St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
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Step Up to the Plate! Learn to Serve as a Deacon or Sing in the Choir This Summer!

4/21/2004

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April 21, 2004

Become a part of the solution! 

Step up to the altar and take the lead!

St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will conduct its annual Deacons' Training and Liturgical Music Program this summer from June 24 to July 3. The program is designed for young men and women (age 15 and up) who would like to serve as altar servers, deacons and choir members. Complete the program and you'll return to your home parish with polished liturgical and musical skills, a more satisfying sense of participation in the church's worship, and many new friends! 

Choose the course that's right for you. The Introductory Deacons' Course is for young men who have little or no previous experience serving at the altar. Learn the basics of serving as a deacon during the Divine Liturgy: Learn how to help the priest put on the vestments for the Badarak (and what they're called in Armenian!). Learn to chant the deacons' parts. Learn the skill and the art of offering incense with the "poorvar." 

Already a veteran at the altar? Eager to be ordained a sub-deacon or deacon? Then the Advanced Deacons' Course is for you. This summer enter the magnificent world of Armenian monastic Night worship. Learn the "Kisherayin Zham," which is conducted in many parish churches on Sunday mornings. Beware! The hymns of the Night Service are stunningly beautiful and mightily powerful, but they are not for the weak or timid! If you are eager to learn and ready to work, come learn the cycles of hymns known as "Ganonaklookh," "Alelook," and "Takavork." 

Eager to lift up your voice? Then come to the Liturgical Music Course. Whether you are a veteran or a novice, you will master the hymns of the Divine Liturgy, including the so-called Jashou (Midday) and other hymns. You will also be coached in techniques of voice production by a professional vocalist and voice-trainer. 


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Classes and tutorials are taught by experienced lay and ordained instructors, including members of the St. Nersess faculty. In addition to practical skills and music, special interactive lessons on the liturgy and traditions of the Armenian Church will take the mystery out of the rituals, the hymns, the symbols, and the chants. 

Rituals and hymns are meaningless if you don't understand the language. All participants will also have daily lessons in Classical Armenian (Krapar). These innovative lessons, developed especially for St. Nersess Seminary, will teach you the basics of the language so that you may better understand what you are chanting to God.

Can't read Armenian letters? No problem. At St. Nersess you'll master the alphabet in ten days--GUARANTEED--using an interactive computerized tutorial which actually makes learning the alphabet fun! 

"At the very least, anyone who participates in this program will return home able to read Armenian," said V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Dean of the Seminary and Director of the Deacons' Training and Liturgical Music Program.

You'll begin and end each day with traditional Armenian Morning and Evening services, where you'll have the chance to apply what you're learning. With your new friends and some help from the staff, you'll also read the Bible, a little every day, and discover why it's indispensable for any Armenian Christian. 

Can church be fun? 


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At St. Nersess we wouldn't have it any other way. Folk-singing, cultural activities, sports, games, special excursions, home-cooked meals, and the energy of 30 new friends will make your St. Nersess experience unforgettable. Like most young people who come through our doors, you'll be back year after year. 

The cost of the ten-day program, including tuition, room and board on the Seminary campus, textbooks, and materials is just $250. Go to www.stnersess.edu RIGHT NOW and download an application. Write to us at info@stnersess.edu or call us at (914) 636-2003. 

If you love God and want to grow closer to Him in the Armenian Church, then step up and take the lead. Come to the Deacons' Training and Liturgical Music Program at St. Nersess Seminary this summer. If you snooze, you lose! 


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St. Nersess to Host Clergy of Eastern Diocese

4/7/2004

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April 7, 2004

St. Nersess Seminary will host a special reception for clergy of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America on Thursday, April 29 at 11:00 AM at the Seminary, in New Rochelle, New York. The reception is in conjunction with the annual Clergy Conference and Diocesan Assembly hosted this year by St. Gregory the Enlightener Armenian Church in White Plains, NY. St. Gregory's is just a few minutes drive from St. Nersess. 

"Since most of our clergy from the Eastern Diocese will be in town, we thought it would be nice to invite them to the Seminary for an informal visit with our seminarians, faculty, and Board Members," said Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Seminary dean, who will also be participating in the Diocesan meetings that week. "I am eager for our clergy to see for themselves how St. Nersess is growing, in numbers and quality of students, in our educational and youth programs, and of course by means of the new library and chapel complex." 

"We owe so much of this growth to our parish priests, who are out there on the front lines working with St. Nersess to cultivate future priests and leaders for the Armenian Church," Fr. Daniel continued. "The most effective recruiters of future seminarians are priests who, by their own example of loving and dedicated service, are an inspiration to young men who might consider following in their footsteps." 

Transportation will be provided from the site of the Clergy Conference to the Seminary, and, following the reception at about 1:00 PM, to the Diocesan Assembly hotel.

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"The Armenian Church is playing a role in the dis-affilation of its own members" Dr. Matthew Jendian's Lecture at St. Nersess

4/5/2004

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April 5, 2004

The numbers confirm what many have long suspected: While most church-going American-Armenians are affiliated with the historic Armenian Apostolic Church, they attend less frequently than Armenians of other denominations and their numbers are falling, according to Dr. Matthew Jendian, Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University, Fresno. 

Dr. Jendian shared the results of his doctoral research on American-Armenian church affiliation in an engaging lecture and lively discussion at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary (New Rochelle, New York) on March 31, 2004. His findings are based on survey data he collected from nearly 300 randomly-selected households in Central California containing at least one person of Armenian descent. 

Low attendance rates in the Armenian Church can be partially explained by the reasons American-Armenians give for going to church. According to Jendian's research, less than 50% of American-Armenian respondents stated that they attend the Armenian Church for "spiritual" reasons. The majority attend for "traditional" reasons: they were "born into" the Armenian Church, their parents attend, or they were baptized there. Dr. Jendian suggested that, "One who goes to church for primarily spiritual or social reasons will tend to go more frequently than one whose primary motive is to preserve a family or ethnic tradition. For them, a few visits to church per year will probably be enough."

Suprisingly, what Dr. Jendian termed the "out-migration" from the Armenian Church can be seen in all generations of American-Armenians, not just the third- and fourth-generations. It is particularly severe among inter-married couples. "Intermarriage in a multi-ethnic society is inevitable, and it is increasing among American-Armenians in Central California," Dr. Jendian stated. "Almost every ethnic group in the United States is seeing increased rates of intermarriage in later generations," he said, adding, "This is due to sociological factors beyond the ethnic groups' control." 

More startling is the reason why inter-married American Armenians tend to drop out of the Armenian Church. Based on responses to Dr. Jendian's surveys he observed that "Nearly three times as many intermarried respondents reported feeling unwelcome at Armenian Church or community functions compared to intra-married respondents," Jendian reported. "But even among Armenians married to Armenians, a significant number reported feeling less than welcome in Armenian Churches," he added emphatically. 

"The Armenian Church is actually playing a role in the dis-affilation of its own members," continued Jendian, who is also an ordained deacon of the Armenian Church. Moving out from the podium he asked the audience, "What do we do with that information?." 

"Sociologically speaking we have no control over intermarriage. We do have control over how we receive young couples. My research clearly shows that by not welcoming and reaching out to inter-married couples the Armenian Church is losing not only the non-Armenian spouse, but the "blood" member as well," Jendian said.

"Our exclusiveness is a waste of human resources and talent. We offend, at our own detriment, individuals and their spouses and family members who could add much to our church family, and the Armenian Church is not in a position to have such an attitude. Quite the contrary, it is experiencing out-migration of members to non-Armenian churches and will have even greater difficulty in maintaining a sustainable institution in the United States within the next generation if it does not strive to adopt a more inclusive approach, which means reaching out and responding to the spiritual and social needs of its constituents."

Dr. Jendian's presentation sparked a spirited discussion among the seminarians, seminary faculty, clergy and lay men and women present. Many suggested practical ways of reaching out more effectively to our people. 

"Dr. Jendian's observations are disturbing but the solution is actually very clear," said George Kassis, Director of Communications and Development at the Eastern Diocese in New York. "We need to greet new people, make them feel welcome, make them feel wanted and needed." 

"As a sociologist and as a child and an ordained deacon of the Armenian Church, Professor Jendian is uniquely qualified to guide us in the growth and strengthening of our parish communities," said Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Seminary Dean. "What remains is for us to act on what we have learned tonight." 

Throughout the year St. Nersess offers several public lectures on topics related to the Armenian Church's history, theology, traditions, and mission. For further information see the seminary's website: www.stnersess.edu or contact the seminary at info@stnersess.edu or (914) 636-2003.


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Preparing leaders for service in the
Armenian Church since 1961
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St. Nersess Armenian Seminary
​486 Bedford Road
Armonk, NY 10504

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Phone: (914) 273-0200
Email: info@stnersess.edu

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