Upcoming Events
Men's Ministry
The purpose of Men's Ministry is to enhance the spiritual growth of the men of our Church, and build our bonds of love as brothers in Christ. At present Men's Ministry offers two ongoing activities:
St. John the Theologian Fellowship
Leader: Fr. Symeon Halsell
Named for "the disciple whom Jesus loved", St. John Fellowship meets on the first Saturday morning of each month for prayer, study, and fellowship. After First Hour Prayers in the nave, we move to the patio for breakfast, a book study and discussion. This is a time to come and ’sort through’ the difficult things in life and seek the wisdom of the God in the writings of our faith and in the Christian fellowship of men striving to be righteous before God, even though we do so imperfectly. All the men of the parish and those who are approaching such an age are welcome to come and gather, pray, and discuss. Come and join in!
If you would like to be on the email list to receive notifications of fellowship times, please contact Fr. Symeon Halsell at: frsymeon@stathanasius.org.
Fireside Gathering
Leader: Howard Lange
Hosts: Michael Loulias, Jason Wayne, Scott Speier
Fireside is a place and time when men of our Church can meet in a casual format, share what is on our minds and hearts, and support and encourage each other. Our ultimate goal is to know and grow closer to Christ and each other. With rare exception we meet once a month around a fire in the backyard of one of our hosts. Due to the often intimate nature of the conversation, confidentiality is stressed and size is limited, though all men of the parish are welcome. See the weekly parish bulletin for this month's meeting location.
ABOUT OUR PATRON SAINT
THE SYNAXARIONOn September 26 in the Holy Orthodox Church we commemorate the Translation of the holy and glorious Apostle and Evangelist, Bosom-friend, Virgin and Beloved John the Theologian.VersesThou standest before the beloved Word of the Father,Thou who art beloved above all the disciples.On the twenty-sixth the Son of Thunder passed unto God.John was the son of Zebedee the fisherman and Salome the daughter of Joseph, the betrothed of the Holy Theotokos. Called by the Lord Jesus, John immediately left his father and his fishermen’s nets and, with his brother James, followed Christ. From then on, he was not separated from his Lord until the end. With Peter and James, he was present at the raising of Jairus’ daughter and the Transfiguration of the Lord. At the Last Supper, he inclined his head on Jesus’ breast. When all the other apostles had abandoned the crucified Lord, John and the Holy Mother of God remained beneath the Cross. In obedience to the Lord, he was as a son to the Holy Virgin Mary, and carefully served and watched over her until her Dormition. John then lived and labored mostly in Ephesus. By his inspired preaching and miracles, he converted many to Christianity and shook paganism to its foundation. The embittered pagans bound him and sent him to Rome, to face Emperor Dometian, who had him tortured and flogged, which did him no harm. This terrified the emperor and, thinking him immortal, Dometian sent him into exile to the island of Patmos. There John converted many to Christianity by words and miracles, and confirmed well the Church of God. He also wrote his Gospel and Revelation on Patmos. He was over one hundred years old when he went to the Lord, and we celebrate the anniversary of his repose today. Through his intercessions, O Christ God, have mercy upon us. Amen.
