Our Parish Council

CURRENT PARISH COUNCIL EVENTS & PROJECTS

Sunday, October 12, 2025, Fall General Assembly President's Report

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Thank you for participating in today’s Parish General Assembly and being active in the life of our church. It’s wonderful to see and feel new energy here at Annunciation.

The church exists for one main reason: to lead people to salvation in Jesus Christ. We are blessed to have a loving church community filled with strong, vibrant ministries that expand their good works, guiding others to salvation through Jesus Christ.

I believe a key reason why our church community remains healthy is because we aren’t just “Doing Church” or going through the motions with added activities, but we are “Being the Church”—building a congregation of committed and energized members who grow spiritually and reach out in concern and service to the world.

You can see and feel the love of our community in many ways, like when we look into the eyes of our youth approaching the chalice, or when we recognize all the effort that goes into making our OPA festival a success—thanks to Chris Papadeas, Dean Dalson, and the team of 100. The love is also evident when we welcome a newborn during their 40-day blessing or gather to pray for those who have passed.

We have felt and witnessed this love for a long time, especially as we celebrate our 125th anniversary next year—marking our status as the first Greek Orthodox Church in the Delaware Valley and the sixth oldest in America. We will honor our past legacy, celebrate our present achievements, and look forward to the future of our grandchildren.

Let me share the priorities of our community. Over the past few years, we’ve focused on three main areas:

Increasing participation for spiritual growth
Providing resources and facilities to meet the needs of the parish and its ministries
Supporting our church through stewardship

How are we doing?

I’d say very well.

First, our 25 ministries are offering their best, led by dedicated leaders. We’ve achieved great milestones with our youth groups: Greek School, Catechism School, GOYA, Hope Joy, Little Apostles, dance groups, and PTO. Additionally, our outreach efforts—Philoptochos, Homeless, Matthew 25, IOCC, and FOCUS—are innovating and thriving. Let’s continue encouraging our children’s participation in church ministries.

Second, we are excited about the recent renovations and the new spaces created for our youth ministries and outreach. We owe special thanks to Dean Dalson, who exemplifies good stewardship through his time, talent, and resources. Dean demonstrated his love for our church by making these improvements happen this summer and showed us all that we can do the same! His investment challenges us to think about how we can serve our community even more. As Dean will share, we expect to finish most of Phase I by the end of this month, then begin our capital campaign.

Finally, our third focus is supporting and sustaining the church through stewardship. We all understand that stewardship involves giving our time, talent, and treasure, based on biblical principles. It’s also important to understand four core principles of stewardship: Ownership, Responsibility, Accountability, and Reward.

Ownership means that God created and owns everything. All that we are and have is a gift from God. Responsibility involves managing these gifts to advance Christ’s mission. Accountability reminds us that we are responsible for how we handle His gifts, as shown in the parable of the talents. Reward, as emphasized by St. Paul, encourages us to work wholeheartedly for the Lord, knowing that our inheritance and reward come from Him.

Just as early followers supported His ministries, we, as stewards, should support all church efforts. Funding our community requires roughly $600,000 each year, supported by 325 stewards. That’s about $1,800 per year per steward, or $150 each month—enough to sustain and support the entire church. Remember, $150 is a meaningful amount. Share what it represents with your friends, family, and yourself. For those who give more, we sincerely thank you for your generosity. We are called to give our “first fruits,” just as we do in prayers before meals and at the start of each week. I hope you will join me in making Annunciation a fully sustainable stewardship church.

As we move forward with our Parish Development, Stewardship, and Capital Campaign efforts, cultivating a healthy mindset to support and grow our community is essential.

Finally, let’s thank Father John for over 11 years of love and pastoral care, George Dalagelis for over 30 years of devotion, and all the Ministry Leaders for their outstanding leadership. Together, let us pray for the success of our next chapter in our community's life.

MISSION

The Parish Council is made up of thirteen members dedicated to serving God by acting as servant leaders for our clergy, ministries, and community. While members differ in age, experience, skills, financial support, and interests, they all find joy in collaborating to grow the ministries and nurture a Christ-centered parish grounded in faith and love. These servant leaders are crucial in shaping the community's future and upholding our Mission and Vision principles.

DUTIES AND PARTICIPATION

In the Oath of Office, the parish council members affirm that they “…will fulfill faithfully and sincerely the duties and obligations required of a member of the Parish Council….” No contract is signed, but a promise is made which rests on the shared commitment of all council members to serve the Church, which is the Body of Christ on earth. We are His hands, feet, eyes, and more. To serve on the council is a ministry and a mission. We are called to use the gifts with which we have been blessed to carry out the work of the Church.

Council members' duties and responsibilities include ensuring good governance of the community, discussing long-term plans, reviewing monthly financial reports, overseeing staff, assisting with church-wide events like the OPA Festival, and promoting vital ministry programs and activities. They aim to connect with parishioners, greet and usher during worship services, and build relationships.

THE 2025 PARISH COUNCIL

Peter Gouris, President
Anthony Vlahos, Vice President
Chris Papadeas, 2nd Vice President
Anthony Limberakis, Secretary
Demetrios Papakirk, Treasurer
Panagiotis Giannoumis, Assistant Treasurer
Members: Chris Fifis, Apostolos Fisfis, Ioannis Fisfis, Panagiotis Kyriakou, Afrodite Patounas.