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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
November 18, 2013
___________________
The Art of Communication a Focus of ACYOA Leadership Conference
By Armen Terjimanian
Young adults from 18 parishes across the Eastern Diocese gathered in Stony
Point, N.Y., for the annual ACYOA Leadership Conference weekend at the Don
Bosco Retreat Center, from November 8 to 10.
Sponsored by the ACYOA Central Council, this year's conference examined
effective styles of communication and let participants evaluate their
abilities to communicate as leaders in their parishes.
Conference sessions also taught the 41 participants how to effectively
communicate the Gospel of Christ in their everyday lives.
Conference sessions included a Bible study led by the Rev. Fr. Kapriel
Mouradjian, pastor of Holy Resurrection Church of New Britain, Conn.; a
lecture on the art of communication by Dr. Herand Markarian, playwright and
adjunct professor at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary; a presentation on
communication through sacred music by Dn. Rubik Mailian, chair of the Sacred
Music Council; and a talk on Christian communication and social media by
Maria Derderian, youth minister at St. James Church of Watertown, Mass.
Other sessions included a presentation on "Ayo!"-a Fund for Armenian
Relief-sponsored platform that allows individuals and groups in Armenia to
make their philanthropic ideas become reality-by Andre Berg; and a breakout
group discussion on how to handle communication mishaps and dilemmas in
local ACYOA chapters facilitated by Jennifer Morris, director of the
Diocese's Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited the conference on Saturday afternoon and
presented participants with the Diocese's Divine Liturgy pew book as a gift.
Diocesan Vicar the Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian also joined the group on
Saturday morning for matins and to interact with the participants during the
morning sessions.
"This weekend's theme was so poignant because it allowed us to look at how
we communicate our faith through the lens of our everyday interactions,"
said participant Christine Santourian of St. John Church of Southfield,
Mich.
Fr. Mouradjian and Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, served as the conference chaplains.
Lorie Odabashian, coordinator at the Department of Youth and Young Adult
Ministries, assisted the ACYOA Central Council with organizing and leading
the weekend's events.
The Rev. Fr. Abraham Malkhasyan, pastor of Holy Martyrs Church of Bayside,
N.Y., and Garen Karamyan, the church's youth director, also attended the
conference.
Six seminarians from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary joined the young adults
to learn, grow, and socialize during the weekend.
The conference concluded on Sunday with the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy by Fr. Chevian. A wrap-up session followed services.
Participants said that they found the weekend inspiring.
"The biggest statement I took away from the weekend is to keep your
spiritual truth," said Melissa Mardoian of Sts. Joachim and Anne Church of
Palos Heights, Ill. "This can be done by communicating your Christian morals
and values not only verbally, but also with your actions."
The skills learned during the conference also helped the ACYOA members to
prepare for future leadership roles in their parishes.
"After graduating college, I realized the time for me to become a leader in
the parish as a whole is fast approaching," said Christine Hovsepian of Holy
Trinity Church of Cambridge, Mass. "This Leadership Conference helped me
prepare for that day more than I could imagine."
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Conference participants speak with Andre Berg of the Fund for
Armenian Relief about the organization's "Ayo!" program.
Photo 2: Conference participants pose for a group photo.
Photo 3: The conference concluded with the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy.
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Chris Zakian
Tel: (212) 686-0710
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.armenianchurch-ed.net
November 18, 2013
___________________
The Art of Communication a Focus of ACYOA Leadership Conference
By Armen Terjimanian
Young adults from 18 parishes across the Eastern Diocese gathered in Stony
Point, N.Y., for the annual ACYOA Leadership Conference weekend at the Don
Bosco Retreat Center, from November 8 to 10.
Sponsored by the ACYOA Central Council, this year's conference examined
effective styles of communication and let participants evaluate their
abilities to communicate as leaders in their parishes.
Conference sessions also taught the 41 participants how to effectively
communicate the Gospel of Christ in their everyday lives.
Conference sessions included a Bible study led by the Rev. Fr. Kapriel
Mouradjian, pastor of Holy Resurrection Church of New Britain, Conn.; a
lecture on the art of communication by Dr. Herand Markarian, playwright and
adjunct professor at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary; a presentation on
communication through sacred music by Dn. Rubik Mailian, chair of the Sacred
Music Council; and a talk on Christian communication and social media by
Maria Derderian, youth minister at St. James Church of Watertown, Mass.
Other sessions included a presentation on "Ayo!"-a Fund for Armenian
Relief-sponsored platform that allows individuals and groups in Armenia to
make their philanthropic ideas become reality-by Andre Berg; and a breakout
group discussion on how to handle communication mishaps and dilemmas in
local ACYOA chapters facilitated by Jennifer Morris, director of the
Diocese's Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America (Eastern), visited the conference on Saturday afternoon and
presented participants with the Diocese's Divine Liturgy pew book as a gift.
Diocesan Vicar the Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Odabashian also joined the group on
Saturday morning for matins and to interact with the participants during the
morning sessions.
"This weekend's theme was so poignant because it allowed us to look at how
we communicate our faith through the lens of our everyday interactions,"
said participant Christine Santourian of St. John Church of Southfield,
Mich.
Fr. Mouradjian and Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary, served as the conference chaplains.
Lorie Odabashian, coordinator at the Department of Youth and Young Adult
Ministries, assisted the ACYOA Central Council with organizing and leading
the weekend's events.
The Rev. Fr. Abraham Malkhasyan, pastor of Holy Martyrs Church of Bayside,
N.Y., and Garen Karamyan, the church's youth director, also attended the
conference.
Six seminarians from St. Nersess Armenian Seminary joined the young adults
to learn, grow, and socialize during the weekend.
The conference concluded on Sunday with the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy by Fr. Chevian. A wrap-up session followed services.
Participants said that they found the weekend inspiring.
"The biggest statement I took away from the weekend is to keep your
spiritual truth," said Melissa Mardoian of Sts. Joachim and Anne Church of
Palos Heights, Ill. "This can be done by communicating your Christian morals
and values not only verbally, but also with your actions."
The skills learned during the conference also helped the ACYOA members to
prepare for future leadership roles in their parishes.
"After graduating college, I realized the time for me to become a leader in
the parish as a whole is fast approaching," said Christine Hovsepian of Holy
Trinity Church of Cambridge, Mass. "This Leadership Conference helped me
prepare for that day more than I could imagine."
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Conference participants speak with Andre Berg of the Fund for
Armenian Relief about the organization's "Ayo!" program.
Photo 2: Conference participants pose for a group photo.
Photo 3: The conference concluded with the celebration of the Divine
Liturgy.