Stewardship 2024 as of August 14, 2024:

Goal: $491,000 (Approved 2024 Budget with tentative stretch goal of $500,000)
Pledged: $390,550
Pledges Paid: $305,792
Average Pledge: $1,220
Outstanding unpaid commitments: $84,758
Number of Stewards Pledging: 320

Stewardship 2023 on August 17, 2023 for comparison purposes:

Goal: $500,000 ($3000 per Stewardship Family, as an average)
Pledged: $401,741
Pledges Paid: $318,127
Average Pledge: $1,232
Outstanding unpaid commitments: $83,614
Number of Stewards Pledging: 326

Please continue to keep our Saint Nicholas Church in your thoughts and prayers throughout 2024. 

Dedicate yourself to Christ and His mission here at Saint Nicholas.  Look for opportunities to volunteer your time and talents, and pay toward your 2024 commitment pledge. 

Not a Steward of Saint Nicholas?  Please prayerfully consider becoming a Steward by completing the 2024 Stewardship Commitment Card.  You may also submit your commitment either online or by mailing it to the Church Office.

To give by mail: Stewardship 

                        St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
                        986 Chapman Street
                        San Jose, CA 95126

To make a committment electronically, please visit our online stewardship link:  https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/80/responses/new

Donation link: https://saintnicholas.org/donate

Company Matching Donations: many companies offer some type of philanthropic program in which a company may financially match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations. When an employee makes a donation, they will request the matching gift from their employer to the specific nonprofit organization. If you are interested to learn more about Company Matching Donations at work, please inquire with your Company's Human Resources Department if it offers a similar program. Please note that Saint Nicholas Church would be identified in a Company Matching Program as "Greek Orthodox Community of Santa Clara County". 

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is a 501©3 Corporation and our tax ID is 94-1578745. 

In our Light A Candle program, vigil candle(s) are lit along with an opportunity to submit names to be prayed for at the Prothesis (Preparation) for forty days. Only Orthodox Christian first names (baptismal names) should be submitted.  It is important to separate the names of the living and the reposed.  When lit, the vigil candles last for one week.  Please see the online form on our website or use the link below.  

Donate online here: https://saintnicholas.org/virtual-chapel/light-a-candle 

If you would prefer to mail in your request, please write the name(s) for whom the candle(s) will be lit and send to Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Attention: Light a Candle, 986 Chapman Street, San Jose, CA 9126.  For more information, please call the church office.

We are a registered non-profit on Facebook and you can donate any time (without any fees for the church) by pressing the donate button in this link:  https://www.facebook.com/SaintNicholasOrg/

Does Saint Nicholas church know your name? The only way to quantify both how many families we have in our church and how much revenue we can expect to raise through stewardship is by having each family fill out a pledge card.

Pledge cards are available in Narthex and online on our website at:  https://www.saintnicholas.org/donate#stewardship

The online donation link is: https://www.saintnicholas.org/donate 

Volleyball practices for our 19th Annual St Nicholas Volleyball Tournament begin Sunday, August 18th at 7pm in the Community Center.  Please join us!

Tuesday Nights
7:00 pm - Young Adult & Adult Practices

Thursday Nights
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm - Junior High
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm - High School 

Sunday Nights
7:00pm - Open Gym practices for High School, Young Adult and Adult

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Chairman George Spilios (408) 806-1699 or Head Coach Elias Papas (408) 497-4522.

Come join the fun!  The Volleyball Tournament is scheduled for the weekend of October 18-20th.

St. Nicholas Church is on the move for missions! From August 10th until September 14th, we can make a difference in the world. The OCMC (Orthodox Christian Mission Center) has presented the opportunity to walk, run, hike, bike, or swim with the sponsorship of friends and relatives. Funds will be used to support international missionaries. We share their quest to reach the over 1 billion people who have not yet heard the good news of Jesus Christ.  Please sponsor the Saint Nicholas Team by visiting the link below:

https://secure.ocmc.org/site/TR/Trek4Missions/General?team_id=1581&pg=team&fr_id=1520

You could also send a check with “Trek4Missions” on the message line to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 986 Chapman St., San Jose, CA 95126.

Putting our Orthodox Faith into action! Join us at Second Harvest Food Bank the 4th Tuesday of every month, 6pm to 8pm, to prepare food for distribution in our Santa Clara County community.  One in five families in Santa Clara County faces food insecurity.  Help us serve our community while enjoying the fellowship of our Parishioners!  Advance registration is required; vaccination is suggested but not required; open to ages 12 and up. 

We invite you to sign up in advance for Tuesday, August 27, 2024 using the link: https://shfb.tfaforms.net/350?VSID=a0vQo0000085XV9IAM&_gl=1*14wxdv1*_gcl_au*MTIzOTMyNTAxMi4xNzIyMjc4MDUw*_ga*MTM3ODc3MTE0My4xNzIyMjc4MDUw*_ga_E3SL0CTS82*MTcyMjI3ODA1MC4xLjEuMTcyMjI3ODA1OC41Mi4wLjA

Please join us on Monday, September 16, 2024 for the 35th Annual Father Berris Golf Classic. The tournament benefits Father Berris Seminarian Scholarships and the youth ministries of St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. We will have a great day of golf at the beautiful Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose.

The event includes a 4-player scramble, box lunch, an awards dinner following golf and much more! Registration is now open at www.FrBerrisGolf.org and remember to invite your friends to play.

Check out all the Sponsor opportunities too. Can't play? You can make a donation and/or join us for dinner. We appreciate your support! For more information contact us at: [email protected]. Please see the attached flyer in the Special Events section of this e-bulletin.

Adult Open Gym Basketball is every Wednesday at 7:30pm in the Community Center.  All parishioners (including guests) must sign up first before participating; online sign up form is at the link below.  All communications will be handled through WhatsApp where there will be live updates on the day of the event; link down below to join.

Adult Open Gym sign up form: https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/95/responses/new

Adult Open Gym guidelines: 

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1Pqh-9ytke7trggbRvI-t0IW4sHL22Re4/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword

Adult Open Gym WhatsApp group chat: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ExKTcpbEo7oBPOR3Ssfi1P

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco Family Wellness Ministry and the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries invite all couples to participate in the upcoming "Eight Dates" marriage program. Presented for the fourth time, this powerful relationship series is based on the book Eight Dates by Drs. John and Julie Gottman.

Any couple wanting to improve their communication and connection can benefit from this lively and evidence-based program, where the Family Wellness Ministry team integrates the riches of our Orthodox Faith into each presentation. Couples will meet online every other Thursday and are encouraged to connect on their “8 Dates,” engaging in essential conversations during the following weeks.

Register by September 11: www.familywellnessministry.org/eight-dates

Sessions begin: Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m. (Pacific) via Zoom

Don't miss this opportunity to enrich your relationship!

Reminder that Saturday, August 18th, is the final day to register for the Elpida Retreat scheduled on Saturday, August 24^th at Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco.  If you haven’t signed up yet, please register your child soon.  Space is limited, with only 2 spots left in the 2nd-3rd grade class and 5 spots in the middle school class. To register for the retreat on August 24th, click here. 

See the attached flyer to learn about the Retreat:  On August 24th, the Elpida program of the Annunciation Cathedral in San Francisco will be hosting a multi-parish youth retreat, “Panagia, Parables, and Parea,” at Annunciation from 1-5pm.

Parents must be present for the afterparty from 5-7. They will have transformed their gym into an inflatable wonderland with large slides, obstacle courses and more. Children in grades Transitional Kindergarten (age 4) through 8th grade are welcome to join for an afternoon of collaboration and fun.

Children will learn about some of the miracles of the blessed Theotokos, Greek Orthodox parables, and August saints.  Delicious food, onsite security, valet parking, and some good old-fashioned parea will be provided. 

In addition, Annunciation will be hosting a parent workshop for those parents who wish to stay on their campus while their littles ones participate in the Elpida program.  Elpida’s main focus is community and bringing people together.  Let Elpida show your children how many children share their faith and culture. They cannot wait for you to join them!

If you’re unable to participate in person this time, a wonderful way to contribute from afar is by supporting our backpack drive. Your involvement, in any form, is greatly appreciated. To support the backpack drive, click here.

See the flyer in the Special Events section of this e-bulletin.

We are pleased to announce that the Center of Hellenic Education is now accepting registrations for the 2024-2025 academic year!

Why Choose Us?

At the Center of Hellenic Education, we are dedicated to providing an enriching and comprehensive educational experience rooted in Hellenic culture and traditions. Our programs are designed to:

• Enhance Cultural Understanding: Deepen your appreciation and knowledge of Hellenic heritage through immersive courses and activities.
• Foster Academic Excellence: Benefit from a curriculum that balances classical studies with modern educational practices, and learn from teachers who are native speakers of the Greek Language!
• Promote Personal Growth: Participate in a nurturing environment that supports personal development and lifelong learning.

Programs Offered:

We offer a wide range of programs to suit various interests and educational needs, including:

School Age Greek Language Classes (3-18 years old)

1. In-person classes: Offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays 5:00 pm - 6:45 pm & Saturdays 10:00 am - 11:45 am.

2. On-Line classes: These classes are time flex and are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or Fridays.

Adult Greek Language Classes (18 years and older)

New Testament Greek: Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Intermediate Conversational Greek: Thursdays 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Beginner Conversational Greek: Saturdays 10:00 am - 12:30 pm

For more up-to-date information in regards to the adult Greek classes kindly contact: Dr. Peter Nanopoulos at [email protected] 

Community Activities (All students & families):

In addition to the classes, several assemblies occur annually to celebrate the following national holidays: October 28th (OXI Day), March 25th (Greek Independence Day), Christmas, and the Graduation/End-of-the-school-year party. Parents and other family members attend or participate in the gathering, while the students recite poems, skits, songs, and dances.

How to Register:

1. Complete the Online Registration Form: https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/98/responses/new

Important Dates:

• Classes Begin: Monday, August 26, 2024

We look forward to welcoming you to a vibrant and engaging academic year!

 We are pleased to announce that Greek School registration for adults is now active!

The registration link is located at:
https://saintnicholas.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/98/responses/new

Initial meetings for each Adult Education course have been scheduled on the following dates:
** Modern Greek Beginner Level 1: Wednesday, September 4-2024, 7:00 pm.
** Modern Greek Beginner Level 2: Tuesday, September 3-2024, 7:00 pm.
** Modern Greek Level 3, Intermediate/Advanced: Saturday, September 7-2024, 9:00 am.
** New Testament Greek Beginner Level 1: Monday, September 2-2024, 7:00 pm.
** Ancient Greek Beginner Level 1: Friday, September 6-2024, 7:00 pm.

For further information, please contact Dr. Peter Nanopoulos by email ([email protected]) or by phone (408-646-7308).

New from the Department of Religious Education of our Archdiocese!  Take a look:  https://www.goarch.org/departments/religioused/didyouknow

Please read the Canon of Faith for August 2024 using the online link viewing:    

https://indd.adobe.com/view/a724765e-3633-4c8d-a9e5-96b691d457cf

We are collecting unwanted paper icons, wooden icons, and palms that require disposing, please drop off in the baby room in the Church.  There is a plastic bin located underneath the pew.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Julie via email: [email protected].

Please contact the church office at 408-246-2770 if you plan to leave items outside the office or Community Center.

If you wish to order kollyva, artoklasia, prosphora, paximadia, koulourakia, melomakarona, kourambiedes, or other Greek pastries, please see the bakers listed below with their phone numbers to call.  Payment is arranged with the bakers and not the church.

For kollyva:   Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124  

For paximadia, koulourakia, melomakarona, kourambiedes, and other Greek pastries:   Maria Tsaboukos  408-723-5175      Antonia Komianos  408-472-3888     Marcella Fotis  408-723-4124.

For artoklasia:  Antonia Komianos 408-472-3888   Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124   

For prosphora:  Marcella Fotis 408-723-4124