ISSUE

54
DEC 15
JAN 16

Monthly Newsletter for

Stewards of
Holy Anargyroi
Sts. Kosmas & Damianos
Greek Orthodox Church

Box & Spoon

2015 Standing
Committees
PARISH COUNCIL
Aaron Biedermann-President
Halina Woroncow-Vice Pres.
Tim Kelly
Angie Rustad
Don Jenkins
Erline Holman
Robert Lytle
Jacob Petersen Treasurer
Ben Johnson
STEWARDSHIP /
OUTREACH
John Maragos Chair
Halina Woroncow
Ari Kolas
Andy Franqueira
ICONOGRAPHY
Fr. Mark Muoz
BUILDING
Tim Kelly- Chair
Ari Kolas
BUDGET
Jacob Petersen
Fr. Mark Muoz
AUDIT
Amy Franqueira
John Maragos
Salah Sedarous
PHILOXENIA HOUSE
Brad Holman Chair
ST. PHILOTHEI
Trevor Hamlen Chair
GREEK FESTIVAL
Erline Holman
Johnny Mangouras
Denise Mangouras

Have you prepared your manger?

Have you ever wondered, why did
Christ choose to be born in a cave and
be placed, after His incarnation, in a
manger? Why wasn't He born in a
house, even if it was poor and humble?
God as man in the person of Christ
came and lived on earth humbly and
undetected. But what need did His
particular mode of birth serve? For, if
He was born in a house, He would still
be undetected and still humble.
There was no place worse than a cave
and a manger, for the newborn Messiah
to see the light of day, or the shimmer
of the stars. For any common man it
would be a shame to be born in a
stable, let alone God Himself.
Yet this is exactly what the Lord wanted
to emphasize from the beginning: that
although He was God, He humbled
Himself and took on a human
hypostasis, and this divine humbling is
much greater than simply a man being
born inside a cold stable.
He chose to be born in a cave and not
a normal stable, to show that God does
not dwell in temples made with hands,

but in the hearts of those who recognize

their unworthiness to receive Him and
live humbly, without boasting and selfpromotion.
He chose to be placed in a manger of
irrational animals, to show us that He
came to dwell in this irrational world, a
world that was dominated (and
unfortunately still dominated) by sin and
unbelief, which is foolishness in God's
eyes.
Amid the hubbub of the census,
accommodation for the newborn Christ
could not be found, except in the
embrace of the straw manger of
irrational animals.
And in the maelstrom of sin and
hypocrisy He was not accepted by His
chosen people, except for the few
humbled and crushed hearts of simple
fishermen, tax collectors and prostitutes,
who had the straw of humility and
embraced Him as Master and Savior.
He chose for all these things to take
place in this way, so that with the visit
from the Magi it would not be obvious
who the King was.

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

These distant visitors bypassed the person of Herod and every earthly glory and dignity and, these wise
men according to the world, came to offer their gifts to Him Who deserves all glory and honor and worship,
the obscure infant, the pre-eternal God.
In the modern hubbub, in the dizziness of the preparation of various dishes and sweets, in the irrationality
of worldly events, He will again remain outside of human activities.
He will look again for some dark cave of self-knowledge, which has a manger of humility with a little straw
of genuine love, and there He will rest in the hearts of certain people who will live once again this year in
the great Mystery of the Divine Incarnation, and they will secretly chant, along with the Angels, the "Glory to
God in the Highest...".
For two thousand years He is doing exactly the same thing, every day and every hour:
He is looking for a Manger!
When He locates it, He will remain there, and He is saddened when He sees that He is absent.
For several years, this is my anxiety, that is, if I have the required humility for a manger in the cave of my
heart, and if I have adorned it enough with the straw of true humility.
Really, have you prepared your Manger?

by Fr. Cherubim Veletza, translated by John Sanidopoulos

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Feast of the Nativity Liturgical Schedule

Thursday, December 24th: Nativity Royal Hours with
theVesperal Liturgy of St. Basil 8:00am
Thursday, December 24th: Nativity of Our Lord, God, &
Savior Jesus ChristOrthros-9pm/Divine Liturgy 10pm
Merry Christmas!

!

Craciun Fericit!
Hristos de rodi!
Feliz Navidad!
God Jul!
Joyeux Noel!

Friday, December 25th: No Services!

Today the Virgin gives birth to
Him who is above all being, And
the earth offers the Cave to Him
whom no one can approach; Angels
with Shepherds give glory, And Magi journey with a star; For us there
has been born A little Child: God
before the ages.

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Calendar for December 2015 / January 2016

Wednesday Dec. 16th Parish Council Meeting
6:30pm
Thursday
Dec. 17th St. Philothei Project
6pm
Friday
Dec. 18th St. Sebastian the Martyr
8:30am
Orthros/Divine Liturgy
Saturday
Dec. 19th Youth Christmas Pageant Rehearsal
12:30pm
Saturday
Dec. 19th Christmas Caroling & Pizza Party
2pm
Thursday Dec. 24th Royal Hours and Vesperal Liturgy of St. Basil
8am**
Thursday Dec. 24th FEAST OF THE NATIVITY
9pm**
Orthros/Divine Liturgy
Friday
Dec. 25th NO SERVICES
Friday
Jan. 1st St. Basil the Great
8:30am
Orthros/Divine Liturgy
Sunday
Jan. 3rd Parish Wide Vasilopita Celebration after Divine Liturgy
Tuesday
Jan. 5th Royal Hours/Vesperal Liturgy/Blessing of the
8:30am
Waters
Wednesday Jan. 6th

**Strict Fast day**

HOLY THEOPHANY
8:30am
Orthros/Divine Liturgy/Great Blessing of the Waters
(Fast Free)

Thursday
Jan. 7th
JOY Faith Night
6pm
Wednesday Jan. 13th St. Nina Enlightener of Georgia and Equal to the 8:30am
Apostles
Orthros/Divine Liturgy
Wednesday Jan. 13th GOYA Faith Night
Monday
Jan. 18th VIGIL for St. Mark of Ephesus,
Defender of Orthodoxy

7pm
6pm

Great Vespers, Orthros, Divine Liturgy celebrated

consecutively
Wednesday Jan. 20th
Thursday
Jan. 21st
Sunday
Jan. 24th

Parish Council Meeting

St. Philothei Project
GOYA EVENT TBA

6:30pm
6pm

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Parish Council
Our Parish has much to be thankful for as we begin the New Year. We are making great progress on our building additions. Our youth programs are thriving with activities despite temporary space constraints. Our parish was well represented at the Clergy Congress in November, both in attendance but also through numerous mentions of leading by
example.
We welcome two new members to the Parish Council for 2016. Although new to the council, both are already involved and exemplify self-less dedication to our various ministries. Amy Franqueira comes to us with professional
experience in the banking industry and is already devoted to other activities of the church including the choir, Audit
Committee, Festival Committee and the Oratorical Festival with our youth. John Maragos also joins the Parish Council this year sharing his business acumen in addition to his several other roles including the Stewardship Committee
Chair, the choir, and editor of this newsletter. The Parish Council starting the New Year consists of the following
members (2015 Executive Board noted):
Aaron Biedermann(President)
Halina Woroncow(Vice President)
Jacob Petersen(Treasurer)
Bob Lytle(Secretary)
Erline Holman
Angie Rustad
Ben Johnson
John Maragos
Amy Franqueira
Fr. Mark Munoz (Spiritual Advisor)
The Parish Council would like to collectively thank Tim Kelly for his years as service on the Parish Council including
several years as President. Tim concluded his final term in 2015 but will continue his critical role as Building Committee chair. His ongoing leadership in this role will be essential as we finalize construction on the additions to the
church in 2016.
We have been blessed with an unseasonably warm fall that has provided a productive few months of construction for our church additions.
The Andrew & Anna Chafoulias Memorial Fellowship Hall and Education Center is taking shape as we witness the beginning of form
meeting function. The six classrooms will provide ample space for our
youth programs. The abundant storage area will allow us to clean up
and better organize our existing facilities including parish office, hallways, and library. A walk through the fellowship hall brings an appreciation for the expansive space that will meet the needs of our parish
gatherings for decades to come. The addition of these structures to the
east and west provides a complimentary balance to the church as the
focal point to our growing campus. We look forward to opening the
doors to these spaces sometime in March of 2016.
The Parish Council would like to thank everyone for your past, present and future contributions that you make to our
parish. We ask for your continued communication and collaboration with the Parish Council as we support you as a
Parish.
Oh behalf of the Parish Council,
Aaron Biedermann
Parish Council President

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Youth Team
Today the Virgin comes to the cave, to give birth to the pre-eternal Word.
Our youth joyfully await the Nativity of our Lord in prayer, fellowship, and service.
JOY Faith Night was on December 3rd and we learned about The Root of Jesse or the Tree of Jesse.

It is an iconographic depiction of the Ancestors of Christ that shows in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the
father of King David. It originates in a passage in the Biblical Book of Isaiah which describes metaphorically the
descent of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The passage in Isaiah, 11:1 is :
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots."
"
The children got to create their own icon of the Root of Jesse by first placing in the center the Mother of God, and
adding a prophet while reading the Old Testament verses.

The tradition of this icon to be used especially at Christmas time while verses are weaved into the hymns of the
Orthodox Church and chanted during the Christmas services. The richness and depth of the season is remarkable!

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Youth Team: continued

GOYA met for Faith Night to review the Magis journey in search of the newborn king, considering the meaning and
relevance of their gifts. We contrasted their reverence and dedication to finding the Messiah with Herods jealousy and
anger at the news of a competitor for his power. Which king will each of us be in our lives: one who recognizes and
embraces Christ or one who keeps Him at arms length?
JOY and GOYA combined forces in service to assemble over 100 emergency hygiene kits for the IOCC to distribute
to suffering and needy people worldwide.

Many thanks to our parishioners for their generous donations to this cause.

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Youth Team: continued

As we have the last several years, GOYA collected winter coats
and nonperishable food items for people in need and delivered
them to an urban soup kitchen where we also served a hot, early
Thanksgiving meal to nearly 200 guests. What a blessing and
privilege it was for us to offer ourselves as the hands of Christ.

Next week, our youth, families, and friends will

continue our tradition of Christmas caroling through
the halls of St. Marys Hospital to brighten those too
ill to be home his Christmas season. Through smiles
and tears, we shall join in song to declare that joy has
come to the world! The following day, the children
will present their annual Nativity program to the
parish. Cameras will be flashing!
With the amazing progress on our new adjacent buildings, our catechetical program has now been pared down to just
one available classroom within the church, accommodating Grades 6-12. The GOYAns got a sneak peak of the new
construction after Faith Night.
As we finish out 2015 and await our new space in the Spring, our younger children will continue to enjoy monthly
JOY Faith Nights, Father Marks sermons, and, most importantly, the consistent instruction of the Church. Come to
Liturgy and bring it home with you. Pick up the weekly Children's Bulletin to review as a family - it's right by the
candle box in the narthex. Read the Bible together. Look for online resources you might use at home. But, most
importantly, come to Church. It is here that we are nurtured in the Faith.
We rejoice in the knowledge that God Is With Us, and wish all a blessed Feast of the Nativity and a warm, healthy,
happy New Year!
Youth Team Coordinators,
Loredana Jerghiuta, Halina Woroncow and Mike Brekke

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Philoptochos Society
Dear Parish family,
November 19, 2015 The Philoptochos donated the monies necessary to help with the St. Philothea Project. Several of
our members, along with members of Zumbro Lutheran Church were able to help out and make the meals that are sent
to the Womens Shelter. This is a beautiful ministry of our Church and it was a blessing to be a part of. Zumbro
Lutheran Church has been very helpful to us during this time without a kitchen.

The month of December the Philoptochos members have been taking orders
and baking for our annual Christmas Bake Sale. Thank you to all members
and friends of Holy Anargyroi for supporting our Philoptochos so that we may
continue to support local and national charities.
In early January we will be passing our annual Vasilopita tray. All proceeds
will go to Saint Basils Academy. A home for displaced children.
January 14th the Philoptochos and the Goya (12 & older) will go to the Ronald McDonald house and do an activity
with the children. Our plan is to paint with the children and have some fun! It will give these children some time to
relax, play and hang out with other kids. This will be a great opportunity for both Goya and Philoptochos alike to
reach out to the sick and perhaps make them smile.
In Christ,
Kris Brekke
Philoptochos President

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Philoxenia House
Dear Parish family,
If you have been reading the Box and Spoon over the last couple of months, you will have noticed the absence of a
Philoxenia House report. This does not mean that the houses have not been busy; in fact we have been shattering
occupancy records this year. So far through November we have had 69 guests and we have had to turn away 18 people
because we have lacked room for them. The reason for the lack of articles is because there has not been a lot of news
to share outside the normal routine, but I do have a couple of items that I would like to share with you this month.
First, in November Father Mark and Johnny Mangouras attended the Clergy-Laity and Philoptochos Conference in
Madison, Wisconsin where they presented information on the Philoxenia House Ministry. Johnny reported back that
the response to their presentation was very positive both in interest and financially. Thank you Father Mark and
Johnny.
Next, I would like to report a new, potentially large financial supporter of the ministry. The Kulis Foundation, located
in Chicago, has contacted us and informed us of their interest in supporting our ministry. We have just begun to
develop a relationship with this organization, so we will have to wait and see how things work out, but there are
indications that this could possibly develop into something extremely beneficial to the Philoxenia House Ministry.
Lastly, I am announcing my resignation as President of the Philoxenia House Ministry. I have held the position over
the past 3 years, and with retirement getting closer, it is time for me to step down. It has been a great pleasure and
honor to be able to serve in this wonderful ministry. I have met many wonderful people over the years and made many
new friends.
Before I close I would like to give a special thanks to Yiannis Kaloumenos and Anna Ryabova. I have to admit that
they are what make this ministry go.
When Yiannis was in Greece this summer, Johnny Mangouras filled in for him as administrator. Johnny came up to
me one day and said, Man, the telephone for the Philoxenia House just doesnt quit ringing. Its just crazy. I know
that Johnny was glad to have Yiannis return!
Anna does the cleaning of the houses which also includes doing
the laundry, so if you take into consideration the fact that we
have had 69 guests this year, that adds up to a lot of work and
time. I have always known that Yiannis and Anna spent a
tremendous amount of time working for the ministry, so I
wanted to give them special thanks and recognition.
Please pick up and enjoy this years edition of the Philoxenia
House newsletter that in now located in the narthex.
Thank you again for allowing me to serve Christ by serving
those in need through this ministry.
In Christ,
Bradley Holman

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Andrew & Anna Chafoulias Memorial Fellowship Hall & Education Center

Building Progress Update

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Stewardship 2016
Thank you, everyone, for a wonderful 2015 Stewardship year, and especially to the many people who
are currently using our online Church Management system! Even if you choose not to give
electronically, we still ask you to log-in and keep your profile up-to-date so that we have the latest
information for our church and tax records.
If you havent already signed up, its very easy to get things going. Please follow the tutorial on the
following pages, and if you have any questions, please email:
stewardshipoutreach@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org
We look forward to another great year as weve been given so much, and God willing, we will see the
opening of our new classrooms and fellowship hall.

2016 STEWARDSHIP THEME:

"FOR EVERYONE TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, FROM HIM
MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED"
LUKE 12:48

2016 STEWARDSHIP FINANCIAL GOAL:

TO BECOME INDEPENDENT OF FESTIVAL INCOME
If you havent already, it about.
$1.50/per day more from your 2014 daily giving amount.
$45/mo. more from your 2014 monthly giving amount.
$500/yr. more from your 2014 pledge.
$40k/yr. more from our current 2014 Stewardship level.
Thats just $10 per week!

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 1: Navigate to our website: www.rochesterorthodoxchurch.org,
then click GIVE ONLINE.

Step 2: click SIGN IN

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 3: click CLICK HERE next to Need a Login?

Step 4: Below is the Account Sign-Up page. Please fill in your email
address and name as we have it on file. Click FIND ME.
If there isnt a match in our database, please contact us at stewardshipoutreach@rochesterorthodoxchurch.org with your preferred email
address and name. Well email you back once our records are updated.
After this, navigate back to the Account Sign-Up page below, and type
in the email address and name you sent us, then click FIND ME.

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 5: Once your record is found, a confirmation pop-up message
will appear. click CLOSE.

Step 6: Check your email account for the verification email.

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 7: Click the link in the verification email to verify your account.

Step 8: Once verified, navigate back to our website, to GIVE

ONLINE, and click SIGN IN once again. This is the same thing we
did in Steps 1 and 2 of this tutorial.

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 9: Welcome to the main page of your new online account!

From here you can:

Update your church profile (click MY COMPLETE PROFILE).

Create a pledge for the year (click PLEDGE NOW).

Give a one-time or recurring donation (click GIVE NOW).

View your giving history (click MY GIVING HISTORY).

Manage your scheduled giving (click MANAGE SCHEDULED

GIVING)

Manage your pledge history (click MY PLEDGE HISTORY).

For the purposes of this tutorial, click GIVE NOW to setup a new
giving donation!

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 10: We encourage you to setup a recurring donation each year
according to your pledge. On this page, you decide how much to give
and whether its a one-time or recurring donation. You determine all
the details for your giving plan! If youd like your recurring donations
to continue beyond one year, just navigate to that future end date.
Once finished, click CONTINUE.

...They heard a host of Heavenly Powers praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men" (Luke 2:8-14)

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 11: Here you designate which funds your money will go to.
For example, if you decided to give $100 every month, you now
designate how much of that $100 will go toward your Stewardship
Pledge, or our Building & Iconography Funds, or our Philoxenia
House ministry.
Once finished, click CONTINUE.

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach.

The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

Stewardship: Online Sign-up Tutorial

Step 12: This is where you designate the payment method youd like
to use for your giving plan.
We incur a 3% transaction fee for credit cards; therefore, we prefer
checking or debit account transfers. That being said, were thrilled to
accept donations regardless of the payment method you choose!
Once finished filling in your details, click CONTINUE!

You may change your giving amount or frequency anytime by clicking

on MANAGE MY SCHEDULED GIVING from the home page!
Stewardship of your time, talent, and treasure is a way of life. We
THANK YOU for giving your financial treasure for the glory of God
and for the building up of His church.