Bookstore - Open to the Public

   Bookstore is open during normal church activities, Fr. John’s office hours, or by appointment.

Upcoming Events

      Saturday, July 26 – 12:00-4:00 p.m. Erb Park, near the Pavilion. See details in this newsletter…

      Friday and Saturday, August 22 and 23 – 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Ladies’ Group Rummage Sale at St. Nicholas.  See details in this newsletter…

Regular Weekly Schedule

      Saturdays

      10:00 a.m.  Adult Orthodoxy class and bible study.  Open to the public. Learn about the Orthodox Faith and Traditions. Open discussion. All are welcome! 

      6:00-6:45 p.m.  Vespers service.

      Sunday – 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy (conducted in Greek, English; some Serbian)

      Sunday School – 10:00 a.m. September through May. 

      Parish Council Meeting – 1st Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

      Ladies’ Group Meeting – 2nd Sunday of the month after coffee hour

Church Directory

A directory of parish members is available at church.

Need a ride to a church event or service?  If you live in Appleton or a nearby community, contact a parish council member; and we will make every effort to help out!

How to Contact the Parish Council – see home page

A Message From Father John

I would like to announce with mixed emotions that as of September 1st, 2008, I will no longer be serving as your parish priest, as I have requested, and Metropolitan Iakavos has granted me, my request to pursue my doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology in Chicago.  I will be serving the Metropolis on the weekends. 

Together we have accomplished much since I began as your priest in June 2006. Before I arrived the average Liturgy attendance was 10-15, now it is 20 -35 per week. Since my tenure at St. Nicholas, we have implemented bible study, Saturday evening vespers, full schedule of Holy Week services, reading of communion prayers by all the faithful, the Lords Prayer in Greek, English and Slavonic, the creed in both Greek and English with people actively following the liturgy books. Also, the mixture of Greek/English in the service has seemed to work well for us. We have had eight people become Orthodox and several marriages blessed in the church. Our Sunday school attendance has increased, we have several new altar servers. We have a bookstore that sells books, icons, and other items. We have had two parish open houses where we have given free lectures on our faith to the community.  Also, we have implemented much more contact with St. Matthew in Green Bay and have had joint services.  So we have accomplished much with more to accomplish with your new priest. 

Please give him the same support that you have given me.  You will all be in my prayers as I ask you all to keep me in your prayers. 

Father John Galenos Pilafas

A Message From the Parish Council

On Sunday, August 31, 2008, all are invited to join with us for a farewell coffee hour for Father John after Divine Liturgy to thank him for his contributions to our parish community and wish him well as he continues his education and future endeavors.

On the informational bulletin board at church, you will find a copy of Metropolitan Iakavos’s letter to our parish council about Father John’s announcement. An image of the letter is available on the web site by clicking here.

5th Annual Greek/Serb Festival a Success! 

What made this festival a success?

      God’s will

      Gracious benefactors & donors

      Good food & entertainment

      Dedicated parishioners!

While the weather threatened tornados, God was good to us and kept the rain at bay for the duration of the festival. Unfortunately, the threats of severe weather kept many of our potential patrons away, but we still managed to have a great time and raise money!  We met our objective to promote our heritage and culture across our Fox Valley community.

We were also blessed by a visit from the Chancellor at the Chicago Metropolis Office, Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, who also co-celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas on Sunday morning with Father John.  He enjoyed the festival, music, dancers, and made certain he sampled all the different foods we offered!

Our success is directly attributed to the continued support and generosity of our benefactors, donors, and dedicated volunteers.  Thanks to them, the quality of food was excellent; it was cooked to perfection and served with a smile.  

Here is a list of the generous donations from our blessed parishioners and friends of St. Nicholas:

      Elias & Georgia Dimitrakakis of Chicago donated 240 pounds of gyro meat, 12 cases pita and 100 hot dogs and buns

      Mark & Pam Schedler donated money to cover ½ of the entertainment costs

      Stavros & Jan Kodis from the Apollon Restaurant in Appleton donated the white wine

      Bernie & Dorothy (Dusanka) Olson donated money and the use of their truck and trailer which offset the need to rent a U-Haul

      Chris Apostolou donated money to offset the costs of the festival expenses.

      Cleo Venetos & Tina Herbeck made and donated 150 diples - which were a successful addition to the café menu!

      Irene Gamsky & Georgia Dimitrakakis once again made and donated over 100 packets of Koulouria cookies

      Pat & Debbie White donated food and supplies

      Tim & Snezana Wensits donated bread and chevapi

      Bob & Tania Phillips donated the cotton candy supplies – which was a profitable new introduction to our menu!

      Milica Madjun made 10 huge pans of gibanjica (tiropita) – including the phyllo from scratch!

      Mr. Drazen Dupor, the iconographer, donated 10% of his sales 

What’s a festival without entertainment?  We had that as well!

      Music was provided by the Neven Tamburitza Orchestra.  The group has played together for many years, but over time the musicians moved to different states. However, they came together for our festival, and it was a treat to see them play again, having come from as far away as Arizona. Thank you, Petar Plechas, for making this possible.

      The dancing was absolutely wonderful!  The St. Spyridon Dance Group from Sheboygan were first-time performers at our festival, and they were fabulous!  The group ranged in age from 5 years old to adults, and it was a special treat to see all age groups perform together and individually.   We look forward to their return in the coming years!

      And let’s not forget our very own Fox Valley Folk Dancers, who have been a part of our festival since its inception!  Thank you once again!

We had an unprecedented turnout of volunteers this year, which helped spread the work and enabled everyone to have time to partake in, and enjoy, the festivities with friends and family.  These volunteers worked long and hard contributing collectively over 300 volunteer hours (that’s equivalent to over 13 days of round-the-clock work). The parishioners who helped make our Greek/Serb Festival a success are: 

Please patronize the businesses of our donors and thank them for their continued support and generosity. Also, thank our volunteers!  Without them – none of this would be possible!

6th Annual Greek/Serb Fest – Saturday, June 6, 2009

Save the date! We hope to see everyone back next year!

St. Nicholas Parish Family Picnic, Erb Park, Saturday, July 26, 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited. Come. Relax at this informal family picnic at Erb Park on Saturday afternoon, July 26. We will congregate near the pavilion, which is near the corner of Glendale and Drew Streets in Appleton.  We will be able to sit under the trees and be near to playground equipment for the kids. 

What do you need to bring?

      Your favorite lawn chairs or a blanket for the grass

      Your own sandwiches or buns and meat to grill

      If you choose, something to share - a side dish, bag of chips or other snack, or plate of veggies, etc.

      A lawn game, board game, or cards

Soda and water will be provided. 

Ladies’ Group Rummage Sale, Friday & Saturday, August 22 & 23, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Start sorting and saving items that you would like to donate to the Ladies’ Group rummage sale. Drop off items on Thursday, August 21. 

This is a fund-raiser that provides resources for the Ladies’ Group to contribute to the life of the church.  For example, the Ladies’ Group sponsors parish lunches, helps to pay for Easter flowers, provides donations to parish members in need, supports a charity each year at Christmas (this year we are considering making a donation to a Greek Orthodox ministry, Philoxenia House in Rochester, Minnesota, that provides a place for Orthodox families to stay when members of their families are seeking medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic), and pays for a monthly thorough cleaning of the church and altar (done by our members Jovo and Milica Madjun). 

Another way the Ladies’ Group raises funds is by sponsoring the coffee hour on Sundays after church.  Please remember to support them with your donation in the free-will offering basket when passing through the food line! 

Stewardship Corner

2008 Christian Stewardship:  The Orthodox Way of Life. “Let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.”

Stewardship is a Christ-centered lifestyle that nourishes spiritual growth and development in our Church, our homes, and our workplaces.  It is our personal commitment to Christ and His Church.  Stewardship is the Orthodox way of Life.

Stewardship Questions 

Question: Is a specific minimum or maximum amount required?

Answer: No. There is no mandatory minimum or maximum. Just as St. Paul speaks to the

Christians in Corinth in the first century, he speaks to us in the 20th century, and encourages us to set an honest and fair portion of our income for the ministries and support of the church.

Question:  What if, after I make a commitment, sickness, misfortune or loss of job occurs?

Answer: Our commitment is in the strictest of confidence, and is not a legal obligation, but a promise to God. Should it become necessary, a parishioner, by contacting the church office or the priest may adjust his commitment until circumstances allow him to continue his original commitment.

Question:  Where does the church get the money needed to function?

Answer: Ideally, it should come solely from what we give.

Question: Why is there emphasis on proportionate and percentage giving?

Answer: Primarily because it is the way to meet our financial obligations to our church with Christian concern, dignity and equity. The emphasis is on equal sacrifice, not equal giving. We give according to our means. If we all had the same income then we could think in terms of one flat sum for all, but this is not the case. So, each should give according to his ability. Some can do more than others. God calls each of us to be faithful over all He has entrusted to us.

Sunday School News

Congratulations

      Congratulations to Andrea Wensits, who graduated from Appleton North High School on June 4.  The Ladies’ Group will be presenting Andrea with a copy of the Orthodox New Testament. 

      Many blessings to the White family as parents, Pat and Deb, have their daughter, Callista Georgia White, baptized on Saturday, July 19, 2008, at noon.