PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: jakeg@armeniandiocese.org
Website:

August 15, 2006
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DIOCESAN LEADERS BEGIN PLANNING FOR PASSING OF TOURCH TO CHURCH AND HOME

This year the Diocesan theme is focused on youth carrying the flame: "Church
and Home."

The year’s theme stems from the Diocesan Council’s "statement of intent"
created five years ago, which states: "The Armenian Church is significant in
the life of every Armenian and his or her family."

"That statement has guided our actions, with each of our assemblies, with a
particular emphasis on one specific ‘focus area,’" said Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate, as he outlined the work done in the past five years in
the focus areas of leadership, worship, communication, stewardship, and
youth. "By focusing on these areas, we have made a positive impact on our
Diocese. And my impression is that many of you have been able to make a
tangible difference in your home-parish life."

Last year, the Diocese focused on youth, working to encourage and promote
the next generation to take a leadership role in the life of the church.
This year’s theme was unveiled during the Diocesan Assembly, which took
place in Fair Lawn, NJ, last May.

"That effort — indeed, all our efforts over the past five years — proved
to be a great success," the Primate said to the delegates. "This year, I
want to bring all of these successes to each and every one of you —
throughout the church, throughout the community, and to every family and
home. That is the meaning of our theme for this year."

"Who we are is a gift from God. And God wants us to share them with others
— especially with our own," the Primate added. "During this ‘Year of Church
and Home,’ we want to bring all of our riches into our parishes and
households."

Delegates to the Assembly met in small groups to discuss ways to make the
theme of the year an actual reality. The clergy also met prior to the
Assembly, during the Clergy Conference, to discuss pastoral interpretations
of the year’s theme.

The discussion continued earlier this summer, when the Primate invited
clergy to the Diocesan Center in New York to talk with the staff of the
Department of Youth and Education and make recommendations on programs and
efforts which would build a united spirit in both church and home while
passing the flame of our Armenian Christian heritage to the next generation.

Since that meeting, the Diocesan staff has been working on the
recommendations from all involved to create a guidebook of ideas and
resources for parishes to use in creating programs.

On July 24, 2006, the Diocesan Council invited young people to join the
Primate, Council, and staff for a meeting to discuss the ideas. The Council
wanted to present to the youth what has been worked on so far, and get input
from the young people, hearing from them how to get other young people
involved in pushing forward with implementing these ideas on a parish level.

"There were good ideas and a consensus to focus on specific, achievable
goals," said Elise Antreassian, coordinator of Christian education for the
Diocese. "We want to bite off just enough to make a difference, but not so
much that we don’t accomplish our goals."

One of the focuses of the group was on increasing the number of "Home
Blessing" services conducted throughout the Diocese. The hope was expressed
that young people in the parishes might become involved in organizing and
arranging the visits, and working with their priests to conduct as many
"Home Blessing" services as possible.

The group also focused on the importance of providing trips to Armenia for
young people, and finding ways to make those affordable and accessible.
Also, they identified the importance of having church members mentor the
next generation. The group’s other ideas will be further refined by
Diocesan staff with input from the young people. The Diocese will compile
the ideas and then work to train youth leaders in each parish.

"This meeting was inspiring and provided us with confidence that the
upcoming generation of leaders is so dedicated to the Armenian Church and
culture," said Oscar Tatosian, vice chair of the Diocesan Council. "They’re
so well prepared with the education and tools they have. They are prepared
because the generations before them laid the foundation."

Just the step of welcoming ideas from the next generation of Armenian
leaders was a sign of increased bonds between the young faithful and their
church.

"I was pleasantly surprised to see that the members of the DYE and Diocesan
Council take the opinions of the youth so seriously," said one of the
participating ACYOA Central Council members, Talin Hitik. "I feel as though
my link to the Armenian Church as a member of the youth is highly valued,
which only encourages me to keep doing what I’m doing. The development of
the ‘Church and Home’ theme is important, because it recognizes that our
church is a living, breathing entity, which constantly needs to be reshaped
in order to meet the needs of its members."

— 8/15/06

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): The Primate and members of the Diocesan Council meet
with Diocesan staff and youth from the ACYOA to plan activities and efforts
for the Diocese’s "Year of Church and Home: One in Spirit."

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress