Building Our Future

Wood framing has begun

Ashton Wynne has been erecting the wood framing this week and the true character of the Church building is beginning to take shape. See the photo.

Construction update 6/2/2011

A symbolic milestone has just happened: the raising of the dome structure above the Church. Standing 65 feet tall and ultimately topped with a cross, the dome will serve as a welcome beacon for all to see in the Mid-Cities community.

Although the continuous rain showers in May have hampered construction progress we continue to make great strides. With the dome now set Ashton Wynne will be erecting the wood framing and the true character of the Church will be displayed.

The Building Committee has completed the material selec- tions for the exterior of the Church. Hopefully you have had a chance to view the brick and natural stone combination on the mock-up erected in the parking lot. Our next exterior selections will be concentrated on finalizing the metal roof and exterior glass decorative windows. In the coming months we are also going to be sourcing and selecting interior finishes in compliance with our stated    budget allowances    for each item.

Joe Sullivan

Building    Committee Chairman

Huge Milestone – The dome raising – 5/31/2011

Capital Campaign needs your help

The Building Committee headed by Joe Sullivan concluded the contractual agreement with Aston Wynne for construction of the new church and the contract was signed into force by our Parish Council President on December 12, 2010.

By about mid-year 2011 the structure and finished exterior of the church will have been completed.  Through the commitments of many parishioners, the Capital Campaign Fund contains the cash necessary to complete this first stage of construction. 

In addition, a contract has been signed and initial payments made for the design and construction of the iconostasis, the painting of icons for the iconostasis and the painting of an iconographic mural on the Altar Apse. These are long lead time items, some of which must begin design and painting early in 2011 in order to be ready for installation upon completion of the church interior.  In particular, the iconostasis will be a stunning work of Orthodox design using hand cut natural limestone with mosaic inlays and the icons installed in wooden panels.  Metropolitan Isaiah has approved the iconostasis and iconography concepts which have been developed by Father Vasile in coordination with our iconographer, Vladimir Grygorenko.

Your Capital Campaign Committee is now turning towards the task of raising the balance of funds needed to complete the church interior and related site improvements on our property.  Approximately one-half, only, of our parishioners have committed close to 75% of the funds needed to complete the project and many have already made substantial payments on their commitments.   With that record of parish commitment to date, we are hopeful others among our fellow parishioners will also now join in supporting this historic undertaking.

As a Parish, we are on the way to bringing the vision of “Building Our Future” to reality.  If you have not yet made your personal or family commitment to the Capital Campaign, now is the time.  Please see any member of the CCC for a commitment card…  If you have already made your personal or family commitment, please strive to make your payments as timely as possible under the terms you have set for your commitment, or earlier if possible.  We will need to demonstrate dependable cash flow from our committed contributors in order to be able to continue and complete construction.

All of our parishioners should want to participate in this historic endeavor and, when we are done, share in offering glory to God for what we, together, each and every one of us as a Greek Orthodox Community, have accomplished as our legacy and our gift to the future generations of St. John the Baptist here in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.   

Your Capital Campaign Committee -  Paun Peters, Dr. Chris Yiantsou, Nancy Medvic, Louie Papaliodis, Margaret Chokas, George Vittas…

January 2011 Construction Status

Now that our Sunday School and Offices addition is completed we can concentrate on the building of the New Church.

In December 2010 the Old and Faithful Paulos center was demolished to make way for our New Church. A small sacrifice for a greater cause. Its functions have already been taken over by our new addition. Children and teachers seem to be enjoying their new learning environment.

With the site cleared our general Contractor, Ashton Wynne, has finalized the earthwork compacting the soil and bringing the pad up to the proper grade. 

Pier location and the retaining wall along the creek area has been laid out and the concrete subcontractor mobilized in January to prepare for the pier installation and foundation. 

Concrete work will require approximately 4 weeks to complete (pending weather conditions) resulting in a finished foundation.  Ashton Wynne is in the process of ordering the steel members and will begin erecting the steel structure upon completion of the building foundation. 

The Building Committee is conducting a meeting on January 27^th to review and select exterior finishes, which we plan to have available for parishioners to view upon final completion.

In the mean time Presvytera Mirela concentrates on the interior of the new church working with our iconographer Vladimir Grygorenko on the design for our new iconostasis.

Joe Sullivan – Building Committee Chairman

August Construction Status

Construction activities are progressing at a much faster pace now that the fire line is installed and approved by the Fire Marshall and the Phase 1 Paulos Center Replacement Addition foundation is poured.

Late August and early September will see the framing of the addition’s walls, roof construction, electrical and mechanical systems’ rough-in and exterior work being executed. September the interior finishes will progress to ultimately finish out the addition. See some construction photos bellow

It is with great excitement that we will participate as a community in the groundbreaking ceremony wi t h Hi s Emi n e n c e Archbishop Isaiah on September 11th. Our goal, soon after this significant event, will be to apply for permits and begin construction of thenew Church after this year’s Food Festival, the first step being the demolition and site clearing of the former Paulos Center.

If you have any questions regarding the overall planning schedule of the Capital Development Program, please do not hesitate to ask me or any member of the Building Committee.

Joe Sullivan,

Chairman

Replat Application and Site Plan approved by the Planning and Zoning Committee

We are pleased to report that the Replat Application and Site Plan for the new Church was unanimously approved by the City of Euless Planning and Zoning Commission during their Public Hearing at City Hall on May 18th. As such, the Commission will be recommending approval of the plans to the City Council during their meeting on June 8th. City Council approval is the final step for allowing us to begin the Paulos Center Replacement Addition, Church construction and all site improvements.

St. John’s has entered into a contractual agreement with Ashton Wynne to serve as the Construction Manager for the Phase 1 Paulos Center Replacement Addition and the Phase 2 Demolition of the existing Paulos Center. Upon obtaining the necessary permits, they will begin construction activities on-site in June with the goal of completing the addition before the September 11th groundbreaking ceremony.

After reviewing the overall schedule with the Parish Council, it was agreed to delay the demolition of the existing Paulos Center until after this year’s Festival. Based upon the continued success of the Capital Campaign, it is planned to demo the existing Paulos Center and start construction of the new Church right after the Festival.

If you have any questions regarding this initial phase of the Capital Development Program, please do not hesitate to ask me or any member of the Building Committee.

Joe Sullivan

Building Committee Chairman

$1.5 Million Milestone Achieved!!

The Capital Campaign is nearing the end of a brief but exciting and successful two-and-one-half months of activity since its beginning in mid-October, after the Food Festival.  We are happy to report the parishioners of St. John the Baptist have, as of Sunday, December 20^th, stepped forward to offer commitments  in the total of amount of $1,552,010.  We are humbled at the generosity displayed by these commitments and we are strengthened by our fellow parishioners’ demonstrated resolve to build the new church.   

As of December 20^th, this level of total commitment has been achieved by about one-half the number of stewards of the Parish.  We are confident many of our as yet uncommitted stewards and regular parishioners will also decide to step forward during the remaining weeks of December before we conclude the Capital Campaign’s first year of activities…  The Campaign will continue anew in the New Year as we strive to reach the ultimate goal of $2,400,000, of which the first $2.0 million will be for construction of the new church building. 

During the first half of the year 2010, the Capital Campaign Committee’s focus will be on working with the Parish Council and the Building Committee to finalize plans for the Paulos Center Replacement addition to the hall/church building.  We must build the Paulos Center Replacement and demolish the old building before we can start construction of the new church.  This will take-up approximately the first half of the New Year during which time we hope our uncommitted parishioners will be able to make their commitments to the Capital Campaign Fund according to their abilities…  At the same time, the CCC will be launching the Campaign BRIDGE program to Build communications, Report financial information; Involve new members; Discover new ministries; Grow our stewardship culture; and, Express our appreciation continually to those who are making it possible to “Build Our Future” with their commitments and contributions no matter what size.   With the support of Fr. Vasile and the Parish Council, we hope to use the Capital Campaign and the development of the new church to prepare the Parish for the additional growth we expect with the opening of the new church and other renovated and expanded facilities over the next several years’ time. 

As we have reported to the Parish at the various Campaign events, a financially secure Capital Campaign Fund Account has been opened at a local bank and arrangements have also been made for acceptance of non-cash contributions in payment of commitments for those who desire to transfer securities to the CCFA.  Please contact the Council Treasurer or any member of the CCC for further information and directions as to the steps to take when transferring securities. 

The members of your Capital Campaign Committee wish you and yours a Blessed Christmas and to all of us a very Happy, Healthy and Successful New Year…

George Vittas, Chairman, Dr. Chris Yiantsou, Paun Peters, Nancy Medvic, Louis Papaliodis and Margaret Chokas

Exciting news from the Building our Future Capital Campaign!!

Beloved brothers and Sisters,

We just witnessed a historical moment yesterday at St. John the Baptist at the “Total Parish Commitment” event. The entire parish gathered in prayer and commitment as they pledged their contributions to the parish’s building plans for a new Byzantine Church on the property.

To date, our fellow parishioners have committed a total of $935,245 towards the ultimate campaign goal of $2.4 million, of which $2,057,000 is the current estimate for the actual construction of the new church building.  It is exciting to realize that in a few short weeks we have received pledged commitments totaling nearly one-half the amount needed to build our new church. 

We would like to take a moment and thank everyone for their generous contributions; their support to the Lord’s mission in our community will not go unrewarded.

I would also like to point out that all this has been achieved by only 47 parishioners, less than half the number of current Parish Stewards.  We are hopeful of and excited at the prospect of receiving additional Capital Campaign commitments from the remainder of the Parish. 

If you have not committed yet be sure that your participation will make a difference and we truly would like to see all of our parishioners involved so we may all, every one of us, know that we played a part in this achievement on the day the doors of our new church are opened.

I thank again to all that have already joined and ask everyone else to give their most prayerful and thoughtful consideration to our common project and hope that they will decide to be a part of this historic undertaking.

We are looking forward to seeing you all next Sunday, December 20 at the “First Fruits Gathering“ when we hope you will be prepared to make the first contributions on your commitment.

The Capital Campaign Committee will keep everybody informed as to the progress of the Capital Campaign Fund and will send periodic reports on the status of our commitment and payments.

With my sincerest thanks and the gratitude of your Capital Campaign Committee,

In Christ’s service,

Fr. Vasile

The bond of love. Final Sermon of our “Building our Future” Capital Campaign by Fr. Vasile

Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

(Mat 22:37-40)

St. John the Little, a disciple of St. Pachomious the Great, said once “Nobody builds his house from the roof down but from the foundation up”. Asked what he meant by this he said “our foundation is our neighbor; to him I should tend first, because on him hang all the commandments of Christ.”  The essence of Christianity is love, but love has to be directed to someone other than us, otherwise it becomes selfishness. Our relationship with God depends on our relationship with our brothers and sisters. If I don’t love my brother and do not want to be with him than how could I be with God that loves my brother?

The ancient Greeks had a real fondness for the concept of love and were very particular in describing it, employing several words to describe its different meanings. For this they  had eros, which is the passionate love, more linked with the flesh in the modern understanding, but not necessarily the only meaning of it; they also used philia for the love toward our friends and the things we enjoy in life; storge represented the family love, like parents for their children; and finally they had agape.

Agape signifies a love that is unconditional, selfless, genuine, and cheerful. It is the type of love that never asks but always gives, is a love that does not bother to suspect anything but trusts, it is the love that does not talk bad about others, or ever gets upset, or yells or has swinging moods. It is how God love us and how we should love our neighbor.

On Easter day, the holiest day for Orthodox people, we hold a service that we also call “Agape” vespers. Maybe you have wondered where this name comes from. Its true meaning is linked with the Gospel of the day that according to Tradition is read in many different languages. The languages are a symbol of the love God has for all the people of this world, not just for the Israelites, but for all the gentiles that were all called to be a new holy nation under Christ, united into His holy body, the Church. This represents the real agape: the universal love of God, a perfect unity of persons that has all the love He needs and yet He creates the world and in it He puts Man so He can have other subjects that can partake in the perfect love of the Holy Trinity.

God did not needed this for Himself, He did not just wanted a partner to play with, but He, unselfishly, wanted someone to share with what He already had in abundance: love. He offered man the posibility to enter into a relationship of love with Him, a relationship wanted from both sides, a relationship of unbiased free choice. Any other solution beside the total freedom to join in or not, which also includes the risk of rejection, would have fallen into the category of arranged marriages.

God wanted however a true love, a love based on mutual understanding and informed consent: a simple choice and man would have had everything. Man however, we know the history by now, rejected this union initially and sold it for an immaterial dream of existence in creation without its Creator.

The day of the great fall was a sad day in the existence of Man but in the same time one that made possible the revelation of God’s supreme commitment to Man, a revelation of His profound love for mankind, a love that goes all the way to sacrifice. Not a sacrifice of animals: doves or lambs or goats, but a meaningful sacrifice, the sacrifice of the only Son of God, Who came down to give us another chance to be redeemed and to rejoin God in His plans for union with Mankind.

God emptied Himself of all His heavenly glory and from His greatness He made Himself small, one of us, so we can be made great; as St. Athanasius said: God became man so man can become, at his turn, god. This is the great mystery of love: one becoming small so the other could grow; one renouncing his will for the other’s will, one giving the other receiving, always cheerful, always joyful, always holding the other one in first regard.

We re-enact this great mystery every Sunday when during Liturgy we partake of the Eucharist. Christ makes Himself again small so we can take Him in our bodies and in turn we become big, we become one with God, as He always wanted. But through Him we also become one with all that partake with Him; through communion with Christ we actually become a Church. One becomes many and many become one. When one joins the church one ceased being alone, from one, living in isolation one becomes part of a community that shares everything in agape.         

What unites the bricks of His Church, us, His people, is not mortar, but is Him, love incarnate, the genuine and original agape. His love however is one that compels us to imitation. If we want our church to be solid and last forever we should make sure we have enough of this special cement. Hear the words of the Holy Apostle Paul: “I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you [...] that [your] hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love.” (Col 2:1-2).

This is the only way: to love each other as Christ loves us. The bonds that form between people through unconditioned love, respect and consideration are the only ones that could last a life time and dare I say an eternity. A community of faith has to be first of all a community of love. We cannot be in communion with the love incarnate if we don’t share this sentiment among ourselves. We join the Church because we love God, but the expression of this love is made through our brothers and sisters. They are the true gate to paradise, our long waited ticket to heaven.

Only united in one holy body the building blocks we need for our Church will be brought together in an unbreakable bond. In love and unity our sacrifice and commitment will serve the holy purpose of living a true life in Christ. 

 Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom every building having been fitly framed together, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a dwelling place of God through the Spirit. (Eph 2:19-22)