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1 THE SHEPHERD • NOVEMBER 2024 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO FROM THE DESK OF FATHER ANDREW My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we enter the month of November, the parish enters into Stewardship Month and begins its stewardship campaign. It is important for each of us to make a pledge/ commitment/vow to offer to Christ and His Church our T ime, T alents and T rea- sures . The principle has always been to fully fund our parish operating budget with stew- ardship dollars. In that effort, the monies (that we work so hard for during the Festi- val) can go toward improvements, expan- sion, different types of ministries and other worthy projects of the parish instead of pay- ing off the balance of our operating budget. Stewardship giving, like attending the Di- vine Liturgy, it’s not an option. It is our sa- cred obligation freely given to Christ and His Church here on earth (Eph. 1:22; 23). Our responsibility toward stewardship should not be offered grudgingly or with conditions but should be given freely and joyfully . From both the Old and New Testaments and from the life of the Church throughout the ages (Holy Tradition) we are reminded that our stewardship giving should be from our first fruits and not from our leftovers . As we freely offer our first fruits with joy, we come to real- ize that we are truly fulfilling part of our vo- cation and election as Orthodox Christians (II Cor. 9:6-8). Sometime soon, every member of our parish will receive their 2025 Stewardship Packet. The envelope will include a letter of request, a 2025 pledge card, a self-addressed stamped envelope for your convenience and some additional information. I, together with our Stewardship Committee and Parish Council, encourage you to review and read all the en- closed stewardship materials and then give serious consideration to your 2025 steward- ship pledge commitment to Christ’s Church here on Park Boulevard. As a community, we must all pull together in our individual stew- ardship giving in a concerted effort to reach our communal goals. Remember, stewardship is for everyone. Please pray and reflect upon what your level of hon- orable stewardship will be for 2025. +A www.theshepherdnews.com The Shepherd Newsletter The official newsletter publication for the parish of Saint Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church of San Diego I S S U E 3 4 2 • NO V E MB E R 2 0 2 4 IN THIS ISSUE FROM THE DESK OF FR. ANDREW ...... p. 1 PRESIDENT OF THE PARISH COUNCIL, WOMEN OF THE WORD, BOOKSTORE, NEWS FROM THE LOFT ........................... p. 2 DIVINE SERVICES, HOLY SACRAMENTS, WEDDINGS, DEATHS, MEMORIALS ....p. 3 YOUTH MINISTRIES ................................. p. 4 DANCE & CHORAL .................................. p. 6 GREEK LANGUAGE SCHOOL ................ p. 7 PHILOPTOCHOS NEWS .......................... p. 8 YOUNG AT HEART SENIORS ................. p.13 PARISH CALENDAR ................................. p. 14 CONTACT INFORMATION....................... p. 16