Weekly Update - August 1
+
PEACE AND GRACE
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see,
And visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.Psalm 80:14-15
SERVICES THIS WEEK
Monday:
Summer Camp for Elementary School: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday:
Divine Liturgy: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Saturday:
Vespers - Raising of Incense: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday:
Divine Liturgy (8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ) followed by Sunday School
Monday:
Preparation for Baptism (Catechism) Class: 8:00 p.m. (online)
MONDAY NIGHTS - SUMMER CAMP FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS!
The summer camp continues for elementary school kids on Monday nights from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The camp includes spiritual education (Journey with St. Paul) as well as songs, snacks and lots of fun.
August 6th - Servants’ Day
Join us on August 6th if you are a volunteer (or wish to be) on this day of fellowship as we gear up for the new Coptic Year which, God willing, will be full of exciting services in our church. RSVP Here: Family Fun Day for Servants!
Educational Vespers (Saturday nights 7:00pm-8:00pm)
Want to teach your children the basics of Coptic praises, hymns, midnight praises, deacon movements and responsibilities, etc.? Or maybe you too want to learn? Vespers is a great opportunity to prepare your children for the basics and build a foundation for greater growth in the rich tradition of Coptic liturgical hymns.
Join us on Saturday nights (7:00-8:00 pm) where we will pause at important points during vespers to explain what is happening! Even if your children are not deacons / deaconesses yet, this is a great opportunity to participate nonetheless!
DIOCESE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER RETREATS!
Don’t miss out on the exciting diocese retreats for boys and girls in High School! For the High School Girls retreat (Aug. 1st-3rd), click here! For the High School Boys retreat (Aug. 4th-6th), click here! You will need to register to join by clicking on these links.
New Book Series on parenting!
St. Basil’s will soon be having another book series! This time we will be reviewing “Parenting Toward the Kingdom: Orthodox Christian Principles of Child-Rearing”. Whether you are a parent now or hope to be one day, this book will offer valuable guidance and techniques. The time and day when we will review together will be announced soon and baby-sitting will be provided. Purchase the book now to get a head start on the reading! CLICK HERE to purchase on Amazon!
AGAPE MEAL AFTER THE LITURGY!
Hello St. Basil’s family! We’re happy to continue our weekly Agape meal, but we can’t do it without your help!
You can help in the following ways:
Sign up to bring food (Please refrain from excessive sweets).
Sign up for the coffee cart: set up and clean up the coffee cart on Sunday morning.
Hall clean up following the Agape meal.
Please CLICK HERE to sign up.
God bless your efforts!
PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM (CATECHISM) CLASSES
Join us on ONLINE on Monday nights at 8:00 PM for Baptism preparation classes. Visit www.stbasil.net/baptism for more information. These classes are open for:
Anyone interested in becoming members of the Coptic Orthodox Church,
Those recently baptized (within the last few years), or
Simply anyone else seeking to better understand the basics of the Christian Faith and History.
Together, we will review the importance of baptism and its impact, the Sacraments, the inspiring church history, the Orthodox Creed, the Holy Bible, Orthodox Prayer and Spiritual life, and Church traditions. Reading material will be provided for those who wish to attend. To register for this class, please contact Fr. Michael at 949-378-0350 or FrMichaelMaximous@gmail.com.
PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
As a reminder, the Professionals LinkedIn group is an easy way to connect and network with fellow members of our community.
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 and visit our Welcome Portal.
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.