ST. THOMAS
EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
555 S Cleveland-Massillon Road
Fairlawn, OH 44333-3109
Phone 330.666.8006 or 330-328-5393
Web Site www.stteoc.com
Rev.Fr. Vladimir Bakurdzhiev, Pastor
Ph. 330-819-8463 frvlado@stteoc.com
Subdeacons: Daniel Machar & James Waltenberger
Choir Director – Sara Tyrrell
Parish President – Daniel Machar
Church Secretary – Annie Fry
Ph. 330-328-5393 info@stteoc.com
A parish of the
Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese
of the USA, Canada, and Australia
Sunday, November 3, 2013
19th Sunday after Pentecost
| Scripture lesson for November 3rd: | |||
| 19th Sunday after Pentecost | Tone 2 | ||
| Epistle: | 2 Cor 11:31-12:9 | Gospel: | Luke 8:41-56 |
| Scripture lesson for November 10th: | |||
| 20th Sunday after Pentecost | Tone 3 | ||
| Epistle: | Gal 1:11-19 | Gospel: | Luke 10:25-37 |
Birthdays: Kristen Latchaw (3)
Anniversaries:
Please Pray For: Ted Chuparkoff, Julie Steingass' mother, Chris Kostoff (at home, 161 Grayling Drive, Fairlawn 44333), Mildred Petroff, mother of Patricia Kline (Arbors at Fairlawn, Room 613), Frances Petroff (with daughter Elaine Vrabel, 6451 Aberdeen Lane, Medina, Ohio 44256), Popedia Marika Mitov, (son Michael's home, 451 River Bend Blvd., Kent, Ohio 44240, 330-730-9658), Mike, Andrea and Brennan Domangue (Mike has MS), Todd Kurilko, Nick Karakis, George Karakis, , Jean & Alex Sombaty, Popedia Mary Christoff, Paul Nakovski
v Happy Birthday, Father Vlado! Popedia Toni is sponsoring Coffee Hour in Father's honor for his birthday which was on Thursday. Join them for the celebration.
v Reverse Raffle tickets are now available for the November 9th and going fast! Don't forget to see a board member to get yours before they are gone! Tickets are $50 for one chance at the raffle and 2 of our famous prime rib.
v Auction items are needed for Silent Auction at the Reverse Raffle. Contact your favorite vendors for certificates or put together a basket of goodies with a theme. Collaborate on a gift item with your friends or family. We need eye catching items to make the Auction a success! Solicitation and thank you letters for items are available at coffee hour.
v Let's study James! Not just any James, but the letter of James to fellow believers back in the day. It's a letter full of practical every day advice to help us live more loving, godly lives. Join us for four Thursday nights from 7-8:30p for lively, interactive discussions in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Come and discover why James was called "Old Camel Knees".
| Nov. 7 | Dorothy Frengou | 75 East Dartmore Ave. Akron 44301 |
| Nov. 21 | Dorothy Frengoun | |
| Dec. 5 | Annie Fry | 4479 Copley Rd. Copley 44321 |
| Dec. 12 | Steve & Rose Yovanovich | 446 Strattford Rd. Fairlawn 44333 |
You are encouraged to read the five short chapters of James prior to the first night--but fear not--there will be no pop quiz!
v It is cookie sale time again! Pollywogs to Frogs Consignment Sale will return in November. We will be holding our concurrent bake sale on November 15th and 16th and need your help. Please bake a batch of cookies to sale that weekend. Delivery by Thursday, November 14th, if possible. See Annie Fry for details.
v Father would like to get to know your family! Father Vlado will be visiting homes during the week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays to better connect with our parish family. If you would like to have Father pay you a visit, sign up at coffee hour on the front table.
v The holidays are just around the corner! It is time to fire up the mixer and get baking for our holiday cookie sale. Se the schedule to find out when you can be part of the St. Thomas Elf Team!
v Check it out! During Coffee Hour view the Team's bulletin board for full job listings. Pick your project and sign up! You only need to look around the church to see what this group can accomplish. See Jim Wood or Father Vlado for more information.
v Women Wanted : The Call to Duty team is not just for men. The women of St. Thomas have been working for our parish since its founding. See Jim Wood or Father Vlado if you are interested in joining this amazing team.
v Help a Hero
by donating your unopened toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss or travel sized mouthwash for our soldiers stationed overseas. Please place them in the box that will be placed in the church basement next
STEWARDSHIP # 17: DISCOVER IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF MAKING GOOD DECISIONS
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).
IDEA: How is self-knowledge important in discerning God's will? When it comes to making decisions about your life and the direction it should take, focus on your strengths, not on your weaknesses.
So far, the biblical principles for decision-making have all focused on godly attitudes:
· We are to submit to the sovereign will of God.
· We are to submit to the moral will of God.
· We are to be motivated by agape love as we seek the best for others.
Now it's time for some personal analysis. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul writes: "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Here Paul calls for a radical reorganization of our approach to life. He begins by encouraging us to be realistic: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you. not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith" (Romans 12:3).
Paul's message is urgent: We need to be sober in our judgment of our gifts and talents. We ought to know our strengths. We ought to know our weaknesses. We shouldn't think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Nor should we put ourselves down.
Then, having an understanding of what our gifts and abilities are, we need to go with our strengths (Romans 12:4-8).
Unfortunately, we don't always do that. Often we have a strange fascination with our weaknesses. Perhaps we pay more attention to our weaknesses because we're insecure about them.
Or maybe our weaknesses are always cropping up in life. Sometimes we focus on our weaknesses by accepting opportunities for which we are not prepared, e.g., playing the church pipe organ when our abilities are limited to the harmonica.
Instead, Paul tells us: "Know yourself. Do what you can to shore up your weaknesses, but go with your strengths!" We see this played out in Acts 6:3-4 in the Jerusalem church. The apostles went with their strengths and trusted the strengths of others. In doing so, they made a wise decision.
If you want to build a house, you don't want a violinist. If you're going to lead an orchestra, you don't want a bricklayer.
No two of us are exactly alike. None of us has every gift and ability. Our responsibility is to exercise the gifts we have, not the ones we wish we had.
When it comes to making decisions about your life and the direction it should take, focus on your strengths, not on your weaknesses. Know yourself. Know what you do well, then go with your strengths.
Prayer Request Sunday October 27, 2013 | Offered By |
| For the health of my family & myself | Anna Arfaras |
| For the health of Ted Chuparkoff & Chris Kostoff | Joanne Theodore |
| For the health of Wayne & Katherine Waltenberger, Dorothy Jean Waltenberger and Jimmy & Eleanor Jackson | Subdeacon Jim & Robin Waltenberger |
| Thank you to the whole parish for celebrating our 50th anniversary with us | George & Carol Karakis |
| Sunday, October 27, 2013 |
|
| Candle Offering | $38.00 |
| Weekly Envelopes | $481.00 |
| Loose Tray Collection | $26.00 |
| Donations | $40.00 |
| Coffee Hour | $40.00 |
| TOTAL | $625.00 |
From Abbas and Ammas
As long as the prayers and invocations have not yet been made, the Eucharist is mere bread and a mere cup. But when the great and wondrous prayers have been recited, then the bread becomes the Body and the cup, the Blood, of Our lord Jesus Christ. The Word descends on the bread and the cup and it becomes Body and Blood.
St Athanasius
week.
