THE ORTHODOX WAY
December 2018

Dear St. Nicholas Family,

It's hard to believe the advent season will soon come to a close with the celebration of Christmas! We hope to see you for upcoming services, and at the St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center for NYE!
Quick Links:

Sunday Worship:
Orthros: 8:15am
Divine Liturgy: 9:30am

Upcoming Events

A BIG Thank You to our festival sponsors:

  • Demoulas Foundation/Market Basket
  • Mantzoukas Family
  • Thomas A. Pappas Charitable Foundation
  • The Breakfast Club

And to our business friends:
  • Group5POS
  • Nauset
  • Lexington Prosthodontics

For making the festival possible for us!
Lives of the Saints - click on icons for more info
Orthodoxy in the News
Children's Word - Written by Presbytera Alexandra Houck
Ministry News
Ministry News:

Fr. Demetri's Message

PC President's Message

Philoptochos

Church School
FR. DEMETRI'S MESSAGE

Family and Friends of St. Nicholas,

As you probably noticed, the weather has changed, and we are once again approaching that time of year. God has been doing great things this year through his people, right here, in this congregation. Have you stopped to reflect on how God has worked in your life this year? If not… It is a great time for reflection!

The scriptures speak at length of God’s goodness. The Psalmist writes:
For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

We all know that God has done great things in our lives, but have we stopped to think deeply about this? God does not choose to be good, rather, He is good in His essence. Therefore, He is good all the time! Even from the foundation of the world, God knew He would send His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the whole world. He is eternally good, beyond all time and creation. His goodness does not change (as Hebrews 13:8 says) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

As we move into the Christmas season, let us reflect on the abundant, steadfast love of God our Father. Let us rejoice in his unchanging goodness, the same goodness that sent His only Son into our flesh through the Ever Virgin Mary to bear our sin and be our Savior.

Please come and join us this advent season as we worship our Lord.

For information about our Parish Family, please visit  www.stnicholaslex.org . Here you will find our Church calendar with worship times and activities, our beliefs, and media tools to help you grow. You may also feel free to sign up for our church e-mail newsletter on the website.

God bless,
PC PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

We had a very good General Assembly last month; we selected auditors, chose parish council candidates, presented reports, passed a budget, discussed our problems with ransomware and the parish house, and heard an update from the Master Planning Committee. It was a little long, but we got through it and accomplished a great deal. 

The work on the ransomware issue is finishing up. Most of our information has been restored or reentered. Steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence, and new protective software has been installed. New procedures for access and for backups have been instituted. There will also be training to avoid this issue in the future.
Work on the parish house continues. We are still awaiting a final figure from insurance. Planning is going well and work has begun.

Meanwhile, let’s enjoy this very special season. We will be hosting Metropolitan Methodios on December 9th. On the 23rd, that special guy in the red suit will visit us. We have the pageant on Christmas Eve. Lastly, we will be celebrating New Years at the camp in N.H. 

I hope you all have a blessed and Merry Christmas and a great new year.

Bill Sager
PHILOPTOCHOS

LOTS of things happening with Philoptochos from now until the New Year! Below is a rundown of reminders to put in your calendar in chronological order. Please participate as much as you are able to this joyful season. :)

  • Dec 11th: Christmas Gathering at Redstone, 6:30pm. Please RSVP. Feel free to participate in the Yankee swap. (flyer attached)
  • Dec 16th: Philoptochos Christmas Bake Sale. We need your help getting pastry donations before Dec 15th please! (flyer attached)
  • Dec 16th: Last day to bring a toy for Annual Christmas Toy Drive (flyer attached)
  • Dec 31- New Year's Eve at St. Methodios Faith & Heritage Center. (A super fun parish-wide event)! 
  • Jan 14- First Meeting of 2019 (6:30-8pm at St. Irene's hall)

Last but not least... Please save the date on  February 9th to attend a Talent Show at St. Nicholas!

We are planning to make this an amazing evening and hoping for a very successful fundraiser. You will be surprised when you see some familiar faces and didn't know they had certain talents! You will also see a few new faces and great performances. This show is open to the public so feel free to invite all your friends. 

FYI- We still have a few spots open! Can you sing, dance, act, juggle, play an instrument, or have some other cool talent? We want you to join us in making this fundraiser a success. 

God Bless, 
Eleni
CHURCH SCHOOL

The Church School extends its appreciation to Anna Travias for lending her talents as Pageant Director for this year's Christmas Pageant. Georgia Tasiopoulos and Ellen Schubert are also providing their wonderful assistance with this effort. The children have been hard at work preparing for their performance. Please join us for Christmas Eve vespers where the children will perform.
Announcements
On November 3, the daughter of Leto Papadopoulos and Peter Lloyd was baptized and given the name Ariadne Zoe. The sponsors were Eleni and Niko Saledas.
 
On November 3, the daughter of Daphne and Nector Ritzakis was baptized and given the name Dimitra Ioanna. The sponsors were Mandy and Nicholas Zervoglos.

On November 9, the funeral service for Anastasia Kormanos was held. She is survived by her children George Kormanos, Mary Chasse, and Stella Pappas.
Reminders
Lost & Found
Please check the church coat rack for items forgotten during the winter months; also, any trays, etc. in the kitchen that may belong to you. If not claimed, all items will be donated to Morgan Memorial.  Thank you. 

Sunday Fellowship Hour:
A gentle reminder to all Fellowship hosts: Please keep in mind that families hosting coffee hour (children's table and main table) are responsible for clean up after completion. We appreciate your help with keeping our parish clean and treating it as your own home...because it is! Thank you.

Not Receiving Church Materials?:
If you have not been receiving church material/mailing or emails, please contact the church office at 781-862-6453 or email  office@stnicholaslex.org  Thank you.

Monthly Bulletin Personal or Business Ad:
If you are interested in placing a personal or business ad, please contact the church office at 781-862-6453 or email  office@stnicholaslex.org