February 21-23 the Paul Family Hall was transformed in to a warm and intimate gallery decorated by the beautiful and unique artwork of renowned artist Lilit Soghomonyan. Lilit was invited by Saint John Armenian Church for her San Francisco debut solo exhibition.

The St. John Sunday School spent the damp but sunny morning of last Sunday not in the classroom as they usually would, but in a new setting: St. John’s newly established parish garden. Instead of their usual curriculum, they learned about how and why seeds grow in to plants that bare vegetables and fruits. Most importantly, they learned that God gave them, and all humanity, the responsibility to be good stewards of His creation. Each child was given their own plot in the garden, so that they can learn that it takes time, attention, and love to be a good steward.

The Fellowship Hour is the time after Divine Liturgy each week when our parish serves coffee, tea, and snacks to the faithful. This is a wonderful time when attendees can relax together, catch up, and meet new people. It's also a great time for families to connect.

The following editorial was submitted by Tamara Karakashian who attended the St. John Armenian Church Premiere of Bavakan on February 15, 2014.

During our 2014 Annual Parish Assembly, and with the confirmation of the Primate, His Eminence Abp. Hovnan Derderian, the following Parish Council for 2014 was established. Take a moment to get to know them.

Sunday, February 2, was a celebratory and joyous day for St. John parish, Archbishop Aris Shirvanian was invited to celebrate The Divine Liturgy and deliver the spiritual message. Fr. Mesrop Ash, altar servers, deacons and the choir were ready for the majestic worship experiance of the Episcopal Divine Liturgy.

Following the Episcopal Divine Liturgy, Fr. Mesrop Ash welcomed Abp. Shirvanian on behalf of the parishioners and invited him to deliver the spiritual message.

For the past month, Evening Services have been held each Wednesday to provide an opportunity for the faithful to pray and meditate. We give thanks that many have come to enjoy the prayerful respite of the prayers of evening hour.

Beginning February 12, 2014 the Evening Service will be held at 7:00pm. The reason for this change is to give those who work and have families more time to attend.

We are excited to announce that Parish Priest, Fr. Mesrop Ash, will be leading a pilrimage to Armenia from September 24 - October 10, 2014. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the faithful of the Bay Area to experiance the Hayrenik, our ancestral homeland.

This pilgrimage will travel to all the essential sites of Armenian heritage, including Holy Etchmiadzin, Khor Virab, Lake Sevan, Dilijan, Artsakh, and more.

It has been a wonderful tradition at St. John to have a Candlelight Service on Western Christmas Eve. This year was no exception, more than 200 faithful gathered together to sing Christmas carols along with the St. John Choir, to hear the scripture readings by our dedicated deacons, and to watch our wonderful Sunday School Children present the Nativity scene.

On January 7, 2014 Armenian classes will resume each Tuesday evening at 7 PM. For returning students an intermediate level class has been established. Intermediate level Armenian speakers who have not been a part of the class may join. A new beginners level class will start on January 7, and all of those interested who did not register in the fall are welcome to sign-up. If you are interested in joining the class, Please contact the office at print the seas (415) 661–1142 ex. 0.