Weekly Update - January 2, 2023
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PEACE AND GRACE
The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Jan 7/ Kiahk 29)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
‘Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’Luke 2:8-14
SERVICES THIS WEEK
Wednesday:
Divine Liturgy: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Friday:
Feast of the Nativity Liturgy: 8:15 p.m.-Midnight
Saturday January 7, 2023:
Happy Feast of the Nativity!
Sunday:
Divine Liturgy: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sunday School: noon - 12:45 p.m.
Monday:
Preparation for Baptism (Catechism) Class: 8:00 p.m. (online)
January 15, 2022 - Annual St. Basil Formal Banquet & Silent Auction
Click Here to Buy Tickets Now!
Mark your calendars for 5:00PM, on January 15th for St. Basil’s annual banquet in celebration of St. Basil’s annual commemoration (January 14th) for a wonderful night with family and friends!
This will be a formal dinner with presentations on the past accomplishments of our church and goals for the future. There will also be fundraising events such as a silent auction and raffle giveaways and other presentations! Contact Silvia Guirguis for more information at (858) 248-0708.
Consider donating items for the silent auction, such as the below. Final date for submitting bid items is Sunday, January 8, 2023!
Gift Baskets: either prepare them or sponsor the preparation of a basket!
Service Vouchers: tutoring, limousine rides, boat rides, fishing, babysitting, etc.
Entertainment tickets: sports events, movies, etc.
Black Friday items: iPads, computers, etc.
Got an old car you are thinking of selling? Why not have it be a highlight of the auction?
Keep your receipts because all donations used for the auction are tax deductible! More info to follow!
Used Clothing Drive!
Keeping in mind these colder evenings, we will be gathering some used (but usable) blankets, jackets, socks and other clothing that might be lonely and unused in the closet. A bin will be on the first floor next to the stairs until the end of December. We will be distributing these to our brothers and sisters who have need of them on the streets this season. May God bless you all. (If the bin is full, kindly place your item on the floor next to the bin.)
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 of Alexandria,
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 FrMichael@stbasil.net
PROFESSIONAL NETWORK
As a reminder, the Professionals LinkedIn group is an easy way to connect and network with fellow members of our community. Also, if you have job openings you’d like to advertise, this is a great venue to do so!
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: FrMichael@stbasil.net
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.