2015.06_BoxandSpoon

Monthly Newsletter for Stewards of

Holy Anargyroi Sts. Kosmas & Damianos Greek Orthodox Church Box & SpoonBox & Spoon

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

The Box & Spoon has been a collaborative publication since 2010 with submissions primarily from team leaders.

Design and Editing: John Maragos

Final Approvals: Fr. Mark

I S SUE

JUNE 20 15

50

Its Easy to Give Up and Give In!

Much of my young adult life has been a deep struggle with depression. One wouldnt be too far amiss to say it is virtually a plague in todays world; in fact, most people I know suffer from some form of anxiety, depression or other form of mental anguish. Many take medication just to be able to feel like they can function in daily life, if even for only a few hours. I remember reading somewhere that my own generation, Generation Y, was known for its pervasive sense of meaningless, depression and the like. Not long ago, someone asked me why someone would choose to be depressed, what benefits could ever result from deciding to give up in some sense, and I know from experience that there are tremendous benefits. Allowing oneself to give up and give in, to succumb to the demon of despair, melancholy, depression and all the rest is like sinking into a cavern, like hiding away under an immense grey blanket where nothing can

touch you or hurt you except yourself.

The problem is, life doesnt stop happening. The world keeps turning, and time keeps slipping away, and oftentimes, the person suffering from depression can only see themselves sliding into a blackness that seems inescapable. Blessed Fr. Seraphim Rose noted that young people in our times have burned themselves out trying to find reality, and either die young or drag out a dreary existence at a fraction of their potential of mind and soul. Giving up and giving in can mean a multitude of different things succumbing to depression and despair is just one of them. Succumbing to the cheap hedonisms of our times; feeding into empty rebellions through various mediums of music, art and subculture that are before long co-opted by the culture at large and turned into big-business; feeding an addiction that fills the void that only the eternal can fill. All of these equal giving up. The Christian life, on any level at all, I feel is a struggle. It is a struggle to deny

oneself in any fashion, to not do what thou wilt as the whole of the law, to live for something higher, something eternal, something beyond what we can see or even fully know. I have found, in my own life, that the wages of living only for oneself, living in the pursuit of pleasure or burning out oneself on the things of this world, are ones of unrest. Just when one thinks they have found peace in something, just when one is comfortable or feels contentment of a kind, the transient nature of all things is revealed. We lose our favorite things, we lose our jobs we thought were secure, our friends and family turn on us, pass away, forget about

us; nothing ever seems to last.

As one looks closer and closer at the world, it seems to me to be only a transient thing, a signpost that points somewhere else. Desperately, many of us search for happiness anywhere we can find it especially those who suffer from despair. We claw and grasp at nearly anything that can give us a fix and alleviate the pain of soul that we feel, and yet how hard it is for us when the thought comes to us that we should turn to God, Who alone can satisfy us? Suddenly, when one is inclined to pray and turn to God for comfort, it is as though the soul and body become deadlocked. Anything and everything comes to mind, offering a multitude of distractions, quick fixes, and easy solutions. If these do not work, despair and frustration set in again, gripping the soul in a kind of frozen grasp, rendering it nearly incapable of doing anything but giving up. How easy it is for the dog

to return to its vomit (cf. Prov. 26:11).

The Christian life is one of not giving up, of not giving in. It is one in which we rely on Christ for our strength, and not ourselves. It is one where we are never alone. This is something we must all take heart in and realize to the very depths of our being. We are not alone in our

struggle.by Jason Liske

Christ our God, upon fulfilling Your dispensation for us, You ascended in Glory uniting the earthly with the heavenly Holy Ascension, May 21st

Andrew & Anna Chafoulias Fellowship Hall and Education

Center

Groundbreaking Ceremony Sunday, June 14th

Following the Divine Liturgy

Please join us as we embark on another historical project in the life of our beloved parish! We will officially begin our new construction project with a blessing of the grounds, groundbreaking, sealing of a time capsule, champagne toast, and luncheon catered by Johnny Mango. Cost is $30 per person which includes the luncheon, drinks, and a commemorative gift. Many blessings to our entire parish family as we begin this new chapter together! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

H.A. partners w/ Thursdays on First to bring our famous Greek Fest Baklava to the hottest Rochester Summer Venue!

We will be operating our Heavenly Baklava booth on the following Thursdays this summer:

June 4th, 11th, 18th July 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

August 13th, 20th Volunteers are needed! Please contact Calli @ [email protected]

As first-fruits of our nature, the world presents the martyred Saints in offering to Thee, O Lord. All Saints, June 7th

O Teachers to the Universe, intercede for peace in the world and for our souls great mercy. Peter & Paul, June 29th

Calendar for June 2015 Monday June 1st Orthodoxy 101 6pm

Tuesday June 2nd Philoptochos Meeting in Church Library 6pm

Mon-Sun June 1st-7th Fast Free Week

Wednesday June 3rd Paraklesis of Healing to St. Nektarios 6pm

Thursday June 4th "Thursdays on First" Booth, volunteers needed 9am-9pm

Fri-Sun June 5th-7th AHEPA Convention in Rochester

Mon-Sun June 8th-28th Fast of the Holy Apostles

Consult Archdiocesan Calendar for daily guidelines


Saturday June 13th GOYA Habitat for Humanity House Dedication 3pm

Sunday June 14th Groundbreaking Ceremony & Luncheon after service

Wednesday June 17th Parish Council Meeting 6:30pm


St. Philothei Ministry @ Zumbro Lutheran 5:50pm

Zumbro Lutheran: 624 3RD AVE SW; meet in Lobby.

Mon-Fri June 22 - July 3 Fr. Mark Away, substitute priest on 6/28/15

Wednesday June 24th Philoxenia Meeting 6pm

Saint Philothei Ministry

The Saint Philothei Project has exciting news! We were in need

of a kitchen, due to the tearing down of the hall, to continue our

ministry. Through the help of St Philothei Team Member, Kyle

Hafar and his brother Matt, Zumbro Lutheran Church has

opened its doors and hearts to our ministry! Thank God!

We held our first project on May 21st in their spacious kitchen

and were also joined by three members of the Zumbro Lutheran

parish to help make the weekend meals for the women and

children at the Shelter. It is truly a blessing for Zumbro Lutheran to extend a helping hand to the St.

Philothei Ministry.

Our next project is on Thursday June 18th; if you are interested in volunteering with us, please meet

in the Zumbro Lutheran lobby at 5:50pm. Zumbro Lutheran Church: 624 3rd AVE SW, Rochester.

Thank you! May St Philothei watch over us and the people we serve, and may God continue to bless

this ministry. The Saint Philothei Team


Parish Council & Building Committee

To our Parish Family,

We are very blessed to officially be moving forward with building of the Andrew and Anna Chafoulias Memorial

Fellowship Hall and Educational Center. To date we have been approved by our own Parish Special Assembly, the

Metropolis Council, the City Planning Commission, and the City Council. Thank you to all that have been involved.

Due to these approvals we have started to finalize some timelines for construction to begin mid-summer. In addition,

please join us for our ground breaking ceremony on Sunday June 14th after Liturgy.

--- View of the southeast corner of the future Andrew and Anna Chafoulias Memorial Fellowship Hall with the

current church dome in the background ---

The current state of our parish hall is in poor condition with a roof in need of repair. We have a barely functional

kitchen with equipment breaking down. We have witnessed a basement foundation that cannot withstand the heavy

rains. We have endured with make-shift classrooms our youth as well as a vehicle recently crashing into the north side

of the building.

We are truly at a loss of words for the situation we could be facing if it had not been for the thoughtful and generous

donation of James Chafoulias and his family. Their wishes to honor their parents and safe guard the future of the

church less than three years ago have provided as many blessings.

Our current budget for the construction, architectural costs, fees, permits, asbestos removal, and kitchen equipment is

$2.6 million. James Chafoulias has agreed to cover the entire cost of this project. We offer our many thanks and

blessings.

~continued on next page~


Parish Council & Building Committee ~continued~

In light of this incredible gift, we have a responsibility in front of us. The current mortgage for our church is

$277,000. We need your help, big or small, to pay off our debt in its entirety. Imagine a year from now to be blessed

with a new classroom addition to the west, a new fellowship hall with commercial kitchen to the east, AND to have

completely paid off our current church mortgage and be entirely debt free. Now imagine what we could offer to our

various ministries and our community without this financial burden.

Despite its current condition, our parish hall has provided many fond memories for our parish that we should be

thankful for as we progress with our future plans as a parish community. We have shared countless hours of

fellowship. We have prepared our ethnic delights and fed thousands for our annual festival. We have celebrated

milestone occasions such as various church anniversaries, parish weddings, baptisms, and chrismations.

On behalf of the Parish Council and Building Committee -

In Christ,

Aaron Biedermann, Parish Council President

Tim Kelly, Building Committee Chair

Prayer changes from entreaty to thanksgiving, and meditation on the divine truths of faith fills the heart with a sense of jubilation and unimpeachable hope. This hope is a foretaste of future blessings, of which the soul even now receives direct experience, and so it comes to know in part the surpassing richness of Gods. +St. John Chrysostom


We had an afternoon Walk with the Saints, dinner, Vespers Service, and a

discussion with Father Mark before lights out. Very early the next morning we

traveled to the St John Chrysostomos Monastery for the Mid-Pentecost with

the nuns. It was a tremendous blessing for all of us!


Youth Team Greetings on the great feast of Pentecost!

We have completed our Church School year, and with that, our last classes in the old fellowship hall. It was a place of worship, of learning, of living the Liturgy after the Liturgy. Joyful memories. Dedicated, faithful people. And now we look excitedly to our new venue an educational wing for our Church School which calls our teachers and students to rise even higher to the occasion to share the Faith and the love of God.

Glory to God for this amazing gift! The JOY group completed the series of Faith Nights for the current calendar year: it was very nice to see how now knowledge comes together and children come up with all sorts of new questions. Having the beautiful iconography around the church definitely helps children connect and process the information better.

Throughout the year we were learning, and became more familiar with various Bible stories: The children were encouraged not forget about the Bible and our dear church during the summer months but rather to read more of the stories that we can only touch upon during the Sunday School classes or Faith Nights.

We learned how to become Heroes of Faith, Prophets of Faith and be prepared with the Armor of Faith that our Church gives us.


Youth Team ~continued~

The Church School end-of-year recognition program highlighted our seniors Jacob Brekke and Lia Mangouras. Not only do the seniors receive an icon specially chosen by Fr Mark which speaks to their individual gifts, but the teens select one of their peers to receive the GOYA Good Shepherd award. The students are asked to vote for the classmate who has contributed the most to their education and experience by participation and example. It is very telling that Jacob received both the Good Shepherd award and this very icon from Fr Mark in recognition of his dedication to youth fellowship and his leadership among the altar servers. Congratulations, Jacob!! We hope our graduates will keep in touch and join us for an outing now and again. (PssstCanoeing August 3rd save the date!) Once a GOYAn, always a GOYAn!

Church School recognition was followed by our annual picnic for students, families, and teachers. Smiles tell the story.

We are not certain what form our youth education will take when we formally reconvene in the fall. Rest assured, we will be considering options actively as we await our new classroom space. Meanwhile, we hope all of our families will make the effort to continue to call Sunday the Lords Day, and make time for Liturgy and parish life. Be sure to pick up the Childrens Bulletin every week and read through it as a family. You might be surprised what you may learn!

On this occasion of Pentecost, may we be renewed, guided, and comforted by the life-creating Holy Spirit.

Blessings to all!

Your Youth Team, Loredana Jerghiuta, Mike Brekke, Halina Woroncow

Prayer changes from entreaty to thanksgiving, and meditation on the divine truths of faith fills the heart with a sense of jubilation and unimpeachable hope. This hope is a foretaste of future blessings, of which the soul even now receives direct experience, and so it comes to know in part the surpassing richness of Gods. +St. Ambrose of Optina


Philoxenia House Dear brothers and sisters,

May was a fun and profitable month for the Philoxenia House Ministry. On May 1, Father George Lamberis and the GOYA of St. Haralambos Greek Orthodox Church in Niles, IL journeyed over 300 miles to Rochester for a weekend of hard work. The biggest job was the staining of the Philoxenia House deck. Probably more than 100 spindles and annoying rose bush thorns made this a painstaking job which was done might I add without complaint.

The next project was the landscaping. Over the years the landscaping had gotten overgrown and unattractive. The group traveled to Home Depot and purchased new mulch and flowers. When they returned they pulled weeds around the houses and up the driveway and installed the new mulch and planted the flowers. The final outdoor project was mowing the lawn which a couple of the GOYA boys begged to do.

Inside the houses, two of the bathrooms required repairing in order to pass our county inspection. Several of the boys spent the whole weekend inside scraping ceilings, patching cracks and painting. In the end, the project looked as if we had hired professional tradesmen to do the work. In addition to this; they presented us a monetary gift of $3000 from GOYA and Philoptochos fundraisers.

After a hard weekend of work, we were blessed to have the whole group join us for Divine Liturgy and coffee hour that follow. Thank you for all of your hard work and enthusiasm in helping us St. Haralambos GOYA. What a blessing to know you.

Also I have a couple of final notes on the weekend. I want to thank Johnny and Denise Mangouras who supplied the group with Gyros and fries Saturday for lunch and box lunches for their long bus ride home. Also I would like to thank Michael Chase from Toppers Pizza. Michael happened to be driving by late that Saturday morning and saw the kids working on the houses. When he heard the story of the kids and their mission, he went to work and had free pizza delivered to the kids.

In Christ, Bradley Holman President Philoxenia House Ministry St. Haralambos GOYA posing with one of the finished products

It is not difficult to get rid of material things if you so desire; but only with great effort will you be able to get rid of thoughts about them. + St. Thalassios the Libyan, Philokalia Vol. 2


Philoptochos Society

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On May 16th, we held a Walkathon at Silver Lake to raise funds for our mission work. It was a great group of people who donated generously, $520 was raised, and we enjoyed each others company. Thank you so much to all who participated.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, June 2nd, at 6pm in the Church library. At this time we will elect the board and move forward for the next two year term. This is the end of my four years as Philoptochos President and I am very thankful to God and all of you for the opportunity to serve. Thank you Society members for your inspiration in your dedication to Philoptochos, your hard work and enthusiasm. Thank you Father Mark for your support to Philoptochos, your blessings and for being there when we needed you.

In parting, here is beginning of the National Philoptochos Mission statement that, ideally, is the personal mission of every member in their work for the Lord. In Philoptochos, we are here to aid the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the aged, the sick, the unemployed, the orphaned, the imprisoned, the widowed, the disabled, the victims of disasters, to undertake the burial of impoverished persons, and to offer assistance to anyone who may need the help of the Church through fundraising efforts.

It is my prayer that we continue to seek and love the Lord with all our hearts as well as love and help others, as best as we humanly can. Love for the Lord, celebrating the Divine Liturgy, the Sacraments, the Scripture, the writings of the Holy Fathers are all at the center of what we participate in as Orthodox Christians...our mission work is a part of this center with the foundation being faith, love, humility, and repentance. Please keep me, my family and our work for the Lord in your prayers.

Thank God for the journey, with sisterly love in CHRIST, Calli Kelly, Philoptochos President So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13

The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together. Men will take up arms and even sacrifice their lives for the sake of this love. St. Paul would not speak so earnestly about this subject without serious reason; why else would he say, Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord? Because when harmony prevails, the children are raised well, the household is kept in order, and neighbors, friends, and relatives praise the result. Great benefits, both of families and states, are thus produced. When it is otherwise, however, everything is thrown into confusion and turned upside-down.

+ St. John Chrysostom, Homily 20 on Ephesians


Stewardship Reminder: Your Online Stewardship Accounts!

Thank you to the many people who are currently using our new online Church Management & Stewardship 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.

In addition, you can view how much you've already given at any time regardless of how you donated it, so its the best place to check your Stewardship status, and its available to you 24/7.

If you havent already signed up, its very easy to get things going. Please follow the tutorial here: http://www.boxandspoon.org/2015_StewardshipWebTutorial.pdf If you have any further questions email: [email protected]

2015 STEWARDSHIP THEME: TO BECOME INDEPENDENT OF FESTIVAL INCOME

Thats 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, or Bringing lunch to work once a week. Drinking a couple less lattes each week.


2015 AHEPA Convention in Rochester!!

June 5th, 6th, 7th

Your Rochester AHEPANS welcome everyone to the annual AHEPA District Convention. This is a chance to meet people from around the upper Midwest and Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas, Missouri and Nebraska.

AHEPA is American Hellenic Education and Progressive Association. This organization has donated Millions of dollars through various scholarships and charitable giving. Locally the Rochester AHEPA was instrumental in the formation of

Holy Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church in 1954. Click here for more information on AHEPA: http://ahepa.org/ahepa/

One of the main beneficiaries of this years convention is The Famed Saint Nicholas National Shrine at World Trade Center in New York City. AHEPA is one of the Main Donors of this worthy and inspiring project

at Ground Zero.



June 5th, 6th, 7th Friday, June 5th is a real great party starting at 6pm at the Rochester Civic Theatre. The Civic Theatre is renowned for their outdoor patio and great food and drink. Famed Culinary artist Johnny Mangouras will be serving Fresh lamb roasted slowly over the open fires. Gyros, Souvlakia and more! Great music, Ethnic dancing from The Greek Dancers of Minnesota and more Great entertainment! A great night on the patio for all ages!

Saturday, June 6th is the grand banquet. We will be honoring local and regional dignitaries. Randy Chapman Publisher of the Rochester Post Bulletin will be the keynote speaker. The Levendes Band will have Greek and American music & dancing all night! This is a family affair and all are invited!

AHEPA Rochester Convention website: http://www.rochestercvb.org/ahepa/

Pre-purchase tickets here: http://ahepaconv2015.weebly.com

Return this portion with check made payable to AHEPA to:

AHEPA 1508 Northern Valley Dr. NE

Rochester, MN 55906

Number Amount ADULTS: $95 in advance; $135 at door X ___________ = $__________

STUDENTS: (High school or college) $65 X ___________ = $__________ CHILDREN: $30 X ___________ = $__________ (Above prices include Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday events) SUBTOTAL: = $__________

Individual Events: Adult Student Child Number Amount Friday Night at Civic Theatre $30 $30 $15 X ___________ = $__________ Saturday Night Banquet $50 $40 $20 X ___________ = $__________ Sunday Lunch $20 $20 $10 X ___________ = $__________

SUBTOTAL: = $__________ CHECK TOTAL: = $__________ NAME: ____________________________



June 5th, 6th, 7th

CONVENTION AD BOOK Return this portion with ad copy AND check made payable to AHEPA to:

AHEPA 1508 Northern Valley Dr. NE

Rochester, MN 55906 AD SIZE PRICE FULL PAGE: $ 250 HALF PAGE: $ 150 QUARTER PAGE:$ 100 EIGHTH PAGE: $ 75

NAME: _____________________________ CHECK TOTAL: $__________

2015.06_BoxandSpoon

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