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Special Events Hosted by our Parish
Spiritual Nature Walk, July 10, 2010
offered by Fr. George Tsahakis
Click to view photos from event
Click here to download Archbishop Demetrios' Encyclical for July 4th
Click here to download Metropolitan Alexios' Reflection for July 4th
On Monday, May 31st, we celebrated Memorial Day holiday - when we remembered U.S. men and  women who died while in the military service. We thank our soldiers, past and present, for their courage and service. We commend our soldiers and their families for their sacrifices to our great country which has been so greatly blessed by God. May we pray for our service men and women daily and may we support them and their efforts. If possible, visit cemeteries and memorials on this special day and offer tribute to our valiant men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.
 In his Memorial Day Message, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki included a powerful quote: “Poor is the Nation that has no heroes, but beggared is the Nation that has and forgets them.” This weekend, we remember.
May the memory of our departed brothers and sisters be eternal!
Ecumenical Gathering Focuses on Religious Freedom (click to view)
 
Click for Pentecost Weekend Events
St. Christopher Outing to Atlanta Braves Game - Friday, May 14th
Nearly 20 of our parishioners joined us for our GOYA community outing to support our Atlanta Braves at Turner Stadium. We witnessed a tremendous ninth inning win (6-5) over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Click to view part of the spectacular fireworks show that followed.
3rd Annual St. Christopher Volunteer Work Weekend at the Diakonia Retreat Center A Success! - We thank our nearly 40 parishioners who participated with our April 16-18, 2010 clean-up!
(Click for Information & Schedule)
Philoptochos Society Sponsors Unique Fundraiser to Benefit the Charities We Support at St. Christopher Church! (Click here for photos)
Click here for
Glimpse of our Lenten Journey
Click for
2010 Lenten Worship & Study Series
"Living the Beatitudes" Lenten Worship & Study Series
Completed on Wednesday, March 24th
 2010 Parish Council Members
Fr. George Tsahakis, Protopresbyter
Stephen Butler, President
George Psihountas, Vice President
Steve Sarantis, Treasurer
Angelo Moraitis, Assistant Treasurer
Sheryl Vasiliadis, Secretary
Tom Farmakis, Fotis Sakkas, George Skouteris. & Tammy Soulakos
Patriarch Bartholomew on "60 Minutes" TV Program
His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of 300 million Orthodox Christians who constitute the second largest Christian Church in the world on Sunday evening, December 20, 2009 throughout the United States, and globally.
Click here to view.
Let us continue to pray for His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Holy Patriarchate (Click here for Turkish newspaper article dated 12/25/09 entitled "Patriarchate Drifting Away, Says Bartholomew.")
Click here for A Call for Action for Religious Freedom & Human Rights for the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Our Newly Published Philoptochos Cookbook Available Now!
 Our Philoptochos Society has completed its new Cookbook, entitled Let's Eat GREEK, Y'all! It is available for sale now. All proceeds will be contributed to charity.  It includes 380 recipes from our parishioners and their families, and we appreciate our parishioners' tremendous support in sharing family recipes.
For additional information, please telephone our Cookbook Chairman, Cynthia Cromartie, at 770/487-7384 or email her at cynthiacromartie@bellsouth.net. We appreciate your great assistance.
Sample Pages . . .
 Philoptochos Society Continues
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Susan Kleto shares the goals of our parish's new "Prayer Shawl Ministry." (Click here for overview and how to become involved.)
Susan Kleto, our Philoptochos Society Prayer Shawl Chairman encouraged our parish’s Prayer Shawl makers and their friends to participate in a Christmas distribution of shawls. These shawls were directed to women's shelters in Coweta and Fayette counties. Shawls were distributed to the shelter(s) on December 20, 2009. In Coweta County, the women's shelter is sponsored by the Community Welcome House. The following was taken from their website:
"The Community Welcome House is Coweta County 's Counsel on Domestic Violence. We serve a diverse population. We acknowledge our residents are the experts on their life. We acknowledge that healing the scars of domestic violence may take a life time. The Community Welcome House is a non-profit 501 (C)3 program. Our program is sustained by financial and in-kind donations from those that understand and want to stop the violence. Our purpose is to stop the violence. We do this by education to the societal crime of domestic violence. It reaches out into the community. It effects the victim, the family, and the job place. It is a shameful silent crime. Our dating teens experience it. By education to the signs of an abusive personality, awareness is raised."
Fr. George thanks those already involved with this ministry and encourages those who may be interested to email Susan Kleto at sbkleto@aol.com.
 Thank you for 2009 GreekFest Support!
Stephen Butler, Chairman of this year's event, on behalf of all of our parishioners, thanks you for supporting our 2009 GreekFest offered on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Falcon Field Airport in Peachtree City, GA! All proceeds of our annual fundraiser benefit our Building Fund.
Click to view Photos - Part 1 of 2 of last year's event
Click to view Photos - Part 2 of 2 of last year's event
Click to view Program and Listing of our Sponsors
We thank all of our sponsors and guests, and especially our parishioners who assisted with this wonderful event.
 2009 PATRIARCHAL VISIT – SPECIAL U.S. WEBSITE: His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited the United States October 20 – November 6. He led the Religion, Science, and Environmental Symposium: “Restoring Balance: The Great Mississippi River” from October 21-25. For information on the symposium, the schedule of events for the visit, and more on the Ecumenical Patriarch and his environmental efforts visit the special US visit site at http://usvisit2009.org/
Click here for News Release, Photo Links, & YouTube link of full "Ecumenical Gathering of Peace" at Annunciation Cathedral on October 29th visit (Metropolis of Atlanta website)
Click here for Wall Street Journal OpEd by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew entitled, "Our Indivisible Environment: If life is sacred, so is the entire web that sustains it."
Birthday Greetings to Becky Butler on Sunday, September 20th 
Fr. George, Becky's husband Stephen, her sister Faye, and our parishioners joined in wishing Becky Butler "Chronia Polla!" - "Happy Birthday" following church services on Sunday, 9/20/09.
 Thanksgiving at Our Wedding Anniversaries:
"...At this anniversary of their marriages, we family and friends celebrate and rejoice with them, asking that they be blessed from above for many years to come..." On Sunday, September 13th, Fr. George offered our traditional Orthodox prayer of thanksgiving for the 40th wedding anniversaries of Stephen and Becky Butler, Alec and Pat MacDougall, and Angelo and Diane Panousis, and for the 25th wedding anniversary of Pete and Susan Kleto. Afterwards, the four families hosted a beautiful parish luncheon celebrating this milestone. May God bless them and their families with many more years of Spirit-filled, healthy, and happy life.
 Welcome to our new parishioner! Congratulations to her familiy and friends!
"You are baptized; you are illuminated; you are anointed with the Holy Myrrh; you are hallowed; you are washed clean, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." With these words, on Saturday, September 12th, Fr. George ended the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and welcomed young Isabella Maria Ellinas into the Body of Christ, witnessed by her parents, Emanual and Valerie Ellinas, her Godfather, Steve Sarantis, her Great Grandmother Mary Ellinas, her paternal grandparents, Johnny and Jeanie Ellinas, her many familiy members pictured to the left, and her many friends and parishioners who were present. We also commend Eva Sarantis, paternal Great-Aunt for overseeing the beautiful reception afterwards and thank the entire family for their warm and generous hospitality. Na Zisi! May God grant young Isabella Maria many years of Spirit-filled, healthy, and happy life.
Prayers for the Protection of the Environment
 On August 31st in the evening, Fr. George joined our faithful in offering the special service of the Vespers for the Protection of the Environment. It consisted of prayers of supplication to our loving God and Savior Jesus Christ for the protection of the environment and stability in all creation. This service was in preparation for the new ecclesiastical year, September 1st, when our world-leader, His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew has asked us to pray for the environment.
Two Hymns from this service that we can offer daily in our prayers include:
O Creator of the Universe, Who from the beginning of time have set each and everything in its appropriate place, do not despise the works of Your hands, but look down from Heaven upon this vineyard, O Lord, with a merciful eye, and restore it according to Your will, deflecting every destructive contrivance and corruption. For You are our Shepherd, our Deliverer and our Savior, and in mercy and compassion it is Your aid we accept, glorifying You, the Master.
Look upon the works of Your hands with a compassionate eye, O merciful God, and rid the expanse of the atmosphere, O Lord, from dreadful ruin, death-bearing emissions, and poisonous contamination, by which danger and death threaten. Corruption comes into being through thoughtlessness; therefore, take pity on Your creation and grant prudence, also granting to all reconciliation, salvation and divine mercy.
 Click to read news article "Green" Patriarch Bartholomew I Prays for the Environment
Click to read the following messages from our Hierarchs to learn the significance of September 1st:
Ecumenical Patriarch's Message for the Day of the Protection of the Environment
Archiepiscopal Encyclical: Beginning of the Ecclesiastical New Year
Metropolitan Alexios' Reflection on the New Ecclesiastical Year
2009 - 2010 Religious Education Year Blessed! 
Fr. George leads our faithful in asking our Lord's blessings for our new academic year which began on Sunday, August 16th, by offering the traditional Agiasmos/Blessing Service. Afterwards, he blessed all our students, teachers, parents, and classrooms.
For additional information on our Religious Education Classes, contact Becky Butler, 770/461-1800. For information on our Hellenic Language Classes, contact George Skouteris, 770/253-2722. We hope you and your family will participate in our efforts this coming year!
Hellenic Language Classes Underway!
 Our parish is blessed to have Mr. George Skouteris teach our Hellenic Language classes again this year. On Sunday, September 6th, he brainstormed the interests and needs of the students, and with their help, he has set four goals for the coming academic year: 1) Develop basic conversational skills for newcomers to the Greek language that emphasize practical usage and ease of communication. 2) Teaching our students some ecclesiastical Greek (i.e., the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and basic petitions used in worship services); 3) In addition to classroom practice and instruction, students will be provided handouts using the Greek alphabet correlated to a teaching CD that will instruct us on the proper Greek pronunciation to practice at home; and 4) welcoming back returning students from last year and new students this year. We hope you will join us! Check parish calendar for listing of class dates.
Choir Practice Online Ministry Initiated at St. Christopher's Church
 Each Sunday we have the opportunity to worship our Lord with the beautiful hymnology of His Holy Church. Fr. George encourages our choir members, chantors, and interested parishioners to attend our weekly Choir Practice every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. to learn our Orthodox hymns in Greek and in English. In response to parishioners asking for additional assistance in learning the hymns of our Sunday Divine Liturgy, Fr. George has launched a special webpage aimed at helping parishioners practice the special hymns of each Sunday at home. If you wish to be part of this ministry, please telephone Fr. George at 770/381-1842 and sign up. He thanks all our parishioners for joining our congregational singing during worship services led by our choir and chantors, and he encourages all of us to participate as we are able.
Outreach Event a Tremendous Success!
 Special thanks to our Outreach Committee Chairman, Georgia Lungaro and her husband Charlie for hosting a most enjoyable afternoon of fellowship at their home on Sunday, August 16th.  In addition to our wonderful meal, parishioners shared updates of their families and exchanged ideas about our parish and its growth and development. Special thanks to all who participated and shared food and fellowship in the comfort of their warm and inviting home.
Before breaking up just before 7:00 p.m., Georgia and Charlie "showered" our parishioners who didn't want to leave, with more of their cordial hospitality and fellowship. Thanks again for an unforgettable and enjoyable afternoon! May God bless you and your home always. [Not pictured - Stephen Butler, our photographer!]
St. Christopher Celebrates Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos - Saturday, August 15, 2009 (Click to view photos.)
Congratulations to our Sister Parish's Name Day - August 6, 2009 - Transfiguration of our Savior Greek Orthodox Church, Marietta, GA 
Chronia Polla - Happy Name Day to the Transfiguration of our Savior Church in Marietta, GA on the occasion of its Name Day on August 6th. His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios concelebrated a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Wednesday, August 5th, with Fr. Panayiotis Papageorgiou, Proistamenos of Transfiguration Church, and nine other local Orthodox Clergy in attendance (including our Fr. George Tsahakis). Following church services, its parish leaders recognized the 20-year progress that the parish has experienced. Glory to God for His countless blessings! Fr. George expresses his appreciation to Stephen and Becky Butler, Faye Georgio, and Steven Wilson for joining him at this special event and representing our St. Christopher Church. 
Fr. Panayiotis Papageorgiou, Proistamenos of the Transfiguration of our Savior Church in Marietta, Georgia, assists His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta in offering the blessing of the food following the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Wednesday evening, August 5th.
Vacation Church School, July 31 - August 1, 2009
 The Ark of Salvation
Thanks to all our participants, volunteers, and parents for making this ministry so enjoyable and inspiring!
Special Services and Events in July, 2009 Click to view photos)
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Parishioners, visitors, and newcomers received an overview of the Orthodox faith by attending this course presented on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month, from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m, January - June. Fr. George used the text, Orthodoxy 101: A Bird's Eye View (available for purchase in our Bookstore). This series was an excellent resource for anyone contemplating joining the church and also helpful for Orthodox Christians who wished to increase his or her understanding of our faith. 
Our Parish Council had set aside this weekend for parishioners to offer our time and talents and volunteer at the Metropolis of Atlanta Diakonia Center in Salem, SC. All parish families were invited to join us. Last year, we had about 45 persons spend Friday late afternoon/evening - Sunday afternoon. Fr. George Savas, Executive Director has confirmed he has plenty of volunteer work needs for us this year, including some new tasks. This special weekend affords us with a great opportunity to assist our Metropolis retreat center, as well as have fun, fellowship, and spiritual time together. The Diakonia Center provided all bed linens, towels, and food. Our parish made a contribution to cover these food and linen expenses as we did last year. We enjoyed fellowship with our parishioners as we improved our beautiful retreat center. 
Follow Bishop Savas and a team of OCF students as they renovate an ancient Church and Cemetery in Constantinople. Click here for a daily blog, beginning March 14th.
Winter Storm fails to interrupt church services at St. Christopher Church on 
In response, Georgia invited brainstorming ideas to help us organize, and solicited and received volunteers to lead the various ministry teams to serve and respond to the various needs that Fr. George identified. 
After our meeting, a group of parishioners remained for fellowship and shared lenten foods offered by our faithful. 
On Sunday, February 22, 2009, Paula Marchman offered this third session of her ongoing series of pastoral support and counseling for our parishioners with an examination of how our children develop in their early years, along with the importance of their relationship with their parents. This early growth influences later developmental issues of autonomy and self-esteem, and how they show up in adolescence and young adulthood. 
In addition, Paula examined the importance of healthy boundaries in our families. In today's world, rather than parents becoming their children's best friends, they are encouraged to become leaders of their youth. This approach will help our youth make healthy choices and become problem-solvers and good decision-makers as they confront the challenges of today's world. Handouts and resources from the 
Paula emphasized that as parents, it is our goal to give our children "roots and wings." Her fourth session (to be scheduled after Pascha/Easter) will focus on marriage enrichment for our parish couples and will be scheduled one evening during the week. Please telephone Fr. George if you can attend, 770/381-1842. We deeply appreciate Paula's programs, along with the help of her husband, Tom Lekas. 
Our Goyans, together with Fr. George and their lay leaders (Jeanie Ellinas, George Psihountas, Presbytera Marinda Tsahakis and Katie Tsahakis) travelled to Newnan, Georgia on Sunday afternoon following Paula Marchman's "Healthy Parenting" workshop for lunch and putt-putt golf. 
Katie Tsahakis, and her dad, Fr. George each scored a "hole-in-one" during the 18 hole round, and everyone had a great time. 
Congratulations to our youth who participated in our Annual Parish St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival held on Sunday, February 1st. Our Junior Speakers included Angelique Soulakos, Mary Ramsaier, and John Soulakos. Our Senior Speakers included Christina Psihountas, Marion Kleto, and Nicholas Psihountas. Each of them offered a beautiful and personal witness of the Orthodox theme they selected. 
Judges, BJ Spanos, Anthony Vlachakis, and Katie Tsahakis, and the Timekeeper, Helen Psihountas. We commend Becky Butler for serving as Chairman and we thank the Religous Education teachers and parents who assisted her. Four of the six youth will participate in the Conference Festival scheduled for Saturday, March 14th. For additional information, contact Becky Butler at (770) 461-1800 or by email at 
