A Word from Fr. John:  On talking in church…

               Isn't it great to come to church and see friends and family members? But wait until coffee hour to say "Hi" to them and start chatting it up. It really isn't appropriate to greet people and have a conversation with them during the services. Besides being disrespectful towards God, it’s rude towards the other people in church who are trying to worship. The better way is to talk to God while in church through your prayers, hymns, and thanksgiving, and to your friends in the hall afterwards.

               If you do have some sort of brief greeting or chat while entering the building and services have already begun, then confine it to the fellowship hall – and please keep it quiet even there… loud voices can carry into the narthex and nave surprisingly easily! Once you have entered the narthex, where the candles and icons are, you’ve entered sacred space – and sacred time. Basically, the only sounds should be hymns, chants, the priest’s words and prayers, and the people’s “Lord have mercy” and “Amen.”

               Also, this applies to the time “before” and “between” services, such as before Orthros in the morning. There are few more sacred times of silence and stillness than in those precious minutes before the Royal Doors are opened and the service begins. It’s a time of silent and simple prayer, of meditation and preparation. Some of the warmest and most personal greetings I’ve ever received in church are a simple nod and smile from someone sitting across from me during the last few minutes before the service began. We were so glad to see each other – but didn’t dare break the sacred silence of that time within the Lord’s sanctuary.

Special Prayers:  Please pray for the spiritual and physical health of the whole world, and especially for the new-born child Gabriella, the daughter of Mike and Nicola Lykam who was delivered on June 19th.  In addition, we have ongoing prayer requests for Jane Anderson, Betty Day, Chresanthe Lemieux, Jim Manos, Faye Peterson, Steve Sarris, Despina Xynidis, and the work of our parish, missionary families, and catechumens.

Holy Trinity Stewardship:  King David said, “All things come from You, and of Your own we have given to You.” (Chronicles 29:14)  Our money and possessions are not ours, but on loan from God.  When we give to the Church, we return to God, the Owner, His rightful portion.  Thank you for Holy Trinity Church Stewardship commitment. 

Holy Trinity Master Calendar:   A Holy Trinity Parish Master Calendar is maintained in the Parish Office.  All ministries are asked to submit dates of events to be included in the master calendar.  This will help coordinate efforts and events with other ministries; dates will be included in the weekly bulletin; and will help actively involve others in the work of our Parish.  Active and enthusiastic participation in a parish’s activities and functions should emulate the Kingdom of God – a culture that is overflowing with joy, peace and love.

Upcoming Services and Events:

• Every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.  –  Bible Study
• June 25^th – Monthly Potluck Coffee Hour
• June 25^th–26^th 249th Greek Landing Day Events –

• June 25^th at 6:30 p.m. – St. Photios Shrine Greek Landing Day Sunset Cruise on the Victory III.  Cruise is $25 per person, free to children under 12.  Snacks are provided, drinks (beer, wine, soft drinks) available for purchase.  Live bouzouki music!  
• June 26^th– Chapel of St. Photios 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Orthros, Divine Liturgy, and Colonists’ Memorial, 11:00 a.m. Mayoral Proclamation, followed by refreshments offered by our Holy Trinity Kimisis Tis Theotokou Philoptochos.

• June 26^th – Bersu/Pecayo Celebration of Marriage at 4 p.m.
• July 2^nd – Coffee Hostess – Faye Peterson – Constandina/Marissa
• July 9^th – Coffee Hostess – Pres. Renee Ritsh – Vassi Kaliotis/Eugenia Charoni
• July 16^th – Philoptochos Name Day Luncheon
• July 23^rd – Coffee Hostess – Carman Gaetanos, Kristina Wilkes
• July 30^th – Monthly Potluck Coffee Hour
• July 29^th Greek Summer Night– Save the date for Greek Summer Night, July 29.  Join us for a family Greek night to benefit our Holy Trinity Church, at the Parish Hall, Saturday, July 29, 6:00-11:00 p.m.  Enjoy Greek food, music and dance.  Come for the fun, fellowship and family.  Tickets, $20 donation per person, $15 per children 12 & under, and reserved seating available (for tables of 8).  Please see Carman or Mikae Gaetanos, Bill or Penny Angelus, Andy or Angela Lekos, for tickets.  For reservations, call Andy at 904-823-8882 or email ajlekos@att.net.  Opa!
• August 25^th –27^th St. Demetrios Daytona Beach Reach– Fun and games at the beach with religious lessons. For info call 386 252-6012.

• Center for Family Care– Please visit www.family.goarch.org for more information about activities and events.

• June podcasts featuring Fr. Alex Goussetis, Director of the Center for Family Care with interviews, reflections, book reviews, and narratives to encourage dialogue and strengthen families.
• September 20^th – 23^rd Family Ministry Conference in Pittsburgh, PA –“The Orthodox Family in a Changing World”. 

Reminders about Approaching for Holy Communion:  According to ancient practice going back to the very earliest experience and canons of Christianity, only Baptized/Chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared to receive Holy Communion are allowed to partake of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Orthodox Church. Those partaking of Communion are asked to wait in their pews for the direction of the usher guiding Communicants row-by-row up the center aisle. Families with children are encouraged to Commune together. The usher will first guide from the back of the church those Newly Baptized/Illumined and Families with Infants, followed by the Sunday School Children processing with their teachers.

June 18, 2017 Offerings:  Candles $216; Tray $174; Stewardship $715

Do you have changes to your contact information?    Please email any updates or changes to the church at holy3goc@gmail.com or leave a message at the church office, 904.829.0504.

Visiting the Church Outside of Office Hours:  Though at this time we do not have volunteers coordinated to assist in receiving visitors to the Church outside of Office Hours (M-F 9am-1pm), we hope to always welcome parishioners and the many visiting out-of-towners to the best of our ability. Please call the office to arrange a visit. If there is no answer, call the emergency number on the voicemail, (602) 617-2467, to discuss options that may exist.

Ministries & Committees:  All are welcome and encouraged to apply common interests, skill sets, and life experience to the many areas of service in the life of the Church. 

Baking Prosphoron                                            

Sunday School                                   

Youth                                                  

St. Photios National Shrine

Stewardship                                        

Bookstore                                           

OCF/College Ministry                        

OCMC/Missions/Evangelism

Greeters/Newcomers                         

Library                                                

Greek Fest                                         

Ecological/Recycling

Facilities & Maintenance                     

Outreach                                            

Maragon Estate                                  

Iconography/Consecration  

Religious Education                            

Greek Dance                                      

Diakonia Center

Contact  the Church office:   To add your e-mail address and phone number to the ministry/committee contact list(s), or even to seek Father John’s blessing to begin a new ministry beneficial to church members involved or in need, please contact Church office.

Weekly Bulletin Submission:  Please submit announcements to the Church office via email holy3goc@gmail.com with “Bulletin Article” in the subject line no later than Wednesday weekly. Indicate the date range the submission is to run in the bulletin.  Thank you.

Metropolitan Alexios Asks Every Family to Participate in the Panagia Chapel Roof Tile Campaign:   The Panagia Chapel at the Diakonia Retreat Center is in its final stages. To wrap up the building of the Panagia Chapel, His Eminence has asked that each family give the names of their loved ones, living and deceased to be sealed in the Holy Table during consecration and prayed for during each service held in the Chapel. When submitting names, it is requested that each family prayerfully considers a sponsorship of $30 or more, as you are able, to the completion of the Panagia Chapel’s roof.  A table is setup in the Church Hall to submit names and a sponsorship for this effort.

Weekly Offering:    “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper… to bear your gift to Jerusalem” (the Church center at that time) - I Corinthians 16:2-3.  Your offering can be made at the collection basket as you exit the service.