My beloved spiritual children in Christ,
On Saturday, October 18th our beloved Parish of Saint Andrew is hosting the 3rd Annual Greek Night SAREF Dinner-Dance to benefit the St. Andrew Renovation and Endowment Fund. The SAREF Committee members are: Mr. Nick Giannakakis, Chairman; Mr. Tom Limperopoulos; Mr. John Medias, Secretary; Mr. Alex Himonas, Mr. Christ Kurtis, Treasurer; the Parish Priest and Parish Council President are ex officio members (by virtue of office or position) of all the parish committees, ministries and organizations.
In order to organize and prepare any parish function it takes responsible people, it takes time and effort, it takes sacrifice, it takes planning, it takes investment, it takes love for the parish, it takes commitment, it takes patience and cooperation from all involved. No one should take it lightly or take it for granted.
The Annual Greek Night SAREF Dinner-Dance is one of the most important parish functions of the year. The parishioners are not to view it simply as a dinner and dance but as a personal investment for the future of the parish. If the parish is spiritually healthy and sound it must plan for the future as well as present. All the parishioners, if they truly love the church, must believe in the future of the church as well. Their attitude should be: "My church has always been an important part of my life, and I want to always be a part of my church. I also want my children and grandchildren to inherit the church that I love, and to make certain that the doors of the church remain open."
Endowments have provided a major source of funding for many institutions in our society for years, helping to ensure present and future financial stability. Endowments for local parishes can be compared to inheritance for individuals. Some individuals want to leave a personal legacy for future generations; well this is a sure way to accomplish just that.
In recent years there have been a number of small parishes in the Metropolis of Chicago that have turned to the Metropolis and even the Archdiocese for financial aid in order to keep the doors of their church open. Do we want our parish to face that same emergency in the near future?
Please do not quibble about the ticket price. It is not that much when you compare what other sister Greek Orthodox parishes are asking. In Chicago most of these functions ask for no less than $100.00 per person. People attend political functions for $1.000 a plate or in some cases even much more. Their dinner maybe worth $20 or $30 but they are not there for the food but to support their candidate or their favorite charity. By supporting this most significant fundraising activity we show that we care and believe in our beloved church and parish.
Thank you for all your love and commitment to our Saint Andrew's parish and may God bless you and your families.
With agape in Christ our Lord and Savior,
+Father George