Staff reports

After returning from lunch on Friday, the delegates voted for a position on the Diocesan Board of Trustees, which deals with real estate owned by the Diocese.

They then heard reports from the Diocesan Council and staff in a presentation headed by Oscar Tatosian, vice chairman of the Concil.

The presentations focused on the successes of the past year, as well as a look at future plans.

"We're looking to a trend toward an integrated, whole-parish approach to Christian education," said Elise Antreassian, coordinator of Christian education for the Diocese. "We also want to have a hands-on, one-by-one focus on improving our schools, with a focus on our mission parishes."

"As far as our web-based programs, we're working on a modular web-based approach to language knowledge and appreciation," said Gilda Buchakjian-Kupelian, coordinator of Armenian studies. "We are rethinking our teaching approach so it is more student-centered, and we'd like to create a curriculum so it is more in tune with our students without compromising the language's integrity."

"We need to show our students that we are there, or we will lose them or not reach them when they go to college," said Jason Demerjian, the Diocese's college ministry facilitator. "For me, it is a time where I'm going to move on and continue with my long-time goal to prepare for priesthood and will soon be transitioning out of my work with college ministry, but it will continue strong."

After starting in her position last year, Jennifer Morris, coordinator of youth outreach, asked parishes to help her by providing contact information for youth workers and youth themselves.

"This continues to be an area I request your support in, so we can continue to reach out to our ACYOA Jrs.," she said, detailing the monthly HYE-mail e-newsletter for young Armenians. She also urged the delegates to promote the Diocesan summer camps to their young parishioners. "The ACYOA and summer camp programs continue to be the main vehicle in which the Diocese reaches out to our youth with ministry, by creating and implementing Christ-centered programming."

"I am working very hard with the Central Council of the Choir Association. We have two big programs that are a good investment in our future," said Khoren Mekanejian, coordinator of music ministry at the Diocese. "The first is our junior choirs, working to have them in every parish. The second is the junior choir leadership program. The choir's average age is up, and we need young people. Today, with these programs, 500 young people can sing the badarak."

He added that young singers will perform at the Divine Liturgy Sunday at the host parish of St. Leon Church in Fair Lawn, NJ.

"We must bring our support of mission parishes to the next level. Not only providing clergymen, but building leaders for all aspect of parish life," said Fr. Untzag Nalbandian, director of the mission parish program, as he spoke about efforts to conduct a survey of mission parishes and to create an action plan to strengthen them. "I am happy to inform you that only recently two of our parishes – St. Sahag of St. Paul, MN, and St. Sarkis in Charlotte, NC – became full parishes and their delegates are sitting here at their first Assembly. And St. Garabed in Baton Rouge, LA, will be consecrated this month by the Primate."

"We would encourage you to donate any books or periodicals you have concerning Armenia," said Aram Arkun, coordinator of the Zohrab Information Center. "It's a great responsibility you have as leaders of the Armenian Church. And part of that responsibility is preserving and promoting our heritage, and we at the Zohrab Center are ready to work with you."

Following presentations by the Diocesan staff, delegates heard from organizations: the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), the Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA), and the Women's Guild Central Council.

ACYOA CENTRAL COUNCIL

Under a series of photos of young Armenians, ACYOA Central Council Chair Maria Derderian spoke in Armenian, then English, about the importance of a strong ACYOA. She noted that this year marks the 60th anniversary of ACYOA.

"Rather than speak about our accomplishments, I'd like to talk to you about what ACYOA needs," she said, noting the strong commitment to ACYOA from the Primate and Diocesan Council. "The ACYOA is at an important crossroads we are doing well on so many levels, but an important part of the puzzle is missing. We must now focus on the parish level. The Central Council has tried to ensure every parish has the tools needed to have active ACYOA groups. Yet somehow we have not been able to make the ACYOA part of the life of every parish."

"The matter at hand is not one of general assembly delegates or ACYOA budget, for those are by-products of the ACYOA and the Armenian Church as a whole. The ACYOA needs your witness. It needs you to share you feeling of God's love to those in your life. It is God's will for us to be active members in the body of Christ, we must do everything in our power to allow that will to be done," she added, acknowledging that it is a difficult task for some.

"But it is a simple task, and it is what we need. The parishes with active ACYOA groups are not a result of funding, but are a result of personal relationships. Show your youth you need them right now, because they are as essential to the life of the church today as they ever will be. Our youth need Christ, and our youth need you to show them who Christ is."

She asked delegates to make a list of young people in their parishes, to provide updated contact information for the ACYOA mailing list, and to nominate someone for one of the ACYOA leadership awards. She also encouraged the delegates to attend the ACYOA General Assembly and Sports Weekend, to provide examples of successful Christian Armenians and encourage the young people to take leadership roles in the future.

Along with those actions today, she asked the delegates to live as Christian role models for their youth.

"We must own our faith and teach it to our youth so they can own it themselves. People take care of what they own," she added. "This must be happening daily, from each one of us, between all of our faithful in our churches. This is the only way to make a lasting impact."

The delegates gave her a standing ovation, before asking questions such as why the newest chapters come from smaller parishes, while larger parishes lack ACYOA chapters.

"It is about just making personal connections with our youth," she said. "There's someone there who begins inspiring the youth and puts the idea in their mind that they might be able to serve the church. A lot of them might not have that idea or think they have the talents or no one has ever asked them, so they don't serve the church. But when asked, they will. That works most of the time."

Delegates also spoke about the need for an increased presence for older young adults, those 25 to 35.

"We're really focusing on who we are and what we are, and what characteristics complete us," Derderian said, encouraging resources to be created for that age group, such as the Diocese's newest publication, "Welcome to the Armenian Church."

"We have some programs, but we all accept they are not enough," added the Primate. "And I have some ideas, such as utilizing the Ararat Center for a weekend for young adults, the Fund for Armenian Relief's trip for young professionals, it is a very effective trip, so these are some ideas, but we have to develop other programs. So hopefully we will be able to design more programs on a regional level."

WOMEN'S GUILD CENTRAL COUNCIL

Through the Saintly Women's Day celebration, the Women's Guild Central Council provided $10,000 to the Diocese to buy vestments for clergy, said WGCC President Lucy Murad, who also spoke about the guild's School Bag program and its Children of Armenian Sponsorship Program, which provides financial assistance to children in Armenia.

"Being a member of the guild means being a part of a group of women that have a shared interest and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ," she said. "All the projects sponsored by the WGCC were developed with a passionate open heart."

AACCA CENTRAL COUNCIL

Arpie Kouzouian, president of the choir association, spoke about the several recent accomplishments of the AACCA, such as the junior choir badarak book and its junior choir leadership development program, which trains future choir directors.

"If our worship services are to continue in the manner we're accustomed to, such training is necessary," she said of the two-year-old program, before introducing a video detailing the program and its students. "They have made a decision to serve the Armenian Church by using their talents to strengthen worship in the Armenian Church."

"If you share in our mission and believe in the value of our mission, I encourage you to support our efforts this year," she said, detailing the upcoming trip of the young musicians to Armenia this summer.

Posted by Jake at May 5, 2006 03:59 PM