Message of Fr. Vazken Movsesian, parish priest of St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino, from the Nakhagoch Newsletter. Electronic version archived on: SAIN-- St. Andrew Information Network -------------------------------------- c. 1990 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- 1990 Working at Home Three months into the new building, and it is wonderful. As everyone who comes to St. Andrew will confess, this is a marvelous structure and something to be excited about. Even more exciting are the happenings inside this building Ñ activity, life and growth! Our first three months in the new building have proved that our community was ready and needed this building. The year began with the opening of our new "home" and dedication of the Amerian Hall. The enthusiasm generated that day, has not let up. Most every day of the week, the church is buzzing with the sounds of activity. The Parish Council along with the Building Committee is working with the Ladies Society and the Aesthetics Committee to finish up the interior work. The Aghpiur Group and the ACYO have been meeting regularly with many activities. Our worship services are well attended signalling a spiritual maturity among our people. During the course of the Iraqi war we held weekly vigils. The Armenian School continues its classes in rented classrooms, but we anticipate to have our classrooms ready by September to move the school into the new building, along with reactivation of the Sunday School. Our information network SAIN (the first and only open electronic BBS in the world dedicated to Armenian and Armenian Church issues) has now bridged with Armenia and provides information to all who call. In March, Archbishop Hovsepian expressed his desire to consecrate the church by the end of Summer. This means having the altar built and the carpeting in place. Meanwhile, our monthly obligations to our lenders ($6,000/month) continue and a one time City tax of $17,000 comes due on May 1, 1991. The financial burden upon our parish is tremendous and one which everyone who benefits from the building must share. The Parish Council has organized a pledging committee which is actively seeking the participation of all community members. Our Lord teaches us, "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in muchÉ" I truly believe that the St. Andrew community has arrived to this new building by the Grace of God. Over the past few years, with our small church, through the most difficult transition stage, we have proven to be faithful with a little. The amount of activities and work accomplished by our parish during those times is unparalleled with any other parish. And now, we have been given more and it is up to us to continue our work, excelling in every dimension of the work God has trusted us with. We have built a new building structure and now we must continue to build from within. In December, I called a meeting of 8 individuals in our community to embark on a new project called the Spiritual and Educational Resources (SER = trans. love) of St. Andrew Armenian Church. My intention with SER was to have a group that would be a resource for our parish's spiritual and educational needs. Specifically, the focus of SER would be on Social Services and the spiritual enlightenment of our community, through Adult Bible Studies, Divine Liturgy classes and worship. A weekly class called, "Scripture and Spirituality" began in January. Lead by seminarian Leon Bezdikian, it is the first step toward providing adult biblical education. The classes are open to all every Wednesday evening, and I encourage our all our parishioners to attend. Further we laid the foundation for our Sunday School program. Still needed are volunteers to assist with the church social services. This includes immigration work, dealing with the school districts and local colleges and of course, visitations to shut-ins, elderly and sick. The building is finished, but the work is just beginning. We will be faithful with all that comes with this new era in our church life, because God is working with us. In a few weeks we will commemorate our Armenian Martyrs of 1915 Ñour crucifixion. Our new building and the work we are doing here is the sign of our resurrection. At this Easter timeÑa time of renewal and re-creationÑ let us welcome the new challenges before us and never shy away for the tremendous work at our new "home." ÑFr. Vazken -------------------------------------- c. 1990 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org --------------------------------------