| |  | November 20
23rd Sunday after Pentecost (9th of Luke)
Tone 6
Forefeast of the Entrance into the Temple | | CONTENTS
Services / Events / 2023 Pledge Form / Prayers for Fr. Stephanos / One More Donation Needed for St. Nicholas Day Celebration / Donate a Gift Card for the Youth of Kids House / No Church School November 27 / Bible Study Invitation / Upcoming Youth Event / Annual Parish Picnic Thank You & Chili Cook-Off Winner / Adult Education Series to Begin / Decorating for Christmas / Send in Your Photo for the New Directory / Building Pledge Link / Prayer List / Birthdays & Anniversaries / Lives of the Saints / Bulletin Deadline Reminder / Clergy & Contacts | | SERVICES
Saturday, November 19, 5pm, Vespers
Sunday, November 20, 9:30am, Divine Liturgy
Sunday, November 20, 6:30pm, Vespers, Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
Monday, November 21, 9:30am, Divine Liturgy, Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple UPCOMING SERVICES
Monday, December 5, 6:30pm, Vesperal Liturgy, St. Nicholas
Monday, December 12, 6:30pm, Vesperal Liturgy at St. Francis House
see the full November calendar here | | EVENTS
Sunday, November 20, Open Forum following Divine Liturgy
Sunday, November 27, Decorating for Christmas (see below)
Sundays, November 27, December 11 and 18, Adult Religious Education, "Money - The Gospel Changes Everything" (see below)
Friday, December 9, Youth Group bouldering (date change; see below)
Tuesday, December 27, 9:30am, Hierarchical Liturgy for our patron saint, and celebration of Fr. John Ealy’s 50th Anniversary of ordination to the priesthood | | ST. STEPHEN 2023 PLEDGE FORM
Each year we ask members to make a pledge to support the parish financially. We are thankful for the generosity of our members, which enables us to start missions, support numerous charities, and work toward building a new temple. Please pledge what you can to the general fund for 2023. Pledging helps the parish council to plan for the coming year and it helps you to give prayerfully by considering in advance what is best for you and your family to set aside for the Lord's work. Thank you for your generous support of St. Stephen.
- Fr. Daniel | | | PRAYERS FOR FR. STEPHANOS (MALANOWSKI)
Former parish member and monastic at St. Tikhon’s Monastery, Fr. Stephanos was hospitalized two weeks ago with Lyme Disease which ended up affecting his heart. He was put on an external pacemaker, but received a permanent one a few days ago. Fr. Stephanos was released from the hospital and will be on antibiotics for another week. He is sore and tired. Please keep Fr. Stephanos in your prayers! | | ONE MORE ITEM NEEDED FOR ST. NICHOLAS DAY CELEBRATION! |  | From Karen Brown, Church School Coordinator
All of the items needed for the December 4 St. Nicholas Day celebration have been donated EXCEPT the clementines/small oranges. A total of 5 dozen are needed. If you can donate some or all of these for the goodie bags, please let Karen Brown know (nremtwebhome@yahoo.com or 614-746-3646) as soon as possible. The St. Nicholas Day celebration will be held following church school classes (approximately 11:30 AM) Everyone is invited to enjoy festive cookies and beverages. All the youth of St. Stephen’s Church, including the very young children, will receive a gift bag from St. Nicholas. The younger students and classes will enjoy the story of St. Nicholas read to them by one of the older students. St. Nicholas provides a wonderful role model to encourage generosity and giving to others in the spirit of the Nativity season. We have asked parents to work with us on shifting the focus of “getting” to one of “giving.” Students have been asked to earn their own money to purchase a gift for a youth who otherwise would not receive a gift for Christmas. We are donating gifts for these youths to Kids House of Seminole County. | | DONATE A GIFT CARD FOR THE YOUTH OF KIDS HOUSE
The parish is donating gifts to the Kids House of Seminole County this Christmas. Gifts for any aged child are appreciated, but please consider donating a gift card for a youth ages 13-18. Gift cards for this age group are most appreciated since Kids House receives most gifts for the younger age children. Suggested stores to purchase a gift card are Target and Walmart. Gift cards can be given to Karen Brown on or before Sunday, December 4. Thank you in advance for your generosity. If you have any questions, please contact me at nremtwebhome@yahoo.com or 614-746-3646. | | NO CHURCH SCHOOL ON NOVEMBER 27 |  | Church School classes will not be held on Sunday, November 27 due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving! | | BIBLE STUDY INVITATION
Parishioners are invited to participate in a Bible Study. We will be starting Acts the week of December 3rd. The group meets at 4:30 pm, prior to Vespers on Saturday evenings, in the Education Building. Commentary is updated weekly and is available at https://ststephensoca.org/bible-study. Contact Connie Harper (c.lee.harper@gmail.com or 407-257-5030) if you need more information. | | YOUTH BOULDERING EVENT ON DECEMBER 9 |  | from Patrick Prentice, Youth Coordinator
Middle school age and older youth are invited to an outing on Friday, December 9 (new date) from noon to 3pm. The event will take place at Blue Swan Boulders, 400 Pittman Street, Suite 103, Orlando, FL 32801. Meet at Blue Swan. Parking in front of the building is metered, but free street parking can be found one road up on Robinson. Be sure not to park next to any yellow curbs! Cost is $17 for students and $19 for adults plus shoe rentals. If more than 15 people sign up, then the cost will be $15 per person, with no charge for rental shoes. Please RSVP to Patrick (patrickmprentice@gmail.com) for an accurate head count. Website address is https://blueswanboulders.com/ FILL OUT THE WAIVER (to make the sign-in process quicker) | | DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS NOVEMBER 27 |  | Following Sunday School, the middle school and high school students will help decorate the church for Christmas. A tree will be put up in the nave and garland will be placed over the iconostasis. Please ask your children to meet up in the church after Sunday School to help beautify the church for the Nativity season! | | ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION SERIES FOR ADVENT
”Money—The Gospel Changes Everything” |  | Sundays, November 27, December 11 and 18 following Divine Liturgy in the Religious Education Building Why does St John Chrysostom describe heaven as a business and an enterprise? Have you ever wondered why the five Foolish Virgins were shut out of heaven for simply not having enough oil? What topic is discussed more in the Gospels than love, forgiveness, obedience and sexual purity?
These and other thought-provoking insights into our relationship with money will be revealed at our first of three sessions on November 27. "Money - The Gospel Changes Everything" was the theme for this year’s St. Vladimir's Seminary Orthodox Leadership Conference. Karen Brown and Gust Mecera attended the three-day conference online that included 12 different subject experts on this topic and found it to be very thought provoking. Gust and Karen will share these videos and facilitate discussions on three Sundays prior to Christmas. The message is grounded in the Gospel and provides practical guidance for an appropriate relationship with our money and belongings. Hope to see you there. | | DON’T FORGET! SEND US YOUR PHOTO FOR THE NEW DIRECTORY!
We need a photo of your family for the 2023 Parish Directory by Monday, November 21. Look on your phone or take a quick selfie with your family and text or email it to Ann Marie Mecera at 614-370-4162 or annmarie.mecera@gmail.com. Please follow these NEW GUIDELINES! The photo should be current. Photos should only include minor children (when applicable) who also attend St. Stephen’s. If you are part of a family that attends St. Stephen’s, but are now an adult also attending St. Stephen’s, please submit you own photo for your own listing. If you want a photo taken at church, send an email to annmarie.mecera@gmail.com to make arrangements.
| | THANK YOU TO THE VAN DEN BERGS FOR HOSTING THE ANNUAL PARISH PICNIC | Thank you to Egerton & Anne van den Berg who once again opened their home for the annual parish picnic this past Sunday. Everyone enjoyed good food, fellowship and outdoor activities. Congratulations to Susan Reudelhuber who was deemed the winner of the chili cook-off by expert chili judge Fr. Daniel! Thank you also to those who participated! | | PLEDGE TO THE BUILDING FUND |  | | | PRAYER LIST
THOSE IN NEED: Fr. Stephanos, Tom Lucas, Mariana Muresanu, Richard (Kindell), Helene (Kindell), Joshua, Sheryl, Bertina (Busch), Will (Brown), Michelle (Montague), Raul (McDonald), Lavinia (Busch), Dave (Brown), Diane (Atkinson), Kristin (Brown), Cameron (Brown), Evdokia (Gloria) Malanowski, Gregory (Nescott), Joel (Nethery), Lenore (Prawlocki), Dan & Brittany (Smith), Carl MILITARY SERVERS: Christopher (Poupart), Mark Lopez (Popsuy)
NURSING HOME: Matushka Mary Milanovich, Xenia Vranesevich
HOME BOUND: Janet Altenhoff
EXPECTANT MOTHERS: Milena (Muresanu)
NEWLY DEPARTED: Jennifer (Nethery), Georgeanne, Yuri, Maria Please let Father know if there is anyone you would like to have prayed for and added to this list. Use this list in your daily prayers to remember those in need, and the faithful departed. Cards and well wishes can be sent to anyone on the list. | | BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
Birthdays
23rd Tarin Petutsky
26th Daria Sinyagovskaya
Anniversaries
no anniversaries this week
God Grant Them Many Years! | | LIVES OF THE SAINTS
Read about the lives of the saints commemorated this Sunday on the Orthodox Church in America website here. | | BULLETIN DEADLINE REMINDER
Deadline for announcements for the weekly bulletin is by the end of day on Wednesdays. Bulletins are typically sent on Thursdays. Anything received after the deadline will appear in the following week’s bulletin. Email announcements to annmarie.mecera@gmail.com. Thank you! | | CLERGY & CONTACT INFORMATION
Orthodox Church of St. Stephen the Protomartyr
Orthodox Church in America I Diocese of the South
1895 Lake Emma Road, Longwood, FL 32750
386-227-7056 https://ststephenoca.com/ Mailing Address: Orthodox Church of St Stephen,
P.O. Box 950209, Lake Mary, FL 32795 Fr. Daniel Hickman, Rector, 407-388-4241, frdaniel@ststephenoca.com
Fr. Deacon Mark Reudelhuber, 407-718-2549
dnmark@ststephenoca.com | Please contact Fr. Daniel Hickman for all pastoral issues, hospital visits, emergencies, etc. Please keep him abreast of any issues that come up. | | |
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