Community Bulletin
Parish Council
JANUARY / FEBRUARY
2017
SUNDAY SERVICES
8:15a.m. Matins & Divine Liturgy
PARAKLESIS
Last service on February 7th, at
10:00 a.m.; suspended during Lent.
OTHER SERVICES
FEB. 1ST — FEB. 28TH
 Wed. Feb.1, 6:00 p.m. Vespers
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Presentation of our Lord in the
Temple
Thur. Feb 2, 9:00 a.m. Matins &
Liturgy — The Presentation of our
Lord in the Temple
Mon. Feb. 6, 9:00 a.m. Matins &
Liturgy — St. Photios,
Thur. Feb. 9, 6:00 p.m. Evening
Liturgy — St. Haralambos the
Hieromartyr
Sat. Feb. 18, 9:00 a.m. Matins &
Liturgy — 1st Saturday of Souls
Sat. Feb. 25, 9:00 a.m. Matins &
Liturgy — Holy Ascetics and 2nd
Saturday of Souls
Sun. Feb. 26, 5:00 p.m. Forgiveness
Vespers
Mon. Feb. 27, 7:00 p.m. Compline
New Officers: Peter Keretsis, President; Elizabeth
Kleto, VP; Theodora Sexstone, Treas.; Jim Thomas,
Ass’t Tr.; Kholoud Alyateem, Sec.; Maria Mortis,
Ass’t Sec.; General Members: Christina Bonderer,
Chris Levantis, John Nichols, Patrick Taylor, and
John Tsefrikas,
The next Parish Council meeting will be Monday,
February 20th at 6:00 p.m. If you would like an item
added to the agenda, contact the office by
Wednesday, February 15th.
Saturday of souls —
February 18th, 25th , & March 4th
Please submit in person, names to be
commemorated on the specific Saturday of Souls
you are attending. Matins begins at 9:00 a.m. We
ask that kolyva (memorial wheat) and/or names be
brought to church no later than 10:00 a.m. on
Saturday morning. The ushers on duty will be there
to assist you. Please clearly print or type the names
to be read.
Looking Ahead
 Festival of Faith, March 11
 Diakonia Retreat Center Banquet, April 25
Beyond St. Nektarios
 Late Winter Clergy Syndesmos Retreat,
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IN THIS MAILING:
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2017 Lenten Services Schedule
Forgiveness Vespers
February to May Calendar of Events
Stewardship Appreciation Sunday
February Volunteer Heartfelt Thanks
Flower Sponsorships for Lent &
Pascha
Bahanovich Baptism Invitation
Wednesdays Presanctified Liturgies
and Lenten Soup Suppers
Young at Heart
Metropolis Family Life Ministry Blogs
2017 OCMC Mission trips
Adult Religious Education
Scout News
Becoming Orthodox classes
Project Mexico
Youth Ministries
Philoptochos News
Philoptochos Lenten Retreat
ST. NEKTARIOS
GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
5108 KUYKENDALL RD.
CHARLOTTE, NC 28270
WWW.STNEKTARIOS.ORG
PH: 704-708-4669
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February 14—16 at the Diakonia Center
Daughters of Penelope Queen of Hearts High Tea
and Fashion Show, February 18 at Carmel
Country Club. To make a reservation, contact
Diane Leventis at 704-366-8284 or
[email protected].
OPA! Greek Night Sat. Feb. 25, 2017 at
Greenville SC. Sponsored by Daughters of
Penelope Lyra Chapter 241. Authentic Greek
Dinner, Dancing and Entertainment by the
Fabulous Grecian Keys. For more information
email: [email protected].
Heritage Greece 2017, June 8—25. An
unforgettable opportunity for college students to
explore their Greek heritage. For more
information, visit www.acg.edu/heritage.
Metropolis Clergy Laity Assembly, Philoptochos &
Southeastern Choir Federation Conference,
June 21—24th in Raleigh, NC.
Young Orthodox Scholars Summer Program July
7-15. College accredited honors program. The
Center for Orthodox Thought and Culture of the
Agora Institute at Eastern University in
Pennsylvania. 502-417-2847.
www.agorainstitnute.org/org/cotc
40th Annual Choir Conference, July 28—31st in
Boca Raton, FL.
Registration is open for Orthodox Pilgrimage
Cruise to Alaska, September 2—9. For more
information, visit www.orthodoxcruises.com.
2017 HOUSE BLESSINGS
Father John will be available for house blessings
starting January 9th. Contact the office is schedule
an appointment at 704-708-4669.
If you are unable to schedule an appointment, you
may take some Holy Water and a prayer card to
bless your home.
PETER & FAYE COUCHELL
SCHOLARSHIP
Applications will be available at St. Nektarios
beginning March 1 and will be accepted from
March 15 to 31 for Members in Good Standing or
their children. Up to 10 scholarships will be
awarded.
Coffee Hour Hosted by . . .
We invite people celebrating their feast days to cohost Coffee Hour on:
 February 12th—St. Haralambos
Please contact the office no later than the
Tuesday before to sign-up.
Parish assembly
The next Parish Assembly will be held on Sunday,
February 26, 2016, following Divine Liturgy.
Better Late than Never
Book Club
The next meeting is Tuesday, February 28th to
discuss Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford.
The Book Club meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Starbucks
on Rea Rd., in the Trader Joe’s shopping center.
The group is always welcoming new members. For
more information, please contact Maria Demakis at
[email protected].
Sacramental Wine &
Pure Olive Oil
You may honor or commemorate family by making
a financial gift to help defray the cost of the
sacramental wine that is used for Holy Communion.
Please note on the memo line of your check or on
the envelope “Communion Wine”. You may also
donate a bottle or can of pure olive oil which is then
blessed at the Shrine of St. Nektarios and is offered
in the anointing kits. Please feel free to bring this
with you to any of our services and give to an usher
on duty. For additional information contact the
church office.
Second Trays
Periodically, we pass a second tray on Sundays to
support those causes beyond St. Nektarios. In
February, we have one opportunity to offer our
assistance:
 On February 5th, for the Metropolis of Atlanta
Clergy Education Fund. The funds are collected
through Philoptochos.
2017
St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church
G U I D E T O L E N T E N W E E K DAY S E RV I C E S
Great Compline
Every Monday, February 27 through April 3 at 7:00 p.m.
The service of the Compline is done in monasteries on a daily basis before one retires for sleep. It is used in our churches during the season of Lent, on
either Monday, Tuesday or Thursday. This 45 minute-long service consists mostly of Psalm readings and prayers and ends with the very powerful hymn,
“Lord of the Powers”. The service of the Great Compline allows us an opportunity to pray and reflect, to cry out for God’s mercy and forgiveness, and to
acknowledge that all our hopes and salvation must be placed in God’s hands.
Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts
Every Wednesday, March 1 through April 5 at 6:00 p.m. Followed by a Community Lenten Soup Supper
Since the Divine Liturgy is a festive and joyous celebration, it is not celebrated on week-days during Lent. This celebration is reserved only for Sundays,
the Saturdays of the Souls and the Feast of the Annunciation. The Divine Liturgy is not conducted on other days as a way of maintaining the solemnity of
the season. However, because Lent is a period of fasting, it should also be a period of more frequent reception of Holy Communion. Therefore, at a
Presanctified Liturgy their is no consecration of the Gifts during the service. The Gifts have been consecrated usually on the preceding Sunday at a regular
Divine Liturgy.
The service lasts just over an hour and contains the service of the Ninth Hour and the Vespers, with Holy Communion added at the end. Those who
choose to keep the entire fast are encouraged to attend this service and to receive Holy Communion as a way of sustaining the fast by receiving the Body
and Blood of Christ even more frequently during this period of spiritual discipline.
Salutations to the Theotokos
Every Friday, March 3 through 24 at 7:00 p.m.
March 24 will include Great Vespers for the Annunciation
The Akathist Hymn consists of hymns and prayers and is divided into four sections which correspond to the themes of the Annunciation, Nativity, Christ,
and the Theotokos herself. One section is sung on the first four Fridays of Lent. The hymn in its entirely is sung on the fifth Friday of Lent (see below). The
Akathist Hymn
Friday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m.
The Akathist Hymn is a beautiful poem of praise and devotion to the Mother of our Lord. It was sung in the year 626 in the Church of the Theotokos in
Constantinople on the occasion of the deliverance and freedom of Constantinople from the barbarians.
The Akathist is composed of twenty-four stanzas, each stanza beginning with a letter of the Greek alphabet from Alpha to Omeg a. The Hymn is
divided into four parts, one part sung on each of the Fridays of Lent (Salutations) and on the fifth Friday, the Hymn is sung in its entirety. It is called
"Akathist" because the people, out of love, devotion and gratefulness to the Theotokos for Her miracle and deliverance, stood during the entire Hymn.
Heart-felt Thanks
Send a Note of Appreciation to a
Church Volunteer.
Look for our banner in the Spiritual Life Center.
Attach a pre-printed heart (available by the
banner) addressed to the volunteer.
 Banner will be up beginning February 5th through
the end of month.
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Copyright: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/profile_maxborovkov'>maxborovkov / 123RF Stock Photo</a>
Remember your loved ones with an offering of flowers. During the upcoming
Lenten and Paschal season there are special opportunities listed below. For more
information and to reserve your spot, contact the office at 704-708-4669 .
 Weekly Sponsorships for the Shrine, solea, and Narthex arrangements begin
Sunday, Feb. 26th and continue weekly through Sunday, Apr. 2nd. The flowers are
used for the weekly Compline, Presanctified Liturgy and Salutation services.
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Flowers for the Veneration of the Holy
Cross on Mar. 19th
Sanctuary arrangements for
Palm Sunday
Palms for Palm Sunday crosses
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Wreath and arrangement on the base
adorning the Cross on Holy Thursday
Flowers for the dome of the
Kouvouklion on Holy Friday
Resurrection flower arrangements
Check out the Metropolis Family Life
Ministry website …
www.familylifeministry.atlanta.goarch.org
Blogs & Programs:
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Social Faith
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Joyful Noise
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Orthodox Children’s Book Reviews
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The Journey of Marriage
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Mommy and Me (& Daddy too)
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One Daily Thought: Daily Family
Devotionals
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Start the Conversation
S t . N e k ta r i o s
Adult Religious Education
2017 Winter Session
 Sunday — Points Well Made — offered by
Fr. Seraphim, weekly, following the Gospel reading.
 Tuesday Evening — The Creed in the Scriptures —
offered by Fr. Steve through Feb. 7th
 Wednesday Evening — Our Parishioners Want to
Know — offered by Gerry Clonaris through Feb. 8th
 Thursday Evening — Becoming Orthodox — offered
by Fr. Steve on Feb. 2nd, 16th & 23rd (NO class on
Feb. 9th, worship session during Evening Liturgy)
Special Events
 Wednesday and Tuesday,
Scout Sunday, February 5th
All Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl
Scouts in the community are invited to join
Troop and Pack 490 for Scout Sunday. Invite
your friends and family from other troops. Please wear your uniforms
and sit together during Divine Liturgy.
Visit the Boy Scout table in the Fellowship Hall to pick-up bags for
Scouting for Food and to place your BBQ pre-orders.
Drop off your filled Scouting for Food
bags on Scout Sunday, February 5th.
Pick-up your BBQ orders on February 12th.
Feb. 15th & 21st
Lenten Worship: Not Just for
Dummies — offered by
Fr. Seraphim
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 Saturday, Mar. 11
Festival of Faith
th
 Saturday of Lazarus, Apr. 8
Matins & Teaching Liturgy
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 Sunday, Apr. 9
Palm Sunday program
Consequently,
faith comes from hearing
the message, and the
message is heard through
the word about Christ.
Romans 10:17
Becoming
Orthodox
Thursdays, February 2nd, 16th & 23rd
Presented by Fr. Steve Dalber and Fr. John Wallace
[email protected]
[email protected]
During the three sessions, we answer
questions that non-Orthodox people have about
the faith and help them understand what it
means to enter the Orthodox faith through Holy
Chrismation should they choose to do so. For
those who plan to be chrismated and cannot
make the class, appointments can be arranged to
fit your schedule.
This class is also appropriate for those already
Orthodox who would like to learn or review the
basics of the faith. Topics include an overview of
church history, understanding Holy Tradition, the
development of The Creed, the nature of the Holy
Trinity and more.
TEAM
TIME
LOCATION
Girls
NOON
Charlotte Christian
6th Boys
NOON
Holy Trinity Middle School
8th Boys
NOON
St. Patrick