cross of circles
DESCRIPTION
ACYOA Cross of CirclesTRANSCRIPT
The Cross of Circles – ACYOA Activity Planner
Department of Youth and Education – Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
WORSHIP Coming Together in Faith
WITNESS Witnessing the Faith
EDUCATION Learning the Faith
SERVICE Serving the Faith
FELLOWSHIP Fellowship in the Faith
• WORSHIP refers to our
relationship with God through
liturgy, prayer, and
sacramental life.
• Through worship we actually
experience and get to know
God.
• The Divine Liturgy and the
Sacraments of the Armenian
Church provide basic spiritual
nourishment, but they must
become a meaningful personal
experience for the worshipper,
and not simply a formal ritual.
A living liturgical life is
important to our daily
existence, for Christ said,
• “He that eats my flesh and
drinks my blood abides in me,
and I in him.” (John 5:56)
• WITNESS is the living and
sharing of our Christian faith
and experience with others
within the faith, with those who
may have left the faith and with
those outside the faith, by
sharing and living the “Good
News” of our Lord.
• “If any man would come after
me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross and follow
me.” (Matthew 16:24)
• Witness is the logical extension
of worship. If we are united
with God, we will reflect Him
in our daily life. In the same
way that Christ constantly
pointed to the Father (“He who
believes in me believes not in
me but in Him who sent me”),
we, too, must point to Him,
labor for Him, and witness to
our faith through our example
and our daily lifestyle.
• EDUCATION is important to
our spiritual growth. The
Armenian Church desires to
communicate her faith to us:
who God is; how He is at the
center of all life; and how our
lives are transformed by that
knowledge.
• Though we may be brought up
in the Church, we cannot
understand the importance of
that experience without a sound
program of religious education. • “As for you, continue in what you
have learned and have firmly
believed, knowing from whom you
learned it and how from childhood
you have been acquainted with the
sacred writings which are able to
instruct you for salvation through
faith in Jesus Christ.” (II Timothy
3:14-15)
• By learning about and living the
Holy Scriptures, doctrines,
sacraments, rites, history and
traditions of our Church, we will
better understand the teachings
of the Christian faith and be
better able to live the other
Circles Of The Cross.
• In SERVICE, the emphasis is
on sharing one’s “gifts”.
Christ came not to be served,
but to serve, and He urges us
to do the same. Armenian
Christians may use their
respective “gifts” to be kind
and merciful as Christ was
when He walked among the
sick, the poor and the
downtrodden and extended
His holy hand to them.
• “Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink?
And when did we see you sick
or in prison and visit you?
And the King will answer
them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as
you did it to one of the least of
these my brethren, you did it
to me.’ ” (Matthew 25:37-40)
• FELLOWSHIP refers to the
way in which Armenian
Christians bring their faith into
daily and social life. There is
something holy about
Christians who gather together
socially and remain conscious
that they are people of God.
• Whatever we are doing, be it in
the church hall, home, or
classroom, we must remember
that we are “Temples of the
Holy Spirit”. Social activities,
recreation and work ethics
must be consistent with the
reality that Armenian
Christians are in constant
fellowship with each other and
the Holy Spirit. • “You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the great and first
commandment. And a second is
like it, you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.”(Matthew
22:37-39)
The Cross of Circles – ACYOA Activity Planner
Department of Youth and Education – Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
WORSHIP Coming Together in Faith
WITNESS Witnessing the Faith
EDUCATION Learning the Faith
SERVICE Serving the Faith
FELLOWSHIP Fellowship in the Faith