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ACYOA Chapter Workshop Focuses on Strengthening Local Chapters
ACYOA Chapter Workshop Focuses on Strengthening Local Chapters
January 6, 2012
By Armen Terjimanian
Secretary, ACYOA Central Council
Thirty-five ACYOA members from parishes across the Eastern Diocese gathered in Boca Raton, Fla., last weekend for the ACYOA’s 4th annual Chapter Workshop, hosted by St. David Church. The workshop was designed and facilitated by the seven-member ACYOA Central Council with the Diocesan Vicar, the Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian, serving as the workshop chaplain.
Under the theme “We’re All In This Together,” the January 13-15 workshop aimed to provide an interactive atmosphere for participants to share successes, struggles, and advice on how to nurture and build their respective ACYOA parish chapters while also providing opportunities for service, worship, and Christian fellowship.
The first night of the workshop started with an icebreaker where participants worked in small groups. Their task was to complete a puzzle which spelled out words describing leadership skills they would later present to the full group, such as “dedication,” “communication,” and “trust.” After another team-building session—a quiz using “Armenian Church Hye Q” game cards, which tested the young parishioners’ knowledge of the Armenian church and culture—evening vespers concluded the first night’s events.
ACYOA Workshop Attendees
Saturday began with morning matins, after which Central Council chair Danny Mantis led a session on “Mission, Team, and Organization,” challenging the workshop participants to understand the ACYOA’s mission and the resources the organization has to make it succeed. Participants were told that a clear mission, balanced team, and healthy organization were important aspects of a successful chapter. Participants were asked to analyze the “health” of their respective chapters, and they discussed with Central Council members what they thought would make for a successful ACYOA chapter.
“It’s great how chapters in the same region are able to work together for the same common goal: To create a solid ACYOA organization.” said Alyne Corrigan from St. Stepanos Church of Elberon, N.J. “I’m looking forward to this upcoming year.”
Participants were then broken up into groups based on geographic regions to brainstorm ideas for events and put together a 12-month calendar using guidelines for goal-setting and the “Circle of Crosses” chart.
After a service lunch, where participants made over 100 sandwiches for a South Florida homeless shelter, a Bible study was led by Fr. Odabashian on the 2012 Diocesan theme of lay ministry. Participants were divided into three small groups to allow for better conversation. The study groups were guided by Fr. Odabashian; the Very Rev. Fr. Nareg Berberian, pastor of St. David Church; and Garen Karamyan, the youth director of Holy Martyrs Church of Bayside, N.Y.
A panel discussion followed on the challenges faced by the ACYOA. The panel discussion tackled questions such as what is the Central Council’s role in the ACYOA and how can chapters overcome a lack of participation at events.
Participants were happy with what they got out of the weekend.
“This weekend was an incredible experience that I shared with individuals who, like me, have a common goal of bringing together our Armenian youth through social events, church, and other activities,” said Andrew Khachatryan from the St. Sarkis Church of Carrollton, Texas. “We as ACYOA board members want our youth to be closer to God, and our bond through workshops like this makes me feel blessed.”
Since the program began in 2009, more than 100 ACYOA chapter leaders from 27 parishes have participated in similar chapter workshops.
Feast of Assumption, Grand Reopening of St. David Sanctuary & The Blessing of Grapes
FEAST OF ASSUMPTION, GRAND REOPENING OF ST. DAVID SANCTUARY & THE BLESSING OF GRAPES
Boca Raton, FL – On Sunday, August 14, 2011, St. David Armenian Church reopened the sanctuary after a six-week and a half renovation. More than hundred people gathered in the morning for the celebration of the Feast of Assumption and to see the newly remodeled Sanctuary of our St. David Armenian Church. The Service started at the Church Hall with the participation of 15 young sub-deacons of our Church. At the end of the Service, Fr. Nareg along with the young altar servers and choir led the congregation to the entrance of the Church. The Opening of Gates ceremony “Ternpatsek” followed. As the doors of the sanctuary opened, 200 people stood in awe to see the newly remodeled St. David Sanctuary. Their eyes sparkled like precious gems and their spirits were energized as they stepped into the magnificent Sanctuary following the lead of our Pastor, the Very Rev. Fr. Nareg Berberian, altar servers and choir, singing “Voghormoutiamp ko tourn patz mez Der,” which means, “With your Mercy, open the door for us, O Lord.”
Fr. Nareg ascended on the Holy Altar with the altar servers to continue the Holy Badarak.
Prior to his sermon, Fr. Nareg said, “For the first time we are gathered in our magnificently renovated Sanctuary and Narthex on the celebration of the Feast of Assumption.
“As you are marveling at the beauty of our sanctuary, I am certain that the founding fathers of our community are rejoicing with you from heaven. This Church was built by their vision for the enrichment of our faith and culture. They successfully passed their vision to our present generation. Today, it is your responsibility to continue enriching their vision. It is the duty of every Armenian to take part in this project through his/her donation. This is your Church. This Church offers you spiritual, cultural, educational, and social programs. Without this Church, we have no identity and with no identity we are lost in the vastness of this world. There are thousands of Churches in South Florida. We are identified as an Armenian by our own Church. When we say, “I am a member of St. David Armenian Church,” we are identifying where we come from, to whom we belong, who we are and what we are.
“It is not enough to be proud of your heritage and faith. You must be active by sharing your talents and gifts. Being a visiting church attendee is not enough. We have more than 10 thousand Armenians in our county. A sense of belonging must grow among our people.
“Look at the beauty of this Church. As we entered the Church for the first time, we sang “Ourakh Ler,” hymn, which means, “Rejoice O Holy Church.” God is rejoicing today for beautifying His house. Is there anything more rewarding than this? This is the pride of the Church. The next generation will be grateful for the beautification of our sanctuary. Now, we have a clean, neat and bright Church, free of mildew and humidity odor. It is my hope that our present visionaries will be great role models for our youth who understand the Church is a place of worship and fellowship.
“I thank Sita Ohanessian who donated $42,000 towards this project in memory of her parents, Ohannes and Sirpouhi Ohanessian. I thank some of our parishioners for financially supporting this major undertaking. I am certain that we will offset all the expenses through the generosity of our parishioners.
“I am grateful to our Parish Council Chairman, Armen Melkonian, who oversaw this project on a daily basis spending days and nights and even providing food for the workers. He was instrumental in selecting these beautiful tiles, the marble and the medallions. He has great taste in modeling designs. It is a pleasure to work with Armen. We have the same vision, same dedication, same taste, same thinking, and strangely enough we share the same birthday. Armen is a wonderful leader and a great chairman.
“During his chairmanship, we have accomplished major constructions and renovations:
1. The Mardigian Chuch Hall was installed with faux marble;
2. A New Khatchkar was installed;
3. A New pavement was installed in front of the Church entrance;
4. A New Church sign was installed; and
5. The Sanctuary and the Narthex were installed with faux marble.
“All these changes happened within a few years.
“I am also grateful to Andrew Merjian, a member of the Parish Council, who is responsible for building the two beautiful candle boxes. Andrew spent countless hours in helping with this project. He is also responsible for installing the new wainscot panels in the Narthex. We are fortunate to have him in our Council.
“One candle box already has a sponsor. They are Drs. Andy and Rosemary Mencia. The other candle box is waiting for sponsorship.
“I am grateful to the members of the Women’s Guild headed by Carol Norigian and the members of Choir headed by Nina Stapan. They spent many hours cleaning the sanctuary. George Stapan and Andrew Merjian painted the wainscot panels in the Narthex.
“I thank Hagop Alikhanian who worked very hard during the renovation. He is a great man.
“There are more people who are worthy of recognition and will be mentioned during the luncheon.
“We truly have wonderful Parish Council members and parishioners who are always ready to help the Church and its mission,”
Then a sermon was delivered. Fr. Nareg spoke about the greatness of Mary in the New Testament and in Church history, in particular in the life of the Armenian people. He emphasized that Mary revolutionized the role of womanhood in the society. Following the sermon, the Blessing of Grapes ceremony followed. With a great enthusiasm, people gathered at the Mardigian Church Hall for a special luncheon to celebrate both the Feast of Assumption and the grand reopening of our Sanctuary.
Armen Melkonian, the chairman of the Parish Council, raised the cup of wine and gave a toast to the people and said, “Thank you for your support and encouragement. We truly are fortunate to have such a beautiful sanctuary. We are thankful to Fr. Nareg for his vision, guidance and leadership in our Parish. We are grateful to a Parish Council member, Andrew Merjian for making two candle boxes in the sanctuary which was designed with marble, and for installing the decorative wainscot in the Narthex of the Church.”
At the conclusion of the program, Fr. Nareg thanked the chairman of the Parish Council, Armen Melkonian, for closely overseeing and sharing his input in the project.
ACYOA Profile: George Macarian
ACYOA Profile: George Macarian
Armenian Church Blog
Published: August 11, 2011 at 10:35 AM
George Macarian, who is serving for the second year as treasurer of the ACYOA Central Council, says the organization has helped him grow both spiritually and professionally, and given him the opportunity to network with other Armenians.
“The programming, socializing, and education that the ACYOA provides are unparalleled,” George says.
As treasurer, George plays an active role in implementing the ACYOA’s annual fundraising initiatives, which help support popular programs such as leadership conferences, national retreats, and chapter workshops.
Last year the revenue came from ACYOA merchandise sales, a foundation grant, and donations from parishes.
George says that the ACYOA plans to strengthen alumni relationships, host social fundraising events, and brainstorm other ideas for this year’s campaign.
Proud of his Armenian heritage, George says that his involvement in the ACYOA has helped him maintain a connection to his roots while attending college.
A veteran of leadership conferences, summer camps, and other Diocesan programs, George also serves as a sub-deacon and has taught Sunday School in his home parish, St. David Church of Boca Raton, Fla. Last summer, he traveled to New York to intern in the Diocese’s accounting department.
“From the virtues and ethical values learned in church to the characteristic traits of perseverance and hard work stemming from our ancient history, being Armenian has helped me shape a strong moral fiber,” explains George.
George Macarian serves as treasurer on the ACYOA Central Council.
—By Melanie Quinn (This is the fifth installment of a seven-part series profiling members of the ACYOA Central Council. Melanie Quinn, a senior at the University of New Hampshire, interned this summer in the Diocesan Department of Youth and Education.)
SOURCE: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net/wpblog/2011/08/acyoa-profile-george-macarian/
Florida Armenians 