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