2025 – A Final Look

Following the spirit of the Gospel reading prescribed for the final Sunday of the year in the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Parable of the Ten Minas, where the king asks his servants what they have done with what was entrusted to them (Luke 19:12–28), I pause to look back at 2025 and reflect on the life and ministries of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church.

This parable is not about fear or perfection. It is about faithfulness. It asks a simple but sobering question. What did you do with what was placed in your care? As your pastor, I hold this question not as a solitary exercise, but as a shared reflection on what we have done together as a parish family.

A Year Marked by Worship and Presence

Throughout 2025, the Badarak was celebrated faithfully every Sunday, becoming the steady heartbeat of our parish life. Week after week, our community gathered around the altar in prayer, Scripture, and sacrament. Especially encouraging was the strong presence of our youth, many of whom were drawn to serve on the Holy Altar and to lend their voices to the church choir. These were clear signs that faith is being embraced by the next generation not as an obligation, but as a calling.

Thoughtful sermons invited reflection and growth and were shared beyond our walls through our YouTube channel. In the final quarter of the year, weekly video invitations gently reminded parishioners that they are always welcome, helping bridge distance and rekindle connection.

Faith Formation and Spiritual Growth

The inner life of our parish was intentionally nurtured through Lenten Vespers, the Good Friday Retreat, and moments of quiet preparation that invited repentance, stillness, and hope. Beyond the liturgical seasons, faith formation continued through conversation and community, most notably through Pasta with Our Pastor and The Power of We Believe series, which explored our shared creed and what it means to say we believe as one Church. The year concluded spiritually with a Christmas Mini Retreat, helping us refocus on the true meaning of the Nativity.

Stories, Learning, and Shared Heritage

A rich lineup of lectures and cultural programs engaged both mind and heart. These gatherings addressed stewardship and legacy, reflected on twenty years of parish life, honored Armenian Genocide remembrance, celebrated Armenian language and literature, and deepened our understanding of faith, identity, and history. Together, they cultivated rootedness, reflection, and meaningful dialogue within our community.

Serving the Greater Church

St. Sarkis remained actively engaged in the wider life of the Eastern Prelacy through participation in and hosting the annual clergy conference. We were also blessed by the visit of Catholicos Aram I, whose Divine Liturgy and pontifical message called our parish to renewed faithfulness, unity, and commitment to Christ.

Youth, Elders, and Community Life

Our Salt and Light Youth Ministry flourished, breaking participation records and engaging young people in prayer, service, outreach, and fellowship. At the same time, Sages of All Ages offered cherished spaces of connection, generosity, cultural enrichment, and shared joy, honoring the wisdom and presence of our elders.

Faith Lived, Love Shared

A defining moment of the year came on June 14, when our parish gathered for an Evening of Love and Laughter to mark 20 years of my pastoral service. Surrounded by prayer, gratitude, music, storytelling, and joy, the community came together as one family to celebrate a shared journey rooted in love and service.

Season by season, the life of our parish unfolded through worship, education, fellowship, service, celebration, and stewardship, from Paschal joy to summer gatherings, from Dancing in the Rain in September to Simply Christmas in December. Taken together, these moments tell the story of a Church striving not merely to do more, but to be faithful.

As we look ahead, may we continue to invest what God has entrusted to us with humility, courage, gratitude, and love, so that all we do may bear fruit for Christ and for one another.

With gratitude and prayers,
Der Nareg