DEFINITIONS

AGAPE

Agape is the Greek word which means " love ". There are four or more words of love in greek. The word agape " love" has the highest and the noblest form of love which flows from God. W.E.. Vine rightly says that," Love can be known only from the action it prompts" It is an unselfish love, ready to serve. And a desire to help others to seek the Giver.

It chooses its object with descision and self - denying compassion. So agape knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope ; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. Here it isseen that Agape is a self-giving love - the love of Calvary's Cross.

Thus the writer use the word 'agape' the centre theme of his Thesis. It is used as practical expression of the love of Jesus Christ towards the human-kind by sharing

through visual aids and words to save their souls as St. John 3:16 says : "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life". Agape also denotes that believers should love one another as J e s u s commanded as it is in St. John 15 : 12, " This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."

MUSEUM

The Latin word " Museum" is derived from Greek word "Museion" in which it means a temple dedicated to the Muses, or the Greek goddesses of the arts and sciences. The goddesses are nine in number and are recognised as the maiden daughters of Zeus, king of the gods, and Mnemosyne (Memory). They were born at Pieria at the foot of
Mt.Olympus.

A Museum is defined in Article 3 of the Statutes of the International Council of Museums as "a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its developments, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, and exhibits, for the purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment."

According to the UNESCO definition of " Museum", it is to include or comprise any permanent set-up for the purpose of preserving, studying and enhancing by various means and , in particular, of the exhibiting to the public for its delectation and instruction artistic, historic, scientific and technological collections. This definition would thus encompass (a) botanical gardens with live specimens and (b) public libraries and archival institutions maintaining permanent exhibition rooms.

'Museum' is thus the most apt word for the modern storehouses of works of nature and man in all their diverse ramifications though they do not any longer connote the sense of a Temple for worship as the Original word did, and has thus come to stay. Nevertheless, these storehouses are temples of a sort, for it is here that man is able to seek shelter from the humdrum of life and gaze at his will at the enormity of his legacy, contemplate and learn and derive inspiration for a chastened and nobler life.

Having said all the above, ACMC serves to collect and preserved materials with relevance to Christian Faith. These Materials are donated by different people from various parts of the World. Even some of the wonders of God's handi-works are place in the ACMC. These visual aids are to show to people to draw their attention towards Jesus Christ.