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Announcements for the 27th Sunday after Pentecost, 2021

Sunday of the Holy Fathers Dec 20/ Jan 2 2021

http://www.orthodox.net/txt/front-page-info.doc

Services this week. 2

Nativity – Friday, Jan 7 2022. 3

Nativity Baptisms. 3

Nativity Yolka. 4

Important safety directions after church: 4

Home-School coop! 5

Stewardship Drive. 5

Mitey Mites. 5

Saving Orthodox Piety. 5

Links to get involved. 5

Will you join our ministry?. 6

Recent articles. 6

 

Welcome to everybody who is joining us for the first time. Please fill out a visitor card, and take a coffee mug. We offer a light meal at the hall down the street after the service -- please join us and get to know us!

 

Remember that we are in the midst of the Nativity Fast! We fast with PURPOSE, by giving up foods as prescribed by the calendar, being measured in the foods that we do eat, and by a renewed attention to God’s commandments and to fighting our passions and cultivating virtue. I also recommend that you read the scriptures more, with attention.

 

Services this week

Date/Time                  Service

Date/Time                  Service

Mon                            No Service

Tue am                        No Service

Tue/6pm                     Paraklesis to St Nikiforos

Tue/7pm                     Vespers

Wed/9am                   Divine Liturgy

Wed/6pm                   Moleben to St. Panteleimon

Wed/7pm                   Vespers  - Prefestival of the Nativity

Thu/8am                     Royal Hours

Thu/9 or 9:30am        Vesperal Divine Liturgy

Thu/6:30pm               Nativity Vigil

Fri/9am                       Hours and Divine Liturgy - Nativity

Sat/2-5pm                   Confession by sign-up

Sat/5-8pm                   Vigil

Sun/8:30am                Confession by sign-up

Sun/9am                     Hours and Divine Liturgy

Sun/12:30pm              Sunday School:

                        - Grades K-2 (please register) with Liudmila

                        - Grades 3-5 (please register) with Matushka Marina

                        - Grades 6-8 (please register) with Magdalen

                        - Grades 9-12 (please register) with Fr. Nicholas

                        - Adult Bible Study with Rdr. David

                        - Catechism class with Fr. Seraphim

 

We have a lot of new members.  Welcome! If any of you would like information on how to get involved in our sisterhood or brotherhood, or any other needs, please see Reader Sergius (or most of the men) or MMarina (or  most of the women).  There are lots of ways to get to know people, and to be involved.

Nativity – Friday, Jan 7 2022

 

Nativity will be on Friday, January 7. 

 

Please plan to attend services on both the 6th and the 7th! Also, please prepare to receive Holy Communion on the Feast. Plan ahead if possible by making your confession on the weekend prior. Contact us if times available are not sufficient and you need to schedule confession during the week.

Trapeza will be a potluck, and a sign up sheet for this is on the fridge at the hall.  What have you been looking forward to eating again? Bring some to trapeza to share with us all!  Serving and clean up will be all hands on deck as well.  Thank you in advance for everyone's help!

 

Nativity Baptisms

 

Baptisms will be at 8am, the morning of the Nativity of our Savior.

Given name – Patron, Commemoration, Sponsor

1.       Michael Miller - Archangel Michael, Nov 8/21 (Commemoration of Michael and the bodiless hosts), Sep 6/19 Miracle of Archangel Michael, at Khona), SPONSOR:Augustine

2.       Blaine Stewart – St Blane of Bute +7th Century, SPONSOR:Augustine

3.       Trista Ingwerson– Martyr Ariana, Oct 1/Sept 18 2^nd Century SPONSOR:Tatiana (in Canada), Tamara (Tasza) Wells

4.       Tiarra Ingwerson - Virgin Martyr Dymphna +7^th Century Mat 15/18 SPONSOR:Tatiana (in Canada) ,Tamara (Tasza) Wells

5.       Jurijs Girtakovskis  - George the Great Martyr +April 23/May 6, 303 SPONSOR:Augustine

 

Nativity Yolka

Our annual Christmas program is the Sunday after Christmas, January 9.  Trapeza team 2 will bring generous main dishes, and serve and clean up.  The sides and desserts will be potluck, so there is a second potluck for you to participate in; signup is on the fridge!

 

We are anticipating seeing the Wise Men again that Sunday, so be preparing your "performance gifts" for them to see and share when they get to Bethlehem to see new born Babe in a manger!  Sign up for this is on the counter at the back of the church, and at the hall.  See Mila if you have any questions.  Brief individual and group performances are highly encouraged!

 

As we do every year, we will be collecting $5/family who is able, to reimburse the wise men for the gifts they always bring for our children.  This can be given to MMarina.

 

Important safety directions after church:

Parents, please SUPERVISE your children. Accompany them to the hall and to their classes.

At the hall, children should play INSIDE the fences behind the building, not in the front or all over the property.

 

Please remember that it is not sufficient to just come to Sunday Liturgy! If you wish to find salvation, you must be pursuing a conscious Orthodox Life, centered around prayer and fulfillment of God's commandments. You must be fighting the passions of your soul and body with the aid of frequent confession, and communion as often as your confessor advises.

The primary -- or probably the ONLY -- reason for the troubles ailing our world is OUR SIN and our lack of repentance. If we repent -- if we confess, receive communion and strive to live according to the commandments with faith and prayer -- then God will take care of diseases, civil conflicts, and so forth.

 

Home-School coop!  

Every Wednesday, after liturgy. We are starting small, but with God’s help, and the active participation of our parish family, we will expand and eventually have an alternative or public school. Both Fr Seraphim and Fr Nicholas adamantly believe that if it is at all possible, the family should not have their children educated in public school. It is going to take some work to get there!

 

Stewardship Drive

 

Mitey Mites. 

 

End of this week's announcements.

Saving Orthodox Piety

Please remember that it is not sufficient to just come to Sunday Liturgy! If you wish to find salvation, you must be pursuing a conscious Orthodox Life, centered around prayer and fulfillment of God's commandments. You must be fighting the passions of your soul and body with the aid of frequent confession, and communion as often as your confessor advises.

If you wish to receive communion regularly (you should!), you must confess every 2-3 weeks, fast and pray as recommended by your confessor, attend the evening services before communion, say the appointed preparation prayers and fast from midnight, and be on time for the Liturgy.

 

 

Links to get involved

·       Latest Announcements: http://www.orthodox.net/announcements/

·       Monthly Trapeza sign-up (needs password)

·       Sisterhood seasonal signup (needs password)

·       Signup for Confession (https://signup.com/go/GmQhOMA)

·       Mitey Mites PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=FHWE4PALUPG7U&source=url

·       Monthly Calendar: http://www.orthodox.net/calendar

·       Get a password: Fr Seraphim (seraphim@orthodox.net), Fr Nicholas, or a member of the sisterhood

·        Fr Seraphim (rector): 972 658-5433 seraphim@orthodox.net

Will you join our ministry?

We really mean that. It’s not just words. To donate to our building fund, and send us the names of your loved ones in your nuclear family, we will pray for them forever, at every liturgy. If you want we can keep you informed about things happening in our little country church in McKinney Texas. Just let us know your email address and your desire to be kept informed.

You can donate via PayPal, at: Donate to St Nicholas Orthodox Church

 

We are happy to accept checks which are even better because there’s no processing fee taken out. Mail to St Nicholas Orthodox Church, 708 S Chestnut, McKinney, TX 75069

 

Please, with your donation however you make it, send us the names of your nuclear family and who is Orthodox and who is not. Also, send us the names of your loved ones that have reposed. We will pray for them as long as the walls of our church are standing, in perpetuity.

Recent articles

St Herman of Alaska - a model for prison ministry - any ministry!

 

http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/saints-12-12_2021+herman-of-alaska+prison-ministry.mp3

 

12-12/25 2021 This is the homily on St. Herman’s day, at the “St. Joseph the All Comely Orthodox Prison Ministry” parole house in Marshall Texas. This wonderful Saint is a perfect model for prison ministry and … any ministry, and anybody’s life. We talk about his holiness and his “ministry model”. It wasn’t complicated. It was: become holy, acquire the gifts of the spirit, and talk with angels!  Through his holy prayers we emulate him, even if only a little bit.

 

Children's sermon: We are a lamp. What to do when you are afraid. Jesus called us His mother!

 

http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pen-wed-29_2021+childrens-sermon-conception-anna_luke21.mp3

 

0:00 - What is a children’s sermon and

0:47 – 2:22 learning to apply the scripture to your life.

2:22 – Exegesis Lk 21.5-7, 10, 11, 20-24. Prophesy of Destruction of the temple.

6:02 – 7:45 The Jewish religion is like a baby who was supposed to grow into Christianity.

9:26 the solution to fear.

12:29 Take heed, then how you hear, for whoever

14:04 And his mother and his brethren…

 

 

 

Children’s sermon: Attitude, important things, second commandment, a good conscience, wrath and doubting, expensive clothes, sneaky questions.  Simple exegesis of 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2:8-10  Luke 20:1-8 2021-12-16

 

AUDIO: http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pen-wed-26_2021+childrens-sermon_luke20-1-8-1tim1-18-20-2-10.mp3

YouTube: https://youtu.be/V8VTDt6XoQQ

 

The photo is old! One of the children in the photo is married!

 

Timestamps:

0:00 – 0:42         We should always serve the liturgy whenever we are able to.

0:36 – 2:27         We must have the attitude that our time is short, no matter what is going on in the world. Life does not go on forever. We must do the important things.

3:53 - 4:49          Where is the 2^nd greatest commandment in scripture?

5:25 – 15:19       Exegesis Timothy 1:18-20; 2:8-10

7:52 9:38             1 Timothy 1:18-19 A *simple* explanation that a child can understand. A “good conscience”.

9:38 - 13:32        1 Timothy 2:8 About lifting up our hands when we pray. A simple solution for wrath and doubting.

13:33 - 15:19     1 Timothy 2:9-10 About expensive clothes and pride.

15:21 - end         Luke 20:1-8 authority Sneaky questions.  https://youtu.be/V8VTDt6XoQQ&t=15m21s

 

  

 

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