LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF ST. NICHOLAS
My fellow parishioners, as we look to the future, most of us here are aware that as a parish we are strong but also not as strong as we could or should be. Of course, no parish is perfect, and the people also of the parish are not perfect. As a parish we have been blessed to experience some good things that should give us reason to have hope. Lately we have experienced a lot of growth in the participation of church attendance. I was really proud to see the majority of our parishioners attend church committing themselves to Christ through partaking of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of Holy communion. But in order for us to continue this growth we need to keep having transparency and good communication within our “Stewards” of the Church.
Everyday we are learning new things from each other, and we are elevating the spiritual level of the parish. I have said this before to all of you that we are blessed with beautiful parishioners who truly give their Time, Talents, and Treasures to the church. As a parish we also need to look into and search for our parishioners who have left the church for one reason or another and bring them back to their spiritual home. This is what “Outreach” means, to help those who really need the help and to give them our personal attention. We should always continue to better ourselves to have a greater participation in parish life.
We need to have more people coming up to the Holy Communion line and participate in receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord and our other Sacraments. As a community, we need more workers and volunteers, in order to be able to meet our future goals and achievements. When people have the compulsion to hold on to their possessions, they are like the kind of people Jesus referred to when He said; “He who lays up treasures for himself, is not rich towards God”. How we handle our money reveals much about the depth of our love and commitment to Christ. This is a true fact-One sixth of the Gospels including one out of every 3 parables relates directly to “Stewardship”.
Jesus wasn’t a fundraiser, but He does understand our needs for survival in this world. In our parish, we still lack the number of dedicated workers willing to take up tasks necessary for the financial and operational benefits of the Parish. We always seem to ignore the primary reason we work for the church is not to have a controlling interest, but for the Glory of God. If we want the services of the Church and are not prepared to support it to the best of our means, with Time, Talents, and Treasure, what does that say about the importance of the church to all of us. In order to have a healthy parish, we need much more than to give and raise more money, we need people to recognize the need to be in church on a regular basis, to praise and thank God for the blessings of life; we need parishioners who come to church not as spectators or out of sense of duty, but to commune and have a better relationship with God.
I truly believe that the answer to any financial needs will be resolved when people deepen their personal spiritual life and come to the realization that regular participation in the Divine Services of the Church is what makes a healthy Orthodox Christian. When we get more people’s hearts in the right place, then the material needs of the church will be realized. It is really as Christ said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.
Since we are coming into the New Year 2026, I wish to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have actively participated in the life of the church. Special thanks to the Members of our Parish Council who through their love and commitment to Christ and His Church continue to work hard in accomplishing the many duties and tasks that the church presents throughout the year. To our faithful Chanters, who praise God every Sunday through their beautiful chanting that always uplifts the people in the church. To our Greek school and Sunday school Teachers, for they are the ones who lay the foundation of Orthodox knowledge for our youth.
To our wonderful Ladies of the Philoptochos Society for their continued hard work that they perform for the benefit not only to the church, but mostly for the less fortunate of the world. To all the members of the St. Nicholas “Diamonds”, who come together every month and share love and fellowship. We thank them for the major donations that they have given to the church throughout the years. Many thanks to the Members of our Greek School P.T.A. and the parents who bring their children to the Greek School and Sunday school classes. To our wonderful Goya Youth group and their Youth Advisors for their continued support in our Youth Activities that the church provides. To our Outside Hellenic Organizations, who continue to donate and support our Church through their numerous activities and events.
Also, I would like to thank our Hellenic Golden Coins dancers and our Senior group dancers and their dedicated Instructors for providing all of us with their dancing skills, and who continue to develop new dances giving us the opportunity to learn and be appreciative of our culture and heritage . To all of our parishioners who belong to the many committees of the church such as, Festival, Stewardship, and Financial , thank you for the many hours of volunteer work that made our Community here at St. Nicholas so successful. And last, I want to thank our beautiful parishioners and “Stewards” of the church, who, without their love and financial support, we would not be as successful as we are today.
May our good and loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the coming of the New Year 2026, bring to you and your families much Love, Peace, Harmony, Health, Joy, and Happiness.
Wishing all of you a Happy and Blessed New Year 2026.
Fr. Michael L. Pastrikos
Protopresbyter