Bible Readings. Psalm 100:3-5. Nov. 6 Luke 8:49-56 Nov. 13 Luke 9:44-50 Nov. 20 Luke 11:1-13 Nov. 27 Luke 12:13-31

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1 The Voice Newsletter is published once a month by St. Vartan Armenian Church 650 Spruce Street, Oakland, CA , Phone (510) , Fax: (510) stvartanoakland@aol.com Website: The deadline for all articles is the fifteenth of each month. Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan, Parish Priest and President of All Church Organizations Parish Council Chair: Barry Toomajian Parish Assembly Chair: Don Manoogian Choir Director: Artin Der Minassians Organist: A. Rodriguez and Ida Mazmanian ACYO Chair: Sevan Jindoian and Nataleine Jindoian Sunday School Superintendent: Janet Yeghissian Ladies Society Chair: Gail Kezerian, Caroline Arakelian and Lisa Manoogian Cultural Society Chair: Liz Ojakian Hokejosh: Nora Hanoian Newsletter Editors: Arlene Hovsepian and Rachel Harger Church Secretary: Rachel Harger Altar Flowers: Carole Chang Church Custodian: Wartkes Hagopian Divine Liturgy Service Sundays 10:30 a.m. Bible Readings Nov. 6 Luke 8:49-56 Nov. 13 Luke 9:44-50 Nov. 20 Luke 11:1-13 Nov. 27 Luke 12:13-31 Psalm 100:3-5 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever. Rev. Fr. Hovel Ohanyan November 2016 True Friendship You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8) Two men camping in the forest were enjoying their morning coffee when they suddenly spotted a very large, hungry grizzly bear running toward them. One of the men quickly pulled on his running shoes. "Do you actually think you can outrun that grizzly bear?" his friend asked. "I don't need to," he replied. "All I have to do is outrun you." We've all had friends like that, haven't we? At the first threat of danger or hardship, or difficulty, they're out the back door. So what makes for true friendship? It has been said that a true friend is one who walks in when others walk out. Thankfully, there have been people in my life who have stood by me and have been honest friends. But there is one thing of which I'm confident: I have found a true and loyal friend in Jesus Christ, Who has never forsaken me, Who even died for me, gave His life to save me. He never left me alone, but always has been there for me. Jesus Christ offers His friendship to us all, every day. In fact, the New Testament goes so far as to say we have been called by God the Father into fellowship with His Son (1 Corinthians 1:9). But is it all one way? Do we really expect a friendship without a response on our part? It is interesting to see that the apostles of Jesus Christ who were with Him all the time, who were following Him everywhere, left Him alone when danger came. They left their best Friend in the garden of Gethsemane to be arrested and tortured and run away, disappearing into the darkness of night. Judas, one of the twelve, betrayed Him for only thirty pieces of silver. Peter was the first amongst the Apostles of Christ, who told Jesus that he would follow Him until the end: Even if I have to die with you, I'll never say that I don't know you!" All the other disciples said the same thing. (Matthew 26:35) Yet, Peter denied Him for three times when danger came. He denied the One, Who was giving His life for him and for his friends. What kind of friendship was that? To enjoy His presence when they needed Him, but leave Him alone when He was in danger? So what makes for true friendship? A genuine relationship, a true friendship, obviously, is made up of two people committing themselves to one another unselfishly. I can extend friendship to you, but until you return it to me, I can't legitimately say we're really friends. Jesus comes to us to offer His true

2 friendship, and He is waiting for our response. That same Jesus Who died for us while we were sinners, wants to become a friend with us. He is a true friend who would not leave us in danger, but will save us from all temptation. Look, although His disciples left Him in danger with no help, He forgave them, and as a true friend He saved them, He brought them back and reestablished His friendship with them. Jesus demonstrated His willingness to have a friendship with us by what He did for us. He said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus forever proved just how dedicated He was to us, when He did just that. Are we ready to accept His invitation? Are we ready to say yes to His offering and to hold His hand as a true friend? He gave His life for us, for His friends, because of His unconditional love for us. To be a good friend of Jesus means to accept Him with that same love and be ready to give our lives for Him by serving and caring of His people in His House, by following His commandments and making His will a priority for us. This is all God wants from us, to be a true friend of His Only Begotten Son and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. St. Vartan Church Parish Council gratefully acknowledges the following donations: Ladies Society Kitchen Remodel Carol Rustigian and Family Bazaar: Miscellaneous Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Oakland, John S. Cummins Bazaar take-home containers Suzanne Vasgerdsian Newspaper advertisement Stuart and Caroline Arakelian Leg of lamb Linda Ann Diers, Gay P. Diers In Memory In Ellen Ohan Jones Norma Yalijian (Sunday School) Diana Toomajian to Ladies Society Kitchen Remodel Fund Harry and Carol Dokouzian, Zvart Shahbazian and Family, Susan Collins, Jack and Barbara Bousian, The Diers Family, Stephen and Sally DeMaria Ralph Kalibjian The Diers Family (Kitchen Remodel Fund) ENDOWMENT FUND In Memory Ralph Kalibjian Jack and Barbara Bousian Grant Collins Ed and Suzanne Vasgerdsian Sunday, November 6 Daylight Savings Time Ends News From Our St. Vartan Family Wedding On October 8, 2016 Fr. Hovel performed the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony for Melissa Meric and Sevan Ardic. Melissa is the daughter of Norayr and Verkin Meric. The groom s mother is Agavni Ardic Torosoglu. Leda Ardic-Chenkerian served as Maid of Honor and Serge Chenkerian was the best man. Christmas Greetings You can send a Christmas Greeting in the December issue of the Voice Newsletter to all your family and friends at St. Vartan Church. the church office at stvartanoakland@aol.com or call before November 15, 2016 to place your greeting. Suggested donation for Christmas Greeting is $25. This is a great opportunity to send Christmas well-wishes to all of your friends at St. Vartan Church, while supporting the Voice Newsletter. Upcoming Events Sunday, November 6 Daylight Savings Time Ends 2:00 am Sunday, November 6 ACYO Meeting and Elections after church Thursday, November 10 Ladies Society Luncheon 12:00 noon Friday, November 11 Veterans Day Sunday, November 13 Choir Rehearsal 12:45 pm Sunday, November 20 Sunday School Thanksgiving Assembly 10:30 am Sunday, November 20 Cultural Committee Presents Film God is Not Dead 1:00 pm Sunday, November 20 Choir Rehearsal 12:45 pm Thursday, November 24 Thanksgiving November ACYO-WD General Assembly & Convention at St. Abkar Church in Arizona Sunday, November 27 Sunday School Advent Assembly 10:30 am Saturday, December 10 Christmas Family Night and Talent Show 5:30 pm Sunday, December 18 Western Christmas Celebration and Sunday School Program 10:30 am Fr. Hovel Attends Lectures On September 26, Fr. Hovel and other members of St. Vartan Church attended a presentation at the KZV Armenian School by Garo Paylan, one of three Armenian Members of the Turkish Parliament, about the political situation between Turkey and Armenia, as well as other political issues in Turkey. On September 27, Fr. Hovel attended a lecture by Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of the Armenian Republic, regarding the conflict in Artsahk and the negotiation process with Azerbaijan. St. Vartan Food Drive St. Vartan Church is again sponsoring their Annual Food Drive for the Alameda County Community Food Bank this holiday season. We will be collecting healthy, non-perishable food items for the food bank. Please bring your donations to the St. Vartan John Marukian Church Hall entryway and place them in the barrels. The food bank suggests healthy staples like peanut butter, canned tuna, beans, rice and low-sugar cereal. The Alameda county Community Food Bank serves one in five Alameda County residents. Bazaar Directories Available Pledged Members can pick up their 2016 Bazaar directories in the church entryway. Non-pledged members can call the church to request a directory or see a Parish Council member on Sunday. The suggested donation for non-pledged members for is $5. Blood Drive The St. Vartan ACYO sponsored a Stanford Blood Drive in the John Marukian Church Hall on October 15. Thank you to everyone who worked at the event, as well as everyone who gave blood!

3 Under the auspices of Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese Celebrating the 60th Anniversaries of St. Vartan Armenian Church & St. John Armenian Church Pilgrimage to Armenia with Fr. Hovel Ohanyan & Fr. Mesrob Ash Sunday, November 20 St. Vartan John Marukian Church Hall 650 Spruce St., Oakland 12:30 pm God s Not Dead Lunch & Movie: Adults - $15, Students - $10 June 4-18, 2017 If interested contact Fr. Hovel at or stvartanoakland@aol.com For more info: Liz Ojakian lizojakian@yahoo.com/ or Zaven Kanneian zavenk2@gmail.com/ A must see for teens & young adults! Presented by St. Vartan Cultural Committee

4 Ladies Society Update A special "Thank You" to all the Ladies Society members that helped make the Bazaar a success! The Ladies Society also thanks the men who joined us in food preparation. There were countless hours spent in preparing all the delicious food. Ladies Society members also worked so hard during the weekend of the Bazaar. They served in the food line, worked in the kitchen, worked in the Khanoot, and worked in the Hye Cafe. Ladies Society is truly the backbone to St. Vartan having a successful Bazaar. The next Ladies Society Luncheon is Thursday, November 10 at noon in the Church Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend! St. Vartan Ladies Society always welcomes new members, and it is our goal to get women connected with each other. Friendships really develop as members work together. Please contact Lisa Manoogian with any questions about Ladies Society at or lisamno@yahoo.com. VARTZKERNEET GADAR Hye Café would like to thank and express its gratitude to our dedicated volunteers, who worked diligently during the preparation of the food, serving and, cashiering. With their tremendous help, we had another successful year! Big Thank You to: Elo Markarian, Sara Matossian, Seta and Nazaret Jindoian, Elizabeth and Hagop Tatoian, Maral Cingoz Kismetian, Larry Radcliff, Liz Ojakian, Sue Barsamian, Nora and Harvey Hanoian, Araxi Boghossian, Janet Kanneian, Hilda Mener, Sylvia Gozurian, Aline-Koko Sezer, Nataline & Tania Jindoian, Susie Bazigian, Diane Vasgerdsian, David Colello, and Edward Jamgotchian. We also would like to extend our special thanks to Sara Matossian for her generous donation of 275 homemade potato kufta. Their love and service to our Church and Bazaar is very much appreciated! Sincerely, Cingoz Families Save the Date Ladies Society Luncheon Thurs. Nov. 10 Noon

5 THANK YOU FESTIVAL VOLUNTEERS! YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Dear Festival Volunteers: It is with profound gratitude that Fr. Hovel, the Parish Council, Zaven Kanneian, Naz Jindoian, and I, thank each and every single volunteer for assisting in some manner throughout the Festival to help produce a successful event. The Festival is a longstanding tradition that serves not only as a means of financial support for St. Vartan Church, but shares our culture and brings our community together in fellowship. Every single volunteer plays a significant and integral part in the overall preparations and running of the event. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment make magic happen year in and year out. As volunteers, you are the heart and soul of this parish community coming together to achieve a common objective and goal. You are each amazing and so appreciated! This annual Festival would not be possible without you and your willingness to step in and do something. You don t go unnoticed. Mother Teresa used to say, If you can t do great things, do little things with great love. If you can t do them with great love, do them with a little love. If you can t do them with a little love, do them anyway. Love grows when people serve. Thank you for serving and sharing your love by taking time, working through exhaustion, doing what needed to be done, when it needed to get done, and for sacrificing yourself for the greater good. Thank you for being supportive of one another and working with each other to produce a quality event that we are all proud of. You are awesome and we truly appreciate each of you! You make a difference! With Gratitude & Appreciation, Liz Ojakian, Zaven Kanneian & Naz Jindoian, Festival 2016 Co-Chairs St. Vartan Food Festival and Bazaar Raffle Prizes $4,000 Charity Raffle Drawing Ram Balakrishnan Apple IPad Air Rupen Hagopian Pixar Animation Prize Package #1 donated by Katherine Sarafian Judi Swenson Pixar Animation Prize Package #2 donated by Katherine Sarafian Carol Dokouzian Two Lower Bowl Tickets 49ers vs. Tampa Bay 10/23/16 Rob Kroeckel Donated by Ed and Kristian Minasian Four tickets to Walt Disney Family Museum in S.F. with book and mementos Fimi Schulze Donated by Barbara Sundahl 3.5 x 6 Indo-Chinese Rug donated by Albert Keshishian The Levant Jack Isaacs Oakland Staycation 1 night stay at Marriott City Center Oakland and 4 tickets to Greg & Seta Tcherkoyan The Oakland Museum donated by Oakland Marriott & Oakland Museum $100 Gift Certificate to Agave Uptown Restaurant, Oakland Paul & Lisa Dermenjian Donated by Agave Restaurant $50 Gift certificate to the Park Bistro, San Francisco donated by The Park Bistro Zaven Adrouny Brandy and Wine donated by the Raffle Committee Brian Zovickian Dessert Booth Thank You Thank you to everyone who baked for the dessert booth. Everything was delicious. I had several surprise donations in large quantities! And equally important were all those who volunteered to work in the booth either Friday or Saturday. Many thanks to those who offered help on the spot! The food festival is a team effort, volunteers make it great! No one can do it alone. With sincere gratitude, Janet Yeghissian, Dessert Booth My Dear Brothers and Sisters, Our 64 th Annual Bazaar and Armenian Food Festival is over. Once again I would like to express the appreciation and the gratitude of my heart to the members of the Bazaar Committee, co-chaired by Liz Ojakian, Naz Jindoian, and Zaven Kanneian, all the members of our Ladies Society, Parish Council, Cultural Committee, ACYO, Sunday School, countless individual volunteers, elders and youth for their humble and priceless service to God and to the blessed family of our St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church. Your great and hard work is the best evidence of your strong faith and your unlimited love to your Church and Community. Through your humble service you are making the future of this Church and community stronger and more active. May the blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you forever!!! Prayerfully, Fr. Hovel Ohanyan

6 St. Vartan Church 64th Annual Bazaar and Food Festival