The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries compiled the following list of program ideas based on The Cross of Circles (Worship, Witness, Education, Service and Fellowship), which is the focus of the Diocesan Mission Statement and platform of the ACYOA. Each of these ideas can be tailored to meet the needs of almost any age group. Be creative and make it work for the youth or young adults that you are working with in your parish.

Worship

  • Sponsor a seminar or workshop on Scripture, the Liturgy or other theological subject
  • Encourage your parish to do an Instructed Liturgy
  • Ask your pastor for a six-week Bible Study series
  • Organize for young adults to attend church and sit together
  • Lecture on Prayer in the Armenian tradition
  • Attend other Oriental Orthodox Churches
  • Participate in the Junior Choir or Choir
  • Attend Altar server classes

Witness

  • Sponsor a retreat for beginners, for doubters or any topic
  • Write an article about your faith for the church bulletin
  • Organize a panel of parishioners to speak to young adults about their faith journey
  • Participate in ecumenical organizations
  • Go Christmas caroling
  • Serve during Divine Liturgy
  • Witness your faith through service
  • Donate an Armenian book to a local library and/or college

Education

  • Visit a church from another tradition; take notes and discuss the experience
  • Start a book club; read books by and/or about Armenians
  • Sponsor a leadership conference in your region
  • Visit a museum
  • Visit St. Nersess Seminary; call ahead and they’ll arrange a tour and lunch
  • Videotape interviews with your parish’s senior citizens; find out what life was life 50-60 years ago; ask questions about careers, dating and marriage, family life, church life, etc.
  • Attend your church’s Parish Assembly; find out what’s going on in your community
  • Organize an Armenian cooking class for beginners
  • Invite an “expert” to give a lecture on a subject of interest to your group or community
  • Sponsor a HLP Forum (Holy Land Project)
  • Host Armenian Language classes
  • Present a slideshow on Armenia
  • Organize a Genocide Commemoration
  • Honor an Armenian artist or writer

Service

  • Serving within your parish
  • Serve during the Badarak
  • (altar server, choir member, usher, Kiss of Peace, Bible reader, etc.)
  • Volunteer during the bazaar, food festival, or picnic
  • Host a Lenten dinner for your parish
  • Offer a ride to church for people who do not have a car
  • Sponsor coffee hour after Liturgy
  • Honor mothers and fathers in May and June with a parish breakfast or a carnation
  • Host a family night for your parish
  • Start a college ministry in your city; give away care packages with Armenian goodies
  • Teach Sunday school
  • Visit an elderly person or someone in the hospital from your parish with your pastor
  • Serve on a parish committee such at the parish council or ACYOA executive committee
  • Sponsor ACYOA Day
  • Organize a group to beautify the church grounds and/or facilities
  • Commemorate April 24 in any of 24 ways (available from DYE staff)
  • Start a library in your parish with books of importance or interest to Armenians
  • Volunteer at parish and/or Diocesan summer camp programs
  • Work with your parish’s ACYOA Juniors
  • Serving within your community
  • Volunteer at a local soup kitchen
  • Help stock food at a food bank
  • Serving at a homeless shelter
  • Hosting a clothing drive
  • Sponsoring a canned food drive
  • Visit a nursing home; entertain the residents with your talents
  • Cleaning up a local park
  • Volunteering at a hospital
  • Hosting a Toys for Tots drive in the parish
  • Helpful websites: www.volunteermatch.org, www.idealist.org,

Serving Armenia

  • Serving on a volunteer trip to Armenia such as the Armenia Service Program
  • Sponsoring a child in Armenia through the CASP program
  • Collecting school supplies for children in Armenia
  • Raising money to support needy people in Armenia
  • Helpful websites: www.acyoa.org (ASP), www.birthrightarmenia.org

Serving all in need

  • Organizing a blood drive in your parish
  • Take part in a national program such as “Race for the Cure”
  • Supporting an organization helping those in need
  • Helpful websites: www.redcross.org, www.worldvision.org

Fellowship

  • Around the Church
  • Sponsor a music festival showcasing young Armenian musicians
  • Sponsor an art exhibit showcasing young Armenian artists
  • Organize a talent show
  • Have a lock-in

Food and Fun

  • Have an old-fashioned ice cream social
  • Meet after work once a month for dinner
  • Take your pastor to dinner
  • Invite local students, young people to Church for dinner
  • Go to lunch as a group after Church
  • Have a party: New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl, Poon
  • Paregentan, costume, wine & cheese, by a pool, at the beach…

Going Places

  • Plan a weekend trip to NYC; visit St. Vartan Cathedral
  • Attend a sports event, a concert, a play, a movie…
  • Go to an amusement park; relive your youth
  • Go Christmas caroling
  • Have a scavenger hunt (i.e. each team will need a car and a Polaroid camera and return with photos of themselves with the following people at work: a police officer, a
  • receptionist, a doctor, a priest, etc.)  Use your imagination!

Sports and Activities

  • Go mountain climbing; when you reach the summit, reflect on God’s majestic creation
  • Go ice skating, horseback riding, hiking, camping, skiing, bowling…
  • Play volleyball, softball, basketball, billiards, bowling…
  • Challenge your parish’s ACYOA Juniors to a friendly competition; invite the community
  • Sponsor a tournament: tavloo, ping-pong, chess, golf…
  • Play “Church Jeopardy” or Charades
  • Start a drama group