Stewardship – Giving Time, Talent and Treasure As a member of St. Christopher’s, all of us are stewards, and we accept responsibility for protecting, managing, and caring for our parish. We hold it in trust for those of blessed memory who helped to create it and we nurture it for future generations who will inherit it. Stewardship becomes actionable through our Time, Talent, and Treasure, contributions we each make to ensure that we can achieve our vision. Gifts of Treasure are the financial commitments we make through our pledges to the Annual Stewardship Campaign to support our staff, our operations, the religious education of our children and adults and all of our ministries. We encourage pledging because making and keeping promises is an important spiritual discipline that creates faithfulness and mutual responsibility. Pledges also help our parish to plan wisely. We thank those who have already completed their 2019 Stewardship Pledge! If you have not had the opportunity to complete your 2019 please click on this link https://goo.gl/forms/Z5uQJSgvzoo1xC7E2 to complete your pledge online. In order to approve our 2019 budget at this Sunday's General Assembly we need to know what our pledges are. Please do not hesitate to contact me at gsjs401mg@gmail.com with any questions. We are deeply grateful for the loving generosity that you and your family provide and we thank you for your offerings of Time, Talents and Treasurers. Faithfully, Julie Skouteris

"Go Red" for Women is the American Heart Association’s national call to increase awareness and help prevent heart disease, the number one killer of American women. This is a call for women, to take charge of their well-being and live stronger, healthier lives. The statistics make it clear that awareness is important. Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. Only one in five women believes that heart disease is her greatest health risk. Eighty percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right choices for their hearts. Join in the mission to increase awareness and help prevent heart disease in women today! The National Philoptochos Society promotes the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. Improve awareness by sharing information with your Philoptochos sisters, your parish community and all the women you know and love. The American Heart Association has designated Friday, February 1, 2019 as National Wear Red Day. In support of this program, The National Philoptochos Society is designating Sunday, February 3, 2019 as Go Red Sunday and are asking Philoptochos sisters across the country to join the movement and wear red, when attending Church services.

The Adult Religious Education Class at St. Christopher Church will be using the Winter 2018 Issue of Praxis Magazine published by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Religious Education Department. For the next two months, we will focus on "Women in the Church"

On January 1st and 4th, parishioners gathered for church services and fellowship afterwards (St. Basil's Feast Day & Great Hours of Theophany). On Saturday, January 5th, we celebrated the Vigil of Theophany and the first Blessing of the Waters. Join us for Holy Theophany on Sunday, January 6th.

Following the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, Fr. George offered the Blessing for the First of the New Year and Vasilopita.

What a blessed Christmas week we had at St. Christopher! Two new altar servers, a beautiful Christmas Pageant and luncheon, the opportunity to serve alongside our brothers and sisters at St. John the Wonder Worker Church and feed the homeless Christmas Dinner, the joy of Christina and Andrew's wedding in Cincinnati, OH, and then Let's EAT! on the Sunday after Christmas. Christ is Born, Glorify Him!

Read informative resources about our faith and notices of upcoming events, including our annual Vasilopita luncheon and fundraiser on the Feast of Holy Theophany, January 6.

On Sunday, December 9th, our Parish Council Elections took place. The results have been sent to the Metropolis for His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios' ratification, according to the Uniform Parish Regulations of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Congratulations to our three newly-elected Parish Council members - Tom Farmakis, Tammy Soulakos, and Steve Theodorakis. After our elections are ratified, they will receive the Oath of Office along with the returning members on Sunday, January 13, 2019. We thank our Board of Elections for their outstanding service - Bill Wiley, Chair, Donna Chan, Vice-Chair, Kirk Panayis, Secretary, and Fotis Sakkas, member. We thank Anna Andreeva Naydenova for her willingness to be nominated and serve. All parishioners in good standing are eligible for service and we commend all those noted for helping our parish.

On Saturday, December 8, our Philoptochos, Hope & Joy members visited Southland Health & Rehab Center and sang Christmas Carols. Afterwards they met residents and staff and distributed our homemade Christmas Cookies, Blankets, and Cards.

PHILOPTOCHOS of St. Christopher Hellenic Orthodox Church is collecting donations for our parish Nativity Card 2018. We are asking a minimum donation of $ 25.00 per family to have your name/names included on our card. These monies will be used for our philanthropy as friends of the poor. We will be collecting the donations and names on December 2, 9, and 16, 2018. There will be donation papers on the table in the foyer. Please fill out and return the paper and your donation to Jeanie/Lydia McGee or Pat MacDougall on those Sundays. The printing will take place on the 17th or 18th and the cards will be mailed by the 20th. Thank you for your generosity and willingness to help.

HOPE/JOY Co-Chairs, Emilia Moraitis and Katie Wilson are planning a fun opportunity for our precious children to spread some Christmas joy to nursing home residents. Philoptochos members will be delivering Christmas gifts to a local nursing home on Saturday, December 8th. Our HOPE/JOY youth and families are invited to join them and sing some Christmas carols. Blessings, Katie and Emilia

Parishioners in good standing may vote for up to three of the four parishioners nominated for three-year terms on the Parish Council (2019-2021).

Thanks to our Parishioners for their support and participation.

Our Fall Bake Sale Orders have been delivered. Thank you to our faithful patrons who bought items whose net proceeds will be used to assist the charities we support locally and nationally.

Catholic and Orthodox Clergy and Laity met together at Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta, GA, on October 23rd.

Join us for a special hands-on Christmas Project at our next Philoptochos General Meeting on Sunday, November 18th.

Knowing that our Orthodox tradition encourages us to offer the Blessing of the Five Loaves, Oil, Wheat & Wine when we wish to give thanksgiving to God for His gifts, Fr. George invites parishioners to set aside the first Sunday of every month to come forth, if they wish, to share their special commemorations that will occur during that month (e.g., birthday, Name Day, anniversary, or any other special event in which you wish to make a monetary donation).

Our previous Metropolis Chancellor, the Very Rev. Fr. Petros Kopsahilis, fell asleep in the Lord on 10/19 and his funeral at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, Florida , prevents Fr. George from offering services on this Feast Day and anniversary of our first parish Divine Liturgy on 10/26/03. May Fr. Petros' memory be eternal. May God bless our parish family for many more years.