting he had with the risen Christ, three days after His burial. While walking along the road to Emmaus with the Apostle Cleopas and sadly discussing on the road all that took place over the previous three days, the risen Lord approached them and walked beside them. The events that followed are well known, how He interpreted for them the events that took place according to the Scriptures, such as His Passion and Resurrection, and this caused their hearts to burn within them. But they did not recognize who He was. This happened later during "the breaking of bread". That is,



when He blessed the bread, He changed it into His Body and offered it to them as food. In fact they recognized Him, rather Christ "made Himself known to them", by revealing Himself to them during the Divine Liturgy. And although at the same time He disappeared, their hearts burned within them as earlier, and they were full of joy. This is why they left immediately and returned to Jerusalem, to announce the joyous event of the resurrection of Christ to His eleven disciples.

Hearts which are aflame with love for Christ, have the ability, under the right conditions, to know Him in the Divine Liturgy, in "the breaking of bread". This is not an emotional or psychological knowing, but an existential and ontological one. Saint Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria, says that all who receive the Body and Blood of Christ, of course under the right conditions, the eyes of their soul are opened and they recognize Him, because the flesh of the Lord has great power and invites great joy. "Those who receive the blessed bread, their eyes open to recognize Him. The flesh of the Lord has great and ineffable power... The two disciples rejoiced, so that they got up and returned to Jerusalem."

We saw above, during the meeting of Christ with His two disciples as they were walking "towards Emmaus", that the interpretation of the Divine Scriptures preceded the Divine Communion. The same exact thing is repeated during every Divine Liturgy. The reading and interpretation of the Apostolic and Gospel passages is followed by the consecration of the Honorable Gifts and Divine Communion. And the reading is preceded by a prayer, which the priest reads silently, asking God to shine His divine Light in his heart and to open his mind that he may understand the Reading, so that he can interpret and transmit it to the people in a comprehensible and especially Orthodox way. He also asks God to implant in his soul divine fear, that he may be able to trample carnal desires and live a spiritual life, which is difficult and without the Grace of God is impossible.

To minister to "our neighbor", to every person without discrimination, and particularly the simple and despised and "the least", without selfishness, is a character trait of the saints, who know Love existentially, namely the Triune God, but in a similar proportion with all those who strive to achieve their personal sanctification.

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Liturgical Schedule !Sunday, October 5th Second Sunday of Luke

Altar Group One!

!Sunday, October 12th Sunday of the Seventh Ecumenical Council

Altar Group Two!

!Wednesday, October 15th Feast Day of Hieromartyr Lucian/Anniversary of Fr. Gregory’s Ordination to Priesthood

Orthros: 8:00am!

Divine Liturgy: 9:00am!

!Saturday, October 18th Feast Day of the Evangelist Luke

Orthros: 8:00am!


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Sunday, October 19th Third Sunday of Luke

Altar Group Three!

!Thursday, October 23rd Feast Day of James, the Brother of the Lord

Orthros: 8:00am!


!Sunday, October 26th Feast Day of St. Demetrios the Myrrhovlete

Altar Group One!

!Tuesday, October 28th Holy Protection of the Theotokos

Orthros: 8:00am!


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WEDNESDAY IS “WORSHIP NIGHT” AT KIMISIS All are invited to join in a night of prayer, fellowship and religious instruction each and

every Wednesday evening beginning at 7:00pm. The service of Paraklesis or Supplication to the Holy Mother of God is offered on a regular basis with special feast

days celebrated on occasion.


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The Sayings of our Holy Fathers and Mothers St. Nicholas VelimirovichProlog from Ochrid, Reflection - September 18 !The Lord said: Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me (Matthew 25:40). Similar things happen in almsgiving and in Holy Communion. In Holy Communion we receive the Living Lord Christ Himself, in the form of bread and wine; in almsgiving we give to the Living Lord Christ Himself, in the form of the poor and needy.

!

A certain man in Constantinople was unusually merciful. Walking along the streets of the city, he would press his gift into the hands of the poor and hurry onward, so he would not hear their gratitude or be recognized. When a friend of his asked how he had become so merciful, he replied: ``Once in church I heard a priest say that whoever gives to the poor, gives into the hands of Christ Himself. I didn't believe it, for I thought, `How can this be, when Christ is in heaven?' However, I was on my way home one day and I saw a poor man begging, and the face of Christ shone above his head! Just then a passerby gave the beggar a piece of bread, and I saw the Lord extend His hand, take the bread, and bless the donor. From then on, I have always seen Christ's face shining above the beggars. Therefore, with great fear I perform as much charity as I can.''



Featured Saint The Holy and Glorious Apostle Thomas (October 6) !The Holy Apostle Thomas, also called Didymus, was born in Judea. His parents were poor but they passed on to him a great love for the Law of Moses. When he was still young, he drew apart from

the noisy games of his companions to devote himself to reading and meditating upon the Scriptures. His knowledge of God’s word and well-disposed conscience enabled him, without hesitation to recognize Christ as the Messiah spoken of by the Prophets and to follow him as soon as He called him. He left his boat and his nets and became one of the Twelve. He was persecuted, excluded and stoned by the Jews, yet followed the Savior everywhere with such burning zeal that when Christ took the road for Jerusalem to offer himself for those who were going to kill him, Thomas said to the other disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him (John 11:16).

When the Savior of the world had overcome death by rising from the tomb, He appeared to his disciples who were assembled with the doors shut for fear of the Jews; He showed them the marks of his Passion upon his body, and the disciples were filled with joy. God so provided that Thomas was not then with them and, when the others told

him they had seen the Lord risen from the dead, he was unwilling to believe them. In his great patience and forbearance, the Lord appeared again to his disciples a week later, and asked Thomas to certify that He was well and truly risen from the dead in the flesh; He told him to put his finger into the holes in his hands left by the nails and to thrust his hand into his side pierced by the spear. In admonishing Thomas for his lack of faith, the Savior showed that we too are called upon to thrust our hands into his side, not physically but spiritually, to quench our thirst there at the well-spring of grace (cf. John 20:19-29).

Thomas was with the other Apostles when, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down upon their heads in the form of tongues of fire. He was filled, like the rest, with the power from on High for the proclamation of the world’s Salvation; and, when the Apostles went their separate ways, it fell to Thomas to bring the Glad Tidings to the distant lands of the Medes and Parthians (Iran), and as far as India.

!!!!!



President’s Corner !Dear Beloved Parishioners in Christ,

Our ecclesiastical year is underway and what better way to begin the year than with the Parish Picnic that we held on September 7 at Bowdoin Park! This parish wide event was well attended and everyone had a wonderful time! As is customary in our Orthodox faith, we began the event with prayer. In this case, the service of the blessing of the waters, which was then followed by a blessing from Father Gregory. After glorifying God in prayer we had a wonderful meal, ice cream, and lots of fun. We had three legged races, hoola hoop contests, soccer matches, ultimate frisbee matches, and even tug of war matches. More importantly we all enjoyed each others fellowship. In addition to all these blessings, we had a beautiful day as well. Please friend us on Facebook (Search for Kimisis Church) to look at pictures from the picnic. If you were at the picnic and have pictures you can share with us, please call the church office.

The picnic was a good example to illustrate what it means to be a church. As mentioned in the last newsletter, church or ekklesia means a gathering. In our case a gathering of Orthodox Christians. As Christ said "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20). By calling on the name of Christ in the beginning of the picnic, through prayer, we invited Christ Himself to be a part of the gathering. As a result, we were blessed by His presence through the priest’s blessing to us. This is a great and real mystery of the Church and illustrates the important relationship that we all must have with one another and the priest as well. We all make up the Church. Where the Church is, Christ is present.

We are also in the process of enhancing our online presence at Kimisis in addition to our Facebook page mentioned earlier. We have simplified our website (http://www.kimisisny.org) and even have all our newsletters accessible through there as well. We also have digitized our Stewardship Form so you can fill it out online. Please do this if you have not already done so. If you know of anyone who has not been getting any mailings from us, please direct them to fill out this online form so that we have their contact information and reach out to them as well. We will also be implementing the ability for all of us to make donations or fulfill our stewardship pledge online within the next few days as well.

Please make an effort to come to some worship services if you have not done so in a while and give praise to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After all the Church exists, we all exist, to become like Christ, who made us in His image and to live a life like the one He lived and to follow His commandments. We can only do this through worship. Please take advantage of the many resources available to learn more about our Orthodox faith as well. Our worship nights on Wednesdays beginning at 7pm are followed by a pot luck with some discussion on our faith. Father has planned a wonderful Bible Study curriculum this year that will be held on Thursdays beginning Oct 2 at 6pm. Of course the greatest way to connect to Christ and have an authentic Christian experience is coming and participating in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and other days it is offered and to prepare to receive Holy Communion and have actual communion with Christ Himself. This is a miracle we can witness every week This way we can all grow together as a Church in Christ and



also help one another as well as those that need our help outside of the Church and be a witness of Christ to them through our actions.

In Christ,

!!!Anestis Karpalis

President, Parish Council


Charity of the Month : Orthodox Christian Mission Center Spirit of Giving:

If you are interested in supporting an Orthodox charity that supports Orthodox Christians throughout the world, consider the OCMC, Orthodox Christian Mission Center. During 2013, the OCMC missionary families began their service in Albania, Kenya and Guatemala. It also welcomed back missionaries from Maldova and Tanzania. For more information and to make a donation, visit www.ocmc.org or call (904) 829-5123. OCMC, 220 Mason Manatee Way, St. Augustine, FL 32806

* Father Gregory recommends and supports that this is a legitimate charity.


Ministry Updates


Stewardship Ministry The Stewardship Ministry has the following in store for the parish for the near future….

Stewardship Sunday: Sunday, October 5th after the Divine Liturgy. Come and see what Kimisis has to offer and get involved!

Kimisis Celebration Youth Night: Friday, October 17th. Come and help us prepare for our Kimisis Celebration together with our kids and have a good time.

Kimisis Celebration Luncheon: Sunday, October 19th. Be a part of our Kimisis Celebration and celebrate Kimisis’ 90 years here in Pougkeepsie.

Finance Ministry The finance ministry has been in the process of developing a budget for this November’s General Assembly.

Building & Maintenance Ministry The building & maintenance ministry has been busy making sure that our beautiful property has been maintained and taken care of. The new chandelier has been put up in the nave of the church using the insurance monies we received. Also, new lights have been installed in the Narthex thanks to part of the money generously donated by Mr. John Zacharias to the Church. May God Bless him and his family and loved ones.

Sunday School Ministry This year we are looking for teachers and assistants. Without help in the classes we are unable to continue. Please come to see me if you are interested. For those parents who already bring their children on Sundays, teaching a class can be a fun and rewarding experience. It also gives us the opportunity to explore our faith deeper and pass on traditions to our children.

- Theodora KarathomasSunday School classes for 2014 have started. It’s never too late to register your child. For more information contact Teddy at [email protected]

Greek School Ministry Greek School classes are being held on Fridays from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. For more information email Toula Lountzidou at [email protected] or contact the church office at (845) 452-0772.

mailto:[email protected]





….Ministry Updates Continued


Youth Ministry GOYA

GOYA welcomes all youth in grades 6 - 12. Please join us!!

Co-Advisors:Valerie Delmar (845) 463-0610 [email protected] Karathomas (845) 473-4008 [email protected]

GOYA FOOD DRIVEGOYA will begin collecting non-perishable food donations for the Food Pantry at Dutchess Outreach. Please donate canned goods and boxed foods in the marked donation box at the Church entrance. The first donation to the Food Pantry will be when GOYA volunteers their services at the Lunchbox in November. Date of Lunchbox volunteering event to be determined. Thank You!

Greek Dance Ministry The dancers performed at the Glendi, the March 25 Greek School celebration, the May 2 Dance, International Day in Kingston, and the June festival. They have ordered new costumes and a video camera and donated to the Festival.

Greek Festival Ministry The June Festival was a success. We grossed $115,691.00. Our net was roughly $50,000. Thank you to all who gave a helping hand and supported this fundraiser for our parish. God Bless you all.

Hellenic Center Ministry The Hellenic Center is available to our parishioners and friends. If you would like to use the Hellenic Center for any event please contact the church office at 845.452.0772 or Kosta Kaselis at 845.546.4617.

AHEPA AHEPA aided at the Thanksgiving dinner at St. Basils, along with Philoptochos, and met with GOYA on May 4th . We honored 6 graduating Senior following the June 1st Liturgy. We were pleased to give each Senior a gift from AHEPA. Seniors were Katerina Economikos (Penn State), Christina Karathomas (Manhattanville School of Music), Colette Sofokles (Ohio University), Arianna Salotto (University of Connecticut), Aphrodite Takos (Fashion Institute of Technology), Christiana Psichas (Cornell University). We wish them all the very best!




….Ministry Updates Continued


Philoptochos “I Love To Dance”… I came across this awesome message and wanted to share it with all of you. So take a partner and begin this beautiful dance! Dancing with the stars and getting the trophy is not as rewarding as getting “God’s Blessings”. May you always keep dancing!

Respectfully and With Christian Love,

Gloria Siderias,

Philoptochos President.

!***Ladies Philoptochos Bake Sale Coming In December***Let us do your holiday baking.

Details to follow in November.

!October 26th: Artoklasia and Memorial Service

November 2nd:Philoptochos Membership Tea

November (TBD): Thanksgiving Dinner for Saint Basil’s

December (TBD):Christmas Gathering

!!

!I Love To Dance

When I meditated on the word Guidance,I kept seeing “dance” at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.The movement doesn’t flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.When one person realizes that, and lets the other

lead,both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.It’s as if two become one body, moving

beautifully.The dance takes surrender, willingness,

and attentiveness from one personand gentle guidance and skill from the other.My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw “G”: I thought of God, followed by “u” and “i”.

“God, “u” and “i” dance.”God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trustthat I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.My prayer for you today is that God’s blessings

and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God abides in you.Dance together with God, trusting God to leadand to guide you through each season of your

life.This prayer is powerful and there is nothing

attached.If God has done anything for you in your life,

please share this message with someone else.There is no cost but a lot of rewards;

so let’s continue to pray for one another.And I Hope You Dance !

Unknown


Financial Report

!!!


Jan - Jul '14Ordinary Income/ExpenseIncomeStewardship 35,170.00Stewardship- Other 35,269.54Hellenic Center Donation 16,300.00Fundraiser Income 49,886.15Greek School 100.00Book Store Income 755.05Restricted/Earmarked -16,840.41Investment Income 369.00unallocated deposits -1,000.00

Total Income 120,009.33ExpensePriest 45,998.95Priest - Health Ins. 16,224.00Gross Pay & Benefits - Church 8,655.50Gross Payroll - Greek School 625.00Payroll Taxes 1,330.34Greek School Supplies & Exp... 2,307.59Archdiocese- Gen Pension F... 3,500.00Archdiocese - Assessment 22,310.00Chanter 6,150.00Church Utilities 14,573.85Church Maintenance 7,293.31Sanitation 680.28Insurance 6,835.00Office Expense 1,108.15Copier- Lease & Expenses 5,112.08Candle Purchases 3,825.00Liturgical Expenses 2,805.07Decorations/ Flowers 1,925.51Sunday Sch & Children's Activ 25.95Fellowship & Other Commun ... 10.90Bank Service Charges 80.95Dues 470.00Dues- Three Hierarchs 100.00Miscellaneous Operating Exp... 0.00Hellenic Center Operations 14,529.96

Total Expense 166,477.39

Net Ordinary Income -46,468.06

Net Income -46,468.06

KIMISIS GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH09/24/14 Profit and Loss Standard

January through July 2014

Page 1


2014 Stewardship List !Albanese, Paul and NicoleAlvarez, Cesar & DemetriaAnagnos, PeterAnastation, Nicholas & PatAnemelos, John & EleniAnghelis, Michael & GarifaliaArgiropoulos, TheoArgos, Peter & VoulaBabaletakis, PipitsaBastell, Suad & RudenioBelekis, George & ConnieBozydaj, Stefan & PotaBrooker, ZacharyChamberas, Peter & GeorgiaCharkalis, Peter & MaryChelak, Peter & TheodoraChristy, AngelikaClaise, AnnColindreler, BeatriceDanko, JohnDemos, Peter and DonnaDixson, Richard & AnnDrivas, MargaritaEconomikos, Laertis & ChrisoulaElias, Thomas & ConstantiaFitsgibbons, DonnaGagas, SusanGianakis, MariaGiannos, MariaGiogakis, John & MarinaGoniatis, Demetrios & ShirleyGorman, StemiHarrison, SophiaHass, Carl & HelenHovling, Joanna & PeterJubarat, Mousa & ShafigaKalogris, DimitraKalogris, NickKapogiannis, Christos & DemetraKapogiannis, MariaKariotis, MelpomeniKarpalis, AnestisKarpalis, Peter & MarinaKaselis, Gus & StellaKatopis, George and AngelaKatsetos, Anastasios & PaulaKokkinis, EdithKoliopoulos, Theodore & AlexandraKoroxenos, John & AntoniaKoroxenos, Konstantinos & JessicaKustas, CalliopeKustas, Georgia

Kustas, William & CelieKyriakou, Christos & ElsaKyriakou,Kyriacos & FamilyKyritsis, HelenLainis, John & ConstantinaLainis, MariaLembesis, John & FlorenceLong, PaulineLoussedes, AnnaManos, ConstantineMarkou, Katerina and GeorgeMaroulis, PeterMavodones, Zeke & KikiMentavlos, SuzetteMiller, Stephen & AndreaMitchell, EllieMourges, John & RoseMoustakas, Anthony & EvanthiaMoustakas, DixieMoustakas, GeorgeNikolatos, Jerry & Mrs.Oscarlece, Stephen & GailPagones, Anthony & FeliciaPanagis, VasilikiPappas, RaliaPatsis, Fr. Gregory & Presv Alexis Pavlos, John & DonnaPhilips, BarbaraPolanchik, MiaRoussos, EfstratiosRoussos, GeorgeSalotto, Christopher & TheoniSassos, Demetrios (Jimmy)Serroukas, AlexSerroukas, Constantine & GeorgiaSerroukas, Dino & AmandaSerroukas, GeorginaSerroukas, NickSerroukas, Peter & AndreaSiderias, Angelo & GloriaSiderias, IoanisSimou, John & CalliopeSofokles, MyrnaStathopoulos, John & ParthenaStathos, Nicholas & TinaStefanopoulos, BillyStefanopoulos, GeorgeStefanopoulos, NickStefanopoulos, PeterStratis, Nikolaos & DonnaTakos, JuliaTetteris, Joanne

Trigonis, TonyTsapepas, Stelios & TaniVanikiotis, Maria (Nicholas)Vasilas, ChristineVasilas, ValerieVenetis, Manuel and LeeVenetis, TimVenetzanos, VarciaVerven, Angelo & GeorgiaVerven, MariaVlamis, EleniVoulgaris, SophiaWtulich, Ralph & CatherineZagoreos, Anthony & DeliaZagoreos, Elefteria & EreneZervos, Theodore & Nikoletta



From The Church Registry !

!BAPTISMS:

The New Christian: Marco John Parents: Paul and Nicole Albanese

Sponsor: Zachary Brooker Date: August 16, 2014

!WEDDINGS:

The Newlyweds: Georgia Nicole Serroukas and Matthew Gerard SmithSponsors: Constantine P. Serroukas

Date: September 06, 2014

!FUNERALS:

Nicholas F. Belezos, age 85, on August 16, 2014

Peter P. Charkalis, Jr., age 84, on September 9, 2014

Peter Vanikiotis, age 51, on September 15, 2014


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Non-Profit Org!US Postage Paid!Newburgh, NY !Permit No. 2667

Save The Dates!!Bible Study: Thursday, Oct 2nd at 6pm

Stewardship Sunday: Sunday, Oct 5th after the Divine Liturgy

Autumn Altar Boy Retreat: Monday, Oct 13th at 10am (Columbus Day Weekend)

Kimisis Celebration Youth Night: Friday, Oct 17th at 6:30 pm

A Talk With Father Jim Kordaris: Saturday, Oct 18 (Vespers at 6pm, Speech at 7pm)

Kimisis Celebration Luncheon: Sunday, Oct 19th after the Divine Liturgy

OXI Day Commemoration: Friday, Oct 24 (Details to Follow)

Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church 140 South Grand Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 !!RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

october 2014

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