113th Annual Vacation Bible School June 27, 2010

California’s oldest Armenian Church will “set sail” as it embarks on the 113th edition of its summer Christian Education Program.
The First Armenian Presbyterian Church of Fresno will present the High Seas Expedition Vacation Bible School on June 27 through July 1, 2010.
The weeklong VBS program will take place from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. at the Church Campus, 430 South First Street at historic Huntington Boulevard near Downtown Fresno.
The VBS will also feature a low-cost dinner hour (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.) for the convenience of individuals and families. VBS registration and dining information is available by calling (559) 431-5594 or (5590 237-6638 or e-mailing arpikel@comcast.net.
Created by Group Publishing of Colorado, High Seas Expedition explores “the Mighty Love of God” by guiding Pre-School through Sixth Grade students in New Testament Bible adventures, Sing and Play Splash, Ship Rec Games, Lip-smacking Galley Snacks, Clipper Ship Crafts, and Sail Away Cinema. Students will also work on a special project to benefit foreign missions.
The VBS program will also offer an adult seminar series entitled, “Think Christian: Having the Right Worldview in a Sinful World.” The series will feature a number of expert presenters applying the Holy Bible to such topics as bioethics, marriage and family, money and finances, entertainment and media, and government and culture.
Forty immigrants from Marsovan chartered the congregation in a rented Fresno hall on July 25, 1897. The congregation formally joined the family of Presbyterian Churches in October of that same year. The boyhood church of authors William Saroyan and A.I. Bezzerides, FAPC today is a multigenerational evangelical congregation drawn from the Old and New Worlds.
Reverend Mgrdich Melkonian is the Senior Pastor of the congregation, Reverend Aren Balabanian is the Associate Pastor, Shant Barsoumian, M.Div. is the Pastoral Intern, Samuel Khatchikian is the Summer Seminary Intern, and Arpi Keledjian is Director of the 113th Annual Vacation Bible School Program.
FAPC is a member congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. The 2010 theme of the congregation is “A New Creation.”