Bishop Anoushavan, Vicar General of the Eastern Prelacy, with the participants and the lecturers at the second Linked In weekend for young adults.

 

Saturday morning, following morning services, Professor Michael Papazian, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Chairman of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Berry College, Rome, Georgia, presented a lecture on “Leadership in the Church.” Participants were given insight into the hierarchy within the Church and the various ways one can participate within the Church to insure its longevity. Professor Papazian explained that “our notion of leadership must change to conform to the Christian understanding of leadership. A leader is a model of service, one who serves in a commendable and outstanding way. And that kind of leadership can be exercised regardless of one’s position or office in the Church. That kind of leadership exists within all of the orders of the Church.”

Yn. Margaret Stepanian leads a small group discussion

Bishop Anoushvan Tanielian, Vicar General of the Prelacy, provided the attendees with an understanding of the Armenian Church’s place within the larger Christian community with a presentation about the similarities and differences between the Armenian Church and the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Bishop Anoushavan drew attention to the areas where there is unity within the churches with respect to theological teachings, while pointing out the Armenian Church’s position with respect to the differing doctrines.

To help the youth understand how they may use their faith to be pillars of both the Armenian Church and of their own Armenian families, Archpriest Fr. Antrang Baljian, pastor of St. Stephen’s Church in Watertown, Massachusetts, focused on the youth as pillars of family and church. He spoke about the difficulties faced by the younger generation in today’s society and offered ways to implement Christian values at home to counteract those difficulties.

The final lecture of the day was given by Yeretzgin Margaret Stepanian, who discussed “Inward and Outward Dimensions of Mission.” She focused on both the philanthropic missionary work the youth may participate in, and the inner mission to strengthen their Christian faith in their daily lives.

Bishop Anoushavan and Hagop Khatchadourian, chairman of the Prelacy’s Executive Council, with the participants from Rhode Island

In addition to the enlightening and thought-provoking lectures during the weekend, the participants had the opportunity to engage in small group discussions, thereby facilitating dialogue about issues covered by the lectures, and other concerns.  The discussions were lively open forums where the participants could express themselves while learning from one another and helping one another understand and address various ideas and concerns. The weekend also included an engaging bible study session led by Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian, pastor of St. Gregory Church in Granite City, Illinois, a spiritual fellowship hour with the singing of Armenian hymns (sharagans) and contemporary Christian songs led by Denise Borekjian, and meditations offered by Ari Nalbandian, Tamar Harutunian, and Jeanette Nazarian.

Prior to the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, Bishop Anoushavan offered a slide presentation on “Bible, Theology and Art in the Divine Liturgy.” The presentation focused on vestments and liturgical items used at the altar and their theological meaning. This information enhanced the experience and participation in the Liturgy that followed with Rev. Fr. Stephan Baljian officiating. The Liturgy was followed by brunch, and then the concluding event which was a wrap-up of the weekend with feedback, evaluation and recommendations.

Although Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy, could not attend personally, he expressed his thanks to the participants and the presenters for making Linked In a spiritual, educational and social weekend. “We must continue to sponsor retreats like Linked In for different age groups of our youth. They must become an integral part and participating members of our church. If we do not serve our youth, we will lose them and have only ourselves to blame.”

Before departing, participants offered their assessment of the weekend. Nevair Oranjian from New York offered this comment: “This was my first year at Linked In. It was a new experience for me. Although the duration was short, the information I received was very influential. I benefited from the lecture topics such as Armenian Church vs. Greek Orthodox and Catholic Churches, Pillars of Family and Church; and most of all, Bible, Theology, and Art in the Divine Liturgy. I would like to thank the Linked In committee for providing the new generation with the opportunity to get together on a meaningful and intellectual level.”

Ari Nalbandian from Rhode Island made this observation: “This is the second year I have been attending the Linked In weekend retreat, and have come out of it both times with renewed faith and dedication. It gave me a chance to ask questions about my religion and church to those who have spent many years studying our faith. Basic and essential questions were answered, such as the differences and similarities between the Armenian, Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic Churches, and the origins of the church hierarchy. The weekend gave all those present the chance to make connections, learn, and grow in faith within the environment of the Armenian Church.”

Jasmine Yedigarian, from the Washington DC area, described her experience with this comment: “This is my second year attending the Linked In retreat, and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Linked In satiates my need to spend time with God and with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We came together this year and sat cozily together to hear the most edifying talks about leadership in the church and how to lead others by example. For me, personally, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Through listening to these talks and praying together, I have come to realize that God is calling me, along with many others, to serve Him and His church in a small, yet amazing way. I look forward to learning more next year at Linked In and hope to keep in touch throughout the  year with the people I met. I am so grateful to all those who serve God and us by making this retreat possible, so that we too may learn to serve starting tomorrow.”