OUR PURPOSE:

The main purpose of the APC Missions Committee is to educate our members about missions and ignite passion for missions; to coordinate missions activities and increase participation in missions (hands-on, practical and direct involvement).

1. To increase awareness (missions-mindedness) and educate our congregation about Biblical and practical basis of missions, both local and global.
2. To coordinate missions activities of APC:
1. We identified the following core missions: Supporting our adopted sister church (in Ashdarak, Armenia), New City Kids, Armenian Home visits (in process)
2. Planned missions activities by seasons (Annual Spring collections for the Center for Hope and Safety; Annual Fall collections for the New Jersey Food Bank during Thanksgiving)
3. To increase participation in mission activities:
1. Maintain bulletin board section to update APC about our missions projects
2. Give updates to the APC church family at least once every 6 weeks during the Church Life section of the Sunday Service
3. Hold a Missions weekend 2x a year
4. Encourage the APC church family to volunteer their time to serve the homeless in New York Rescue Mission (Spring and Fall)
5. Promote the work of Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA)

 
The APC Missions Committee has been an integral part of the APC since its founding. Throughout the years, this committee has provided financial support to different ministries, both local and internationally.

We are praying for creative ways to raise fund as to support our work. Donations are always welcome and are payable to: APC (Memo: Missions)

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Our missions activities are focused on achieving our goals, organized by season, and defined as either core mission projects as well as recurring activities.

To continue educating and engaging our APC family in our missions activities, we plan to maintain the Missions portion of the bulletin board, provide the Church Life Missions updates, as well as invite a missionaries to speak on missions. Last Spring 2019, we held a Missions Weekend and Missions Fair; we had our guest speaker David Bogosian talk on “Encouraging a Passion for Missions.” He talked about Biblical basis of missions, how churches can engage in missions, and present examples of missions miracles (how lives were changed due to mission work. David he described the Christian Aid Mission and its work in supporting indigenous missions in poor countries and those that are hostile to foreign missionaries.

In the Fall of 2019, we are planning on a Missions Sunday, featuring the work of AAMA, which we are coordinating with Mr. Zaven Khanjian, president of the AMAA.

To increase participation in the Missions activities, we plan on having movie nights, showing missions-oriented movies, as well as holding a fund-raising event, Walk for Missions (July 28).

We are planning on participating in the New City Kids ministry (contact is Karen Dilzisian) in the Fall 2019 by volunteering to provide after-school tutorials (in planning stages).

We launched a project – APC Sunday School pen pal project with the Ashdarak Church in Armenia- Sunday School children writing letters to each other.

Participating in the APC Missions Committee gives an opportunity for members to serve God by serving others.

By giving our church family and friends varied opportunities to actively engage in missions activities, not just by giving financial support but also by volunteering their time in more hands-on, active service.

WHAT’S NEXT:

We are praying and planning to raise funds so we can support our core missions in their work to spread the Gospel by providing Bibles, supporting the indigenous missionaries in nations hostile to the Gospel, helping feed and clothe the needy.

We would like to increase the number of volunteers from our APC church family to serve actively (hands-on activities like feeding the homeless, or providing after-school tutorials).

We are praying that God will prepare us in our role in the Great Commission- by going on a mission trip, getting trained on how to tell others the Gospel, and hopefully one day send and support a missionary from our church.

Theme Verses:

Galatians 6:9 (ESV): “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Mark 16:15 ESV): And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

We have plans for Missions-oriented Movie Night at least every 4-6 months to ignite passion for missions in our APC church family.