St. Basil American Coptic Orthodox Church

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Weekly Update - June 22

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PEACE AND GRACE

Commemoration of the Departure of Elisha, the Prophet (June 26 / Paona 20)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

ONLINE SERVICES THIS WEEK

Tuesday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Bible Study: 7:45 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. (Acts of the Apostles || Chapters 8-14)

Wednesday: 

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Thursday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Friday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday: 

Divine Liturgy Live Stream: 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School: 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Monday:

Vespers Prayer: 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

THE APOSTLES’ FAST || JUNE 8 - JULY 11

We are in week 3 of the Apostles’ Fast - a fast of thanksgiving to God for the gifts of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles received. It served a purpose of preparing them for the service of preaching to the world. May the blessing of the fast and feasts of the Apostles be with us, strengthen us, and establish us in Christ. Amen.

WELCOME SOPHIA GRACE!

Congratulations to Steve and Sarah Messeih for the baptism of their daughter Sophia Grace! God bless their family with the presence of the Holy Spirit and continuous renewal in Jesus Christ.

ONLINE SERVICES FOR COVID-19 SHELTER-IN

During these unprecedented times, we believe that it's more important than ever that we all continue to receive spiritual nourishment. While we may not be able to attend church in person, we hope that we can grow and strengthen the churches within our homes. 

Therefore, we have set up a series of online video sessions for both prayer and spiritual edification, so that you and your family can join from your home.

All events can be found here: http://stbasil.net/covid19-services

COVID-19 RESOURCES

The servants of St. Basil have put together a list of spiritual, financial, educational, and employment resources that you may find helpful during the COVID-19. We hope that it is helpful. You can download the PDF here.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN || “LITTLE FLOCK” LESSONS

For our children in elementary school, the Diocese plans to have weekly Sunday school lessons live on Logos TV on Sunday evenings at 4:00 PM. These lessons are provided by some of the best servants in the Diocese. The first series of three weeks will focus on God as our refuge and fortress (Psa. 91:2). The final week will be a wonderful overview of Holy Pascha week for our children. 

These lessons will include lessons from the Bible with visuals, application and memory verse memorization, arts and crafts, puppet shows, and much more. We hope this can engage our children during this time. We also hope that parents can watch along side their children, to ask questions to make sure they are retaining and applying the information in their lives.

ST. BASIL WELCOME PORTAL

Do you know about our Welcome Portal? You can use it to register as a member, update existing contact information, volunteer for a church service, make a donation, contact Father Michael, or provide private comments/questions/suggestions. Try it out:

FAMILY HOME VISITS

Father Michael is offering home visits for anyone who is interested. Please reach out to him directly to schedule a visit.

Phone: 949-378-0350

Email: FrMichaelMaximous@gmail.com

HELP WITH AMAZON SMILE

If you are looking into other ways to support our church, the AmazonSmile Foundation offers an easy way to give while browsing the Amazon shop. It will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases, at no cost to you. To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com (you may want to add a bookmark to make it easier to return). You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on the product detail pages. If you already own an Amazon account you can use the same account for AmazonSmile. On your first visit, please select “Saint Basil American Coptic Orthodox Church” as your charity of choice. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make will result in a donation for our church. Thank you so much for your love and support.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please let us know if you have any upcoming important events for us to share with our fellow congregants. Special events are best shared among our family, and we encourage you to share your special news with us

FOOD & CLEAN-UP

If you would like to help with food for our weekly Agape Meal please sign up through the links below. For questions please reach out to Erene at erenepasi@gmail.com

Thank you to all who have contributed and helped make the agape meal a special time for everyone. We need as many volunteers as possible to keep the church clean on Sundays after the Divine Liturgy. Please consider this important expression of stewardship.