The ACYOA Central Council hosted the annual ACYOA Seniors National Fall Retreat in Lakeside, CT, on November 11-13, 2022. The theme this year was “Seeking Purpose,” where participants were led to reflect on what it means to be sent by God to fulfill His calling in their lives throughout the weekend.
Thirty young adults from 17 different parishes gathered on Friday evening. After dinner, the retreat participants had a chance to get to know one another with an ice breaker activity, where they had one minute to answer a random question one-on-one with another participant, before rotating to meet another individual. The ACYOA Central Council was impressed to see a diverse group of faithful ACYOA members that were so excited to make new friends, as it was many people’s first National Fall Retreat.
Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian and Fr. Haroutiun Sabounjian joined the group for the ice breaker activity. They led the group in a Vespers Service that was followed by a video message from our Primate, Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, focusing on the theme of the weekend in relation to Luke 10:1-10. (Watch the Primate’s video here.)
Saturday morning began with a breakfast, Matins Service, and a message shared by Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian. The group was asked to reflect on the things in their lives that they are grateful for, making a list on a notecard that they were encouraged to take home with them as a reminder of God’s gifts in their lives. The first session of the day was introduced by Yn. Lucine Sabounjian and Maddie Ovassapian, the Ministries and Outreach Coordinators of the ACYOA Central Council, where they shared why they chose “Seeking Purpose” as the theme of the weekend.
After an opening video clip, the participants were divided into four groups led by ACYOA Central Council members for a Bible study and discussion. This session introduced the topic of being sent by God and the seven responsibilities that come along with that: (1) taking risks & being vulnerable, (2) focusing one’s attention, (3) being flexible, (4) having and sharing peace, (5) being consistent, (6) receiving with a gracious heart, and (7) taking action.
Listening for God’s Call
The afternoon continued with a group picture and fellowship over lunch. The second session of the retreat focused on identifying spiritual gifts. Dn. Yervant Kutchukian gave an opening reflection before the participants took a quiz to help them identify their spiritual gifts. The ACYOA members then had small group discussions where they had the opportunity to explore how they can use their gifts in their personal lives and in the life of the church.
The participants enjoyed free time in the afternoon where they went on hikes within the beautiful campground or participated in “Clergy Chats,” where participants could have open discussions with Fr. Voski Galstyan, Fr. Haroutiun Sabounjian, and Fr. Nigoghos Aznavourian on questions they had about their faith and life as Armenian Christians.
Fr. Aznavourian was the presenter for our third session entitled “My Purpose in the Church.” He began by explaining the purpose of an apostle, according to St. Gregory the Illuminator. He then explained the job of an apostle and explained the connection to our job versus our purpose within our parishes. Participants then worked in pairs to create visuals that coincided with the lesson and shared them with the group at the end of the session.
Fr. Simeon Odabashian joined us for this session along with dinner, vespers, and fellowship. The evening concluded with the group watching an episode of The Chosen. They reflected on how to be child-like when exploring their faith journeys, being open to Jesus’ love, and trusting in His calling in their lives.
St. Nersess seminarians joined the ACYOA retreat participants on Sunday morning for prayers of the Morning Hour and Divine Liturgy, which was celebrated by Fr. Aznavourian. The ACYOA members lifted up a joyful noise to the Lord while participating in the Divine Liturgy as altar servers, organists, choir members, and faithful members of Christ’s body.
The ACYOA Central Council and Jennifer Morris (Diocesan Staff and advisor to the Central Council) shared about upcoming ACYOA events including Sunday Scripture, Diving Deep, Mission Trip, and Armenia Service Program. To conclude the retreat, the participants were encouraged to continue to seek their purpose with God’s guidance and be witnesses to their new ACYOA friends.
Click the following link to view photos from the weekend.
By Yn. Lucine Sabounjian & Maddie Ovassapian.