As we prepare for our annual meeting on March 6 is it important that those who have not yet paid their 2015 membership dues in fact do this to participate in the meeting. And given our membership dues are not too much ($55/year for a working adult and $27.50 for non working adults) why not just take care of 2016 now too? By joining St. Vladimir's you show your visible support of the parish which nourishes you and your family spiritually. We all hope the parish will be there when we need it (for marriages, funerals, baptisms, etc.). By joining the parish we support it both spiritually and financially. To renew your membership or to become a new member, please contact one of our membership coordinators: Vasiliy Krivtsov (vasiliy.krivtsov@gmail.com or 734-669-8712) or Dmitry Knysh (dmitriknysh@hotmail.com or 734-358-5996) or Konstantin Poplavsky (734-944-4087 or 419-344-2071). We cordially invite you to join our parish family!

Please find our membership form here – you can just fill this out and return to one of the membership coordinators:

http://stvladimiraami.org/flyers/membershipform.pdf

Please see the file at the link below - this outlines Fr. Gregory's basic availability to bless houses this year. Please contact him and arrange your house blessing EARLY. There is always a rush during Chessefare week. This is not the best time to have one's house blessed. Rather, one should have one's house blessed in January or February if at all possible - so that this is not rushed. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions.

http://stvladimiraami.org/flyers/houseblessing2016.pdf

The Washtenaw County Sheriff and Forgotten Men Ministries are working together to help those who are incarcerated during the winter. There is a need for both men's and women's thermals, socks, and t-shirts. At St. Vladimir's we will take up a special collection at the kissing of the Cross on Sunday, January 31 in support of this worthy cause. If you cannot be present on the 31st but would like to make a donation please contact our parish's International Orthodox Christian Charities' liaison Marina Edwards, or Fr. Gregory.

Special Guests Fr. Pavel Vishnevsky and Connie Meyer will tell us about their work in Moscow helping those in need. Fr. Pavel and Connie work closely with our Russian with Love effort. We hear about that effort all the time at St. Vladimir's and how important it is to support it. Now is the time to hear what really happens on the ground when we support (and don't support) this worthy cause. We'll also have the opportunity to enjoy some sweets and each others' company. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. Please join us!

RSVP at this link:

http://goo.gl/forms/4ZwDctznwi

Please plan to join us for the next hierarchal visit to St. Vladimir's! His Eminence, Metropolitan Jonah will join us on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28. As always when there is a hierarchal visit Vigil on Saturday will start at 5:00 p.m. (there is no Church School this day) and Liturgy on Sunday will start at 9:00 a.m.

Following the Divine Liturgy there will be a banquet in honor of Metropolitan Jonah at which he will inaugurate our 2016 Great Lenten Lecture Series. Please join us!

A flyer suitable for sharing with others can be found here:

http://stvladimiraami.org/flyers/bishopvisitsflyer.pdf

Starosta's Corner

volume 2, issue 4
Friday, January 23, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Please forgive me for another late installment of “Starosta’s corner”.

This is the last quarterly “Starosta’s Corner” for 2015 and the next will come out after our parish meeting, so I will try and put things in this letter that will help us all be prepared for the annual meeting on March 6, 2016.

I’d like to say that I will try and make up being tardy by writing an extra long report this time, but then I realize that might in fact repulse rather than recruit readers: “Something more to read from the starosta?! Oh, no!”

Silliness aside, I’m going to try a summary and details separately... (and the rest of the Starosta's Corner):

http://stvladimiraami.org/pamphlets/starostascorner.pdf

We have received the latest issue of International Orthodox Christian Charities' "News & Needs" at St. Vladimir's. You can find this issue on line here:

http://www.iocc.org/nwsltr/winter2016/w ... 6_pg1.aspx

Please join us for services in honor of the Equal to the Apostles St. Nina, Enlightener of Georgia on Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. This is also the name's day of Fr. Pavel Vishnevsky, who is visiting Ann Arbor from Moscow this week, and Fr. Pavel is slated to participate in the Divine Services. More information on St. Nina can be found at the links below. Please join us for the Divine Services as your schedule allows!

English:

http://oca.org/saints/lives/2016/01/14/ ... of-georgia

Russian:

http://days.pravoslavie.ru/Life/life6773.htm

Congratulations to all our parishioners who are celebrating their name's days today! Unfortunately Fr. Gregory overlooked this important day on the annual calendar and he asks the forgiveness of all our Tatianas and their families for his oversight. Tonight is fully booked - it would be impossible to have a moleben. So, although not ideal, we will have a moleben today at 12:00 p.m. Even if you cannot be present please rest assured - all Tatianas of our parish family will be commemorated at the moleben. We thank you for your understanding.

Getting ready for camp! Seems too early right? HARDLY! We want our kids to be REALLY ready - to prepare themselves well so they can pass the tests and receive awards at camp. By preparing now we hope to have our kids in the best position to shine this summer! And these meetings give some of our senior campers the opportunity to exhibit leadership by organizing these educational meetings. Please join us!

More information/RSVP:

http://goo.gl/forms/d25xqIFDdg