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Love And Serve Saturday, May 22, 2021

On Saturday, May 22, the youth and young adults of APC volunteered from 8:30 to 1 pm at Fathers Cupboard Food Pantry in Glen Rock, New Jersey. The food pantry serves between 50-100 families every two weeks who are food insecure from the surrounding towns. Our crew helped assemble industrial shelving to store future pantry items, sorted donated food, and packed bags of food to give those who came that day.

Pictured: Zaven Atakhanian, Shat Duman, Nshan Atakhanian, Matt Sanar, Aram Bashian, Vahane Costanian, and Anoush Costanian

Love And Serve – Saturday, May 22, 2021

Pilgrim's Progress

Movie Night: Pilgrim’s Progress

Pilgrim's ProgressThe coronavirus has limited–but not stopped–the ministry of the Armenian Presbyterian Church. The APC Missions Committee even sponsored a movie night on Saturday, October 10th, in the church’s main sanctuary. About 25 people came out (with their masks in place and with socially distanced seating) to view an animated adaptation of the Christian classic Pilgrim’s Progress, first published in 1678.

John Bunyan (1628-1688), the book’s author, was an English Baptist preacher and by trade a tinker (a mender of pots and pans). He spent years in prison because he refused to conform to the teachings of the state Church of England (Anglican Church). He used this time of imprisonment to write at least much of this book.

Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegorical tale of a man named Christian who is warned by a person named Evangelist to depart the City of Destruction and embark on a journey toward the Celestial City of God. He begins the journey with a heavy burden on his back. He enters the King’s Highway (the straight and narrow path) by way of the Wicket Gate. At the Hill Calvary, he sees the crucified Jesus, and his heavy burden is released and rolls down the hill and enters a grave—a vivid description of Christian conversion. He continues his journey with his Christian companion Faithful.

This journey proves to be an adventure. Christian and Faithful pass through the town of Vanity Fair, symbolic of the world’s vain values. Here Faithful suffers martyrdom. Christian escapes and continues his journey, now joined with another companion named Hopeful. Giant Despair captures both of them and imprisons them in Doubting Castle, but they manage to escape. They finally reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy the presence of God and the fellowship of other pilgrims.
A lively discussion followed the showing of the film. Those who attended were impressed by the clear Christian Gospel message expressed through John Bunyan’s allegorical tale.

APC Prayer Walk

The APC Prayer Walk was held on September 26, 2020 from 12:00-2:00 pm at Van Saun Park, organized by the APC Missions Committee.

Nineteen people participated, including family and friends. This coincided with the Prayer March held at the same day and time in Washington D.C. organized by Franklin Graham as a call for America to pray for our nation, our leaders, our religious freedom, and for God to pour out His Spirit on America. As thousands of people joined in this Prayer March, which was live-streamed on social media, we answered the call by holding a Prayer Walk in our own neighborhood.

We walked around the Walden Pond, and along the way we stopped a few times to pray for God to heal the division in our nation, to guide our nations’ leaders, the election and the Supreme Court nominee. Remarkable were the prayers for repentance, both personally and corporately as a nation, as well as prayers for those who serve in the military and law enforcement, for eradicating the corona virus and for the victims of racial unrest. We also prayed for APC, our Pastor and the church leadership and congregants. Pastor Joe officiated the Prayer Walk.

2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”