Children's Camp 2010

Click on the image below to read the Armenian report by Ms. Lori Aintablian.


Below you can find the English report by Mr. Jano Baghboudarian.

This year’s Children's Camp took place in Ainjar from July 19 to July 25 2010.
77 kids participated in the camp aged between 8 to 12.
The camp had 9 leaders : Liza Tunberian Hekimian, Aline Khederian, Lory Aintablian, Arine Baghdoyan, Vahe Jebejian, Hagop Karkazian, Hagop Harfoushian, Jano Baghboudarian and Silva Chilingirian as the general leader. There were also two helpers Sela Hekimian and Zaven Bardakjian.

The general topic of the camp was “ Yegek vazenk Tebi….” Presented by Hagop Akbasharian. The program had variety and each day had its own taste. Each day began with sports sessions. After the sports, the kids had their breakfast and after that they had their quiet times with their room leads. After the quiet time, kids sang worship songs and learned Psalm 15. After learning the verses of the Psalm, Hagop Akbasharian presented his topic “ Yegek vazenk tebi : Badganelioutioun-Ser-Kntag ( representing the Bible)- Coach ( representing God ) – Nbadag”. After the topic, the kids were divided into groups where they had to do some crafts related to the topic. After the crafts, the kids went to 6 different clubs : Sports-Crafts-Drawing-Dancing-Music-Reading. After having the lunch, the kids had some free time and after the free time, it was time for games. They played different types of games like ice-breaking games- water games- telematch-day out in the field- swimming in the pool and many other games.

In the evening, they had the prayer time followed by dinner. Before ending the program of the day, they had the chance to play some indoor and outdoor games like leader hunt-general knowledge contest-holy man etc… the night ended with puppet show. It was nice to be part of this year’s children camp because not only the children learned things about God, but also the leaders had the chance to refresh their faith.

Jano

Update: The leaders are already planning a Hamahavak gathering that will take place on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010.


















 
(Front, L to R): Vahé Jébéjian [leader, from Cyprus through Ashrafieh Church], Silva Chilingirian [head leader, from Marash Church], Jano Baghboudarian [leader, from Emmanuel Church], Hagop Harfoushian [leader, from Ashrafieh Church], Aline Khederian [leader, from Marash Church].
(Back, L to R): Hagop Akbasharian [speaker, UAECNE theology student as field worker], Liza Tunberian-Hekimian [leader, from Anjar School], Lory Aintablian [leader, from Anjar Church], Hagop Karkazian [leader, from USA through Anjar Church], Arine Baghdoyan [leader, from First Church], Zaven Bardakjian [assistant leader, from Marash Church]













Announcement: Youth Leaders training Seminar‏



Dear Friends in Ministry,
This is a reminder for those who still have not registered for this very important seminar which will take place on Nov. 27, 2010, from 9:00a.m.-12:30p.m.at the Near East School of Theology.
The two main issues will be taken up under the theme of ADDICTIONS:

* Addiction to Smoking/Alcohol and Drugs and
* Addiction to Pornography.

These very dangerous addictions are poisoning the minds and hearts of our young people and making them fall into the trap of unhealthy living which is of course also effecting their spiritual life, where some are leaving the faith, while others are leading double lives, church/world.

We as leaders need not only be aware but also be prepared to deal with such cases, even before our young people fall into these traps. It is better to prepare them well to face these kinds of temptations which wreck havoc in their lives instead of trying to help them afterwards.
During the training there will be presentations about prevention and also about steps of how to deal with these kind of issues when our youth pass through such situations.

Last day for registration is November 25.
Have a wonderfully blessed day
Shake`

Shake` Geotcherian
Instructor in Christian Education
Director of the Christian Education Resource Center
Near East School of Theology

Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church's Appreciation Dinner

Saturday, 20 March, 2010 - The Deacons Board organized an Appreciation Dinner, inviting all those who serve in various committees. The dinner was held in the Kindergarten hall of the Armenian Evangelical P&E Torosian School.
The following committees were present: Deacons Board, Trustees Board, Sunday School teachers, Junior Youth Group leaders, Chanitz Board, Ladies Board, Couples Committee, Church Band, Chanitz Blog Committee, and volunteers (around 40 in number).
The pastor shared a devotional, having the theme "When We Serve Christ", appreciated, thanked, and prayed for them.
After the dinner, the committee and board members exchanged and shared their programs, plans and prayer requests.


Hovig, sharing about Chanitz youth group


Serop, sharing about the Chanitz youth group


Jimmy, sharing about the Badaniatz junior youth group


Nara, sharing about the Sunday School


Rosdom, sharing about the Couples Ministry




Garoudj Aroyan, sharing about the Deacons Board


The Demirjians


Koko, Hagop, Ara


Pauline, Markrid, Aline




The ladies preparing the food in the kitchen


The Ovigians




Ani, Ani, Vera (pastor's wife), Nazani




The Bedigians



 
Mike and Hagop

Investing in the Youth

Բարեւ/Hello/سلام dear reader,

How have you been? We've been away for more than the Summer break this time and we used this time to evaluate our path and vision, and come back refreshed.

Here we are on the doors of the year 2011 and the problems of this world did not all get solved. The past generation poured out their best and succeeded in achieving to solve some of the problems of their time.

Today, the new and young generation is accused by the older generation of being complacent and indifferent to the traditions and culture, to moving away from the community institutions, churches and clubs, to preferring the use of foreign languages rather than Armenian. Despite the fact that there is some truth in all of these, however, not all the young men and women are going with flow of globalization and assimilation.

This young generation thinks differently than the old generation. Today's youth is not attached to tradition for the sake of tradition, it has to have meaning and passion. Mainstream Armenian churches are being depleted of the youth, while other non-traditional Armenian churches are thriving. A true introspection is much needed.

This is what Tom Atema shares in his latest book Leadership in Blue Jeans:
"We have an obligation and the privilege to help the next generation experiment with ideas. At this point, it is not our place to be on a mission to crush their ideas with "I remember when" or to project an "I don't care" attitude. We need to give wisdom, but at the same time understand that the next great idea to solve the problems of this world will not come from my generation, but from the next one. They will sometimes fail. All of our ideas did not work, so why should all of their ideas work the first time? What my generation needs to do is to be there with wisdom and a hand to break the fall as well as to help them get back up and try again. It is the responsibility of my generation to let the next generation have a big, out-of-the-box idea. It will only come as we give them space, time, and funds."

Raffi Chilingirian

Haigazian University Celebrates its 55th Anniversary in Armenia

Beirut, Sept. 20, 2010- Within the framework of the celebrations of Haigazian University’s 55th Anniversary, a 30-person delegation, headed by University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, enjoyed a one-week trip to Armenia during the first week of September 2010.
The delegation, composed of a mix of faculty, staff and alumni took part in a rich and intensive tour program, covering the major touristic sights of the country, in addition to paying official visits to government agencies and sister institutions.
The group had the chance to discover the beauty and the mystery of medieval churches and monasteries, such as Geghard, St. Hripsime, Haghardsin, Sevanavank, Haghbat, Sanahin and Noravank, the Mother Cathedral of St. Ejmiadzin, as well as the Garni Temple.
They also enjoyed the charming nature of the mountains and villages, mainly in the provinces of Dilijan, Tsaghkadzor, Sevan, Lori and Vayots Dzor.
Some visits were very emotional in nature; for instance, in front of the memorial sculptural complex of Sartarabad, symbol of Armenian pride and survival, and the genocide memorial monument and museum, Tsisernagapert, where the group stood for a moment of silence and prayer, thus paying respect to the 1,500,000 martyrs, and in the memory of Dr. Armenag Haigazian, the namesake of the University, himself a victim of the Genocide.
Amongst the very condensed schedule, the group paid official visits to two sister institutions, the American University of Armenia (AUA), and the Yerevan State University (YSU). Senior staff and faculty members conducted short presentations about the Universities and their latest achievements.
At their visit to the Ministry of Diaspora, Minister Hranoush Hagopian, expressed her gratitude for the effective cooperation between the two entities and presented the Ministry’s latest activities during the past two years, as well as its upcoming projects.
At the headquarters of the AMAA (Armenian Missionary Association of America), the group listened attentively to the leader of the Armenian Evangelical Community, Rev. Rene Leonian, who briefed them about the community in general, and the religious, social, educational, and medical activities carried out by the church, in particular.
President Haidostian, whose visit to Armenia was extended, conducted follow-up visits and meetings in Yerevan and Artsakh.
In Artsakh, he visited the President of the Republic Pako Sahakian, the Minister of Education, and the Artsakh State University President and deans, where he laid flowers on the monument of the martyrs of the university in the Artsakh war, in addition to the ministries of the AMAA and the Evangelical church; then back in Yerevan, he met with the Rector of the Yerevan State University and discussed future cooperation, the CEO of the Armenian Telecom Company, Vivacell, Mr. Ralf Yirikian and thank him for the chance given to Haigazian University students to do their internship at Vivacell-MTS, in addition to a follow-up visit with Minister Hranoush Hagopian and her staff.

Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director


Tsisernagapert


At the headquarters of the AMAA (Armenian Missionary Association of America)


Erepouni


Lake Sevan


Ministry of Diaspora


Minister Hranoush Hagopian

Photos by Garin Haidostian

Church Commemorates 10th Anniversary of Passing of Rev. Janbazian

On Sun., Oct. 31, the Armenian Evangelical Church of New York commemorated the 10th anniversary of the passing of a distinguished member of the church, Rev. Dr. Movses B. Janbazian, who was best known for his leadership of the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) until his untimely death in 2000.

Below is the “In Memoriam” message of Peter Kougasian, Esq., vice-president of the AMAA, who was a close friend of Rev. Janbazian.

***

A photo of Rev. Janbazian taken by Harry
Koundakjian in September 2000, just
two weeks before his untimely death.
Of all the memorials and testimonials and tributes and eulogies that followed the death of Rev. Movses Janbazian, one simple observation most touches me. Shortly after Rev. Janbazian passed away, we were at an Armenian Missionary Association of America Board meeting, the first at which he was missing, and our friend Joyce Stein noted that when all of us—all of us in that room and everyone in the larger AMAA community around the world, our mission partners in Europe and in Canada and in the Near East and in Armenia—when we heard the news that Movses Janbazian had been taken from us, everyone had the same reaction. Each of us said, “How could it be? I just received a letter from him yesterday… There is an email from him in my inbox… He just called me Tuesday morning… I was at a meeting with him just last week.” It was only in the immediate aftermath of his death that we realized that the intense, personal, daily relationship we had with Movses was not ours alone. He was a constant, daily presence in the lives of countless people, all over the world.

But now, 10 years later, we have a new epiphany. For only now can we see that even after his death he continues to be a daily presence in our lives. At the time of his passing, we read the assurance of Sermon on the Mount—”Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”—but frankly I wondered how this divine consolation could possibly come to pass. Now we understand. We have been comforted because at no time in these past 10 years have we ceased to hear the voice of Movses Janbazian, have we failed to feel him guiding us; not for a moment have we been blind to the fruit that his work continues to produce.

The AMAA has been blessed with a number of great leaders, including Rev. Janbazian’s immediate predecessor, Rev. Giragos Chapourian. These were giants of the faith, some of whom I have known, some who died long before I was born. But Rev. Janbazian came to us in extraordinary times. Movses directed this great mission organization in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake that wracked Armenia and in the aftermath of independence. This confluence of tragedy and triumph, both on a scale that challenged the imagination, turned the Republic of Armenia into the greatest mission field in the modern history of our people. The need for material relief was enormous; the need for spiritual evangelism was total. And at the same time, here in our own country, Americans were enjoying a period of uninterrupted affluence that was itself historic. Contributions to the AMAA grew rapidly, and the endowment grew exponentially. Movses had a vision. He saw that, without abandoning our traditional mission fields in the Near East, we could embark on a new mission in Armenia of historic proportions.

And so Movses served both as steward and as prophet. As a steward of the AMAA’s funds, frankly, he was a notorious micro-manager. But he micro-managed for a very good reason: He had a gift. He had a mind that quickly assimilated all the details of a vast organization. He knew where every penny went. He knew how many children were in every kindergarten and every grade of every school the AMAA supported anywhere in the world. He was mindful of every donor and every potential donor. But he never got lost in the details. Movses knew that the details were in service of something far greater, something that surpassed all understanding. For Movses’s greatest gift was his spirituality. We have lost his gifts as a steward. We have certainly not loss his gifts as a prophet.

I see that Elbiz and Vatche Bagdikian are with us today. After Movses Janbazian passed away, I recounted a day when we were visiting Armenia, and Movses took us to a mulberry tree. He told us that he had prayed under that mulberry tree; he had prayed with a man who owned the land on which that tree stood, and soon after that prayer, the man decided that he would sell his land to the AMAA so that we might build a headquarters there.

Not long after I recounted that story, Elbiz and Vatche Baghdikian were on a tour of Karabagh. The AMAA’s mission in Karabagh was still very new; many were the needs of that land in the aftermath of war, a war that had created a generation of orphans. The AMAA representative mentioned that a dream was to open a kindergarten for the children of Karabagh. And at that moment, Elbiz says she saw a mulberry tree, and she said, “You’ve got your kindergarten!” Today the Baghdikian Kindergarten provides an essential Christian education to class after class of these youngest and most needy Armenians.

No, so long as his inspiration continues to move us, so long as his memory continues the work, we have not lost Movses.

Those of you who never had the blessing to meet Rev. Janbazian might imagine that he was an intimidating figure, and in some ways he was. He was an intense man, and he was Anjartsi. In fact, it was Movses who taught me how you can recognize an Anjartsi man: “Anjartsi men,” he said, “are all tall and all handsome,” and he was right. He was not boasting, he was simply stating anthropological fact. And certainly Movses was very handsome, he was brilliant and he was passionate, he could be extremely patient but he could also be impatient; and in any event, you knew the moment he walked into a room.

But in another way, Rev. Janbazian was the least intimidating person you can imagine. For all of his intensity, for all of his charisma and panache, once you got to know Movses you could see that at his core, he himself felt humbled by God’s greatness.

Whenever we get together to remember Rev. Janbazian, you can be sure that we’ll sing “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning” (Brightly Beams our Father’s Mercy). This was Movses’s favorite hymn. It was inspired by a tragic shipwreck in the 19th century near Cleveland harbor. In a famous sermon, the great evangelist Dwight Moody recounted that tragedy and noted that the great lighthouse of Cleveland harbor had cast its beam on that night, but because the lower lights along the bank had been invisible, the ship ran ashore, and all aboard the ship had perished. And so, Rev. Moody exhorted his brothers and sisters on that day, “The Master will take care of the great lighthouse. Let us keep the lower lights burning.”

Why was this Movses’s favorite hymn? In part it was because he felt that he could be one of those lower lights, along the shore; that through his work he could join with others to save a brother or sister from running aground.

But I think the hymn moved him for another reason. It moved him because Movses saw himself, too, as one of those struggling sailors; he too, at times, felt lost. He knew he needed the great lighthouse of God’s love and Christ’s gospel to guide him. But he made it clear that he needed us, too. He needed us as his lower lights. And it was because Movses needed us that we joined him.

And for so many of us, all around the world, that made all the difference.

Armenian Weekly

Mondial Fever












June 11, 2010 was the date the whole world was waiting for and so were the members of the Chanitz group of Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church. However, all of them knew that there were some tasks to be done for the chanits hall to be ready to be a place where all of us could go and watch the games and enjoy them.
The hall had to be cleaned and painted, the cable problems had to be solved and most importantly there was the need of air conditions. Many members vowed to begin working. After more than a month of work, the hall was clean and ready for the World Cup matches. After cleaning the hall, a sponsor donated money and we were able to buy the air conditions!
We enjoyed one month of football and an incredible atmosphere with musical instruments supporting the teams.
I want to thank all those who contributed in making this project a success and all those who supported us.

Jano