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4 THE SHEPHERD • NOVEMBER 2026 • SAINT SPYRIDON GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAN DIEGO November’s quick tip for families: do a few micro-service projects with your family this month. Start by working together to come up with a few bite-sized service projects that are quick and easy to accomplish. Some ideas to get you started: bake cookies or pull weeds for a neigh- bor, grab a trash bag and gloves and pick up trash at your local park, write thank you notes to teachers, volunteers, or community leaders, read an extra book to your sibling, set a goal of daily compliments to say to others, offer to help clear the pews at the end of Divine Liturgy, pour someone’s coffee at Fellowship, clean up the round tables after Fellowship or the Sunday School rooms on Sundays, or move tables for dance practice. Starting November 1st, we will kick off the Cans for Kids Competi- tion! Children and teens from Sunday School, HOPE & JOY, GOYA, Dance and Choral, and Greek School will compete for the Canned Food Drive Trophy (it is over 2 feet tall!). The group with the most items will win the trophy! We will collect non-perishable food items for St. Innocent Orphanage, the Orthodox boys and infant orphanage in Rosarito, through November 29th. We hope you support this wor- thy cause and bring in non-perishable goods such as canned goods, pasta, rice, peanut butter, and infant formula. Collection bins will be available in the Hall and the Education Building. If you have questions about Youth Ministries at St. Spyridon, call or text Julie Dennis, Youth Ministries Director, 619-618-5116 or email youthministries@stspyridon.org . Learn more about St. Spyridon Youth Ministries on our website: tinyurl.com/stspyridonyouth Fol- low us on social media: Facebook - St. Spyridon GOC San Diego and Instagram - @youthstspyridon Parents of babies & toddlers Little Angels Playgroup is a fun place to build relationships with other Orthodox families with young children. Our November playgroups are November 4th and 18th, from 9:45am-11am on Wednesdays in the St. Spyridon Playroom. Sunday School November is gratitude month. Keeping with this theme, I want to express my deepest thanks to our wonderful Sunday School teachers and staff. Week after week, they nurture and teach our children the Orthodox faith. They give generously of their time and love. When you see one of our Sunday School teachers this month, please take a moment to say thank you and let them know how much they are ap- preciated! Thank you: Zoe, Angie, Megan, Hitomi, Rini, Rhad, Renee, Anastasia, Mar- cella, John, Julie, and Sophia. Save the date for the Sunday School Christmas Pageant and Lunch on December 20th! Thank you! Tina Perri, Sunday School Director GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth Association) GOYA hosted our annual game night in October that included games, handprint painting, and a pumpkin contest! We are getting excited for our Annual Friendsgiving that will be held on November 15th at 2:30pm in the Youth Room. Keep an eye out on your email for de- tails! If you have a 6th-12th grader and aren’t getting GOYA emails, please reach out to youthministries@stspyridon.org Save the date for the GOYA Christmas Party on December 19th at the Brown’s house. HOPE-JOY We hope you enjoy the photos from September’s Cupcakes and Con- nection activity! HOPE and JOY will be meeting on November 7th at 12:30pm in the Youth Room. The Elementary age youth group will create a life-sized thankful tree and make oreo cookie turkey treats! YOUTH MINISTRIES