Pictures from Mrouj Sunday Service

Mr. Antranig Messerlian (an elder in the Armenian Evangelical Marash Church) and Mrs. Vera Svajian (pastor's wife of the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church)



Rev. Hovhanness Svajian (pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church)

Our Partners/Sponsors in Ministry

Haigazian University
Haigazian University is a liberal arts institution of higher learning which operates on the United States model of higher education using English as the language of instruction. Its purpose is to provide quality education in a Christian environment where academic freedom and the search and dissemination of truth are predominant. It seeks to empower students both for leadership positions and as professionals to serve in the Armenian and non-Armenian Lebanese communities as well as in the Middle East.



P. & E. Torosian School
Torosian is a neighborhood school. Most of the students live a walking distance from school. The school implements the Lebanese Government Curriculum in Kindergarten, Elementary and Intermediate levels. The school's mission is to educate the Armenian new generation with Christian, Armenian, sound and decent education. Mrs. Seta Karageozian is the principal of the school.




Armenian Evangelical Christian Endeavor Union
The Armenian Evangelical Christian Endeavor Union of Syria and Lebanon (Armenian: Լիբանանի և Սուրիոյ Հայ Աւետարանական Եկեղեցիներու Քրիստոնէական Ջանից Միութիւն) is the youth organization that is affiliated with the World Christian Endeavor Union and the Christian Endeavor International. The Armenian Evangelical CE Union mostly coordinates with the youth ministries of local churches and at the same time it runs two summer camp sites (Monte Verdi-Lebanon and Kessab-Syria) where various groups (Children, Teenage, Youth and Young couples) organize their summer camps and conferences.




Howard Karageuzian Foundation
The Howard Karageuzian (HK) Commamorative Corporation was founded in New York in 1921 by Mr. and Mrs. Mihran and Zabel Karageuzians in memory of their son Howard who died of malaria while only 14.





Ջանասէր
Chanaser, the bimonthly magazine, is published by the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East.

Owner: Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East
Publisher: U.A.E.C.N.E. Publications Committee



Bible Bookshop
The Christian store for gifts, Bibles, and Christian books. Whoever likes to gift a nice present can find suitable gifts for suitable prices with quality products. The store is located next to the Armenian Brotherhood Church, in Armenia Street.





Soulahian Super Store
The store where you will find your needs met; whether you need kitchen equipments, or gifts that you need to buy, or toys, ornaments for your salon, or electrical equipments... The store is located near Shamlian Tatigian High School, in Bourj Hammoud, Sin el Fil Roadway.





Peter's Brass
Established in 1951 as a family business: Peter's Brass is one of the major firms in the awards, gifts and sign industry in Lebanon today.
Character and expression is the result of much given attention to the fine artistic and technical details.
Combined with modern technology and traditional hand finish, they cast the events of today into living history.





Kardashian Printing Services
Kardashian Printing Services, the one-stop place for all your paper/paperless publication needs. Kardashian Printing Services is a commercial printing company based in the Industrial City in Bouchrieh, Lebanon.





High Bar
High Bar Dance group provides the ultimate new ideas for all kinds of cultural dances, varying from Armenian to Lebanese, Gulf, Greek, Modern, Latin, Spanish, Gipsy, and much more!
The aim of the group is to highlight the different cultural dances during wedding ceremonies, with affordable prices that best serve the couple.

"Thou Shall Not Kill" Sparks Debate

Two readers discuss the points raised in the article "Thou Shall Not Kill" by ManoChil.

David R. Hagopian (USA):

I read with interest your message entitled “Thou Shalt Not Kill”. What a dichotomy! How could such a religious man as Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer contemplate the killing of a human? Our Bible addresses death and killing in many ways. Indeed, many have argued that the Christian Bible is contradictory when it comes to this (and other) subjects. For example in Matthew 5 & 6, and in Luke 22 the Scriptures, appear to offer contradictory direction.


Luke 6:29 (New International Version)
29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.


Matthew 5:39 (New International Version)
39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.


Luke 22:36 He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.


On one hand we are giving away shirts and on the other we are selling them for weapons. But as Armenians we refer to the Bible as “the breath of God” and therefore it cannot be contradictory.


The best explanation that I have ever heard of this particular dichotomy came from a lay preacher by the name of Bali Balian (my grandfather), who lived in Lebanon until the 1960’s. He said that these verses mean exactly the same thing. For the good of society, the protection of the innocent, the protection of family, and the defense of a nation, there are times when one must kill and there are times when one must die. As a Christian it is easier to die than to kill. But we must be ready for both situations. Without the knowledge of Scripture and the love of Christ in one’s heart, it is difficult if not impossible to discern, when faced with this situation, which path to choose.


David R. Hagopian
Deerfield, IL USA

Elisabeth Käser (Switzerland):

Dear Manuel


I read your article: Thou shalt not kill. As you wrote about Dietrich Bonhoeffer I'm sure you know that he once said something like: "It is less culpable to do something bad, than to be bad."
Interesting enough I'm reading a book by Paul Tournier. The title: "Shall We Assert
Or Give In? (Sich durchsetzen oder nachgeben?) Quote: "Bishop Wurm had often discussed the matter with an other Bishop (in Nazi Germany), one of his best friends, who, like him hesitated. Fortunately, one night, Wurm suddenly had an inner call, that he should take vigorous action and breake with the regime. He took it as a divine inspiration and immediately obeyed. It was high time. Little but was missing and he would have, like the other bishop, been led astray from compromise to compromise to conform with the regime, until eventually he wouldn't have been able to get away. Consequently he and his friend, who both hesitated for a long time, became leaders of two parties of the church, who irrevocably stayed in opposition, one in resistance, the other in submission."
How difficult it was for even a godly man like Bishop Wurm to know what to do! May God give us and all his children in times needed an inspiration and may we then obey immediately. May HE give us grace all the time.


With best wishes for your service in chanitz and wherever, including privately. Special greetings from Switzerland to you as well as to Badv. Svajian and Dig. Vera.


Elisabeth
(previously in Anjar)

ManoChil's response:

Dear Elizabeth and David Hagopian,

I’m am glad to know that the article I’ve written as of late September 2009 – Thou Shalt Not Kill – has stirred you to think about this difficult issue and write good responses whether a Christian should contemplate the very idea of killing when necessary.

I believe this subject will keep on being a controversial matter to many throughout their lives.

In Truth,

ManoChil

Climate Change

Vahe

Vahe, the one and only blind person who attends Haigazian University, majors in psychology, gets around with an escort and always holds a black Samsonite. I had the honor to hold his hands for three and a half years ; hands that comforted me instead of me leading them as we went to and from classes, on the way to spiritual life meetings or to his usual sitting place in front of the admissions office. I remember the time when he passed his hands around my face to find out if the image he has of me is similar to what I really look like; this was after we went out from psychology of perception course.


Vahe (image courtesy of Ms. Araz Boutchakjian)

I witnessed the problems he had in his educational life; you can imagine how hard it was for Vahe to constantly search for people who have enough time to read the chapters for him or to take him from place to place; however, he never gave up. Many times I got upset in his place, yet he remained calm; even in his stress, he had this positive attitude that things will be okay. God’s presence with Vahe was very clear providing him with enough patience and serenity to go through the hard times he experienced.

During his last semester in university, Vahe found out that he had cancer. Can you think of a better timing? Or shall I say “the worst timing”?! many people prayed for him. Vahe was able to make it to graduation; he walked up to the stadium and got his diploma. Everybody were on their feet clapping and appreciating his strength and will power. I have never seen that amount of excitement showing in his facial expressions.

Few weeks later, he died. I struggled a lot with God, asking questions, wondering the reasons, demanding explanations. Why Vahe? Wasn’t it enough that he was blind and suffered a lot already? Couldn’t death find someone who suffered less than Vahe? As I was haunting myself with these thoughts and arguing with God, I remembered the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible which states that anything might happen to anybody; Negative and positive incidents happen to both good and bad people. Laughter and tears are part of life. Death is also part of life; its forms might differ, yet death is inevitable for all. Knowing this fact doesn’t make Vahe’s death any less painful; however, it keeps me away from blaming God for what happened to Vahe because God is graceful and loving; He doesn’t work with punishment-reinforcement technique. God never creates negative situations; however, He is loving enough to make use of even the negative situations and make the best out of them. How do I know this? I know this through enjoying life with God and through trusting the following verse which is found in Romans 8:28 “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”.

Death may be an end to many things; an end to living with one’s family and friends; an end to walking in the same neighborhood; an end to being in the same body. What was death for Vahe? I don’t know, but I know that Vahe was a Christian believer, and for Christian believers, death is not THE END; it is a continuity of the journey they started with God.

It is true that Vahe’s life on earth is over; however, his spiritual life is in its greatest shape. He is with his Lord appreciating his eternal life and guess what? He is using his full sight.

It is a great accomplishment to be remembered positively while living; it is a greater accomplishment to be remembered after death. For me, Vahe’s death is a constant reminder of his life and of the foremost thing I learned from him: contentment.

I don't know the reasons behind his death, I can't understand or even accept; all I can do is pray that his death, like his life, be a wake-up call for the blind in spirit and for all of us to stop nagging and be content with the lives we have. Let us not worry for what we don’t have, but let us think of how we can make good use of what we have to be a refreshing example to others just like Vahe was, is and will remain a model of contentment to me.

Thank you Vahe.

Hagop Akbasharian,
Armenian Evangelical Marash Church, Chanitz member
NEST student

Նուիրուած Վահէին Յիշատակին

This Armenian poem is dedicated to Vahe, a young man, who was born blind, who attended the Haigazian University, and was able to graduate, after conquering many difficulties, only for cancer to take his life after one week of his graduation. His life touches many...

Հարց տուինք ինչո՞ւ ասանկ եղաւ, հազիւ թէ հասաւ գագաթին, մահն եկաւ իրեն առաւ տարաւ:
Ըսինք ինչպէ՞ս կրնայ իր ուսումը շարունակել, առանց տեսողութեան իր առօրեան անցնել:
Արդեօ՞ք պիտի կրնայ հասնիլ, անցնել քննութիւնները իր:
Մենք որ կը գանգատինք ամէն ինչին, ուր մնաց ինք որ կը դիմագրաւէ իր հարցերը առանցին:
Անցան գացին օրերը, ու հասաւ բարաց այդ օրը:
Ելաւ Վահէն բեմին վրայ, ելան մարդիկ ոտքի վրայ:
Ծափն ու սլոցը ամէն կողմէն, կը լսուէր բարձրաձայն ու աշխոյժօրէն:
Չի կրցայ զսպել իմ տրտունչը, իջաւ առաջին իմ արցունքը:
Հաւատացի որ Աստուած կայ, ով Տէր այսպիսի բան կ՛ըլլա՞յ:
Հարց տուի ինչո՞ւ ասանկ եղաւ, հազիւ թէ հասաւ գագաթին, մահն եկաւ իրեն առաւ տարաւ:

...

Գնաց, գնաց երբ դեռ երիտասարդ էր, երբ դեռ նոր յաղթած էր,
երբ դեռ բոլորս ապշեցուցած էր:
Գնաց առանձին, գնաց մինակ, բայց գնաց խիզախ ու ճակատաբաց,
ձգելով մեզ բոլորս բերանաբաց:
Ձգեց ամէն մէկուս քով հետք մը, թաքնուած յատուկ տեղ մը,
հոն ուր հոգին կ՛երերայ, հոն ուր հոգին շունչ կը ստանայ:
Գնաց... գնաց... գնաց Վահէն:

Ռաֆֆի Չիլինկիրեան

Our Article "Հայերէն Գրենք Հայկական Տառեր Օգտագործելով‏" Get Republished in Azad-Hye Magazine

Our article Հայերէն Գրենք Հայկական Տառեր Օգտագործելով gets published in Azad-Hye Magazine, a Middle East Armenian Portal, based in UAE. This article was first published in Chanitz blog, then in Aztag Armenian newspaper, then in RAG Mamoul. It was also distributed worldwide through email forwards, about which we knew through a French Armenian doctor.

You can find this article at the following link -> http://www.chanitz.org/2009/05/blog-post_16.html

Interview with Mr. Harout Nersessian About the Mission of AMAA in Armenia

• When and in what conditions did AMAA embark on its mission in Armenia?
• What does AMAA do today in Armenia?
• Are there any schools and organizations that AMAA supports?
• What about the spiritual dimension of the work of AMAA?
• What is your opinion about our Chanitz blog?

You will listen to the answers to these question that Hagop raised with Mr. Harout Nersessian. The interview is in Armenian.

Track 12 - Interview with Harout Nersessian on AMAA Mission in Armenia

Chanaghpouyr

CHANAGHPOUYR Team

Rev. Nerses and Sevan Balabanian with the Chanitzagans

Rev. Nerses and Mrs. Sevan Balabanian along with their daughter Nanor visited the Chanitz youth group of Emmanuel Church. Rev. Nerses shared with the youth about his ministry in San Francisco, and had fellowship with the youth. Chanitzagans from Ashrafieh Church also were present, as well as Nanor's classmates and friends.

Pictures from Mrouj Sunday Service

Ms. Ani Baboghlanian (Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church), Rev. Soghomon Kilaghbian (Armenian Evangelical Church of Ashrafieh)





Mr. Raffi Andonian (Armenian Evangelical Marash Church)