september 2014

THE WORD

Featured Article Watering all the earth that it may be fruitful By Father James W. Kordaris

A few months ago, a young married couple was driving across Oklahoma and part of Texas. For a good part of the drive, the couple frequently noticed a car on the same stretch of road with a bumper sticker that caught their attention. Each time they saw the car, their eyes went to that curious bumper sticker which read, "Orthodox Christianity: Preaching the Truth since AD 33."

CHECK US OUT AT WWW.KIMISISNY.ORG

…continued on page 5

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

The Word | Ο Λογος

Table Of Contents !Contact Us 3 Get Involved 4 Featured Article (….continued from cover page) 5 Father’s Corner 7 Featured Feast 11 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 (Mon - Fri 10am - 2pm )

Kimisis Greek Orthodox Church (845) 452-0772 [email protected] 140 South Grand Avenue Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

!Our Priest:

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

!Our Parish Council:

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

George Tsinias (845) 464-2539 [email protected] Vice 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) !Upon arriving home later that day, they sat down at the computer and began to search the Internet for Orthodox Christianity, a faith of which they had never heard until that bumper sticker caught their eye. The couple came across the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and began to read. They took down one of the numbers they found there and called to learn more about Orthodoxy and to find an Orthodox Church in their city. They were active Southern Baptists, but were very interested in this Church that claimed to be the ancient Christian Church established by Christ and the apostles. "Would we be welcome in the Orthodox Church?" they asked.

The story of this couple ends here. But what do you think happened next?

Did they attend the local Greek Orthodox Church for Sunday Divine Liturgy?

When they arrived, did someone welcome them to the Church and offer them a Sunday bulletin?

Were they greeted during the fellowship hour after Divine Liturgy?

We can create our own ending to this story and we do create the ending to this story every Sunday because every Sunday someone will walk through our doors who is searching.

In the early Church, pagans became Christians, not because of what they read in the Bible because the Bible did not exist in those early days. Pagans became Christians because of what they experienced in the Christian community. And the same is true today. If people come to our church and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit and see that it has changed people, they will come back. The Church doesn't need to create a demand for religious experiences. People are already seeking to fill a spiritual need. We need to address the demand that already exists.

The theme of many of the parish ministry materials being produced this year by the Archdiocese is coordinated around the theme of "Bearing Fruit: Witness & Service" (Clergy Laity Theme of 2012). Let's think about this. Jesus told us that He is the vine and we are the branches. From this we understand that if we are to bear fruit, we must always stay connected to Him -- through worship, prayer and sacraments. We bear fruit by the Christian example we set in our daily lives.

Consider this question? If you were the only Orthodox Christian someone met, would they want to know more about the Orthodox Church? Would seeing what your faith in Jesus has done in your life make people you know want to seek Jesus for themselves?

Any of you who have traveled to the Holy Land have probably gone on tours to the Dead Sea and also the Sea of Galilee. The water of the Dead Sea is all bottled up and stagnant. By comparison, the Sea of Galilee is crystal clear and full of life. Yet it is the same Jordan River that flows into both. The difference is that the Dead Sea has no outlet, while the Sea of Galilee does.

How much have you received in your life through your faith in God? What outlet for His love do you have in your life?

!



Jesus has directed us not to hide our light under a bushel. This light is the light of our faith. We are to let our light so shine before others that they will see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. We are not told to knock on doors or to wave Bibles in the air on the street corner or in the subway. We are called to simply reflect the light of Christ to all those whom we meet in our daily life by the way we live.

Archbishop Iakovos of blessed memory was a great believer in missionary activity in our own backyard also known as "home missions." In 1989, he wrote the following about the need for missionary activity, "Without mission the Church ceases to exist. Christians are required continually to reach out to others to share the Good News of our Lord." It is not necessary to go to some faraway place to do missionary work.

There is millions of unchurched people right here where we live. In fact we all know someone who was raised in the Church who has fallen away. Did you know that the number one factor in bringing the unchurched back to church is a family member or friend who continually asks them to come? Think about this and pray for some specific person in your life who has fallen away from the Church. Pray for them and invite them to come to church with you. Be a spiritual friend.

The couple driving across Oklahoma was moved by a bumper sticker to learn more about Orthodox Christianity. How will you share this great gift with which you have been blessed? Jesus tells us, "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (Jn 15:8).

!About the Author: Fr. Jim Kordaris received his BA-Psychology in 1979 and MBA-Finance in 1982 from the University of Minnesota. A graduate of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Fr. Jim has served several parishes in the New York area. In January of 2003 he was appointed Director of the newly formed Archdiocesan Department of Outreach & Evangelism.



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 Acquiring the Gift of the Gardener

!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.” (Mark 4:26-29)

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the

sight and good for food…and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (Genesis 2:8-9a; 15)

I Am the True Vine“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit...Abide in me

and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing…By this my Father is glorified that

you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-2; 4-5; 8-9)

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who

waters is anything but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one and each will receive his wages according to his labor; for we are God's fellow workers. You are

God's field, God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:5-9)

Nothing is more detrimental to life than to mislabel or misidentify a body; for, if not properly identified, the body suffers for lack of nourishment and care. And nothing is worse to the life of a church community than to misidentify or mislabel the church; this happens when the church is misidentified as an organization and not the organism that She is. It’s akin to what I as a priest and I’m sure quite an overwhelming number of my fellow presbyters hear from the people: “The Church is a business.” This notion is so grossly misguided and inappropriate as to defy words. If anyone can produce even one authority from our Holy Orthodox Tradition that has ever identified the Church as a business, I would welcome the opportunity to look at it; I have a strong suspicion nobody will because it’s not there. Yes, good business practices and excellent organizational skills



are needed; yet only in those areas where they apply: in the running of the church office and the maintenance of the church grounds. However business practices apply to the church no more so than, let’s say, in the running of a household; however, who in their right mind is going to equate a household to the gas bills they accumulate or the driveway in need of resurfacing. This would be silly as the household and the family that lives within it transcend the bills they accumulate and physical repairs of the house; such it is also with the church.

No, this rather sad contrivance of viewing the Church as a business stems from a low level of spiritual maturity; the product of mediocre and lukewarm Christians. These individuals, lacking the adequate spiritual tools to more appropriately and effectively deal with the ever-rapidly changes and challenges that impact the parish, reflexively grab onto concepts that are familiar and comfortable to them; and nothing is more familiar and comfortable to them than those of the world such as “business” and “politics.” They mean well, however, as one of our parishioners is very keen to remind me, “you have to be very careful in what you say because someone is going to take it another way” and this especially from those that look at the church as a business in which politics governs the conduct of the parishioner.

What truly more appropriate and required is a faith-based understanding of the Church and our parish; and that is the one we introduced last month, the one that views and understands the Church as an organism. In last month’s article, we briefly touched upon the image of the Church as a Body since this is spoken of in many places in Scripture and our Holy Tradition. This month, to further appreciate the understanding of the parish as an organism, I will introduce another image and that is the one of a plant and the care one provides to a garden.

As seen from the verses from Scripture above, the image of our church and parish that forms in our hearts is more akin to the farmer than to the tie and suit of Wall Street or IBM. In the “Parable of the Seed,” we see that while indeed we are called to provide the means for the seed, God’s Word and Presence in His Creation, to grow, the actual growth of the seed is accomplished through God’s mysterious works and efforts. So, yes, while our Christian calling is to prepare “the garden” for life to grow, it is God Who actually gives life and grows the plant; as the Evangelist Mark states; “…and the seed sprouts and grows; he (meaning us, the farmer) knows not how.”

So, indeed, we as “farmers” are called upon “to clear the field” and to “apply fertilizer” and to “water” and “weed” the garden; this is appropriately described for us by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians quoted above: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything but only God who gives the growth.” From this we appreciate that the mystery of church growth is forever left to God’s and the design He uniquely has for each church and parish that blossom.

In many ways, the continued growth and health of our church is very dependent on the attitudes and understandings we apply to her; thus the questions: what icon should we choose to guide us in order to make this blessed “garden” of ours, our parish, grow; the business suit of Wall Street or the dungaree of the farmer? As one who worked on Wall Street I can state almost categorically that those suits don’t wear very well with fertilizer on them. Another way of looking at it is working in the garden is messy and sweaty work; the same applies to the parish. It is certainly not glamorous or



romantic stuff. Yet, it is something that must be done: the Saints and God’s Holy Mother as well as the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ are witnesses to this. It is to them that we will be held accountable.

So let us clear “the field” using the instructions and guidance provided to us by our Holy Fathers and Mothers of Orthodox Tradition; let us “plant the seeds” of God’s Word as found in Holy Scripture that is the very basis of our Christian life and finally, let us “water” and “fertilize” this precious Garden that God has chosen us to work on with tears from our prayers and nourishment of our fasting. And let us deeply imbed in our hearts and souls and minds that God is our only hope and support and that without Him we are powerless to do anything; for this He revealed to us through His Holy Apostle, the Evangelist John;

“…for apart from me you can do nothing…”

!Some Thoughts on the Parish

Parish Gatherings

We have two rather distinct and contrasting types of gatherings here in the parish; those that are deemed “religious” and those that are deemed “business.” The “religious” gatherings are like those that we hold each week and I’m referring specifically to Worship Night at Kimisis held weekly on Wednesday night’s beginning at 7pm; the other gatherings, our “business” meetings are those like our semiannual “Town Hall” Meeting that takes place each second Sunday in February and August and the Parish General Assembly that takes place the third Sunday in May and November. The “religious” gatherings are just that, meetings in which praise is offered to God and His Holy Mother and includes fellowship and learning; the “business” gatherings have the feeling of a shareholder’s meeting with parishioners sitting facing our “Board” and demanding answers to finance and numbers.

Both discussions and happenings are important; however, are they necessarily separate?

In many respects, this to be expected since our world, the one that we’ve created, functions like a two-story house; all the important things, those that “truly matter” like business-things, take place on the first floor and those rather mysterious and “religious” things, well they take place “upstairs” where “God lives” and are suited for “religious people.” The problem with both viewpoints, the so-called “religious” and the “business,” is that they’re not Orthodox because there is only one reality, one truth and because God, Who Created All, is “Everywhere Present, Filling all things”; at least that’s what we say about Him in our Orthodox prayers.

A wonderful summation of this split personality, this split world viewpoint that began in the 16th and the 17th centuries, is provided by the Orthodox priest, Fr. Stephen Freeman in his book Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Story Universe. I believe that a lot of what we’re experiencing as a parish is found and described in the pages of his book; a book that I highly recommend that you immediately get your hands on. From what Fr. Stephen is saying, it is easy to see that when division or disharmony is present in a Christian community, it is because we are not looking at the world with Orthodox eyes; for the non-Orthodox, God and His All-Holy Spirit are not here because they are “upstairs.” Alternatively, when we embrace an Orthodox world viewpoint, one that knows



God to be present with us at all times and in every place, we understand that we can do nothing without God; for even with the most fundamental things like making a “business” decision, we invite God and His All-holy and Life-giving Spirit to be part of our decision-making process.

So, to answer the question of one of our parishioners during a Festival meeting last year who asked: “What does that have to do with this?” when I shared a passage of the Gospel during the meeting, the answer is “everything” because God is everywhere present, filling all things.

Parish Picnic

With the inspiration, guidance and hard work of our Stewardship Ministry, we are re-introducing a long ago event: the Parish Picnic. This year’s picnic is scheduled for Sunday, September 7th at Bowdoin Park at Pavilion 6 once referred to as “the Band Shell.” It will be a “Bring Your Own” kind of affair with the suggestion to bring something along for someone else. I hope all goes well and we get to see some parishioners that we haven’t seen; even more importantly, I hope that everyone has a good time. The Stewardship Ministry is working hard to ensure that there is a lot of fun things to do for all ages; children and adults alike. I know that Presvytera Alexis, the boys and I looking forward to it.

Guest Speakers

I know how it goes; you preach every Sunday and write articles for the Newsletter and after a short while, you the parishioner want to hear someone else’s voice. Well, your prayers have been answered! Fr. Luke Veronis, one of our Archdiocese’s experts on church growth and evangelism and Fr. Jim Kordaris, who leads the Archdiocesan ministry of stewardship and outreach will be coming to our parish as guest speakers. Fr. Luke has accepted our invitation to speak on Saturday, September 27th while Fr. Jim will be here on Saturday, October 18th; both speakers are part of our Kimisis Celebration Festivities and they will offer good and positive insights into parish growth and health, something that will encourage us all.

As I did last month, I want to leave you with this message from the Apostle Paul:

Unity in the Body of ChristI therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have

been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit,

just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift…The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to

equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full

stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:1-13)

Ὁ Θεὸς να σας φυλλάσει!

May God protect and keep you all!



Featured Feast !The Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord have mercy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Late, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.



Liturgical Schedule !SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th SUNDAY BEFORE THE HOLY CROSS

Altar Group Three!

!MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th THE NATIVITY OF OUR MOST HOLY LADY, THE THEOTOKOS AND EVER-VIRGIN MARY

Orthros: 8:00am!

Divine Liturgy: 9:00am!

!SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th FOREFEAST OF THE ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS

Great Vespers: 7pm!

Church of the Holy Cross, Middletown, NY!

!SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th ELEVATION OF THE PRECIOUS AND LIFE-GIVING CROSS

Altar Boy Group One!

!!!!!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st SUNDAY AFTER HOLY CROSS

Altar Group Two!

!TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd CONCEPTION OF THE BAPTIST JOHN

Orthros: 8:00am!


!!FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th TRANSLATION OF THE EVANGELIST JOHN

Orthros: 8:00am!


!SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th FIRST SUNDAY OF LUKE

Altar Group Three!

!



!Parish Calendar


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The Sayings of our Holy Fathers and Mothers St. Nicholas VelimirovichHomily about Peace between the Wolf and the Lamb !"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid" – (Isaiah 11:6)

! Thus, the true prophet foretold the truth. And he further added: "The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; …and the lion shall eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 11:6-7). And the child will place his hand in the hole of a poisonous snake (asp) and the snake will not harm him. Brethren, when will this wonder occur? This has already occurred when Christ the wonder-worker appeared on earth. This is a reality of Paradise, which was restored among men with the coming of the Savior upon earth. The prophet speaks enigmatically but, nevertheless, clearly; enigmatically, for the prophet does not speak about wild beasts but of men; for his prophecy was clearly fulfilled in Christ's Church. Men, who by their habits, were as wolves, wildcats, lions, bears, oxen, lambs, kids and serpents all stand before the Child of Bethlehem equalized by faith, tamed by grace, illumined by hope and softened by love.

!The prophet further fortells why this will take place; "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). When viewed physically, every man is earth. The man who believes in Christ and, in truth follows after Christ, becomes full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea, which is filled with water. Such were many individuals. Such were even entire companies of ascetics in Egypt, on the Holy Mountain (Athos), on Cyprus, in Russia, in Armenia and in other places. But this is not all. The knowledge of the Lord has spread today throughout the earth. Holy Scripture is distributed throughout all nations. There are few corners of the earth where the Gospel of Christ is not read, where the name of God is not known and where the Bloodless Sacrifice of the Lord is not offered. Some deny Christ, others embrace Him, some abandon the true Faith and others embrace the true Faith. And thus continues the one struggle throughout the entire world in the sign of the Lord Jesus. The overly filled waters pour out and flow into empty valleys; the empty valleys become filled and are made equal with the high waters. Everything is not glowing in the world as we Christians wish it to be, but the prophecy of the Prophet Isaiah was gloriously fulfilled most clearly and was accomplished. O how wonderful is the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amos, the true prophet. O, miracle-working Lord, tame the beastly nature of those men and people who are not tamed by the power of Your love. That we all may be fruitful from Your abundance. That we all may be glorious from Your Glory and alive Lord, alive from Your Immortal life.

!



Featured Saint !The Falling Asleep of St. John the Evangelist and Theologian This Apostle was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James the elder. First a fisherman by trade, he became an Apostle and the beloved Disciple of Christ. Only he of all the Disciples followed Him even to the Cross, and was entrusted with the care of our Saviour's Mother, as it were another son to her, and a brother of Christ the Teacher.

After this, he preached throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. When the second persecution against the Christians began in the year 96 during the reign of Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, and there was cast into a vat filled to the brim with boiling oil. Coming forth therefrom unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Returning again to Ephesus after the death of the tyrant, he wrote his Gospel (after the other Evangelists had already written theirs) and his three Catholic Epistles.

In all, he lived ninety-five years and fell asleep in the Lord during the reign of Trajan in the year 100. He was called Theologian because he loftily expounded in his Gospel the theology of the inexpressible and eternal birth of the Son and Word of God the Father. It is for this cause that an eagle-a symbol of the Holy Spirit, as Saint Irenaeus says-is depicted in his icon, for this was one of the four symbolic living creatures that the Prophet Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 1:10).



President’s Corner !Dear Beloved Parishioners in Christ,

Continuing with the momentum and theme from this year’s Clergy-Laity Congress: “The Orthodox Christian Family: A Dwelling of Christ and a Witness of His Gospel”, we have all been working very hard to strengthen and grow our own family here at Kimisis. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we, as Orthodox Christians, are all a big family with Christ as its head. Our gatherings together in worship and fellowship are what make up the Church, the Ekklesia, which literally means “a gathering”. Last month’s newsletter also touched on the organic nature of this gathering and the very real and important role God plays in the Church. To learn more, please read and study “Fathers Corner” in this month’s newsletter, further discussing the organic nature of the Church as well as an Orthodox perspective of our world.

As we now begin the new Ecclesiastical year, there are many exciting things happening here at Kimisis and there are many opportunities for all of us to gather and enjoy one another’s fellowship and to worship together as a people of God. We will be having our parish picnic on September 7 and our Kimisis Celebration on October 19. This will give us all an opportunity to catch up, enjoy each others’ company, and to have a good time! We will also be having some guest speakers to teach us about our faith and about the Church. These are Father Luke Veronis who will be with us on September 27 and Father Jim Kordaris who will join us on October 18. To continue in the success of our youth nights, we will be having the first Kimisis Youth Night of the ecclesiastical year on October 17. These are only some of the events that we have planned!

As always we have many opportunities to worship as a Church. In addition to our Orthros Service (begins 8:45 am) and the Divine Liturgy (begins 10 am) that is celebrated every Sunday, we have our Worship Night Paraklesis services every Wednesday where we pray to the Theotokos and to Christ our God for our community, our children, and families. This is a one hour service and is usually followed by a pot-luck and a religious discussion on the faith. Father Gregory also does Divine Liturgies and other services throughout the month, giving us ample opportunities to receive Holy Communion and be filled and strengthened by God’s loving mercy. Father also blesses the waters on a monthly basis, so there is always Holy Water available to our parishioners.

After we pray and worship together as a family and enjoy one another in fellowship, what can be more appropriate than to get involved and become a witness to Christ’s gospel. There are multiple ministries to get involved in, many of which meet on a monthly basis. We will also be having our first fundraiser/outreach ministry meeting on September 23 to figure out ways to raise funds for our parish as well as outreach to our surrounding community and be a witness of Christ’s gospel to them. All these fundraisers will also have a charitable cause associated with them to help those in need!

As Christ said “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14). Let us then gather together and be



this light in our region performing good deeds and loving one another as Christ has commanded us to do. Also, please look at the remaining newsletter for more event and meeting information as well as our website at www.kimisisny.org. Did I also mention that Kimisis turns 90 years old this October? Wow! Exciting things happening indeed! God Bless!

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….

Parish Picnic: Sunday, September 7th at Bowdoin Park at 1pm. Please prepare a basket for yourself as well as to bring something to share with others. (The address is 85 Sheafe Rd, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590)

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 Please join us at the parish picnic to kickoff SUNDAY SCHOOL ON SEPT. 7TH. First day of Sunday School will be Sept. 28th. I look forward to all of our children returning.

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 Karathomas


….Ministry Updates Continued


Greek School Ministry Following a meeting with teachers and parents, it was decided that it would be beneficial for the Greek school classes to be held once a week on Fridays. First day of classes and registration will be on September 26.

Youth Ministry GOYA

GOYA welcomes all youth in grades 6 - 12 to join us. Upcoming Bulletins will include information about monthly meetings and events.

Co-Advisors:

Valerie Delmar (845) 463-0610 [email protected] Teddy Karathomas (845) 473-4008 [email protected] !SAVE THE DATE!! SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20thDISTRICT GOYA EVENT AT HOLIDAY HILL RESORTProspect, CT 11:00am - 7:00 pm Join GOYA groups from the Hudson Valley, Metropolitan NY and Western CTfor a day of friendship, faith, food and fun!! More details to follow.

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.


….Ministry Updates Continued


Philoptochos Welcome back to all our members and their families. Hopefully all are well rested and ready to get back into the swing of things!

Our first gathering will take place on Wednesday, September 3rd at 6:30 pm. Please come and share your Summer adventure with us. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm. Come and help us plan our upcoming events.

As we are all aware of by now, there is no September Hellenic Festival. As a community and as an integral ministry of our Church, we need to be supportive of all events relating to our Church with faith and strong commitment.

September we set things in motion ...

October 26th:! Artoklasia and Memorial Service

November 2nd:! Philoptochos Membership Tea

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

December (TBD):! Christmas Gathering !We need you involved! Your God given talents and your thoughts and input for fundraising events, so we can assist those who come to us for support. Looking forward to seeing all our ladies...

!Respectfully and With Christian Love,

Gloria Siderias, !

Philoptochos President.

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!

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

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

Save The Dates!!Parish Picnic: Sunday, Sept 7th at Bowdoin Park at 1pm (85 Sheafe Rd, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590)

Fundraiser/Outreach Ministry Meeting: Tuesday, Sept 23 at 7pm

Guest Speaker - Father Luke Veronis: Saturday, Sept 27 (Vespers at 6pm, Speech at 7pm)

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

Guest Speaker - Father Jim Kordaris: Saturday, Oct 18 (Vespers at 6pm, Speech at 7pm)

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

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

september 2014

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