lampada, august, 2014 p.12 st. nicholas orthodox church,...

Lampada, Lampada, Lampada, Lampada, August, 2014 p.12

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

P.O. Box 6981

Charlottesville Virginia 22906

Address Correction Requested

Next Lampada Next Lampada Next Lampada Next Lampada ---- October October October October

Parish Picnic Parish Picnic Parish Picnic Parish Picnic Parish Picnic Parish Picnic Parish Picnic Parish Picnic -------- Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!Golf Outing: September 28th!

Our Annual Parish Picnic will take place on Sunday, September 28th at Mint Springs Park. We will start with the Divine Litur-

gy, held at the Picnic site, at 9:30am with picnic food (covered dish) and fun to follow. There is no charge for the picnic -

please contact Megan Duncan ([email protected]) if

you can help with a covered dish or volunteer for the event.

We are also holding our Annual Golf OutingAnnual Golf OutingAnnual Golf OutingAnnual Golf Outing at nearby Old Trail Golf Course, on the same day - with Tee Time to begin at 1pm - Shotgun start. We anticipate a great

set of prizes and sponsorships for the event. We really need our parish members to contact friends and family to

encourage them to participate in the event. The net pro-ceeds will go to our St. Nicholas Charity Fund for distri-

bution to local charitable causes, particularly LOVE, Inc. To register or for more information on the Golf Outing,

please contact Randy Brogan at: randallbrogan [email protected]

LampadaLampadaLampadaLampadaLampadaLampadaLampadaLampada August, 2014August, 2014August, 2014August, 2014

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Charlottesville (Greenwood), VirginiaSt. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Charlottesville (Greenwood), VirginiaSt. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Charlottesville (Greenwood), VirginiaSt. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Charlottesville (Greenwood), Virginia

““““O Lord, bless your inheritanceO Lord, bless your inheritanceO Lord, bless your inheritanceO Lord, bless your inheritance” (” (” (” (Divine LiturgyDivine LiturgyDivine LiturgyDivine Liturgy) ) ) )

On the week of July 6th, our parish sent a group of volunteers to Gundy in southwest Virginia to work alongside Buchanan Neighbors United (BNU), an organization that serves to identify and address critical housing repair needs of families in the region. After arriving we divided ourselves into two teams according to skill sets and working conditions. ‘Team Bowman’ was tasked with a number of jobs at an elderly woman’s house that was in very poor shape and had been lacking a working bathroom – these included running plumbing lines, putting in a shower, drywalling, and painting, among others. ‘Team Stratos’ went to the trailer of a grandmother who cared for her seven grandchildren. Here the tasks included renovating a bathroom – new plumbing, floor, and shower – putting in a new floor in a bedroom, and installing a new front door.

But this trip was not only about addressing material needs of people, but also about getting to know them and sharing God’s love with them in other ways. There were two examples of this happening that I found particularly memorable. The first occurred when a Protestant pastor stopped by the grandmother’s trailer to visit and sing “gospel songs” with the kids. At one point he asked Father Rob-ert to join in, to which Father replied that he didn’t know these songs. And so the pastor asked Father to sing something he did know, to which Father responded by sharing with them a small taste of “Orthodox singing.” While I only heard this take place (as I was working in another room) there was something deeply mov-ing about this moment – like the meeting of two worlds – as his audience sat in

silence (and surprise) listening to Orthodox chant for probably the first time.

The second scene involved a broken bicycle. One of the days we were working at the trailer happened to fall on the 6th birth-day of the twin grandsons. In addition to other gifts that were brought, Karen Bowman and Debbie Hutson bought bikes for the boys. They were very excited and spent much of the day racing them around. Unfortunately, just before our team was leaving for the day the chain popped off one of the bikes and a disappointed child approached us – “the fix-it guys” – for help. Despite the fact that it had been a long day and he was worn out, Tim Stratos sat down on the edge of the porch with the bike, putting the chain back on and adjusting it so that it wouldn’t happen again. This image of going the extra mile, so to speak, struck me as an inspiring example of true Christian service.

Continued, p.11

Visibility and AudibilityVisibility and Audibility

Our parish has been working on a number of ways to improve our visibility in the broader community, in service of the greater purposes of the Church. Among these has been: A Parish Logo - A logo is a simple, identifiable visual sym-bol of an organization or idea. A good logo is immedi-ately identifiable, and evokes both an idea and a feeling about what it represents. In August, we’ve had a num-ber of proposed logos generated for general parish con-sideration. Additional options are being explored. Golf Outing - We’re trying to ramp up our Golf Outing outreach by creating a broader participation and awareness in the local com-munity, using not only flyers and word-of-mouth invitations, but also social media and a radio ad.

Inside this Issue

SW Virginia Ministry ················· p.1

Iniaves ··································· p.1

Parish Service Schedule ············· p.2

Parish Acvies ························ p.3

Pastor’s Reflecons ··················· p.4

Financial Report ························· p.5

Community Care ························ p.9

Acts and Images: The Grundy Service TripActs and Images: The Grundy Service Trip

?

Continued, p.9


V. Rev. Robert Holet, Pastor

Leadership Board

Chair: Cynthia Patzig

Vice Chair: David Murphy

Secretary: Karen Bowman

Treasurer: Vladimir Gavrilovic

Service Group Leaders

Hospitality: Megan Duncan

Liturgy: Bryan Alexander

Charitable Works: Brian Siebeking

Evangelizaon: Basil Finnegan

Greeters: Karen Gavrilovic

Buildings/Grounds: Dean Gakos

Liturgical Music - Pani Matka

Chrisne Holet

Library/Bookstore - Amy Skre'a

Community Care - Elaine Brogan

Church School - Sarah Wright

To reach Fr. Robert – First try the

rectory phone: 434-973-2500 and

leave a message. If you are unable to

reach him at that number, leave a

message and try the cell phone: 434-987

-8170. The cell phone is used only on

travel trips. Email is checked daily.

Phone at Church: (540)-456-6981

Address: 7581 Rockfish Gap

Tpk (US 250), Greenwood, VA

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 6981,

Charlo@esville, Va. 22906

Email: stnicholasorthodoxchurch

@embarqmail.com

Pastor: [email protected]

Web: www. stnicholasorthodoxchurch.org

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

Charlottesville (Greenwood), Virginia

A Parish of the Eastern Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA His Eminence Metropolitan Antony, Presiding

Liturgical Services ScheduleLiturgical Services Schedule Subject to ChangeSubject to Change

Sunday, August 17 Tenth Sunday After Pentecost - Postfestive of Dormi-tion - Holy Martyr Myron

8:45am Matins 9:30am Divine Liturgy

Wednesday, August 20 6:00pm Reader’s Moleben (Intercession Service)

Saturday, August 23 7:00pm Great Vespers

Sunday, August 24 Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost - Martyr Eutychius


Wednesday, August 27 6:00pm Moleben (Intercession Service)

Friday, August 29 8:00am Divine Liturgy - Beheading of John the Baptist

Saturday, August 30 4:00pm Great Vespers (Note time change) Betrothal Service for Demetra Perlegas and Clinton Gregory Chedester

Sunday, August 31 Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost - Placing of the Cincture of the Most Holy Birthgiver of God

No Matins this Sunday

9:30am Divine Liturgy Sacred Crowning of the Marriage of Demetra Perlegas and Clinton Gregory Chedester

Wednesday, September 3 6:00pm Moleben (Intercession Service)

Saturday, September 6 7:00pm Great Vespers

Sunday, September 7 Thirteen Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday before the Exal-tation of the Holy Cross, Prefestive of Nativity of the Godbe


Monday, September 8 8:00am Divine Liturgy - Feast of the Nativity of the

Godbearer


Saturday, September 13 7:00pm Great Vespers - Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Sunday, September 14 Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Feast of the before the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 8:45am Matins 9:30am Divine Liturgy

Parish Leaders

Contact Informa%on

Lampada ,Lampada ,Lampada ,Lampada , June 2014 p.11

Cau%on! New website is under construc%on!

Thanks to everyone for your patience as we work through the project of launching a new and engaging website. The old site is still up and being maintained, but we are having some issues with stability. If you notice that the site is unavailable, you can let Ka-

ren Bowman ([email protected]) know and we’ll try to get it corrected quickly.

We have big plans for the new site, and we’re working to manage the initial launch to make

sure we can get it out there as soon as possible and then have a plat-form to build upon. The purpose of the new site is twofold. The website will be the means of introducing our parish to the public by conveying who we are as an Orthodox parish that is part of the UOCofUSA, where we are located, and when we have services. The second purpose is no less important and that is to provide a vehicle for parishioners and friends of the parish to find detailed information about parish life and to facilitate communication and sharing of infor-mation among parishioners. Ultimately, the site will be a source of content and spiritual food to share with a broken world looking for the truth of Orthodox life.

Overall, we want the page to convey a sense of the vision expressed by Father: “Embody Christ so totally that the people will experience His grace through their interactions with our Church.”

We expect the initial launch to be this fall but there is already a long list of enhancements to consider for the future. It is very exciting to think about how this virtual meeting place will help to extend the love of Christ to others and will help to bind us more closely as a parish. Please pray for all of these efforts and for the site designer, Andy Pat-zig, that the Lord will bless the work of our hands. Ω

Visibility - Audibility

Continued, from p.1

whom we were working and helping, with my colleagues, and in my own heart as well.

I hope you get a sense of just how many benefits there are to participating in a project like this one in western Virginia. It is more than worth the effort to take time off work, leave home, make a long trip and immerse oneself in the world and needs of some of those living in Appalachia. But I think most significantly, it places us in a position where we can begin to learn just what ‘Christ-like’ actually means and looks like. I am personally against mission trips for the sake of mission trips – so-called mission tourism, where participants take glorified vacations and commandeer actual missionar-ies on the ground to be their tour guides and to come up with projects to give participants the impression of making some difference in the local situation. Such projects rarely do any lasting good in the lives of the locals or in the partici-pants themselves.

The Grundy project, however, distinguished itself by being a ‘hit the ground running’ work project, with well-defined goals and tangible results. But as we found, it is relatively ‘easy’ to meet material needs (if one is willing to make sacrific-es and work hard). Much more difficult, and yet much more necessary is the challenge of meeting the profound spiritual needs that are the root of all the poverty of life and soul in Grundy. Frightening people with warnings of hellfire to come seems to be a preferred strategy of many of the little fundamentalist and Pentecostal churches that seem to have sprouted at every bend in the road. But this is an approach that simply has not worked in terms of engaging people at the heart of their brokenness. On the contrary, we Orthodox of all people know what needs to be done. Our strategy should be the same as was our Lord’s when He became incarnate and entered our world and touched our lives with His love. The heart of all successful Orthodox missionary work has followed this same incarnational example. Our chal-lenge as an Orthodox communion is to pray about how to follow Christ and take our engagement with the people of Buchanan County to a new transformational level. Ω

Radio Ministry - The Golf Outing will serve as a test case for the use of radio as a possible medium to introduce our parish and ministry to the local community. If there is a positive re-sponse, we can look at other ways to introduce the true message of the Church, and Ortho-doxy, to our locality today Website: See Karen’s article on this page! While technology can help us be more visible, and may even prompt someone to visit the church, in the end, the most important factor is a person’s personal experience of the Lord’s movement in his or her soul. As Basil Finnegan often remarks, Evangelization in Orthodoxy happens in the Liturgy, and I would add also in the experience of the fellowship of the saints which is engaging and even healing. Hopefully, these efforts will bear fruit, perhaps in hidden ways, in helping people see, hear and identify the Church of Christ in the midst of their world. Ω

SW Virginia Ministry Continued, from previous page


SW Virginia Ministry

Continued, next page

Continued, from previous page

The project I worked on was a thirty minute drive out of Grundy way up one of the hollers. The house was ‘pitiful’, as they say there. An old woman with lots of health issues lived there. Her house was rotting down around her, and she was reduced to relieving herself in a bucket. Three earlier teams had already done a lot of work on this house. One team built a handicap ramp up to the front porch. Another team tore down the rotting bathroom and framed a new one. A third team had put on a new tin roof. Our job was to finish the bathroom by installing the plumbing for the new toilet, shower and vanity, as well as do all the finishing work both inside and outside. Even before we started that first day, a chance discovery ended up saving BNU a lot of work later. We were outside going over the plumbing needs under the bathroom floor when a flood of water gushed from under the house and into the yard. Turns out the washing machine drain hose was simply stuck through a hole in the kitchen floor where it simply drained under the house. No wonder the place had rot issues! So my first job was to help plumb a new drain for the washing machine so that everything under the floors would recover from being the swamp it was. And so it went. Walls were spackled, or ‘mudded’ as they say, windows were framed, the shower was installed and then adjusted (which took a lot of math and geometry to build the three walls out enough so that the preformed shower pieces would properly fit), and then all the pipes for everything connected and then insulated underneath, and then a tin skirt put around the underside. Most of the guys on my team had lots of skills and experience. I was the junior member skill-wise, but ended up helping with all the plumbing and

doing some of it myself. Imagine my relief when we turned on the wa-ter and everything functioned like it was supposed to! No leaks, no fountains, just water where it was supposed to be!

If only addressing the needs of the family who lived there were as straight forward was the repair work on the house. As with every fami-ly one is dealing with long-standing tangles of relationship and dysfunc-tion which are not easily unwound, nor is the interior damage easily undone. This woman had lived in this situation for who knows how long, even though she has family nearby who could have helped her or taken her in. She did have one daughter staying with her, but she was recently out of prison for drug issues and who obviously had her own

needs. The old woman herself spent the day either on the sofa watching TV with her two annoying yap dogs, on her bed, or on a chair on the porch watching the world go by, or moving pain-fully from one to another. One of the most moving times of the whole week was when our priest Fr. Robert offered to pray for her, and we all gathered around and asked God’s hand of healing to be on her as he anointed her with holy oil. It was a privilege to help be a point of grace in this woman’s life.

Our second project involved work on a forty year old trailer where a woman and her seven grandchildren, all of them 9 and under, lived. Two of her daughters, the mothers of the children, were either in prison or on their way there on drug convictions. Fathers were not mentioned. The trailer was in various stages of collapse, particularly the bathroom and bedroom floors (the eight of them were sharing three tiny bedrooms, all the boys in one bed). Our task was to rip out the old floors and install new ones. In the bathroom, that meant reinstalling the shower, toilet and vanity. Additional drama occurred when we unintentionally broke the water main. But with a lot of hard work and a constant readjustment of plans based on developments on the ground (sometimes literally), the trailer got new floors and kids could go to bed or to the bathroom without fear of falling through the abyss. And when a team member noticed that none of the chil-dren had bicycles, that lack was also rectified, to the amazement and delight of the five oldest kids who could ride.

A curious event occurred at this second site, namely a birthday party for one of the children. And while it was gratifying to see a lot of relatives show up, in particular a lot of uncles and other family members, one could not help but wonder where these men were as the trailer where their mother and nieces and nephews slowly sank into the ground, or how they could allow their relatives for whom they professed love to live in such deplorable conditions. But the reasons were hidden for us, and ours is not to pass judgment.

For me, personally, the week in Grundy allowed me to get to know people from my parish at a much deeper level than before. I specifically tried to get one-on-one time with as many of my colleagues as I could, for the purpose of finding out more of their story and who they really are. Moreover, after a particularly challenging year for me personally, I think what I appreciated most was the chance to do something for someone else.

Physical labor and teamwork are good antidotes to living too much inside one’s head. And though I was physically tired by week’s end, I had that gratifying sense that a lot of good things were happening, with the project, with the people with

Community Meal and Fellowship


Liturgical Services (cont.)


Saturday, September 20 7:00pm Reader’s Vespers

Sunday, September 21 Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday After the Exaltation of the Holy Cross



Saturday, September 27 7:00pm Great Vespers

Sunday, September 28 Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost - Ven. Chariton the Confessor

No Matins this week 9:30am Divine Liturgy - Parish Picnic at Mint Springs Park

Tuesday, September 30 6:00pm Vespers - Feast of the Protection of the Godbearer

Wednesday, October 1 8:00am Divine Liturgy - Feast of the Protection of

the Godbearer No Moleben this week

Saturday, October 4 7:00pm Great Vespers

Sunday, October 5 Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost - Sunday After the Exaltation of the Holy Cross


Wednesday, October 8 6:00pm Moleben (Intercession Service)

Saturday, October 9 7:00pm Great Vespers

Many Blessed Many Blessed Many Blessed Many Blessed Years!Years!Years!Years!

Birthdays

Saints Days

Evangeliza(on-Outreach Service Group 6:00pm Tuesday, September 2

Liturgy Service Group 7:00pm Wednesday, September 10

Parish Board Mee(ng 5:00pm Saturday, September 13

First Day of Church School A6er Liturgy Sunday, September 14

Religious Forma(on Group 7:00pm Wednesday, September 24

Parish Picnic 9:30am Sunday, September 28

Semi-annual Parish Mee(ng A6er Liturgy Sunday, October 12

Buildings and Grounds Service Group TBA

Hospitality Service Group TBA

Library-Bookstore Service Group TBA

Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing

Inquirer’s Discussion Weekly Sundays - aer Liturgy

Convert Instruc(ons Bi-weekly Wednesdays, 5pm

Events and ActivitiesEvents and ActivitiesEvents and ActivitiesEvents and Activities


Pastor’s Message

Fruitfulness of FallFruitfulness of Fall

The rhythms of the Church year mirror that of our calendar, and if spring is a time of sowing, fall is the time of harvest. Even our Lord used this imagery when describing the mission of the apostles as a ‘harvest...of life eternal. (Jn. 4:35). There is a sense in which the harvest time is more exciting than even spring planting, when the fruits of one’s labors are realized, or not. The Church’s harvest is constantly being gathered and will be revealed at the Last Judgment, but the labor of the harvest of eternal life must take place. This was the work of the apostles, this is the work of the Apostolic Church. The harvest is a harvest of life - eternal life and grace which springs forth in the fertile human soul. It is realized in spiritual life, moral virtue and fundamental goodness in the human community.

One of the amazing things about the biology of maturation of living things is that in many cases, full maturation takes place rapidly only just before the harvest. Sometimes the fruit grows or progresses is slowly, then matures quickly at the end. In other cases, while growth seems slow, there are actually great changes taking place in a hidden way. Only in the final day or so does the tree-ripened peach actually become sweet. It can be picked early, but it is not mature and still must wait. Doing so also inhibits some of its flavor development - hence ‘homegrown’ is often so much better than what we get from commercial stores.

In a similar way, a maturation must take place in the human soul. When a person first converts to Orthodox Christiani-ty, there is obvious growth - personal engagement, participation in church life, education, prayer, etc. After that, there is the ‘slow growth’ phase - often where a person’s faith must mature and really ‘prepare the fruits’ for spiritual harvest. These fruits are the ones from the Spirit - “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” They are present, but must mature. The necessary forces of grace must combine in the soul to bring this about. Among these are spiritual knowledge, prayer, virtue and moral life, love of neighbor, repentance, sacramental grace, etc.

So perhaps during this Fall season we can ask ourselves how God’s fruit is coming to maturity in our lives, or not? Is the fruit of my life sweet - or sour and bitter? Is it firm or rotting? Is it beautiful to see or has sin caused a blight on the surface (or worse -within)? One exercise which can help us re-focus our spiritual efforts this fall is in the realm of adult religious formation. Participating actively in our programs of adult classes will stimulate thought and spiritual growth on key spiritual topics and principles, bringing the spiritual water of the Word of God to our parched souls. Also, as grapes grow and mature in clusters, so active participation in Christian fellowship and service with others helps us to mature together. The very character of the parish is more than the sum of its members, but also the cohesiveness of the com-munity in its internal life. The sacraments serve as the spiritual life blood of the Christian, like the sap in a tree, without which there is no spiritual life. Those who are elderly in the very late stages of life - and hopefully their spiritual maturity is coming to great fruition, waiting for the final moment when the Master of the Harvest returns. One of the saddest things to watch is how much effort is placed in training children to grow in the faith, and yet once they become adults there is very little ongoing support for their spiritual growth - save perhaps for marriage instructions. Many young people stop growing as they reach adulthood - as the environment in which they live changes, and there is no longer a conducive environment for their souls. They effectively quit the Church, and do not mature in the spiritual atmosphere that permeates the Church. This simply reminds us how special care is needed for young adults as they ma-ture and begin their careers in the world and families. They will grow up and move out with our without the Church, but without the Church they will not truly mature. As we anticipate the coming fall season and the re-start of our fall programs and schedules, we must commit ourselves to our personal spiritual growth, and avail our selves of all of the opportunities afforded us to come to full fruition. In the words of St. Paul,

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr. Robert


Continued next page

Teamwork - Bill and his Buddy, Junior

There were, of course, many other memorable moments during this trip and I encourage you to speak to the volunteers that went about their experiences… or better yet, come next year and be blessed yourself!

Special thanks to our participants: Bill Black, Karl Bowman, Karen Bowman, Fr. Robert Holet, Debbie Hutson, David Murphy, Cynthia Patzig (organizer), Brian Siebeking, Tim Stratos, Joe Truchan (St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Allentown, PA)

The Mission to Southwest Virginia As I Experienced It

By Reader William Joseph Black

Grundy is a long serpentine town of 1021 souls that winds along the deep valley of the Levisa Fork River in far western Virginia. Built on available swatches of flat land along the river, Grundy has been prone to flooding from its beginning, most recently in 1977 and 1984. Grundy is a coal town, and like so much of the surrounding area, times are good or bad depending on how things are with coal. And right now, things are bad.

Many people have left Grundy over the years, seeking education, jobs, a better life out of the claustrophobic confines of the mountain hollers. Others have chosen to stay, making a good life for themselves and their families, preferring to call the mountains home because this is where their family has always lived and this is what is home to them. But others have found themselves locked in soul-crushing cycles of poverty. Young men leave school to go to work in the mines and then after ten or twenty years get laid off with no skills other than digging coal. It’s probably the same hard life their

fathers and uncles knew. Discouragement too often leads to depression which leads to self-medication with alcohol or drugs which leads to all sorts of self-inflicted tragedies with all manner of collateral damage on the lives of those close by.

Things are always more complicated than simple descriptions make them out to be, but you can begin to see some of the challenges facing the people who are living in this part of Virginia. Once a grandparent or a parent falls into the hole of poverty, ignorance and/or addiction, they tend to drag those around them in with them, and it is almost im-possible to pull oneself or one’s family out again. Coal country is pock-marked with the blight of human brokenness. With no money left in the house from the mine salary or from government help because it’s been lost to drinking or drugs or bad choices, children go hungry, bills go unpaid, homes go unrepaired. But low incomes and various lacks are at best merely indicators of potential poverty. A family may have a big

TV with cable or satellite, they may have a smart phone, air conditioners in the windows, a washing machine and a fridge. But they may also live in a trailer with rotting floors, or use an outdoor privy or worse, there may be alcohol addiction or drug addiction, there may be a pov-erty of spirit that negates whatever material things they accumulated.

This is the Grundy we drove into on Sunday evening, July 6, 2014. There were 8 of us from St. Nicholas Church in Greenwood, VA, joined by one more from Allentown, PA. We were partnering with Buchanan Neighbors United, a local Christian ministry that has connected work teams from churches with service projects all over Buchanan County for years. This is the 6th year the UOC in general and St. Nicholas Church in particular has made the trip to Grundy to help families in need.

The mechanics of our stay in Grundy were straight forward enough. We stayed at a local mo-tel and gathered at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church at 8:30 am in the mornings to make our lunch-es and get our work assignments. We had two projects that we were working on, and the nine of us settled into a routine fairly quickly each of our sites. Our friends at BNU had done a fan-tastic job at giving us week-sized projects, and while we brought our own tools, they supplied all the materiel we needed to get the job done.

So in terms of the construction part of our work it was just a matter of getting on site, as-sessing the situation, and then applying the necessary fix. Of course this was easier said than done.

Brian - A Man on a Mission

SW Virginia Ministry Continued, from p.1


New Year New Year -- New ServiceNew Service

Annual Parish Picnic!

Mark your calendars now for Sunday September 28. Our Annual Parish Picnic is combining with the Golf Out-ing. We will be holding our usual Liturgy at 9:30am, but it will be at Mint Springs Park.

We will then have a potluck picnic. Church will be providing hot dogs and hamburgers, look for a sign up sheet to come for what to bring. We are planning on inviting our friends at Holy Myrrhbearers as well.

This is a great chance to invite friends to visit our commu-nity and then continue on to the golf tournament."

Megan Duncan, Coordinator

Hospitality is starting off the new Church Year with a bang! We will be hosting Coffee Hour mid-September, at which

time we’re going to talk about several ENHANCEMENTS ENHANCEMENTS ENHANCEMENTS ENHANCEMENTS to the hospitality offering.

For those who may be new to the Hospitality group’s efforts, we ask that each family and each of our Service Groups donate a Sunday or two each year to host the Coffee Hour. What this means is that the host family or group sign up for a chance to support our Parish’s welcome and nourishment fellowship after Divine Liturgy on Sundays.

We have recently standardized the responsibilities to include preparation of coffee, tea and juice, plating the bagels or other breads for service, and distributing the spreads and other treats as available. In addition, we alternate a vegetable or fruit tray that is already assembled. Each host can, of course, supplement their offering if they choose (good chance to make those dishes you are known for!) – but the idea is to “break the fast,” in company of those with whom you have just shared a bit of Heaven….once Coffee Hour is over, the hosts clean up and empty the trash.

Pretty simple stuff, right? And you get to visit, too!

This Fall we are going to try some different ways to serve the multitudes that will hopefully enhance the time we spend with each other and expedite the whole process.

At the Coffee Hour mid-September we will introduce you to those changes and answer any questions you may have about our new procedures.

The Coffee Hour is an important part of Parish life – it offers a time once each week for our Parish family to touch base. Think of it as the sitting-around-the-dinner-table for the St. Nicholas family.

Please sign up for your Sunday - see Megan Duncan!

Pani Christine

Buildings and Grounds Activities

The Buildings & Grounds service group would like to thank Florin Moldovan and Tim Stratos for their hard work on moving the small bathroom entrance. This will allow parishioners and visitors to more easily access the restroom facilities. In addition, the change will enable us to make better use of the utility galley, by converting it into a one-stop-shop for maintenance and cleaning sup-plies. In the future, expect the utility galley to be locked as it will house maintenance equipment, chemicals, and cleaning products.

In other news, the group is actively engaged in prepara-tions for Demetra's wedding, including: fresh paint in the small bathroom, septic tank inspection and pump, out-door weeding/pruning, as well as coordinating the park-ing situation on the wedding day. B&G is also planning to have a paving company come out and provide some suggestions and pricing options for repairing/repaving the main church lot (or sections thereof). Lastly, Stuart Miller and Karl Bowman have made excellent progress in clearing a path which will improve access to the sloped field behind the storage shed. This brush clearing will help parishioners visualize what future opportunities our current grounds could accommodate as we move ahead with the Master Plan. As you can see, there are a lot of exciting activities, so please contact Dean Gakos or any of the other Buildings & Grounds service group mem-bers if you would like to get involved.

Dean Gakos, Coordinator


Parish Financials - Midyear - As of June, 20 2014

Financial Highlights

For this Lampada, we have prepared a mid-year budget sum-

mary using the service group categories. As of the end of

June, revenues were slightly ahead of projecons and ex-

penses were slightly less than where we expect to be mid-

year. That's the good news. Net income exceeded expenses

by $14,079.

The not-so-good news is that income was down considerably

in July and to date in August because so many folks have

been on vacaon. While that means on a month-to-month

basis income might not meet expenditures in the sum-

mer, usually by year's end, we are back on track.

This is also a me for service group leaders should be taking a

parcular look at project budgets. Halfway through the year,

only about 13% of the Parish's total project budget has been

spent. (Hence the $14,000 difference between income and

expenses)

So, dust off those service group budgets you prepared and

see what excing projects you planned to undertake this year

and what it takes to get them done! As always, if you have

any quesons, please contact Vladimir or Karen.

Vladimir Gavrilovic, Treasurer and Karen Gavrilovic, Asst. Treasurer

Note: It’s hard to believe that fall is coming so quickly and

with that comes the beginning of the budget process for next

year! So, as the projects are completed in this year, we can

look forward to the new projects that we can tackle in the

coming year as well. In many cases, the projects flow in

different phases, so it’s helpful to finish the work and pay the

bills this year, so that we can reasonably ancipate next

year’s capabilies.


The Parish Activities and SericesThe Parish Activities and SericesThe Parish Activities and SericesThe Parish Activities and Serices

From the Parish Board

Greetings from the Parish Board! I hope all of you have had a great summer. It's hard to believe that summer is about over and we are about to begin another school year and an-other church year. May God bless and guide all that lies before us both in our parish and in our individual lives. The Board has remained busy this summer with two main projects. Earlier in the year we had decided we need to tackle organizing the administrative side of our responsibilities and had set aside our July meeting to begin work on that project. Among other tasks, this basically involves developing general policies and procedures for the parish, collecting and compiling docu-ments, papers, contracts, etc. and compiling and updating a list of service providers. We began work on this in July (“began” is the operative word since there is so much still to do) and decided we needed someone from within the parish to coordinate and organize all of this into a “Manual of Parish Policies and Procedures”. We hope to have a person in place in the next few weeks. I think this manual will be extremely helpful to the whole parish because it will provide access to everyone – and especially the service groups – about what has been done in the past, the procedures for developing certain activities (from getting bids for contractual work to how we prepare for the summer trip to Grundy), who to contact for service calls, the duties and responsibil-ities of service groups, etc. Our second project this summer has been to encourage the development of a logo for our new web site. As I think all of you know, this has involved a wonderful effort on the part of many parishioners who have submit-ted ideas. I have really liked working with this project because it has made me think more about the unique-ness of our parish. I have also been fascinated with the concept of developing a logo that expresses who we are in a simple, sort of symbolic way to an audience that includes not only ourselves but a world that knows nothing about Orthodoxy or our parish. To everyone who has contributed to this project: many thanks. And if some of you still have some ideas we haven't seen, it is not too late to share them with us. Finally, please mark your calendar for Sunday, October 12th – the date for our semi annual parish meeting. This is your church family; we need your ideas and your involvement. Thanks! Cynthia Patzig, Chair

Symposium - Fellowship of St. Moses the Black

A symposium on The Relevance of Rediscovering Afri-

can American Roots will be held at Saturday, Septem-

ber 13, 2014 at 4PM at St. Basil’s Church in Hampton,

Virginia. The Guest speaker will be Subdeacon Paul

Abernathy. Subdeacon Paul is related to civil rights

leader Rev Ralph Abernathy and a convert to Eastern

Orthodoxy and a popular speaker on the African American experience

and Orthodox Chrisanity. For more informaon on this event, con-

tact Basil Carter. Driving me is about 2hr,15 min and transportaon

may be available. May the Lord bless this important ministry,

Basil Carter, Parish representative

Religious Formation Notes

Fall Session of our Church school will begin September 14th and we will have three age groups/classes each week. Our primary instructors will be Eric Taft, Michelle Dilendorf and Matt Duncan. This year, we will have periodic ‘parent sessions’ on certain Sundays, to help par-ents in their key role as primary educators of their children in the Faith.

Our thanks to Sarah Wright who is coor-dinating the effort. Please contact her if you have any questions or would like to assist the program. (Substitutes needed!)


A Summer Vacation - A Journey of Faith

In June, Ben and I had a wonderful chance to experience God’s beauty in the natural world - in Alaska. We are blessed, in Virginia to have beautiful vistas of mountains and water, although the majesty of

Alaska’s landscapes (endless mountains and sea in the same view!) continually took my breath away.

It was inspiring to think about the same faith that I have come to know and love, being practiced in similar fashion to what I know, but in these small chapels dotted through the mountains and bays of Alaska. I was thankful we visited during the long-est days of the year, with warm temperatures. Traversing some of the roads without snow was a challenge, what an amazing testament to imagine

going to church through layers of snow, surrounded by darkness

One parish we visited had a native Alaskan priest who is away from the parh for two months every year while he returns to fish with his family. We met a native Alaskan

seminarian in Kodiak, who had grow up in a Yup’ik Eskimo community. Witnessing his love for the Lord was emotionally heartwarming and it was fascinating to hear about Yup’ik liturgies and customs. An eagle landed on top of the cross as we were leaving his church! Many churches overlook a vista of mountains or some body of water, taking full advantage of their beautiful sur-roundings!

What a special treat to experience the same Orthodoxy in a different context!

Elyssa Miller

• For deliverance from the Ebola epidemic afflicting certain regions in Africa and for all who are afflicted.

• For God’s continued protection, direction and fruitfulness in the holy work being offered to Christ by Frannie, Joe, Debbie, Lois, Charlotte, Gertrude, Junior, Jerry, Randy, Rayburn and all who serve those in need in SW Virginia.

• For 1st Lt. Kayla Kerrigan, Daria Kiselica’s daughter in law, who is deployed to Afghanistan and for all of our military personnel serving abroad in harm’s way.

• For restoration of peace in Ukraine and for those who grieve those lost in the airline disaster there. For the land of Iraq, especially the city of Mosul, recently overtaken by extremists. For the repose of those who have suffered and died as a result of the religious oppression of the Middle East.. For peace in Syria, Egypt, Eritrea and throughout the Middle East and Africa and for all refugees.

Please Remember in Your PrayersPlease Remember in Your PrayersPlease Remember in Your PrayersPlease Remember in Your Prayers

David & family - (health, move)

Melissa (therapy)

Special Inten#ons (health, abuse)

Denby (recovery)

Pam, Katelyn, Tyler, Trenton

Dennis (health)

Stephen (health)

Sam, Tony and Andy

Nolen (recovery)

Vera (health)

+Fr. Deacon Dennis

+Fr. Joseph

For the Departed Our Fallen Soldiers

General Inten%ons

Donnell - 20

Benjamin - 30

Keith - 19

For the Living

lampada, august, 2014 p.12 st. nicholas orthodox church,...

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