Seeds of Faith Sep 2013

7/22/2019 Seeds of Faith Sep 2013

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Copyright 2013 by Assyrian Church of the East Page 2

Welcome to the

2013/14 School Year!

We are excited to launch anotherschool year at St. Andrews Church.

Registration forms are available in the

Education Office now. Regular classesto begin onAugust 23rd, Friday classesare from 7:009:00 in the evening.Parents should plan on picking up theirchildren from classrooms at 9:00.

Youth classes are divided into two

groups. We have a high school youthgroup and a college youth group. Theymeet from 8:009:00 in the evening on

Fridays. We also have a new YouthPresident, George Solayman. Sundayclasses are from 9:0010:30 in themorning. Following Sunday morning

class, students will be led up to the

mass for the sermon and communion.After communion, students are broughtdownstairs for breakfast. You can meetyour child down in the cafeteria for

pick up. A special prayer service tostart off the school year will occur on

September 6th. Please be prompt, asthe service will begin at 7:00 in the eve-

ning. Father George Toma will beblessing the children as they begin thenew school year and talking about his

expectations for their role as studentsin St. Andrews Church School.

As part of a new plan for ourstudents, each child will receive a St.Andrews backpack with all of their

supplies in the backpack. This willhelp parents and students to keep

church supplies organized and readyfor class. Backpacks will include in-structional books, writing supplies, andhomework folders. Bibles used for reli-

gious study will be kept in classrooms.If you are interested in buying a biblefor home study, let us know in the Edu-cation Office. Backpacks will also help

teachers during church mass to keep

supplies from becoming a distractionduring the sermon. Please find a spe-cial place in your home to keep the

backpacks so that they can be easilyfound when needed. We are exploringan alternate plan for our teen studentsand will be providing them with an or-

ganizational tool in September.

Our primary objective is toraise all of our children in the love of

God and bring them closer to the house

of God. All teachings promote thecharacteristics that every Christianshould possess and demonstrate intheir daily lives. We instruct students

on the stories of the bible so that theymay apply those lessons to their livestoday. Beginning in the fall, we willhave the instructional format of pre-

senting bible basics on Fridays andsermon preparation on Sundays.

Friday classes will focus on bible sto-ries in a planned curriculum program

that insures our students will have astrong bible foundation. Sundayclasses will preview the sermon of the

week and help students to identify key

words that they may hear and need toknow in Assyrian. Sunday classes willalso work on helping children to

memorize key prayers that they needto know in order to participate in theservice as adults. Father Toma has

helped us to identify key prayers thatwe will recite with children at differentage levels as part of their annual goals.Our teachers have been in training

workshops all summer long! Look fortheir certificates on your childs wall to

see what they have been learning andwhat they are now qualified to teach.Trainings have included behavior man-agement, early literacy development,

intermediate literacy development,writing instruction, and new techniquesfor facilitating bible discussions.

We have a new character edu-cation program that will be imple-mented this year. Character education

is part of the public school system andyour child should be familiar with theconcepts. Each month, we will be fo-cusing on a new Christian Character

Trait (kindness, forgiveness, etc.). Allstudents in the Friday class will attendan all school assembly on the FIRSTFRIDAY of the month. We will be dis-cussing the Focus of the Month and

have a drawing for rewards. As stu-dents demonstrate behaviors that we

want to promote, they will get a ticketcalled a blessing and be praised for

their good behavior. They can takethat ticket and put their name on it for areward. Rewards can be redeemed in

two ways. Students can put their ticketinto the monthly drawing at the FIRSTFRIDAY assembly for a prize opportu-nity OR they can save their ticket and

use it to buy rewards that will be avail-able on the SECOND SUNDAY at the St.

Andrew School Store. Please remem-ber to ask your child each week if theyreceived any blessings in class. It is

important for families to reinforce good

behaviors even when they are awayfrom home. Thank you, in advance, foryour support!

Teachers will be nominatingStudents of the Month. Those stu-

dents will be nominated based on someof the behavior goals we want to see for

all students: prompt, reliable in atten-dance, hard worker, respectful, helpfulto others, responsible with homeworkrequirements, etc. If your child is

nominated by his/her teacher asStudent of the Month, he/she will be

invited to a special monthly breakfast

with Father George Toma and the dea-cons of the church. Parents will not beseated at the table with their children

for this event. This will be an opportu-nity for your child to speak with Fatherand the deacons. An important part ofChristian Education is the fostering ofrespect and affection for the churchleaders. Children that feel close to the

church leaders are more likely to re-main close to the church as they growtoward adulthood. If your child isnominated, talk to him/her about ques-

tions they may want to ask or topicsthey may want to learn more about

when they are with the church leaders.

If you have any questions orconcerns, please feel free to contact us

at the Education Office. We are in

room 5B. Nirona Shinoo is the Friday

Facilitator. Youberd Bahram is the Sun-

day Facilitator. Jennifer Younan is the

Education Liaison.

By: Jennifer Younan

HOLY APOSTOLIC CATHOLIC ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST


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Saint Andrews Committees:

Church Senior Pastor Father George Toma.

Deacons: Norman Israel, Elbron Odisho, Adnan David, Sargon Kesso, Edison Youkhana, George Antar, Yousef Mikhael, Sabir, George Baezo, Thompson Esho,

Alfret Shamoun, Elie Antar.

Committees Chairman (David Arkis).

Building Director/Manager (Interim-David Arkis): Younes Zaia, Namrood Khamis, Louzan Odisho, Rema Shamoun, Elona Bahram, Paul Rehana, Peter Amaden,

Ray Kando, Youkhana Youkhana, Hani Shamoun.

Co-Chairman (Jack Youna).

Secretary (Ban Youna).

Treasurer Chairman (Gilbert Khosrabowdi): Sargon Yosifi , Mariam Lazar, Najla Mikhail, Bushra yaldaAccountant (Julie Kako).

Fundraising Committee (Vacant): Al Puccinelli

Youth President (George Sulayman)

Ladies Auxiliary Chairwoman (Catrina Khamou): Lucy Sima, Ales Dawood, Shami Audisho, Doreen Haider, Sonia Khammo, Layla Youkhana, Bassima Sorisho,

Magie Zaya, Jane Hana, Jenny, Nada Younan, Mariam.

Choir Chairwoman (Najat Marcos): Saad Yalda, Albert Aessa, Jena Kena.Education-Jennifer Younan, Deacon Adnan David, Souad Timatyos, Deacon George Antar, Nirona Shino, Ashorina Youana, Dr. Michael, Juliana Thomas, Mike

Micho, Adnan David, Youbert Bahram, Helen Yousif, Nwyia Garmos Aramaic, Bronica Amrahi, Josephine Youhana, Mardin Shinoo, Connie Shakro, Kristy An-

drews, Queen Ishay, Raquel Youkhana, Stephanie Andrews, Claudia Shakro, Neeran Shmoel, Regina Younan.

Youth Choir- Sargon Yalda, Rachel Thomas, Jena Kena.

Sports (Vacant).

Public Relations (Vacant).

Ushers Chairman (Michael Michael): Albert Youel, Youkhana Youkhana, Ramzi Odich, George Danyel, Gilbert Gewargis, Abrahim Lazar.

Visitation Chairman (Deacon Norman Israel): Anderious Youkhana.

Special Events Chairperson (Vacant): Nirona Shinoo, Julie Kako, Hewi Adaay, Suzana Yalda, Diala Joseph, Gabi Yawanis, Sargon Yalda, Neeran Shmoel, Aida Jo-

seph, Tanya Khamo, Doreen Haider, Diana Esho.

Maintenance Chairman (Musa Moshy): William Younan, Anderious Youkhana, Manny Yalda (IT), Yalda Kako (IT), Ashor Tamo (IT), Ashor Khoshaba (Sound

System), Tony Atou (Sound System), Mounir Shamoon (Sound System).

Media Chairman (Billy George): Hani Shawel, Robert Thomas, Hewi Adaay, Dani Shamoun, Ramsin George, Amer Kasso, Albert Lazar, Mariam Ebrahimi, Ben-

yamin Odisho.

Copyright 2013 by Assyrian Church of the East

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: 2013

Saint Andrews Church Summer Camp (SASC) Just ended the seventh year in a remarkable graduation ceremony bymore than 140 of the Children and staff. For seven weeks, the children participating in this program were brought to

Saint Andrews Church Monday through Friday (10am-4pm) to be nurtured, and taught in a Christian home atmos-

phere. Assyrian language classes and bible study classes as well as local outdoor activities,

music, arts & crafts, Assyrian folklore dances, games, sports, visits to the local park

swimming pool, educational field trips & visits to the local attractions were part of the program. As a summer

camp director for the past 5 years, I would like to give all the credits, first to my Lord Jesus Christ, to our patriarch

His Holiness Mar Dinkha and to His grace Mar Polis, Eastern Diocese Bishop, to Father

George Toma Saint Andrews Senior Pastor, and thank you for Abby Zoudo and Shamasha Sar-

gon for starting first time summer camp. I want to thank David Arkis the president, I want to thank

all my kids, the teachers, Helpers all the moms all the dads who brought 123 kids to church every

day. I am so blessed, thank you Lord I had 146 kids total, without you Lord, I could not have done

it You gave me the power to take care of 3 1/2 years old up to 24 years old, thank you Lord Jesus,

and it was all a team work, thank you for everyone and I mean it from the bottom of my heart, we


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Children in the Bible

My favorite part of the Holy

Spirit is that it is like the wind; youcant see it but know its there.

Everyone in heaven has white hair

because when you are in the pres-ence of God everything about you

becomes pure. You only need two

or more people to pray for demons tobe cast away. These are a few ex-

amples of the statements I have not

only heard from the children in my

bible study class, but also facts that Ihave learned.

I have been teaching at SaintAndrews for about a year now, and

the one thing I have learned from myexperiences are that kids know a lot

more about God and the Bible than

we think. Yes, they may not know

who wrote half the New Testament,why Abraham is important or how

long Jesus was in Egypt for, howeverthe foundations of our Christian be-liefs (faith, hope, and love) are rooted

in ALL children, no matter their initial

upbringing. I have met children withvery different backgrounds, espe-

cially working at Chicago Public

Schools, but can honestly tell you thatthey all share the same Christian ide-

als that most adults have seemed to

forget. They are ever curious to

learn truth, they hope even in thetoughest situations, have faith even

when they do not have a voice orcontrol over situations, and their loveis the purest form you will find on this

earth. Children instinctively have

these characteristics that were givenby God, but how much more amazing

would it be for children to know all

these things are from Jesus Christ?Thats why youth bible studies are so

important. Yes, children may have

difficulty listening in class sometimes

and they tend to speak their minds alittle more than we would like, fur-

thermore making it imperative tohave spiritual guidance and disciple.

But my goal in this letter is to expressmy utmost opinion that WE can learn

a lot more from them than we think.

I can picture the scene in

Matthew 18:1-5 when the disciples

asked Jesus who is the greatest in thekingdom of heaven. In my mind, I see

Jesus with a huge smile on his face as

he sees the children around him. He

might even know the names of some,know their parents, but he is drawn tothem because of their innocence that

no one in the crowd possesses. Theymight have been a second thought to

the disciples, and maybe even an

annoyance to some, but for the Lordhe saw them as the first ones to in-

herit his kingdom. He gathered them

in his arms and stated, Truly I tell

you, unless you change and be-

come like children, you will neverenter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly

position of this child is the greatestin the kingdom of heaven. And

whoever welcomes one such child

in my name welcomes me. Jesustells the disciples and us in this pas-

sage, that we must CHANGE and be-come like children.

Consider the very next chap-ter in Matthew 19:13-15 when people

were bringing children for Jesus tobless and the disciples rebuked

them. These followers of Christ were

so close to him and his teachings, buteven they were annoyed by the pres-

ence of children at times. Jesus an-swered them (maybe a little annoyedsince they obviously didnt get the

point in the previous chapter) toletthe little children come to me, and

do not hinder them, for the king-

dom of heaven belongs to such asthese. The idea of being like chil-dren is spread throughout the gospelof Matthew, but also throughout the

Old and New Testament. Even in

Matthew 21 vs. 15-16 Jesus says,

Out of the mouth of babes and

nursing infants you have perfectedpraise. In this sentence, youmeans His Father in heaven has or-dained and perfected ALL praise that

comes from the mouths of children.

Specifically through the bookof Matthew, we see a theme that not

only does Jesus give children specialattention and love, but also that even

their words and praises are ordainedby God. Adults can learn how to pos-

ses these things from children, but

what about things that the Bible tellsus in the near future, or maybe even

now children will be capable to do.

This brings me to Acts 2:17-18, And

it shall come to pass in the lastdays, says God, that I will pour outof My Spirit on all flesh; your sons

and your daughters shall proph-

esy, your young men shall see vi-sions, your old men shall dream

dreams. And on My menservantsand on my maidservants I willpour our My Spirit in those days;and they will prophesy. This versewas repeated from Joel 2:28-29 in the

Old Testament.

We are told both from Old

and New Testament verses that we

will see our children do and say

amazing things that are ordained and

inspired by the Holy Spirit, acts of

prophecy, visions, and dreams. Do

not be surprised when your child

tells you a story about heaven, or

maybe even a declaration of the end

times. These things were called upon

by our Lord through the innocent sol-

diers that he has working in our

world and churches. The Lord uses

the weak to shame the proud. He

finds only the innocent and pure to

reveal his mysteries and truth be-

cause he knows they will not question

or doubt. This is why it is importantto nurture children so they know the

capabilities that they have through

God, and so this spirit can continue,

even into their teen and adult lives.

The saddest part about life is when

children lose their innocence. We all

have to get older, its just a fact of life,

but why not as parents and spiritual

advisors acknowledge the spiritual

capabilities of our children and learn

a little from them along the way. LikeJesus said, its the

only way to enter

His kingdom.

By: Juliana Thomas




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The mission.

Honor and glorify God the father, the Son and the Holy

Spirit and make Him known. Preach His word (The

Gospel) through the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian

Church of the East, established by the teachings of our

Lords Disciples and the Churchs Saints, Patriarchs,Bishops and Priests, as the source of the good news.

Teach the Assyrian Language (Neo-Aramaic), one of

our Lords main Languages, to our Children and educate

them on the importance of speaking and preserving it.

Saint Andrews Church Committee

Saint Andrews Youth Association

To my beloved Church, St. Andrews Assyrian Church of the East, I extend

great appreciation for being chosen to represent our parish and youth at the

2013 conference. This was such a blessed opportunity, and the amount of fel-

lowship we had was and continues to be priceless to us all. I personally am

extremely proud of our youth for the great respect and participation they all

showed towards the Bishops, Priest, Deacons, and staff of the conference. The

value we gained from this event cannot be measured, but it is felt and appreciated through our vibrant youth group!

We grew socially and spiritually among ourselves, as well as in unity with the other attending churches.

I am so happy to inform you that the investment, time, and effort our

church put forth was not in vain. We in fact need more support, and

more volunteers to have more opportunities such as this. These are our

kids that we are investing in, just as the Bible reads "and let us not grow

weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up

Galatians 6:9". We must continue these works and stay faithful that

greatness will come out of them. We will create our youth to be future

leaders carrying the name of Christ to the world, through our church! All of our efforts will always be to the glory of

God, forever and ever!

We are deeply grateful for the generous donations that made this retreat possible, and we ask for your contin-

ued support as we continue to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit on behalf of our youth

Saint Andrews Youth President

George Solayman

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=christian+faith+pictures&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=QKihO5wBTyMzsM&tbnid=m2UaTYiAtf-9VM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kenosiscenter.com%2FChristian-Counseling-Indianapolis.html&ei=ioMuUtzoKIm9qgGXsIDQCw&bv


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Assyrians You Should Know...

Dr. Donny George was born in Iraq in 1950.

He did all his studies in Baghdad and got his

BA, MA, and PhD in prehistoric archaeology

in the University of Baghdad. He started as a

member staff in the Iraq National Museum in

1976, & continued in different positions, until

he became the director general for the Iraqi

Museums 2003-2005, then became the Chair-

man of the Iraqi State board of Antiquities

and Heritage 2005-2006. At the same time he

used to work as a lecturer professor in the

Department of Archaeology and College of

Engineering in the University of Baghdad,

also at the Babylon College for Theology and

Philosophy in Baghdad. Finally, and because

of the security situations in Iraq after 2003, he

was forced along with his family to leave

Iraq, and arrived in the US in 2006. Dr. Donny

George collapsed at Toronto International

airport on March 11, 2011. He was taken to

hospital where he was pronounced dead a

short time later. Dr. George was in Toronto to

deliver a lecture on Mesopotamian artifactsand those that were looted from the museum

following the war in 2003. Dr. Donny George

delivered lectures at different universities in

different countries such as Belgium, Britain,

Germany, Sweden, and the U.S. He also de-

livered a lecture during the Assyrian Church

of the East Youth Conference in San Jose

California in 2009 and during a graduation

ceremony where he received a Medal of

Honor by H.H Mar Dinkha IV Catholics Patri-

arch in 2007.

Source: http://www.stonybrook.edu/

commcms/asian/faculty/Youkhanna.shtml

By: Hewi S. Arkis

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MEANING OF THE ASSYRIAN FLAG

At the center of the Assyrian flag is a golden circle, representing the sun. Symbolically, it generates heat

and light to sustain the earth and all living things. The star surrounding the sun stands for the land, its

light blue color representing tranquility.

The three major rivers of our homeland are represented by the wavy stripes that extend

from the center of the flag to its four corners. The dark blue is for the Euphrates river, which

stands for the Assyrian word peruta meaning abundance. The red stripes symbolize the Ti-

gris river, its crimson color honoring courage,

glory, and pride. The white lines between the two

represent Zawa, as tranquility and peace. Many

view the three stripes as roads that will lead the

dispersed Assyrian people back to their homeland.

Above the blue star, at the top of the flag, sits the ancient

Assyrian God Ashur, who guards the people the flag repre-

sents. It is an ancient symbol.

On top of the flagstaff is the standard of King Sargon I, who established the first Assyrian empire. Duringthe ancient times this insignia stood by the king's side to let everyone know his whereabouts.

Source: http://www.ninevehlives.com/history/one-nation-one-flag/
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/asian/faculty/Youkhanna.shtmlhttp://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/asian/faculty/Youkhanna.shtmlhttp://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/asian/faculty/Youkhanna.shtmlhttp://www.ninevehlives.com/history/one-nation-one-flag/http://www.ninevehlives.com/history/one-nation-one-flag/http://www.ninevehlives.com/history/one-nation-one-flag/http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/asian/faculty/Youkhanna.shtmlhttp://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/asian/faculty/Youkhanna.shtml


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Created by Hewi S. Arkis

Crossword Puzzle in Assyrian

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SUDOKU IN ASSYRIAN


Created by Hewi S. Arkis


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Schedule of Liturgical & Fellowship/Special Events.

Friday September 13th, Feast of the Cross. Holy Mass at

6:30pm.

Friday, September 13th, Festival of the Cross (Car Raffle).

Saturday, September 14th, Commemoration of Mar Sawa,

Mar Odisho, Mar Bisho, Mar Zaia. Holy Mass at 9:00am.

Thursday, September 19th, Commemoration of Mar

Shalita. Holy Mass at 6:00pm.

Sunday, October 20th, Anniversary of H.H. Mar Dikha IV

Catholicos Patriarch.

Monday, October 28th, First day of Rogation of Saint

George the Martyr. Three days rogation. Monday, November 4th, Commemoration of Saint George

the Marty. Holy Mass at 6:00pm.

Friday, November 8th, Urmi Night.

Friday, November 29th, Christmas Tree Lighting.

Saturday, November 30th, Commemoration of Saint An-

drew the Apostle. Holy Mass at 5:00pm.

Friday, December 20th, Children Christmas event.

Sunday, December 22nd, Christmas Fund Drive.

Tuesday, December 24th, Christmas Eve. Evening prayersat 5:00pm. Christmas Vigil at 6:00pm. Holy Mass at

8:00pm. Wednesday, December 25th, Christmas day. Holy Mass at

9:00am.

Wednesday, December 25th, Christmas Party

Friday, December 27th, H.H. Christmas Greeting.

Tuesday, December 31st, New Years Party.

Published by Saint Andrews Assyrian Church of the East. 901 N. Mil-waukee Ave. Glenview, Illinois.

Articles reflect point of view of writers in a positive encouraging way.

Edited by: Hewi S. Arkis

Printed by: Niles Express Copy & Printing, 7542 W. Oakton, Niles, IL.

For more information, comments or suggestions email us at:

[email protected]

This edition sponsors

Page 8Copyright 2013 by Assyrian Church of the East

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Seeds of Faith Sep 2013