The first Council meeting following the 2022 Annual Meeting took place at the Swedish Centre in Plaka on 28th May. The following matters were discussed and decisions taken:
Appointments: Jean Mertzanakis, Nelly Paraskevopoulou and Lynn Stavrou would continue to serve as Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and Safeguarding Officer for the year 2022-2023.
Covid: Mask-wearing in church would cease to be obligatory from June 1st and Churchwarden Trevor was thanked for overseeing maintenance of Covid restrictions at St. Paul’s. Online Zoom services had been well-ttended.
Communion: Following a communication from Bishop Robert, Council agreed that the Common Cup be reintroduced on Sunday 3rd July, along with the option of personal intinction.
Finances: The income deficit for the first quarter was over 10,000 Euros but requests for church hire for concerts (a major source of income) had started to come in. In the 2nd quarter our 7,000 Euros contribution to the Diocesan Common Fund was due but it should be borne in mind that chaplaincies could apply to this fund for help if necessary, as St. Paul’s had done recently. Full payment of a big electricity bill had been made and we would be paying no stipend from 1st August. Treasurer Nelly was thanked for the work she did on a daily basis and Verger Virginia Stevens for dealing with inconvenience and mess caused by the installation of new electricity meters that had involved digging up paving at the entrance to the church.
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please note that the church has a POS facility. Drinking water is always available at the back of the church. Fr. Leonard will preside and preach. The deacon is Deacon Christine. There is coffee available in the garden after the Liturgy.
Entrance Hymn 349 Come let us join our cheerful songs
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you
The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and leads us into Confession.
Deacon: We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, bringing them to Jesus in penitence and faith. (A short period of stillness and silence)
Deacon: Your raise the dead to life in the spirit.
Kyrie eleison All: Kyrie eleison
Deacon: You bring pardon and peace to the broken in spirit.
Christe eleison All: Christe eleison
Deacon: You make one by your Spirit the torn and divided.
Kyrie eleison All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please note that the church has a POS facility. Drinking water is always available at the back of the church. Please stay for coffee in the garden after the liturgy. Fr. Leonard will preside and Deacon Christine is our preacher.
Entrance Hymn 440 Praise to the Lord (omit vss 4 & 5)
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you
The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and leads us into Confession.
Deacon: We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, bringing them to Jesus in penitence and faith. (A short period of stillness and silence)
All: Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please note that the church has a POS facility. Drinking water is always available at the back of the church. Please stay for coffee in the garden after the liturgy. Fr. Leonard will preside and preach. Deacon Christine is our deacon.
Entrance Hymn 388 Jesus shall reign
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you
The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and leads us into Confession.
Deacon: We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, bringing them to Jesus in penitence and faith. (A short period of stillness and silence)
All: Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please note that the church has a POS facility. Drinking water is always available at the back of the church. Please stay for coffee in the garden after the liturgy. Fr. Leonard will preside and preach. Deacon Christine is our deacon.
Entrance Hymn 333 All my hope
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you
The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and leads us into Confession.
Deacon: We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, bringing them to Jesus in penitence and faith. (A short period of stillness and silence)
All: Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please note that the church has a POS facility. Drinking water is always available at the back of the church. Please stay for coffee in the garden after the liturgy. Fr. Leonard will preside, Deacon Christine is our deacon, and the preacher is Angelos Palioudakis.
Entrance Hymn 237 Morning has broken
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: And also with you
The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and leads us into Confession.
Deacon: We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, bringing them to Jesus in penitence and faith. (A short period of stillness and silence)
All: Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.
Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome to St Paul’s Athens, especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Deacon Christine leads our worship today, and is the preacher. Fr. Leonard is on holiday until August 5th.
We have a POS – you can make your donation to St. Paul’s by card. Please come to coffee in the garden after the Liturgy.
Opening Hymn: 239 Lord of all hopefulness
Minister: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you
All: and also with you.
Minister: O Lord, open our lips
All: and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Minister: Give us the joy of your saving help
All: and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.
The minister then welcomes people informally.
Prayers of Penitence
Minister: As we come to the Lord at the start of this New Year, let us seek his grace to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom as we confess our sins in penitence and faith.
All: Lord God, we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and repent.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.
Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Minister: May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us
in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: Amen
