Lesson Plans

Using the Theme Throughout the Year

USING THE THEME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
2004-2005

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”
ROMANS 12:2

Symbol: world/globe with a cross on it
Icon: Transfiguration

Opening Day – decorate classrooms and bulletin boards using the theme. Borders and decorations can be found at a teacher’s store or can be made by you or the children. Each child’s name or picture can be placed around a world map or globe as they enter class on the first day.

Incentives – Using a chart with each child’s name on it, place a sticker for each behavior you are trying to encourage (attendance, being on time, memorization, class participation, attending extra services, etc.) When this chart is filled up, reward the child with a small gift or use a points system to save up for bigger gifts or outings. For inexpensive gift items check out U.S. Toys (1-800-255-6124 – (www.ustoy.com) or Oriental Trading Company (www.oriental.com).

Creative Festivals – see downloadable lesson plans provided by AODCE (www.antiochian.org/christianeducation/)

Celebrate Baptism Days (the process of transformation begins at our baptism) – Put together a list of students’ baptism dates (you can get this from the church records). The week before each date send a card to the student and offer prayers or holy bread at the Liturgy in their honor. Offer suggestions to their families on how this special day can be celebrated – invite their godparents to Liturgy, carry a lighted candle up to Communion, have a party, bake a cake, give a gift, look at pictures or watch the video of their baptism day.

Lives of the Saints - Celebrating the feast day of any of the saints can be an opportunity to study their life and see how they did not conform to this world. A skit or play would be a fun way to learn about their life.

End of the Year/Recognition Day – Use the theme as the central part of the certificate or award being given. Decorate certificates and scrapbooks with the cutouts from the bulletin boards. Any gifts given to teachers or students can reflect this year’s theme.

“TRANSFORMING” ANNUAL ACTIVITIES

Halloween – transform it into a celebration of the saints! Children can dress up as a saint, put on skits of their life, and create carnival type games that tie into a specific
teaching about their life.

Thanksgiving – transform what is usually an individual family celebration into a parish-wide celebration! On a date before the Advent Fast begins, invite the whole parish to a traditional Thanksgiving meal prepared by the children. Each class, under the supervision of their teacher and parents, can shop for, prepare, cook and serve a specific item on the menu. Tables can be decorated by one class, set by another, and entertainment provided by another. This event is a great time to collect canned goods for Thanksgiving baskets to be delivered to the less fortunate.

Christmas – transform your celebration for the kids in keeping with the “reason for the season”. Use only scripture-based carols, invite St. Nicholas to the party instead of Santa, and instead of giving them gifts ask them to bring a gift for a less fortunate child. A study of the original meaning of many of the Christmas symbols can provide the content for your pageant/play or activities for the celebration following.

Pascha – transform the agape meal by reviving the custom of families bringing their basket to church on Pascha to be blessed and shared. The food that goes into the basket is what the family has been fasting from during Great Lent.

Baking Holy Bread – transform the wheat into bread, which will be transformed into the Body of Christ! Each class can take a Sunday to offer the bread for the health of, or in memory of, someone they all know.

Godparent’s Sunday – transform a normal Sunday into “Godparent’s Sunday”. Have godchildren invite their godparents (and godparents invite their godchildren). Celebrate this special relationship by receiving Communion together. Children can make a gift or card to give to their godparents. Activities can be planned during a luncheon or coffee hour following liturgy.

These ideas are only suggestions to tie in the theme with Church School activities for the year. If you have an idea that can add to this, please share it with the rest of us! E-mail the Christian Education office at AODCE@aol.com

Preschool to Kindergarten

2006 Creative Festivals Lesson Plan:
Preschool to Kindergarten

THEME:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”  JOEL 2:28

GOALS:

1. To prepare students for participation in the Creative Arts Festival.
2. To help students understand the theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography.
3. To learn more about the Holy Spirit, not just to hear His Name.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To identify Joel as a prophet who lived a long time ago.
2. To understand that a prophet speaks what God wants him to say.
3. To tell what happened at Pentecost in the Early Church.
4. To learn that the Holy Spirit was given to all people on Pentecost.
5. To know that we celebrate what happened at Pentecost on the Feast Day of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church.

TIME:            45 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Icon of Christ
• Candle or votive for icon corner
• Icon of Pentecost
• 12 large pre-cut “tongues of fire” for use in the Activity
• 1 large “tongue of fire” for each child to color and take home
  Crayons for each child

FOR THE CATECHIST:

This theme is about the Holy Spirit.

The sentence used for this year’s theme comes from the Book of Joel in the Old Testament.  The Prophecy of Joel is read at Vespers on the Feast of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church. Joel 2:23-32.

The Apostle Peter refers to Joel’s prophecy when he speaks to the crowds on that first day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is given to “all flesh.”  Acts 2:16-18.

The Epistle reading for Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Pentecost is Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11.

Joel’s prophecy is rich in imagery and meaning about the Promise of the Father who will send His Spirit, not just to the few elect of Old Testament prophets and judges, but for ALL of God’s people. 

For this age group, however, you will want to focus on the event of that first Pentecost.  This may or may not be new information to your students.  The Holy Spirit may be hard for many to understand, but give your students the words used by the Church.  In time, as your students mature in their Faith, they will mature in understanding of the Spirit.

You can help your youngsters understand the importance of Joel’s prophecy by talking about keeping promises.  Joel tells us that God will send His Spirit to all people, not just a few.  In Acts 4-6, we read how Jesus commanded the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the “Promise of the Father.”  This Promise is the coming of the Holy Spirit.

You will want to use the Sign of the Cross to identify the Holy Spirit and explain how the Spirit came upon the disciples and all the people at that great day of Pentecost.

If your church school is few in number, you may want to combine preschoolers-grades three for the activity where they dramatize what happened at Pentecost.

Although many people like to tell children that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, you may want to discourage children from drawing birthday cakes as their entries for the Creative Arts Festival.

In all that you do with your students, try to impart something of the wonder, the vision, the glory of what can be experienced in the Church—because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Capitalize upon the preschool-K child’s natural sense of wonder and joy in being alive!  None of that is possible without the Holy Spirit!

SUGGESTED READINGS: 

• Acts Chapters 1 and 2
• Orthodox Study Bible, “Chrismation,” p. 274.  See also notes for Acts 1-2. 
• Gospel of John 7:37-52; 8:12.  See notes in Orthodox Study Bible, p. 232; p. 234.
• “O Heavenly King”

THE LESSON PLAN

OPENING:

Have students stand before the icon and make the Sign of the Cross.  This will be your opening prayer, and it will be the focus of your introductory remarks.

INTRODUCTION:

Refer to the Sign of the Cross, which the children have just made.  You will want to mention that you will be talking a lot about the Holy Spirit.  Tell students that this year’s theme for the Creative Arts Festival is all about the Holy Spirit. 

You might say, “We are going to find out how the Holy Spirit came to the disciples on Pentecost.”  We’re also going to hear about a man named Joel who lived a long time ago and knew that Jesus would send us the Holy Spirit. Today, we will learn what this means.”

(You will most likely need to remind students that the disciples were Jesus’s friends after He rose from the dead.)

CONTENT:

Talk about Joel as a man who lived a long time ago, long before Jesus was born.

Tell students that Joel was a prophet.  This means that he listened to God and was chosen by God to tell other people what God wanted them to know.

When Joel was living, people didn’t always do what God wanted them to do, so Joel had to remind them.  Joel said there would come a time when God would send His Holy Spirit to everybody, not just a few people.  This would happen after Joel died, and after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead.

Also emphasize that God had promised His people that He would send them this Holy Spirit.  God kept His promise!  It happened on Pentecost.  (You might need to have children talk about keeping promises.  Children remember what adults have promised them.  And woe to the adult who breaks his promise!)

Begin talking about what happened on Pentecost.

Set the scene by reminding students that after Jesus rose from the dead, He stayed on earth for 40 days.  Then Jesus was getting ready to go to heaven.  Our Church says Jesus ascended into heaven.  But before He ascended to heaven, Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit.  And God kept His promise!

Tell the story about Pentecost.  (You might gather your students around you in comfortable seating on the floor.)

Peter and the other disciples were sitting together when suddenly there was the sound of a big, noisy wind.  Then there were tongues of fire over each of the disciples!  And all the people could understand one another, even if they were from different countries and spoke different languages.  Peter was amazed, but the other people were even more amazed and they thought people had too much to drink.  Peter told them, no, it wasn’t that at all.  It was the middle of the day.   Peter remembered that there was a man named Joel who had spoken about how God would send the Holy Spirit.  Peter told the people about Joel.  Peter told them, “What Joel the Prophet said a long time ago has come true.”

God remembered His promise to His people.  God sent His Holy Spirit to them so they wouldn’t be lonely.  Now we have the Holy Spirit in our Church, too.

Say to your students (and perhaps one or two students will provide examples):

• The Holy Spirit helps people do all kinds of things that will make God happy. 
• The Holy Spirit helps people to know about Jesus Christ.
• The Holy Spirit wants us to become Christians.

Find out whether any student has seen a baptism.  Very briefly explain that the baby is put in water three times “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Then you might explain that after being baptized, we are anointed with a special oil.  (You might need to explain that the priest uses a brush filled with oil and puts it on the baby’s forehead and hands and other parts of the body.)  That means that we can become part of the Orthodox Church and receive Holy Communion.  If we didn’t have the Holy Spirit, we couldn’t do any of that.

ACTIVITY:

Your students can act out what happened at Pentecost.  (If your church school is few in number, you might do this activity with the older children, as well.)

Arrange some students, ideally 12 of them, sitting in a line to represent the disciples. 

Have as many others stand behind the “disciples.”  These students will hold “red tongues of fire” and be ready to place them over the heads of the “disciples” at the appointed time. Make a point of saying that there were twelve disciples at that first Pentecost (especially if you have fewer than twelve children in line).

Tell everyone else that you need their help. Ask everyone to make a sound like “shhhhhhhhhh.”   Keep the sound going as you signal the children with the “tongues of fire” to place them over the heads of the “disciples.”  Keep this “shhhhh” sound going for a minute or so.  Ask the students to tell you what they have just done.  Help them to verbalize that they have pretended to be the disciples on the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit like the sound “of a rushing mighty wind” came upon the disciples and ”filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2.

Tell students that you will read to them now from the Bible where we hear about what happened at Pentecost.  Acts 2:1-4

(For older students, you might also say that this happened 50 days after Easter and that Pentecost comes from a word meaning fifty.)

Then ask students to tell in their own words what happened when The Holy Spirit came down on the disciples.  Afterward, emphasize that we remember what happened and celebrate it in Church on Pentecost.  You might explain some of your parish’s local customs in celebrating this Feast, e.g., using green-colored vestments; strewing bundles of greenery around the church or the church floor, etc.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY:

Depending on the number of students in your preschool class, you might want each student to color a picture of the “tongue of fire” that appeared and “sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:3). Provide them with the prepared sheets, red crayons, and scissors.

You might also use the tongues that they have colored as the props for the dramatization activity of what happened on Pentecost, as described above.

If your parish has scheduled for your students to begin work on their entries for the Creative Arts Festival, provide a stretching activity, bathroom break, etc. before beginning the work.

CLOSING:

Gather students around the icon corner to make the sign of the Cross.  You might want to speak louder when you come to “and of the Holy Spirit,” in order to emphasize to students that we call upon the Holy Spirit each time we make the Sign of the Cross—the same Spirit that came to us on Pentecost.

ADDITIONAL FILES:

• "Tongues of Fire" Handout - Suitable for printing one copy for each student to color and cut out.
• "Tongues of Fire" Pack - Collection of various printing options: single design sheets, pre-colored designs, and multiple designs per page to conserve paper.

Grades 1-3

2006 Creative Festivals Lesson Plan:
Grades 1-3

THEME:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”  JOEL 2:28

GOALS:

1. To prepare students for participation in the Creative Arts Festival.
2. To help students understand the theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography.
3. To learn more about the Holy Spirit, not just to hear His Name.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To identify Joel as a prophet who lived a long time ago.
2. To understand that a prophet speaks what God wants him to say.
3. To learn that the Holy Spirit was given to all God’s people on Pentecost.
4. To know that we celebrate what happened at Pentecost on the Feast Day of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church.

TIME:            45 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Icon of Christ
• Candle or votive for icon corner
• Icon of Pentecost
• 1 large “tongue of fire” for each child to color and use in the Activity
• Crayons and scissors for each child (or you may cut out 12 “tongues of fire” in advance and simply have the children color them)

FOR THE CATECHIST:

This theme is about the Holy Spirit.

The sentence used for this year’s theme comes from the Book of Joel in the Old Testament.  The Prophecy of Joel is read at Vespers on the Feast of Pentecost in the Orthodox Church. Joel 2:23-32.

The Apostle Peter refers to Joel’s prophecy when he speaks to the crowds on that first day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is given to “all flesh.”  Acts 2:16-18.

The Epistle reading for Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Pentecost is Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11.

Joel’s prophecy is rich in imagery and meaning about the Promise of the Father who will send His Spirit, not just to the few elect of Old Testament patriarchs, prophets, and judges, but for ALL of God’s people. 

For this age group, however, you will want to focus on the event of that first Pentecost.  This may or may not be new information to your students.  The Holy Spirit may be hard for many to understand, but give your students the words used by the Church.  In time, as your students mature in their Faith, they will mature in understanding of the Spirit.

You can help your youngsters understand the importance of Joel’s prophecy by talking about keeping promises.  Joel tells us that God will send His Spirit to all people, not just a few.  In Acts 4-6, we read how Jesus commanded the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the “Promise of the Father.”  This Promise is the coming of the Holy Spirit.

If your church school is few in number, you may want to combine preschoolers-grades three for the activity where they dramatize what happened at Pentecost.

Although many people like to tell children that Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, discourage children from drawing birthday cakes as their entries for the Creative Arts Festival.

In all that you do with your students, try to impart something of the wonder, the vision, the glory of what can be experienced in the Church—because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Without the Holy Spirit, none of that is possible!

SUGGESTED READINGS:

• Acts Chapters 1 and 2
• Orthodox Study Bible, “Chrismation,” p. 274.  See also notes for Acts 1-2. 
• Gospel of John 7:37-52; 8:12.  See notes in Orthodox Study Bible, p. 232; p. 234.
• “O Heavenly King”

THE LESSON PLAN

OPENING:

Have students stand before the icon and make the Sign of the Cross.  Say (or sing) “O Heavenly King.”  Remind students that we have said a prayer to the Holy Spirit and that in our Orthodox Church we say this prayer before lessons, meetings, and at the beginning of our private prayers.  You might use the term Trisagion prayers and tell which prayers they are.  When bishops gather for some important meeting, they will say this prayer at the beginning of their meeting.  Before each Divine Liturgy, the priest stands in front of the altar and says this prayer to the Holy Spirit.

INTRODUCTION:

Refer to the Sign of the Cross, which the children have just made. Mention that you will be talking about the Holy Spirit.  Tell students that this year’s theme for the Creative Arts Festival is about the Holy Spirit. 

You might say, “We are going to find out how the Holy Spirit came to the disciples on Pentecost.  We’re also going to hear about a man named Joel who lived a long time ago and knew that Jesus would send us the Holy Spirit. Today, we will learn what this means.  We also will talk about how the Holy Spirit is given to each of us after we are baptized.”

CONTENT:

1.  Talk about Joel as a man who lived a long time ago, long before Jesus was born.

Tell students that Joel was a prophet.  Use prepared placards with the words prophet, prophesy, and prophecy and their respective definitions.

A prophet listens to God and is chosen by God to tell other people what God wants them to know.  The prophet prophesies.  (Notice the S spelling in the verb form of the word.) 

When Joel was living, people didn’t always do what God wanted them to do, so Joel had to remind them to love God.  Joel said there would come a time when God would send His Holy Spirit to everybody, not just to the patriarchs, prophets, and judges of the Old Testament. This would happen after Joel died, and after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead.  The words in the theme come from this part of Joel’s prophecy.

2.  Talk about the Promise of the Father. See Acts 1:4. 

Talk with students about keeping promises.  Ask for examples of someone promising something; of breaking a promise.  (Children remember what adults have promised them.  And woe to the adult who breaks his promise!)

You will want to emphasize that God had promised His people that He would send them the Holy Spirit.  God kept His promise!  It happened on Pentecost.  

3.  Review briefly what happened on the first Pentecost.

Set the scene by reminding students that after Jesus rose from the dead, He stayed on earth for 40 days.  Then Jesus was getting ready to go to heaven.  Our Church says Jesus ascended into heaven.  But before He ascended to heaven, Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit.  And God kept His promise!

Tell the story about Pentecost, since most students will be unable to read.  Unless you have an easy rendering in a children’s Bible, you might use the story as simplified below.  (You might gather your students around you in comfortable seating on the floor.)

Peter and the other disciples were sitting together in the Upper Room.  That was the same place where they had met with Jesus for the Last Supper.  Suddenly there was the sound of a rushing, noisy, and very strong wind.  Tongues of fire came over each of the disciples!  And all the people could understand one another, even if they were from different countries and spoke different languages.  Peter was amazed, but the other people were even more amazed and they thought people had too much to drink.  Peter told them, no, it wasn’t that at all, since it was the middle of the day.  

Peter remembered that there was a man named Joel who had made a prophecy about how God would send the Holy Spirit to His people.  Peter told the people about Joel.  Peter told them, “What Joel the Prophet said a long time ago has come true.”

God remembered His promise to His people.  God sent His Holy Spirit to them so they wouldn’t be lonely.  The Holy Spirit would comfort them and make them able to know the Truth about Jesus and about God.  Now we have the Holy Spirit in our Church, too.  When we make the Sign of the Cross, we say, “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Help children access their imaginations by describing in sensory terms what it must have been like to experience the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  For example,

• Soaked up by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit – Joel’s term “pour out.”
• Feeling you might be swept away by a rushing, mighty strong wind.
• Feeling and knowing something powerful was coming upon you.
• Knowing that no one was hurt by any of this, and everyone could understand one another.

4.  Give information that tells what the Holy Spirit can do for us.

Say to your students (and perhaps one or two students will provide examples):

• The Holy Spirit helps people to know about Jesus Christ.
• The Holy Spirit helps us to become Christians.
• The Holy Spirit helps us do good things that will make God happy.

(Note:  The Apostle John uses the word “Helper” to describe the Holy Spirit and what He can do for us.  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things….” See John 14:26.)

5.  Give information about the Sacrament of Chrismation, our “personal” Pentecost.

Ask whether any student has seen a baptism.  Very briefly explain that the baby is put in water three times “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  Then you might explain that after being baptized, the baby is anointed with special oil, called Holy Chrism.  Tell students that this is called Chrismation.  Also say that this is another sacrament in our Orthodox Church.

You might need to explain that the priest anoints different parts of the body with the Holy Chrism.  (If students don’t know what it means to be anointed, remind them of when they kiss the cross on a feast day and the priest anoints them with oil on their foreheads.  This is plain olive oil, however.  Holy Chrism is used only  for Chrismation.)

You might want to explain that the Holy Chrism isn’t poured or rubbed on the baby; instead, the priest uses either his fingers or a brush filled with Holy Chrism.

You will want to stress what the priest says as he anoints the baby:  The priest traces the Sign of the Cross with the Holy Chrism on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, both ears, chest (breast), hands, and feet, each time saying, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Ask students to repeat this phrase. 

Make a point of talking about what it means to receive a gift and what it means for something to be sealed  (kept safe and secure forever).  We receive the Holy Spirit as a gift from God.  The gift is sealed in us, safe and secure.  (You might also use the image of a stamp or embossed seal that is placed on something important.)

After Chrismation, the baby is a member of the Orthodox Church and can receive Holy Communion, even as an infant.  If we didn’t have the Holy Spirit, we couldn’t do any of that.

You could also explain that just like the Holy Spirit came down upon each of the apostles at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes down upon the baby at Chrismation.

ACTIVITY:

Organize your students around a work space for coloring.  Distribute to each a sheet with a large “tongue of fire.”  Give each child crayons and scissors.  Have children cut out and color the “tongue of fire.” (Or have children color “tongues of fire” that have already been cut out.) Tell students that you will use the tongues of fire in something coming up next.  Allow time for clean-up.

Your students can act out what happened at Pentecost.  (If your church school is few in number, you might do this activity with the preschool/kindergarten group or with older children as well.)

Arrange some students, ideally 12 of them, sitting in a line to represent the disciples in the Upper Room.  Have as many others stand behind the “disciples.”  These students will hold the “red tongues of fire” they just made and be ready to place them over the heads of the “disciples” at the appointed time. Make a point of saying that there were twelve disciples at that first Pentecost (especially if you have fewer than twelve children in line).

Tell everyone else that you need their help. Ask everyone to make a sound like “shhhhhhhhhh.”   Keep the sound going louder and louder as you signal the children with the “tongues of fire” to place them over the heads of the “disciples.”  Keep this “shhhhh” sound going for a minute or so.  Ask the students to tell you what they have just done.  Help them to verbalize that they have pretended to be the disciples on the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit, like the sound “of a rushing mighty wind,” came upon the disciples and ”filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2.

Tell students that you will read to them now from the Bible where we hear about what happened at Pentecost.  Acts 2:1-4.  Remind students that the Prophet Joel spoke about this hundreds of years before Christ was even born on earth.  Remind them that Joel was a prophet.

You might also say that the Holy Spirit was sent 50 days after Christ’s Resurrection and that Pentecost comes from a word meaning fifty.

Then ask students to tell in their own words what happened when The Holy Spirit came down on the disciples.  Remind them that we celebrate this in Church on Pentecost.  For older students, tell them the Church calls this feast “Descent of the Holy Spirit.”  Remind students that when we receive Chrismation, the Holy Spirit is given to us, just as it was given to the disciples on the first Pentecost.

You might explain some of your parish’s local customs in celebrating this Feast, e.g., using green-colored vestments; strewing bundles of greenery around the church or on the church floor.

If students are scheduled to begin work immediately on their entries for the Creative Arts Festival, provide a stretching activity and bathroom break before beginning the work.

CLOSING:

Gather students around the icon corner to make the sign of the Cross.  You might want to speak louder when you come to “and of the Holy Spirit,” in order to emphasize to students that we call upon the Holy Spirit each time we make the Sign of the Cross—the same Spirit that came to us on Pentecost.  You will want to explain that in Orthodox worship, we always call upon the Holy Spirit at the beginning of an activity, not at the end.

ADDITIONAL FILES:

• "Tongues of Fire" Handout - Suitable for printing one copy for each student to color and cut out.
• "Tongues of Fire" Pack - Collection of various printing options: single design sheets, pre-colored designs, and multiple designs per page to conserve paper.

Grades 4-5

2006 Creative Festivals Lesson Plan:
Grades 4, 5

THEME:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”  JOEL 2:28

GOALS:

1. To prepare students for participation in the Creative Arts Festival.
2. To help students understand its theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography.
3. To encourage students to become more aware of and participate in the Holy Mysteries (sacraments) of the Orthodox Church.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To identify Joel as an Old Testament prophet and to locate his book in the Bible.
2. To learn the meaning of the words prophet, prophecy (noun) and to prophesy (verb).
3. To know what happened at Pentecost in the Early Church.
4. To learn that the Holy Spirit is given at Pentecost to all God’s people, not just the elect of the Old Testament.
5.  To hear that Jesus Christ comes to fulfill the “law and the prophets.”
6. To learn the terms Chrismation and “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
7. To begin to understand that by the Power of the Holy Spirit we are given “power” to live a new life in Christ.
8. To have students consider what the Holy Spirit means for his or her personal life

TIME:            45 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Icon of Christ
• Candle or votive for your Icon Corner
• Icon of Pentecost
• Text of prayer “O Heavenly King” and text of Troparion for Pentecost
• Bible   (Old Testament and New Testament)
• Placards showing the words prophet, prophecy (noun), prophesy (verb) and definition
• Orthodox Study Bible as room reference
• Large sheets of newsprint to be used either with an easel or to be taped on wall
• Masking tape
• Different color heavy markers

For Students:

• Text of theme with instructions regarding rules and deadlines
• Individual Bibles
• Web worksheet
• Pencils or markers

Optional Materials:

• Icon of the Holy Trinity

FOR THE CATECHIST:

This theme is about the Holy Spirit. 

The prophet Joel foretells the wonderful potential available to humankind by the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets through Jesus Christ and the sending of His Spirit, The Comforter, The Spirit of Truth.

The sentence used for this year’s theme comes from the Book of Joel in the Old Testament. The Prophecy of Joel is one of three Old Testament readings heard at Vespers of Pentecost (Joel 2:23-32).  We can read this reference to Joel again in the Acts of the Apostles 2:16-21.

Read Acts Chapters 1-2 in their entirety, as this will help give you a sense of the sequence of what happened at Pentecost and also how the Apostle Peter refers to Joel’s prophecy and expands on it.  You will need to know about the Promise of the Father and the importance of everyone at Pentecost being able to understand one another’s language. Note Peter’s reference to the Prophecy of Joel in Acts 2:16-17.

As you present concrete facts to your students, speak with the conviction expressed by the Prophet Joel that indeed with the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world, we have all been given the potential by God to transform this world, our very lives, to be all that God desired when He created the world and its people and said, “it is good.” 

Christ did all He said He would.  Christ preached the Kingdom of Heaven.  He was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again.  He said He would send His Spirit, and so He did.  We are not left alone.  As Luke writes in the Acts of the Apostles, Christ commanded His disciples not to depart from Jerusalem

“…but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  Acts 1:4-5

Depending on how much your students already know, you’ll need to review what happened on Pentecost, emphasizing that God’s Holy Spirit is given to all God’s people, not just a few chosen ones as happened in Old Testament times.  This is the crux of Joel’s prophecy:  Now sons and daughters of future generations are given the potential to become blessed and holy; the young and the old can share in the vision of the Eighth Day, the parousia, the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Because Pentecost refers to the sending—and receiving—of the Holy Spirit, you might talk about the sacrament of Chrismation when we receive the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, you could mention the Sacrament of Baptism, but here is an opportunity to provide specific information about Chrismation, which is less well known among the faithful.  We sometimes forget about the importance of Chrismation because it follows right after Baptism, and the faithful tend to lump together these separate sacraments and call them simply Baptism.  More correct, would be to use the word mystery when talking about the grace given by the Holy Spirit, rather than sacrament. Your students are most likely more familiar with the term sacrament, however.

In Chrismation, the priest anoints the newly-baptized with Holy Chrism, the visible sign of the “mystery.”  Each time the priest anoints certain parts of the body, he says, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  As your students hear this phrase over and over, they might begin to realize that the Holy Spirit is a gift and that we are sealed with this gift.

In your discussion with your students, you might consider that the gift of the Holy Spirit begs a response.  What do we do with this gift given in Chrismation?

Most students in Grades Four and Five are familiar with the technique of webbing, which takes a central idea and asks the student to come up with words or phrases that connect to that central idea.  You can refer to the sample WEB which is provided with this guide.  You will note that the central idea seen in the center of the web is The Holy Spirit.  As you prepare your lesson, do your own webbing to stretch your thinking (and understanding) of what the Holy Spirit means for you personally, for others, for the Orthodox Church.

SUGGESTED READINGS:

• Acts Chapters 1 and 2
• Orthodox Study Bible, “Chrismation,” p. 274.  See also notes for Acts 1-2. 
• Gospel of John 7:37-52; 8:12.  See notes in Orthodox Study Bible, p. 232; p. 234.
• “O Heavenly King”

THE LESSON PLAN

OPENING:

Say or sing “O Heavenly King.”.

INTRODUCTION:

Refer to the prayer, “O Heavenly King” which we say before any meeting or gathering of Orthodox Christians.  The priest says the prayer at the altar before starting Divine Liturgy. 

Find out what students know about this “Heavenly King.”  Help them to know that this prayer is said to the Holy Spirit.  Emphasize the descriptive phrase “Spirit of Truth Who is in all places and fills all things. 

When you discuss the theme, you’ll be talking about how the Spirit pours himself on all flesh, as stated by the Prophet Joel.  This aspect of “all flesh” is important, because as promised by the Father, the Holy Spirit is sent to all God’s people, not just the patriarchs, prophets, and some judges of the Old Testament. (See Acts 1:4.) Christ came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. 

Tell your students that this year’s theme is about the Holy Spirit.

CONTENT:

1.  Introduce the text of the theme, read it aloud for your students/or have them follow along with a printed text. Ask if anyone knows who Joel is.

2.  Discuss that the Joel is a prophet who wrote a Book of the Old Testament.  Have students locate the Book of Joel. Ask student(s) to locate the sentence being used as the theme.  Joel 2:28. 

3.  Help students become familiar with the terms prophet, prophecy, and to prophesy.

Note that the word prophecy (noun) is spelled with the letter C.  The word prophesy (verb) has the letter S  and is pronounced “pro-feh SIE.”  You might use prepared placards that show these words with their definitions.

The prophet tells what will happen, whether good or bad, to God’s people.  The prophet prophesies.  Emphasize that the prophet is not a fortune teller but one who is inspired by God to reveal God’s truth and plans for his chosen people.

The prophecy is the message told by the prophet.  The message reveals good things or bad things that will happen to God’s people, but the message always comes from God. 

4.  Discuss the connection between Joel’s prophecy and Pentecost.

Explain that we hear Joel’s prophecy when we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Joel’s Prophecy from the Old Testament is read at Vespers. (Joel 2:23-32.)

Remind students that Pentecost occurs 50 days after Easter.  Remind them that “pente” means fifty, and that this is where we get the name Pentecost for the feast day.  The Orthodox Church calls this feast “The Descent of Holy Spirit.”  Perhaps a student will explain why the Church uses “Descent.”  (The Spirit comes down to us and rests on the apostles.)

Display an icon of the Feast of Pentecost and have students note the tongues of fire over the apostles and explain that this was a manifestation (showing) of the Holy Spirit over these men.  Emphasize that the people could understand one another’s languages when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles.  (There were 12, since Matthias had already been chosen to replace Judas.)

Ask a good reader to read aloud the event of Pentecost from Acts 2:1-4, which describes the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles gathered in the Upper Room.  Also read Acts 2:14. Have students repeat back what happened:  the rushing mighty wind, the tongues of fire, everyone being able to understand one another, but not drunk with wine.

Ask someone in your group to read aloud from Acts 2:16-17.  Students will realize that this is the same text as spoken by Joel.  This happening at Pentecost is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy concerning the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to the disciples, and He did so—on Pentecost.  You might also point out that the disciple Peter speaks for the group of disciples—“Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said…”  (Acts 2:14). 

Explain to students that without the Holy Spirit, we wouldn’t have the Church.  (Some people like to think of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church.  Try to discourage artwork showing birthday cakes for Pentecost!) 

5.  Discuss the Promise of the Father and fulfillment through the Holy Spirit.

Ask students to read Acts 1:4 where Christ tells the apostles to wait for the Promise of the Father. 

Help students understand that Joel prophesies that some day in the future God’s Spirit will be poured out on all God’s people, not just certain people as it was in Old Testament times.  In the Old Testament, the Spirit was given to only a few people: patriarchs, the prophets (such as Joel), and some judges.  Biblical commentary says that Joel meant the Spirit would be poured out on all the Jews, not just to the elect among the Jews.  When Peter refers to Joel’s prophecy on Pentecost, he realizes that now the Spirit is poured out not only on the Jews, but on all flesh—on all generations to come who will have been baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit in Chrismation and will have become members of the Church.  The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, will now go out into all the world to spread the Gospel in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  With the grace of the Holy Spirit, all future generations, old and young can prophesy, dream dreams and see visions.   

You might also refer students to the Troparion for Pentecost:  “By sending down upon them the Holy Spirit; thou didst draw the world into Thy net.”  Remind students that the apostles were fishers by trade; here they are called “fishermen as most wise.”  Just like fishers draw fish into their net, the apostle by preaching to the world, will draw all the people into the life of the Church.

6.  Discuss the Mystery of Chrismation at which the baptized Orthodox Christian receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Briefly explain that when we are baptized, we become Christians. For Orthodox Christians there is an additional Mystery called Chrismation that is given to the newly baptized, usually right after baptism in the same service. 

In Chrismation the person is anointed with Holy Chrism on different parts of his or her body.  You might explain that this Holy Chrism is made from olive oil and special spices and is used only for Chrismation.  Only the bishop can prepare Holy Chrism.

Tell students that in Chrismation, each person is given the Holy Spirit.  It is as though each person experiences his or her own personal “pentecost.”   The person now has the possibility—the potential—to live a life with Christ in the Church.  Chrismation is the gift of the Holy Spirit for each one personally. 

Emphasize the phrase “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  The person is anointed with Holy Chrism on certain parts of the body.  The priest traces the Sign of the Cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, both ears, the breast, the hands and feet, each time saying, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Liken this anointing to the way a tongue of fire came down upon each one of the apostles at Pentecost:  “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.”  Acts 2:3   

Spend a few minutes talking about how the gift of the Holy Spirit is special to your students.  Answers will vary, of course, but encourage understanding of the wonderful grace we receive personally by our having been chrismated and as participants in the mysteries (sacraments) of the Church:  Baptism, Chrismation, confession, Holy Communion, Healing.  And in the future, perhaps marriage and ordination.

7.  Discuss ways we know the Holy Spirit is present in the Church and in our lives. 

Use a blackboard or large sheet of paper on an easel or wall to record answers.  Use a web format as model for the students’ activity to follow.  Possible responses include

• As Mysteries (sacraments) 
• When a baby is baptized/chrismated
• When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River  (Matthew 3:16)
• When God created the world   Genesis  1:2
• When God breathed life into man Genesis  2:7
• When the Holy Spirit came down on Pentecost Acts 2:1-4
• The beginning of the Church   Acts 2:1-4
• When we pray “O Heavenly King”
• Any time we pray
• Any time we pray to the Holy Trinity:  God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit
• Any time we make the Sign of the Cross
• When anything grows, plants, animals, humans  
• “Everywhere present and fillest all things”
• When we behave in ways pleasing to God
• When we receive Holy Communion  (We have seen the True Light; we have received the Heavenly Spirit….”)

ACTIVITY:

Webbing:

Organize students around a work space and tell them they will now make their own webs.  This will give them a chance to write down or draw what they now know about the Holy Spirit.  This can help them get started on ideas for what they will produce for the Creative Arts Festival. 

Using the web worksheet included in this lesson plan, students can create their own webs of associations of the Holy Spirit from their personal and liturgical experiences, as well as acquaintance with references from Scripture.  You might provide citations for some references.

After students have completed the webs, ask them to select one or two words or phrases that seem particularly meaningful to them.  You might say,

“You have written down many different phrases about the Holy Spirit. 
Choose one phrase or idea you think you would like to work with.
See if you can come up with an idea to draw or portray in art.
If you want to write a poem or an essay, jot down ideas about what you will say.
If you want to enter a photograph, talk with me now about how you should submit your photo.”     

Provide the materials and timeframe within which students will work.

NOTE:  If your church school is few in number, you might include Grades 4 and 5 in the activity for PreK-Kindergarten and Grades 1-3 where the children act out what happened at Pentecost.  Coordinate with the other church school teachers in your parish.  This can be done in addition to the webbing activity in class.

CLOSING:

Gather students around the icon corner for a prayer customary for your parish.  Many parishes sing “It Is Truly Meet” at the close of a gathering.

You might inform students that you would not normally sing a hymn to the Holy Spirit at the end of a session, since we ask for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit before we begin a task or worship service.

ADDITIONAL FILES:

• "Webbing Activity" - Suitable for printing one copy for each student.
• "O Heavenly King" and "Troparion for Pentecost" - Suitable for printing.

Grades 6-12

2006 Creative Festivals Lesson Plan:
Grades 6-12

THEME:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”  JOEL 2:28

GOALS:

1. To prepare students for participation in the Creative Arts Festival.
2. To help students understand its theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography.
3. To encourage teens to become more aware of and to participate in the Holy Mysteries (sacraments) of the Orthodox Church.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To identify Joel as an Old Testament prophet and to locate his book in the Bible.
2. To review what happened at Pentecost in the Early Church.
3. To learn that the Holy Spirit is given at Pentecost to all people, not just to the elect of the Old Testament.
4. To learn that Jesus Christ comes to fulfill the “law and the prophets.”
5. To review the meanings of Chrismation and “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
6. To begin to understand that by the Power of the Holy Spirit we are given “power” to live a new life in Christ.  
7. To consider what “the gift of the Holy Spirit” means for one’s personal life.
8. To discuss what the Holy Spirit does “to make all things new.”

TIME:            45 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Icon of Christ
• Icon of the Feast of Pentecost
• Candle or votive for your Icon Corner
• Text of prayer “O Heavenly King” and Troparion for Pentecost
• Bible   (Old Testament and New Testament)
• Orthodox Study Bible as reference
• Large sheets of newsprint to be used either with an easel or to be taped on wall
• Masking tape
• Different colored heavy markers

For Students:

• Take-home sheet announcing the theme from Joel
• Desk-size sheets of writing paper and manila paper or newsprint
• Pencils and markers
• Individual Bibles
• Sheets with quotations from Scripture

Optional Materials:

• Icon of the Holy Trinity
• Placards showing the words prophet, prophecy (noun), prophesy (verb) and definitions

FOR THE CATECHIST:

This theme is about the Holy Spirit. 

The prophet Joel foretells the wonderful potential available to humankind by the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets through Jesus Christ and the sending of His Spirit, The Comforter, The Spirit of Truth.

The sentence used for this year’s theme comes from the Book of Joel in the Old Testament.  The Prophecy of Joel is one of the Old Testament readings during Vespers of Pentecost.  We hear from Joel 2:23-32.

• We hear this reference to Joel again in Acts 2:16-18.
• The Gospel reading for Matins of Pentecost is John 20:19-23.
• The Epistle reading for the Feast of Pentecost is Acts 2:1-11.
• The Gospel reading for Pentecost is John 7:37-52; 8:12.          

Themes to present include

• Promise of the Father
• Review of what happened at Pentecost
• Restoration of unity:  Tower of Babel versus tongues of fire at Pentecost
• The Spirit given to all flesh, not just to the elect
• The Holy Spirit given to each baptized  person in Chrismation
• The Holy Spirit given to the Church and, therefore, to the entire world.

Depending on what your students already know, you may present instruction about all the themes as an overview or focus on parts of what is suggested in Content.

It will be helpful to read Acts of the Apostles, chapters 1 and 2, so rich in their telling about the Coming of the Holy Spirit—and the reference to the Prophecy of Joel.

As you present concrete facts to your students, speak with the conviction expressed by the Prophet Joel that indeed with the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world, we all have the potential given by God to transform this world, our very lives, to be all that God desired when He created the world and its people and said, “it is good.” 

However, it is important to keep in mind that we proclaim the Holy Trinity.  The Holy Spirit does not exist in isolation.  God sent His Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the world.  Christ is resurrected and ascended to His Father.  Then the Spirit is sent into the world.

“…He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  John 7:37-39.

Christ did all He said He would.  Christ preached the Kingdom of Heaven.  He was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again.  He said He would send His Spirit, and so He did.  We are not left alone.  As Luke writes, Christ commanded His disciples not to depart from Jerusalem

“…but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, you have heard from Me;” for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now...”  Acts 1:4-5

And the Spirit came on Pentecost, the same Spirit prophesied by the Prophet Joel.

You’ll need to review what happened on Pentecost, emphasizing that God’s Holy Spirit is given to all God’s people, not just a few chosen ones as happened in Old Testament times.  This is the crux of Joel’s prophecy:  Now sons and daughters of future generations are given the potential to become blessed and holy; the young and the old can share in the vision of the Eighth Day, the parousia, the Kingdom of Heaven. 

The Old Testament preached “the law and the prophets.”  The New Testament—Christ—preaches fulfillment with the coming of the Spirit.  “Behold I make all things new.” 

The prophet Joel foretold that God’s Spirit would be poured out onto all flesh (scholars say flesh here means to all Jews, not just to a few chosen elect among the Jews).  Peter, when he quotes the prophet Joel at Pentecost, means all people, not just the Jews!  Perhaps you could impart to your students something about this vision of new times, the new life in Christ.  With the coming of the Holy Spirit to all people in the Church, the world enjoys the potential for so much good.  What visions and dreams can our young sons and daughters foresee for the future of God’s Kingdom on earth?

Because Pentecost refers to the sending—and receiving—of the Holy Spirit, you might talk about the sacrament of Chrismation when we receive the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Yes, you could mention the Sacrament of Baptism, but here is an opportunity to provide specific information about Chrismation, which is less well known among the faithful.  We sometimes forget about the importance of Chrismation because it follows right after Baptism and the faithful tend to lump together these separate sacraments and call them simply Baptism.  More correct, would be to use the word mystery when talking about the grace given by the Holy Spirit, rather than sacrament. Your students are probably more  familiar with the term sacrament, however.  Hopefully, your students already know something about Chrismation so that you do not have to spend too much time reviewing information about this personal “Pentecost.”

You might need to explain that chrism is used to anoint the person during Chrismation.  Chrism, the visible sign of the “mystery,” is prepared only by a bishop from olive oil mixed with certain spices. Each time the priest anoints a part of the body, he says, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  As your students hear this phrase over and over, they might begin to realize that the Holy Spirit is a gift and that we are sealed with this gift.

In your discussion with your students, you might consider that the gift of the Holy Spirit begs a response.  What do we do with this gift given in Chrismation?

For this age group, you can also analyze the meaning of key words in the text of Joel’s prophecy.  Suggestions for doing this are given in the Content of the lesson.

As you prepare your lesson, consider what the Holy Spirit means for you personally, for others, for the Orthodox Church.

SUGGESTED READINGS:

• Acts Chapters 1 and 2
• Orthodox Study Bible, “Chrismation,” p. 274.  See also notes for Acts 1-2. 
• Gospel of John 7:37-52; 8:12.  See notes in Orthodox Study Bible, p. 232; p. 234.
• “O Heavenly King”

THE LESSON PLAN

OPENING:

Say or sing “O Heavenly King.”

INTRODUCTION:

Refer to the prayer, “O Heavenly King” which we say before any meeting or gathering of Orthodox Christians.  The priest says the prayer at the altar before starting Divine Liturgy. 

Find out what students know about this “Heavenly King.”  Be certain that all understand that this prayer is said to the Holy Spirit.  Emphasize the descriptive phrase “Spirit of Truth Who is in all places and fills all things. 

(When you discuss the theme, you’ll be talking about how the Spirit pours itself on all flesh, as stated by the Prophet Joel.  This aspect of “all flesh” is important, because as promised by the Father (Acts 1:4), the Holy Spirit is sent to all God’s people, not just to the patriarchs, prophets, and some judges of the Old Testament.  Christ came to make all things new.  This is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit.)

CONTENT:

1.  Tell students that this theme is about the Holy Spirit.  Ask one of your students to read the theme aloud while the others follow along with a printed text of the theme.  Ask if anyone knows who Joel is.

2.  Discuss that Joel is a prophet who wrote a Book of the Old Testament.  Have students locate the Book of Joel.  Ask student(s) to locate the sentence being used as the theme and read it aloud.  Joel 2:28.

3.  Be sure your students are familiar with the terms prophet, prophecy, and prophesy.

Note that the word prophecy (noun) is spelled with the letter C.  The word prophesy (verb) has the letter S and is pronounced “pro-fe SIE.”  You might use placards that show these words with their definitions.

The prophet foretells what will happen to God’s people. He prophesies.  Emphasize that the prophet is not a fortune teller but one who is inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth and plans for His chosen people. 

The message told by the prophet, whether good news or bad, is the prophecy.  Most prophecies refer to the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, and of His saving             mission to the world.

4.  Discuss the connection of Joel’s prophecy with Pentecost.

Explain that we hear this prophecy when we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Review that Pentecost occurs 50 days after Easter.  The Orthodox Church calls this feast “The Descent of the Holy Spirit.”  Remind them that “pente” means fifty, and that this is where we get the name Pentecost for the feast day.

Display an icon of the Feast of Pentecost and have students note the tongues of fire over the apostles and explain that this was a manifestation (showing) of the Holy Spirit over these men. 

Have students read aloud Acts 2:1-4, which describes the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. 

Next, read aloud Acts 2:16-17 in which the Apostle Peter refers to what was spoken of by the prophet Joel.  Have students note that what is written here is the same text as the theme for the Creative Arts Festival.  This happening at Pentecost is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy concerning the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to the disciples, and He did so—on Pentecost.  You might also point out that the disciple Peter speaks for the group of disciples—“Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said…”  (Acts 2:14). 

Discuss the significance of people being able to understand one another’s languages when the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples.  Contrast this with the pride of the people who built the Tower of Babel. See Genesis 11:1-9.  Elicit responses to show the contrast between prideful people who built the tower and could no longer understand one another’s language versus the tongues of fire on Pentecost in which all men could understand one another’s language!  As the Church sings at Vespers of Pentecost,

“The arrogance of those who built the tower caused the tongues to be confused, but now the tongues have been made wise through the glory of the knowledge of God.
There the impious were condemned,
Now Christ has enlightened the fishermen with His Spirit!
There the confusion of tongues was done in retribution;
Now harmony is restored for the salvation of our souls.

Aposticha, Vespers of Pentecost, Tone 8                   

5.  Discuss the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) and fulfillment through the Holy Spirit.

Joel’s message, given centuries before Christ, tells that God promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, not just to the elect of the Old Testament.  In the Old Testament, the Spirit was given to only the patriarchs, the prophets (such as Joel), and some judges.  Biblical commentary says that Joel meant the Spirit would go to all the Jews, not just to the elect among the Jews.  How more significant is Peter’s reference to Joel at Pentecost!  Now the Spirit is poured out not only to the Apostles and those other Jews standing nearby.  Now through the work of the Apostles guided by the Spirit, God’s Spirit is poured out truly on all flesh—all those generations to come who will have been baptized and anointed in Chrismation and become members of the Church.

Jesus many times told his disciples that the Spirit would come.  In Acts 1:4, have students note that Christ says to wait for the Promise of the Father

“which…you have heard from Me.”

Refer students also to John 7:37-39.  Emphasize 1) Jesus tells that the Holy Spirit will be given; 2) the Spirit will be given after Christ is glorified (ascended to His Father). 

God has promised the Spirit; Christ has told His disciples about it, and after His resurrection and ascension, allows for the Spirit to be given (poured out) not only to the disciples gathered in the Upper Room but to all people there present.

And likewise, through the Apostles, the Spirit can be given to the entire world.

You might want to point to the words of the Troparion for Pentecost where the image of apostles as fishers of men is carried through:

“...Who has made the fishermen as most wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit Thou has drawn the world into Thy net….”

The Holy Spirit has touched the disciples, now called apostles, and with that grace the apostles go out into the entire world in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  With the grace of the Holy Spirit all future generations, old and young, can be holy—and maybe they will be so filled with God’s Spirit that they might even prophesy.

You will also want to point out that Acts tells us how the disciple Peter talks about the fulfillment of that Promise.  When those people gathered at Pentecost asked what they should do, Peter mentioned three actions: 

“Then Peter said to them, “(1) Repent and let everyone of you

(2) be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;

(3) and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord Our God will call.” 

                                                Acts 2:38-39

6.  Discuss the Mystery of Chrismation in which the baptized Orthodox Christian receives the gift of the Holy Spirit.  (Tie this in with Peter’s exhortation of what people should do.).

Briefly explain that when we are baptized, we become Christians and are united in Christ. (die and rise with Christ)  (It is enough for students to hear the words the Church uses.  As they grow in spiritual understanding, they will know better what it means to be united in Christ.). 

For Orthodox Christians, there is an additional Mystery (sacrament) called Chrismation given to the newly baptized, usually right after baptism in the same service. Ask students if they recall hearing the phrase “of water and the Spirit.”  You might draw on the board or on large paper: 

• Baptism            with water
• Chrismation     with chrism–specially prepared olive oil with spices.

The person is anointed with Holy Chrism (hence, Chrismation) on various parts of the body.  The priest traces the Sign of the Cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, both ears, the breast, the hands and feet, each time saying, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  For older students, you might point out that Sign of the Cross includes all three Persons of the Holy Trinity, emphasizing that the Spirit does not work in isolation from the Father and the Son because the Trinity is “One in essence and undivided.”

Baptism and Chrismation are two separate Mysteries (sacraments), both given by the power of the Holy Spirit, each manifested by a different symbol, e.g., water, and chrism.  Some have said that Baptism and Chrismation are inseparably related in the Christian message, just as Easter and Pentecost are inseparably related.  Baptism is the personal Easter for each person in the Church; Chrismation is the personal Pentecost.

Once the person is chrismated, he or she is a member of the Orthodox Christian Church and able to receive the other mysteries—even an infant can receive the Eucharist (Holy Communion).

7.  Ask students to analyze what the phrases in Joel’s prophecy mean.  Write key phrases on a blackboard or large sheets of paper displayed on an easel or wall:

pour out                                 all flesh
dream                                      visions
sons and daughters                old men
young men.

Note the contrasts in this prophecy:

• Sons and daughters vs. old men
• Old men dreams vs. Young men visions.

What does this mean? 

We usually think of the old as seeing visions, and the young as being dreamers. Joel is telling us that amazingly, the old will now dream of the future, and the young will be wise visionaries. You might refer to Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech to bring home the idea of a “dream” which is also a conviction, and how that can change the world.

And again, in the Old Testament, only a few were chosen.

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh.

In the Old Testament, only the chosen could prophesy.

In the New Testament, all flesh (sons and daughters) can prophesy by virtue of receiving the grace of the Holy Spirit.   (You might refer to St. Seraphim of Sarov and his “acquisition of the Holy Spirit.)

8.  You might ask students to consider what the Holy Spirit means for their lives.

Possible responses include:

• The Holy Spirit helps us to know the Truth about Christ.
• The Holy Spirit offers grace to each person in the mysteries.
• We call upon the Holy Spirit when we say, “O Heavenly King….before meetings, before church, in our daily prayer.  Notice that when we start the Trisagion Prayers, we start with “O Heavenly King,” not Our Father! 
• We can pray anytime to the Holy Spirit to help us in our decision-making, or to know what to do in our lives.

ACTIVITY:

Provide each student with a study sheet of questions and various Scriptural citations that pertain to the themes of Promise and Fulfillment; to Chrismation and to other biblical references to the Holy Spirit.  Suggest that they answer the questions posed, use the citations and quotes as inspiration, and try to think of different references to the Holy Spirit in their church life and personal life. You might also ask students to work in pairs to either discuss or share answers.

Before students begin working with the study sheet, ask them to turn the sheets over and listen carefully to what you say next:

Impart to students an image of the POTENTIAL given to us by the power of the Holy Spirit.  For younger students, you might want to use the phrase, WHAT IS POSSIBLE.  You will be asking students to do their own work now.  Remind them of key words already displayed from previous discussion.  See No. 7 under Content.

CLOSING:

Gather students around the icon corner for a prayer customary for your parish.  Many parishes sing “It Is Truly Meet” at the close of a gathering.

You might inform students that you would not normally sing a hymn to the Holy Spirit at the end of a session, since we ask for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit before we begin a task or worship service.

ADDITIONAL FILES:

• "O Heavenly King" and "Troparion for Pentecost" - Suitable for printing.
• Study Guide - Suitable for printing for each student.

Preschool to Kindergarten

1. To help students understand the theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography (check your individual diocese’s rules to see if entries for this age group are accepted in all categories). 
2. To feel a special part of the parish family as a member of the Church.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To recognize Christ by His image on icons.
2. To discuss the church as not just a building but made up of the many families who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
3. To hear that they are members of the Church because they receive Holy Communion.
4. To model the concept of unity by building a “church” with blocks together through group play.
5. To experience what it would be like if all the people in the Church worked together.

• Icon of Christ
• Wooden building blocks, enough for the entire group (or blocks of other materials suitable for building)
• Drawing paper and crayons or photo of each child’s family, masking tape to attach drawings or photos to building blocks (optional items)
• Supplies for use in creating Festival entries as needed

• Each child will help.
• Each child can contribute an idea as to how it should look.
• No child shall be left out.

• What ways did you work together?
• Who were the builders? 
• Who was a really good block builder? How do you know?
• Did the rest of you do good work? Why? 
• Did everyone help? Why or why not?

• How did some of you solve a problem with making the building?
• Did everyone share the blocks? How did this help with building your church?
• Did some of you not work together? Why not? (Possible reasons for not working well include “I couldn’t get it right. We didn’t share the blocks.  He took all the blocks! She knocked down my blocks on purpose. He didn’t want to help.”)

• Was anyone unkind to you? What did you do?
• How did it feel when someone was unkind or when someone bothered you?
• Were you unkind to someone else when you were building?
• Did anyone get angry? 
• What happened when that person got angry? What happened to the building?
• What could you say to the person who was angry?

• What happened when you worked together? (We built the church.) 
• What happened (happens) when you argued or didn’t share the blocks or let each person have a turn to build or decide what to do? (Things didn’t get done, and we made everybody mad. Some of us felt bad because we didn’t have a turn and the church was spoiled, etc.)
• How did you feel when you worked together? (Ask for several responses.) 

• How did you feel when you saw the building was finished?
• Suppose Jesus was here with you as you worked on your building. How do you think Jesus wants you to behave when you are working together?
• Imagine how wonderful it would be if all the people in the Church worked together. What do you think would happen in our real church if everyone worked together? What if we didn’t work together on something? Which do you think is better? Why?

•  “When the people of the Church work together and get along, it’s what we mean by unity. Everybody shares the work and everybody works together to do something good for the Church. This is how Jesus wants us to behave in the Church.”
• What would it be like if people in the Orthodox churches all over America worked together to make the Church strong?   (Answers might be fascinating.)

• You have just built a church. This is a pretend church. We have a real church that we all go to. Who remembers why we go to church? (To pray, to receive Holy Communion, to be with Jesus)
• Why can you receive Holy Communion in the Church? (Because you belong to the church, you are a member of the Church, and Christ asks you to come to Communion.)
• Who are the people who go to Church? (All the families who believe in Jesus Christ; all the people who are baptized and belong to the Church)
• So is the church just a building? (No. People are in the church. The people make up the church.)
• Show the icon of Christ. Whom do we see on this icon? (Jesus Christ)
• Who do we say is the Head of our Church? (Jesus Christ) 
• Why does Jesus want us to come to church? (To receive Holy Communion, to be with Him because He loves us.) .
  
             

Grades 1-3

1. To help students understand the theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography.
2. To encourage student understanding of themselves as members of the Body of Christ with Christ as the Head of the Church.
3. To help mediate student growth as Orthodox Christians in an increasingly diverse world and among diverse Orthodox Christian populations and jurisdictions.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Discuss that the Church is not just a building we go to on Sundays but a group of people who are baptized Christians and who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who rose from the dead.
2. Hear that the Church is the Body of Christ and each Orthodox Christian is a member of the Body of Christ.
3. Say Christ is the Head of the Church and we are members of His Body.
4. Demonstrate themselves to be the Body of Christ with Christ as the Head.
5. Sing the Communion Hymn “Receive the Body of Christ.”
6. Draw or write three ways they can become more active members of the Body of Christ
7. Draw or write three ways they can share their Faith with others.

• Icon of Christ (Pantocrator)
• Photo or illustration of chalice and spoon used for Holy Communion (If possible, take a “field trip” to the church and have the priest or deacon show them the chalice and spoon.)
• Chalkboard and chalk or large sheets of paper and markers
• Music for Communion Hymn: “Receive the Body of Christ; Taste the Fountain of Immortality”
• Communion Prayer said by the faithful before Communion

For the students:

• Sheets of drawing paper or writing paper for each student
• Pencils for each student; crayons
• Large beach ball
• 2 bean bags or balls

• Why do these Orthodox Christians who come to church call themselves Christians?  (Because they believe in Jesus Christ)
• Who is Christ?  (Answers will vary.  Help students to proclaim Christ as the Son of God Who died on the cross and who rose from the dead.  Emphasize Christ’s Resurrection and that He died to save us from sin and gives us eternal life.)

Grades 4-5

1. To help students understand the theme well enough to express it in art, poetry, prose, or photography.

2. To encourage student understanding of themselves as members of the Body of Christ with Christ as the Head of the Church.
3. To help mediate student growth as Orthodox Christians in an increasingly diverse world and among diverse Orthodox Christian populations and jurisdictions.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To define the Church as a gathering of baptized and chrismated Christians who worship the Holy Trinity and to understand the term ecclesia used by the Early Church as meaning “gathering.”
2. To define the Body of Christ as all the baptized and chrismated members of the Church who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
3. To hear and repeat the sentence:  Christ is the Head of the Church, and we are  members of His Body.
4. To demonstrate the Body of Christ as the “whole body knit together” with a variety of jobs, talents, and skills needed to do the work of the Church.
5. To describe one talent or skill he or she can offer to the Church for working toward the unity of all Orthodox Christians on the North American continent.

TIME:            45-50 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Large Icon of Christ (Pantocrator) or of The Resurrection
• Placard or oak tag with definitions: 
  Ecclesia-A Greek word used by the early Christians to describe the Church.  It means “gathering.”
  Unity-Oneness as in spirit, aims, interests, feelings; a whole made up of a variety of parts.
  Diversity-Variety, different parts or expressions.
  Unity of faith- United in the same Faith, the same belief, the same purpose for coming together.  For us today, this means the Orthodox Church.
• Chalkboard and chalk or large sheets of paper and markers
• Copies of the Home Page of the Department of Missions and Evangelism www.antiochian.org/missions
• Bibles
• One sheet 9”x12” construction paper or drawing paper for each student
• One marker or crayon for each student.

FOR THE CATECHIST:

This year’s Festival theme contains two important phrases: Body of Christ and unity of the faith.  The intent of the theme is directed toward unity at the Archdiocesan level and at the Orthodox Church on the North American continent.  You will need to be sure that your students understand the Body of Christ with its various levels of meaning and as St. Paul uses the image in Ephesians 4.  Then you will want to direct student thinking toward the possibilities of unity of the Orthodox Faith in North America.

The portion of the lesson that deals with the Body of Christ relies heavily on what St. Paul presents in his Epistle to the Ephesians.  Depending on the abilities of your class, you can utilize as many of the references to Ephesians as you think are helpful.  If your students are well versed in knowing what the Body of Christ means, you can continue on with discussion about what it would be like to have unity among the Orthodox Churches in America—and what the student can do toward unity among the Orthodox.  Each section of the lesson is presented with a bold-faced question.

Another aspect of this lesson deals with spiritual gifts, which St. Paul calls grace.  It will be important for students to know that by virtue of their chrismation and as members of the Orthodox Church, they can already contribute their particular gifts and skills to the building up of the Church.  This is not limited to the “gifted and talented.” Each person is unique and able to offer Time, Talent, and Treasure to the Church.  During the Activity section, students may brainstorm the diverse roles and “jobs” needed for the Church to function and how people who fill these roles contribute as parts “knit and joined together” to form the whole Body of Christ.  This whole strives to attain the unity of faith—communion with the One Truth in Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Then, of course, this Truth must be proclaimed to all peoples in all nations.  So then begins the work with individual persons growing into Christ, coming together as the Body of Christ, and making the Body grow and be known to all. 

Suggested Readings:
The Orthodox Study Bible.  Ephesians, pp. 436-452, especially “The Church,” p. 445.
Sr. Magdalen: Children in the Church Today.  An Orthodox Perspective.

THE LESSON PLAN

OPENING:

Gather students around the icon corner to say “Our Father.” 

INTRODUCTION:

Announce the theme for the Creative Arts Festival and explain that it comes from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 4.  Call attention to the important phrases of Body of Christ and unity in faith.  Tell students you will talk about what St. Paul meant by “Body of Christ” and then concentrate on what unity could mean for the Orthodox Church. Ask a good reader to read the section of Chapter 4 from which the theme is derived:  Verse 7, and verses 11-16.  Explain that as you continue with the lesson you will refer to some of these verses, so the students should keep their Bibles open to Ephesians, Chapter 4.

CONTENT: 

The Church as People.  Ask students, “What do you think it means when we talk about “the Church”? What is “the Church”? Write their ideas on the chalkboard or on a large paper.  Introduce the idea, if it was not already mentioned, that the Church is a group of baptized and chrismated Christians who gather together to worship the Holy Trinity; to pray and sing to God; to receive Holy Communion, etc.  The Early Church was called the ecclesia, which translated means gathering.  (We get the word ecclesiastical from the Greek word ecclesia.  You can write these words on the chalkboard and ask students to repeat them.)

Remind students that Christ told us He would send the Holy Spirit, “the Helper” to His people.  This happened on Pentecost.  (Students should be familiar with this event, based on last year’s Festival theme.)  Tell students that people who were baptized became members of the Church.  They were first called Christians at Antioch in Syria!

Help students to articulate that we are members of the Orthodox Church because we are baptized Christians who have been chrismated in the Orthodox Church. 

The Body of Christ. Write the phrase Body of Christ on the chalkboard or on a large piece of paper.  Some students may already understand what this phrase means, even in its many layers of meaning.  Say the phrase aloud and ask students to repeat it. Explain that in the Epistle the phrase Body of Christ doesn’t mean Christ’s actual arms, legs, hands, feet, stomach, or chest.  Instead, St. Paul uses the phrase Body of Christ to talk about all the people who are baptized Christians who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the Cross and rose from the dead to save us from sin and give us eternal life.  St. Paul would say that all these people are members of the Body of Christ. 

You might also say,

            “The Body of Christ is one way to talk about the baptized people of the Church.”

You might then say,

            “The Church is the Body of Christ.”  (Students could repeat this.) Refer students to Ephesians 4:12. 

Christ is the Head of the Body.  Tell students:  We know that the Church is all the people who are the Body of Christ.  Who is the Head of the Body of Christ?  (Jesus Christ, the Son of God)

Most students should be able to answer that Christ is the Head of the Church.  You will want to emphasize the sentence the Church uses to state this truth:

            Christ is the Head of the Church and we are members of His body. 

Ask students to repeat this sentence.

Refer students to Ephesians 4:15-16.  In verse 15, emphasize the word head.  Christ is the Head!  By speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Him, Christ.

In verses 16-17 St. Paul uses the image of the body joined and knit together.  St. Paul’s image is one of a body working in unity with all its part functioning—each part doing its share--in a spirit of love.  The head and body are fully joined and working in unity.   

Look at Verse 16 and the words “from the whole body knit together.”  Notice that St. Paul uses the phrase whole body, not just part of the body.  Think of Christ as the Head of the whole body joined together with the same purpose and same belief (Faith).  What do you have?  The Body of Christ! 

How do we build up the Body of Christ?

Tell students that St. Paul gives us some ideas about how we can build up the Body of Christ (the Church). 

Direct attention to verse 7, read it aloud for students, and point out that Christ gives grace (or spiritual gifts) to each person. Christ decides what He will give to each and for what purpose.

Continue with Verse 11.  Grace (spiritual gifts) is given to some people so that they can become apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.  Verse 12 tells us the purpose for these gifts:

• equipping the saints  (Anyone can become a saint; the assumption is that everyone will try to achieve saintliness.)
• for the work of ministry (service to others)
• building up of the Body of Christ (the Church).

Tell students we sometimes hear the phrase “Unity with diversity.”  Within the One Body of Christ there is diversity of people with different gifts and expression of these gifts, talents, skills. You may need to define diversity as variety and it usually is understood nowadays as variety within a group of people. 

Direct students’ attention to the roles people in the Church could have, depending upon their gifts, talents, or skills.  Take a few minutes to pose these questions:

a)  What functions or “roles” in the church does St. Paul write about?   (Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers)

b)  Are these the only roles or jobs needed to build up the Church?  (No, there are others to keep the Church going. St. Paul listed roles that are leadership or teaching roles.

Numerous other tasks are required to do the work of the Church.) 

Students can name some, such as architects, iconographers, chanters, choir singers, those who clean, paint, repair; those who visit the sick, etc. Later, in the Activity, students will write on large paper the various categories, roles, and jobs of people in the Church.

c)  How can a young child, such as you, participate in some of these roles or jobs?   (Not as leaders such as a priest, or evangelizer (missionary) but one can talk about his or her Faith, do service projects with the help of adult leaders; use a talent such as in art, music, or even leadership skills; praying for others.) 

d)  A lot of people with different talents can do things for the Church.  What can all these people do in the Church, regardless of their skills or talents?  (They can participate in worship and receive Holy Communion. Anyone can worship; those chrismated Orthodox Christians who prepare themselves can receive Holy Communion because they are members of the Orthodox Church and in the fullness of the Faith.)

Verse 13 is important.  The word attain means “to gain through effort.” 

The phrase unity of faith means everyone is united in the same Faith, the same belief, the same purpose for coming together.  For us today, this means the Orthodox Church. 

Note the phrase of the knowledge of the Son of God.  This means we know Christ, the Son of God, because we have a relationship with Him through prayer, worship, and Holy Communion.  It’s not just by reading about Christ or discussing what we know.

St. Paul suggests that all Christians should work toward becoming perfect or holy.  Students may remember hearing Christ words:  “…as My Father is perfect in heaven” or “Be holy, for I am holy” (1Peter 1:16).  This is the Christian life.  Explain to students that even St. Paul knew this is difficult to do and wants us to support one another as we strive to the “fullness of Christ.”  (Verse 13).  That’s why he uses the word attain which means “to gain through effort.”  It’s hard work to be the kind of Christian that Christ wants us to be.

Point out to your students that St. Paul also says we don’t do this alone.  This is what he means about the whole body working together “by which every part does its share.”   He means that when each person contributes to the work of the Church, then the Body of Christ (the Church) grows closer to Christ and to a unity of faith.

What is the faith that St. Paul talks about?

Point out the “Oneness” of the faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God.

There is One God, One Body of Christ, One Church, One Truth.  St. Paul wanted to warn Christians not to get swept “to and fro” by false beliefs.  Verse 14 tells why we need to build up the Body of Christ to unity of the faith. 

a)      So all people would know the Truth, which is Jesus Christ as the Son of God;

b)      So people would not fall into believing false doctrines;

c)      So people would not be tricked into believing Christ is not who the Church says He is (or who Christ says He is).

A unity of faith means that everyone believes the same thing.  In this case, it means that all Christians believe the Truth about Christ and Who He is and what the Church is and should be.  It also has the meaning of everyone sharing in the “fullness of faith.”

Here you can remind students that The Orthodox Church believes it has the “fullness of Faith” handed down from the time of the Apostles and this is why the Church believes so strongly in preserving this Faith in Truth.  (Holy tradition)

What does this mean for unity?

Ask students to say in their own words what unity means, whether in daily life or in the context of the Church:  Refer to the definition of unity as “oneness as in spirit, aims, interests, feelings but made up of a variety of people or parts.”

Possible responses: 

A team works together; each player has a particular skill and does what he is supposed to do, and so the team wins. 

A class project has different members, each contributing his or her skill, talents, ideas, and the project becomes something good. 

A church project might be people raising money to help someone who is sick; workers for Habitat for Humanity; people raising money by going on a “Walk” for a charity. 

The Divine Liturgy has different people working together (leitourgeia) with the priest and deacon doing what their role is and the parishioners responding—and together everyone participates in the Divine Liturgy with Holy Communion.

Students should be helped to understand:

The people who live in unity of faith would have the same beliefs and the same purpose in the Church but might have different gifts to do the work of the Church.

Quote from Psalm 133 which is one of the psalms used at The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts. The Orthodox Study Bible refers to this psalm as “Blessed Unity of the People of God,” (p. 743).  The verses quoted here are from the more traditional translations

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is

When brothers dwell in unity. 

It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Running down the beard, the beard of Aaron. 

Running down on the collar of his robe….”

Psalm 132/133. 

Note the words good and pleasant  and dwell in unity.  Remind students that oil would have been costly and indeed precious in Jewish culture; often it was used for anointing.  We shouldn’t think of it as we do fuel oil or cooking oil.  Think of myrrh.  Ask students to imagine how it feels to have warm, smooth oil on their arms or someone rubbing their arms or face with oil. 

Or how else might it feel to have “brothers dwell in unity”?

Imagine what it would be like if all Orthodox people in North America came together as one Body of Christ.

Unity could mean that all jurisdictions would be joined together as one.  (Recall St. Paul’s description in Ephesians 4:16. “joined and knit together….)  Use the senses to stimulate discussion:

How would that look to you? 

Possible responses:  A lot of people as part of the “church”; A blend of cultural expression, customs, iconography, liturgical music, architecture, service organizations.

How would it sound? 

Possible responses:  A strong voice in the nation; A mix of musical styles in the services; perhaps unfamiliar music at Divine Liturgy; possibly people speaking different languages at church.

How would it taste?  Would it leave a bad taste in your mouth?  A good taste?

Possible responses:  Varied menus at church.  Everyone receives the Eucharist:  One Body of Christ expressed in Holy Communion.

How would it feel?  (Emotional responses here)

Possible responses:  Pride in making a real presence on the American scene; Pride in a common goal, in overcoming obstacles of uniting the various jurisdictions;  Security in larger number of Orthodox Christians one knows;  Discomfort with new members until one knows them better.

What do the people in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese need to do to achieve unity of faith?

As students think up answers, write them on large sheets of paper and post them.  You might ask students to consider some of the ideas listed below, if they haven’t mentioned them.  Show the Home Page of the Department of Missions of the Archdiocese and point out the quotes as well as the objectives of the Department in reaching out to America to bring America to Orthodoxy.

• The clergy and the laity need to pray to the Holy Spirit to guide them about what to do.
• The bishops need to work with other jurisdictions so that all the Orthodox Churches on the North American continent work together and share the resources they each have.
• All the Orthodox—clergy and laity—need to be the living Church through regular worship of the Holy Trinity and frequent reception of the Eucharist and other sacraments.
• Clergy and laity need to follow the Great Commission to go out to all nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:44-49). 
• All the Orthodox clergy and laity need to work in harmony toward one Orthodox Church on the North American continent.  This can be accomplished through people using their gifts for the Church in different organizations. 

What can you do as a young person to work toward unity on the North American continent?

Ask for student responses.  Offer these suggestions as ways students can contribute toward spreading the Faith or toward building up the Church on this continent.  You may want to point out that spiritual work is important:  Building themselves up in faith now so they are better equipped to do the work of the Church.  By example, they can inspire others.  Emphasize that cooperation between hierarchy and the laity is needed to achieve this effort.

• Know that without a doubt you can contribute to the Church through personal prayer, in your family, in the local parish.  You are a member of the Orthodox Church right now!
• Pray and study the Scriptures, learn about what the Orthodox Church teaches, and grow closer in your relationship to Christ.
• Worship regularly and partake of Holy Communion and other sacraments on a regular basis.
• Become involved in parish activities, camps, and the Parish-Life Conference with activities such as the Creative Arts Festival. As you get older, you can participate in the Bible Bowl and Oratorical and join Teen SOYO. When you become an adult, you can become a member of the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, Antiochian Women, Order of St. Ignatius, or participate in work of the various departments; or you might work as a young adult on projects for Orthodox Christian Missions Commission, etc.
• Give of your Time, Talent, and Treasure.  This means you will give of yourself to serve others, and you will know something about the “gifts” God has given you, whether in sports, music, arts, intellect, leadership, or being able to help people—which itself is a gift. You can help support the church by donating a portion of your allowance, or other money you might have.
• Learn something about the saints of the Church and about the history of the Orthodox Church so that when people of other faiths try to convert you, you can defend the Truth and your own beliefs.
• Work toward being friendly and open and respectful of all peoples of all races and cultures.  As you respect others, they will respect you and your beliefs.

ACTIVITY:

You can demonstrate, especially for kinesthetic learners, “unity in diversity” in the Body of Christ with Christ as its Head by asking students to name all the variety of people and workers in the Church.  Distribute one 9”x12” sheet of construction paper and a marker to each child.  One by one, have students call out a category of a member of the Church such as parent; or a role that a person has in the Church, such as priest; or a job that has to be done such as architect to build the Church, etc. That student will write his choice on the sheet of paper and take his or her place to form a circle.   See the list below:    

Laity/clergy; parents/children; grandparents; boys/girls; deacon/ priest/ bishop/ archbishop/patriarch; chanters/choir singers/choir directors; iconographers/ architects; catechists/students; gardeners; painters; cooks/bakers; cleaners; parish council members; altar servers; missionaries, etc. 

Everyone should then stand in a circle with his or her signs to represent “members” of the Church.  This is the Body of Christ.  Next, place an icon of Christ as Pantocrator or an icon of The Resurrection above the heads of the Body of Christ.  All the members of the Body of Christ worship together and work together, each part doing its share in the Church.  The Head and the Body are fully joined and function together as a whole.

Next, take a few moments for students to group themselves into what “category” they think they might fit into—what they would like to do for the Church or what talent or skill they already have to offer for the building up of the Church.  e.g.:

Someone who sings well might want to be part of the church choir or compose liturgical music.  Someone might want to teach or preach.  Someone might want to be a good parent.  Perhaps one child will say how important it is to pray. 

Ask the students how they feel being part of this “church” and about possibly doing some special job or taking on some special role for the church.  Ask students to remain seated in the circle for some final questions.

CLOSING: 

You can review with students by posing these questions:

We’ve been talking a lot about the Church.  Why do we say the church is not just a building?  (The church is made up of people who worship the Holy Trinity.)

What is the Greek word that describes the church as a gathering?  (Ecclesia, which translated means “gathering.”)

Who is Head of the Church?  (Christ—not any human being)

What is the Body of Christ?  (All the members of the Church)

Who are members of the Orthodox Church?  (All people who are chrismated in the Orthodox Church are members of the Orthodox Church.)

Finish this sentence:  The Church is the Body of ____ (Christ) and we are __________ (members) of His Body.

Describe St. Paul’s image of the Body of Christ.  (Not flesh and bones as in a human body; all the believers in Christ; the church; the whole body joined and knit together with all the parts working together in unity.  The Head and Body are fully joined and working in unity.)

We Orthodox Christians are given spiritual gifts which we can use to build up the Body of Christ.  What is another word for these spiritual gifts?  (Grace) 

Who bestows these spiritual gifts on each one of us?  (Christ Our God through the Holy Spirit)

What spiritual gift do you think you have to use toward building up the Church, the Body of Christ?  (Ask each child in turn to say what he/she can do.  Perhaps a child feels more comfortable saying what he or she would like to do for the Church).

What do we mean by the word unity?  (Oneness, as in spirit, aims, interests, or feelings;

A whole made up of a variety of parts)

What do we mean by unity of faith? ( One faith—one belief.  Everyone believes the same thing.  Everyone is in communion with one another.  The Orthodox Church believes it has the “fullness of Faith.”) 

Why is it important for us Orthodox Christians to work together for the building up of the Church?  (The Church is not just one person, but a gathering of people who worship the One True God.  Working together, everybody can get the job done—just as a team works together to attain its goal.  When  each person uses his skills and talents or does something to help the Church grow, the whole body of the Church works together efficiently and “fits together” to make up the Body of Christ with Christ as the Head.)

Who remembers what the Great Commission is?  (Jesus told His disciples to go out to all nations to baptize all the people in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.)

Why is it important for us in the Antiochian Archdiocese to work toward unity on the American continent?  (Accept individual answers.  Christ has asked us to bring all people into “the unity of faith”—so that all believe the same Truths about Jesus Christ and His Church.   When all people share in the same Holy Communion, they share in the Body of Christ in a unity of faith. We want everyone to know Christ and the Orthodox Faith!  )

Optional Questions:

Why can we say that there is unity among all Orthodox Christians who receive Holy Communion?  (All Orthodox Christians belong to the same Faith—and all who receive Holy Communion are in union with each other or else they could not receive the Eucharist.  Communion means “in union.”)

What does the word diversity mean?  (Variety; different parts or expressions).

We’ve used the phrase “unity in diversity” regarding the Church.  Tell what this means to you.  (There is One Church and One Faith, but within the Church, there are people who have different languages, customs, talents, and jobs.  Even though they are different people, they all make up the Body of Christ, receive Holy Communion, and work together toward building up the Church.)

Gather students around the icon corner.  Read from I Corinthians 12:12-14: 

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 

For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 

For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

Say a closing prayer or sing “It Is Truly Meet” or another hymn customary for your parish

Grades 6-12

Optional Pages of Four Saints Featured in the Lessons

Optional Pages of Four Saints Featured in the Lessons: Download and Print PDF

View pages online:

• Theotokos
• St. Nicholas
• St. Thekla
• Abraham

Lesson Plans Grades K-1

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 1: “We Trust God” 

OBJECTIVES: 

The students will be 1) able to state when asked, that God made everything and everything belongs to Him, 2) that we recognize our dependence on God by saying “Lord, have mercy,” at church, and when we bow and prostrate ourselves.

TIME:   10 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Some sticks and a piece of rope (used for Lessons 1 and 2)

An icon of Christ in the icon corner

Shoebox (Offering Box) with poster artwork to cover lid

Doorknob reminder, Theotokos (1/child labeled with name ahead of time)

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Every week the children will be asked to bring in an offering for your class box. Check to see if it is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, determine when you will collect the offering and write it in. Likewise, at the conclusion of each lesson, the doorknob hanger reminders are to be given out. Check to see if that is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, write it in.

NOTE: In these lessons words that appear in italics provide the intent of the writer, as if teaching this lesson. Answers appear in parentheses. Do not read aloud to the children from this lesson plan!

This is the first of four lessons on tithing.  This lesson should be presented after your normal lesson for the day.  For that reason, no opening prayer is given in this guide and the materials listed here are only for this segment of your lesson.

Your students probably already are aware, based on previous instruction, that God, as Creator, made everything and that everything belongs to Him.  You will want to let them hear this once more, as well as hearing that God is love.  The main thrust of the lesson will be our dependence on our Creator Who gives us everything we need.  We show our dependence in the petitions we say and in our physical actions with bowing, making the Sign of the Cross and prostrations in prayer.

INTRODUCTION:

For a few minutes now, we are going to have a special lesson. We will have three other special lessons in the next three weeks. These special lessons are to help us remember that God has given us everything, and it is only right that we should give back to God in thanksgiving. I have a special box here. I would like you to bring something to give to God each week. We will keep the offering box in the icon corner. We will learn how to bring money to give to God, so that our church can be strong, and so that we can help those in need. If you get an allowance, you need to think about bringing some of the money to church. We will place it in our offering box, and then bring the box to church as our class’ offering.

CONTENT:

Let’s pretend that you found some tall sticks in your backyard and some rope. You took both and made a fort. Who does the fort belong to? (“Me.”) Why? (“Because I made it.”) Let’s think about apples, and pine trees and horses and giraffes. Who made them? (God.) Then who do they belong to? (God.) God created everything in the world. And everything belongs to God.

I’m going to say that again, and I want you to say it with me. When we say the first part, “God created everything.” I’m going to open my arms wide to reach out to all creation. When I say the second part, I’m going to bring my hands together as if receiving a blessing, because everything that God gives us is a blessing. Try it with me, “God created everything . .  .” “Everything belongs to God.”

If I ask you “Who created everything?” what will you answer? “God created everything!”

We need what God gives us. We need food to eat, and a home, and clothes. In the Divine Liturgy, we ask God for what we need. Then we say, “Lord, have mercy.” Father says, “for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, let us pray,” and we say, “Lord, have mercy.” We tell God that we need Him to be kind to us. We trust that He will provide for us. The mother of Jesus trusted God. She is our model for trust.

[Move to icon corner if it is not where you are teaching, or possibly go before the icon of Christ in the church.] We know that we can not create anything. God is the Creator. It is good for us to remember that everything we have comes from God, and that He is much greater than we are. We worship God because everything we have comes from Him. There are two ways that we show special worship of God. [Demonstrate as you explain.] We bow before God.. . .  Everyone try that. And we make a prostration.. . . When we have our heads touching the floor, it makes us feel that we are little, and God is big. It tells God that we know something. We know that we are nothing without Him. Let’s practice a prostration. When we have our heads to the floor, let’s say, “God created everything.” Repeat that before we begin . . . Now let’s make our prostration.

[Use one of the sticks from the introduction, as a talking stick. Have children make a circle. The stick is passed from person to person. Each one must say something they depend on God for. You will probably need to give an example. ] Ask the class, “Who made everything?” and “Who does everything belong to?”

CLOSING:

Practice the prostration with the children, saying as you do so, “God created everything.” A few minutes ago, we talked about trusting God to provide for us, I told you that the Mother of God, the Theotokos was the model of trust. Here is her icon on a doorknob hanger. It is to remind you to bring in something for our offering box.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 2: “We Are Good Stewards”

OBJECTIVES:

The students will be able to define the word “steward” as “caretaker.” They will be able to answer correctly whether or not the persons in the stories.  

TIME:   10 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Offering Box

Sticks, and rope from previous week.

(Sticks should be made into a cross, any other shape, or at least tied together.)

Doorknob reminder, St. Nicholas (1/child, labeled with name ahead of time)

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Last week the students learned that the world belongs to God, the Creator. This week the lesson will explain that God loves His Creation, and therefore, we must respect creation. The students will also learn that God gave human beings the role of “steward,” or “caretaker,” of creation.

Within the lesson are a variety of scenes that can be used to help students examine and think about what they might do to show respect for other people, others’ possessions; the natural world, and, in particular, parents and other adults in the child’s immediate environment.  Choose the scene most appropriate for your group and within your time constraints.

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we learned the answers to the question, “Who made the world, and to whom does it belong?” Does anyone remember the answer? Did anyone bring in an offering for our offering box? [Collect offerings.]

CONTENT:

Remember my story about a fort that you had built, and that it belonged to you? Let’s pretend that these sticks are part of your fort. [Pause for a moment.] How would you feel if your brother or sister came along and broke what you had made? [Allow children to express feelings.]

God created the world. It is his. He wants us to respect what He made, and not destroy things on purpose. In fact, he wants people to TAKE CARE OF what He made. We are to be the caretakers of creation. Can you say “caretakers” with me? Another word for caretaker is “steward.” Can you say “steward?”

Let’s think of things that you take care of. What do you take care of, or help take care of, at your house? [Allow responses. After each, say “You are a good caretaker, or steward, of ________.”]

There is another way in which we are stewards. We are good stewards when we use what we have to care for one another. God wants each person to be warm in the winter, and not hungry. He made each person. He loves each person. “If you have two coats, and see someone who has none, you are to give one of your coats to him.” When we share with those in need, we are good stewards. Let’s see if you understand what a good caretaker, or good steward is.

[Using one (or more if you have longer than 10 minutes) of the scenes listed below, ask students to tell whether the child in the scene was being a good steward. ]

1) Joseph had wanted a puppy for a long, long time.  His father told him that it took work to have a pet. Joseph told his father he was ready. Joseph was delighted when they brought home the black cocker spaniel pup.

“He’s yours now,” said Dad.  “You’ll need to feed him and walk him.”

"I will!”  Joseph shouted.

The next morning, Joseph heard his father calling him. “The dog needs to go outside.” Joseph turned over and covered his head with his blanket. 

What does Joseph agree to do?

What do you think will happen if Joseph doesn’t take the dog outside?

Is Joseph being a good caretaker, or steward of what has been given him?

What should Joseph do for the dog?

2) Thekla had many, many, toys. Her family had enough money to buy her almost anything she wanted. At Christmastime she saw a story about people collecting toys for needy children. She could only imagine what it would be like to not have a new toy at Christmas. She knew what she had to do. She went to her room and looked for some of the nicest toys. Then she cleaned them up and put them on her bed. When her mom came to see what she was doing, she said, “Mommy, I want to give these to the children who don’t have toys this Christmas.”

What did Thekla see on television?

Have you ever seen people collecting toys for the needy?

Can you imagine not having a nice toy at Christmas?

Was Thekla a good steward of what she had been given?

3) Sandra’s parakeet lay on the bottom of the cage. Sandra’s mother found the parakeet and noticed that the water dish was dry again.   

What happened to Sandra’s parakeet?  Why? 

Did Sandra take care of her pet?

Was she a good caretaker, or steward of her pet?

How do you take care of your pet?

 4) Mother came into the room and saw Legos on the living room floor.  “I told you to pick up your toys, Susan,” her mother said.  “I am, Mother,” replied Susan, “some of them went behind the chair.” Mother smiled.

What had Susan done with her Legos? 

Why was her mother upset with her?

Was Susan a good caretakers, or stewards of her toys? 

5) Joy was having a real bad day. Her mom got mad when she wouldn’t eat her breakfast. Her brother lied and said that Joy was the one who made the mess with the toothpaste. And at school the teacher hadn’t called on her when she was sure of the answer to the math problem. On the way home from the bus Joy felt mad all over again. She lagged behind the others. Then she purposely walked through the pretty flower bed of their neighbor. She knew she wouldn’t get caught because no on was watching.

What kind of day did Joy have?

Because Joy was mad, what did she do?

What could she have done instead?

Did Joy respect creation?

Was she a good steward?

CLOSING:

A long time ago a young boy was raised in a family that had a lot of money. When he got older, the parents gave all the money to him. He could have had anything he wanted. He grew up and became a priest, and then a bishop. He remembered that everything really belongs to God, and that we are good stewards when we use what God gives us to help another person.

The bishop used his money to help many, many poor people.

We are learning to bring money in to the church. The church uses money to help those in need. The doorknob reminder this week, so you can remember to bring in an offering, is about that bishop. His name is St. Nicholas. We are to remember that all we have comes from God. We are to be good stewards of what we have been given, and give to those in need.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004 

Lesson 3: “We Obey God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will pray in thanksgiving for 1) all that God gives us, especially His Son, and 2) will be able to state that God wants us to be thankful by offering a part of what He has given us to the church.

TIME:   10 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

At least 20 pennies, and/or enough so that each child has 10

Icon of the Nativity (provided)

Doorknob reminder, Abraham (1/child, labeled with name ahead of time)

FOR THE CATECHIST:

The children know the meaning of “obey;” and in this lesson it is explained in the context of obeying out of love. This lesson is about being obedient to God by being thankful; for all good things He has given, most especially His Son. 

INTRODUCTION:

In the last two weeks we’ve been learning how to offer something of yours, to God. We have been bringing in money for our offering box. Did anyone bring in an offering today for our offering box? [Collect offerings.]

Let’s review what we learned. Who made the world and everything in it? (God) To whom does everything belong? (God) God wants us to be good caretakers or stewards. If you have a pet, what is one thing you do to show that you are a good caretaker, or steward, of your pet? (Feed, bathe, take it out.)

CONTENT:

This week’s lesson is on obeying, or obedience. If I said, “You must obey me, because I’m your teacher.” What does that mean? [Allow responses.] We obey our parents, and teachers, because they take care of us, and love us. Does God want us to obey Him? [Allow responses.]

We have learned that God loves each person that He created. He wants us to be the best people we can be. He has rules that help us be our best. For example, He told us that we should not lie. He told us also that we should not steal. [Allow responses to:] If someone lied to you, how do you feel? What about if someone stole something from you?

It hurts when God’s rules are broken. When we obey God, we are doing what God wants. God has other rules which don’t always hurt when they’re broken. If someone gives you a gift, what do you say? (Thank you.) That is one of God’s rules, to be thankful. Is it difficult to say thank you? (No.) Does it hurt when someone doesn’t say thank you? [Allow responses.] God has given us so much. He wants us to say thank you by offering some of what we have to the church. That is our way of saying thank you to God. Let’s see how well you were listening. How do we say thank you to God? (By offering a part of what God has given us, to the church.)

I brought some pennies to help us learn a special way of counting. It’s called “Counting to 10 to say “Thank you” to God.” Can you say that with me . . . Let’s pretend you have 10 pennies in your piggy bank, and let’s count to 10 together. [As you do so, place the pennies one by one. Stop at nine.] I stopped at nine didn’t I? If you have 10 pennies, keep nine, and give the tenth to the church to say thank you to God. [Place 10^th penny in the offering box.] Let’s try it again. [If you have brought 10 pennies for each child, you can have them do the exercise with you. Repeat, stopping at nine.] What should I do with the tenth penny? (Place it in the offering box.]

Abraham taught us the tenth rule. Long ago there was a battle, and Abraham’s army won. Because they won, they were bringing home lots of sheep and valuable items. Abraham met a priest who blessed him and offered him bread and wine. Abraham knew that God had given him the victory—God had made Abraham win the battle. Abraham counted out all he had won, beginning with the sheep.  When he came to the number 10 each time, he gave it to the priest. In this way, Abraham thanked God.

Did God ever give us anything? [Allow responses.] What is the most important gift that God gave us? Here is a clue. [Hold up cover of offering box to show Nativity icon.] God gave us Jesus, His only-begotten Son. Jesus showed us the way to God, so that we can live united with God now and forever. There is no greater gift. How does God want us to say “thank you?” (By offering a part of what He has given us to the church.)

CLOSING:

Let’s stand and bring our tenth penny before the icon of the Nativity. I’ll say a short prayer, and then I want each of you to think of something you are thankful for. [If time allows, have each child state what they are thankful for. Make the sign of the cross and say:] Heavenly Father, we thank you for all that you have given us, especially your Son, Jesus. Let’s say “Thank you, Father,” together . . . now think of one thing to say thank you to God for . . .  Then bring your penny to the offering box, and say “Thank you, God,” as you place your penny . . . Our doorknob reminder for this week is Abraham, who taught us how to obey God by being thankful.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 4: We Serve God

OBJECTIVES:

The students will be able to state that God wants us to serve Him by offering our time, talent and treasure to Him.

TIME:   10 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Doorknob reminder, St. Thekla (1/child, labeled with name ahead of time)

Chalkboard

FOR THE CATECHIST:

With the liturgical response, “To Thee, O Lord,” the students are led to consider that we are to give more than a tithe to the church; we are to offer ourselves to God and to serve others. In preparation for this lesson, think of ways the children may be able to serve the church, to add to the suggestions given in the lesson. Perhaps you could arrange beforehand with the priest for the K-1 group to do something special, such as to pass the collection plate or serve the elderly at coffee hour; or sing the Lord Have Mercy responses during the Litany of Supplication.  You could use this time in class to tell them how they will participate. 

INTRODUCTION:

This is our final lesson about learning how to give to the church. Let’s see if you remember any of the answers to these questions.

• If I say, “God made everything, and everything belongs to ____ . . .” What is the missing word? (God.) We trust God, and ask for what we need, by saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
• If you can bow, show me. If you can do a prostration, show me. These show that we know we are nothing, without God.
• We learned that we are to be steward of God’s creation. What does a steward do? (Takes care of what he/she has been given, creation, and one another.) What is another word for steward? (Caretaker).
• We learned special way of counting to 10, called “Counting to 10 to say thank you to God.” When we do that, say with pennies, what do we do we do with number 10? (It goes to God at church.)

You have been very good students. We are to keep these lessons in our hearts all year. Every Sunday we will be collecting our offering to God. Did anyone bring in an offering today for our offering box? [Collect offerings.]

Let’s begin today’s lesson. If you have heard the phrase “To Thee, O Lord,” stand up. Where have you heard the phrase? (Church.) What does it mean? [Allow responses.] When we say that phrase, we are telling God that we love Him very much. We are telling Him that we want to live as Jesus did, and serve others. You may sit down.

CONTENT:

We have learned that God made the whole world, and us. The world belongs to God, and so do we. He made us. We say all of that when we say “To thee, O Lord

Let’s think of ways we can please God by giving our time to serve others. [Help the children think of ways they can serve in the church (sending cards to the sick, opening doors, tidying up the church, giving out bulletins, offering prayers for the sick at the start of each class.) If possible, plan to serve as a class doing one of the ideas they suggest.]

CLOSING:    

St. Thekla is on the doorknob reminder this week. She heard St. Paul talk about Jesus, and she decided to spend ALL her time serving others. She became a preacher and traveled telling people about Jesus. She gave herself to God. She will help us remember that we belong to God, because He made us; and we want to be give ourselves to Him!

Lesson Plans Grades 2-3

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 3: “We Obey God”

a special portion of what we receive or earn. He wants us to give 1/10 Develop the idea of first fruits. Explain that a long time ago people (including Moses) took the best of their crops and animals and dedicated them to the Lord in thanksgiving. The people not only took the best crops and animals, but they offered them to the Lord in thanksgiving before they used the rest of the crops and animals for themselves. We call this the offering of “first fruits.”  We offer to God the first fruits, too. For everything we receive, like allowance, we offer a portion to God.

OBJECTIVES:

The students will demonstrate how to tithe using objects.

TIME: 10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Coins or anything you have 20 of

Tithing Stories Handout (provided)

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

FOR THE CATECHIST:

The concept of tithing—giving 1/10 of what we earn or receive—is explained in this lesson. The story of Abraham and Melchizedek tells how Abraham offered to the priest Melchizedek 1/10 of all he had after Melchizedek blessed Abraham and offered him wine and bread. This is the earliest recorded instance of tithing in the Bible, the first of several, and it is in the first few pages of the Bible (Genesis 14:7-20).

INTRODUCTION:

Who remembered to bring an offering for our special box? Are the doorknob reminders helping you remember? We have been learning about giving back to God. Last week we learned the word, “steward.” What is a steward? (Caretaker.) Who was our exemplar of stewardship on the doorknob reminder? (St. Nicholas.) The week before we learned that God is the Creator of all and that we trust Him to provide for us. Who was our exemplar of trust? (The Theotokos.) Today we will learn about the word “tithe.” [Write on board.]

CONTENT:

[Pass out Tithing Stories, read aloud “Abraham and Melchizedek.”]

Let’s review, what did Abraham do to thank God’s priest? (He counted out 10 of everything, and gave the 10^th to Melchizedek.) When we offer to God the tenth of all we have, we are tithing.

[Have a student come forward and count the objects you have brought, up to nine. Have the child take the tenth object to the icon corner, or place it in the offering box. Repeat with several students, use the word tithe as appropriate.]

Abraham was always obedient to God. He taught his grandson, Jacob, how to tithe. Here is a story about Jacob. [Read aloud “Abraham’s Grandson Jacob.”

CLOSING:

Our exemplar for obeying God is Abraham. Like Abraham, we want to tithe when we make our offering. What number is the key to learning how to tithe? The number 10. Remember how we practiced, and let me know how it works next class. 

Tithing Stories

Abraham and Melchizedek

A long time ago, God called a man to leave his country and to journey to a new land. This man’s name was Abraham. Abraham could have disobeyed God, but he chose to obey. Abraham and his family journeyed with God. Abraham was always obedient to God.

During the journey they battled with other people, and with God’s help, they won. Then Abraham met a priest named Melchizedek. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and gave him bread and wine. Abraham knew it was right to thank God for His help in winning the battle. He counted out what he had, apples for example. Every time he came to the number 10, he gave that apple to Melchizedek. Abraham thanked God by giving him something in return. Let’s review, what did Abraham do to thank God’s priest? (He counted out 10 of everything, and gave the 10^th to Melchizedek.)

Paraphrased from Genesis 14:7-20

Abraham’s Grandson Jacob

Once, Abraham’s grandson Jacob was on a journey. He fell asleep at night and had a dream. In his dream he saw a ladder reaching to heaven. Angels were going up and down on the ladder. The Lord was standing above the ladder and said to Jacob:

“I am the Lord God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and your children. You shall have many children and they will bless all the families on the earth. I am with you and will guard you. I will provide for all your needs. I will bring you back to this place.”

When Jacob awoke, he said, “This place is surely the house of God. Jacob set a stone as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. Then Jacob made a promise. “If God will be with me, and if He provides for me, I will return to God a tithe of all He gives to me.”

Paraphrased from Genesis 28:10-22

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 4: “We Give Ourselves to God”

OBJECTIVES

The students will be able to state, when asked, that God wants us to give ourselves to Him, as a servant. They will be able to explain serving as being kind and doing good deeds.

TIME:  15 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Greatest Commandment Handout (provided)

Crayons

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Although the children have learned to tithe in the last lesson, tithing is actually only the beginning of how we show our thankfulness to God. What God truly desires is that we submit ourselves as servants to Him, so that we may be His hands and His heart. He desires our time, and our talent as well as our tithe. The Greatest Commandment is an expression of what truly pleases God. Consider having the children memorize the scriptural phrase.

It is suggested that the children experience serving the Church by rejoining the congregation at the end of the lesson, to tidy the church, open doors, etc. If you choose NOT to do this, you will take the final paragraph of “Content” and place it in the “Closing.”

INTRODUCTION:

Was anyone successful in remembering to tithe for their offering today? [Allow sharing.] In lesson one, we learned that God is Creator of all, including us. All of creation belongs to God. That is the starting point for our lesson today.

[Allow responses.] How many of you want to go to heaven? What do you think you need to do to go to heaven?

CONTENT

One day a man asked Jesus what he had to do to go to heaven. What do you think Jesus said? [Allow responses.]

Here is the answer: [Pass out handout and crayons.] “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all  your mind.”

Look at the cartoon  figures below the quote. You can choose either the boy or girl. I want you to take your crayon, and color the head of the child. Did Jesus tell us to love God only with our mind? No. Here is the key to understanding the Greatest Commandment. Look at the word “all.” How many times do you see it? (Four) We are commanded to love God with all of ourselves. Take your crayon and color the whole child.

So, God wants us to tithe, but He also wants us to give our life to Him. What does this mean?

God wants us to be His servants in the world. He wants us to be kind, and to do good deeds. What does God want us to do as His servants? (To be kind and to do good deeds.)  [Allow responses to the following.] If your grandmother is sick, what is something you could do to make her life easier? If Father has asked for people to help out cleaning the church, what is something you could do? If we have a food drive here at church, what can you do?

God wants us to offer ourselves to Him, with our time, and our talents. Let’s think about people at church who offer their talents. [Help the children mention the various roles and people who fill them, for example, choir members, altar servers, people who bake prosphora, treasurer, etc.] Let’s remember what we have learned already. God made everything, including us, and everything belongs to God, including us! When we give ourselves to God, we are giving what belongs to Him already.

[If you don’t plan to leave your classroom, use this paragraph as part of your Closing.] Our exemplar for giving oneself to God is St. Thekla She heard St. Paul speak about Jesus, and decided to travel spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. This was very dangerous work for a woman in those days. She gave her whole life to serving Jesus Christ. She is our exemplar of giving oneself to God.

To have a church, it is necessary for many people to contribute their time and talent. What can we do? [Allow responses. Consider stopping the lesson and rejoining the congregation and helping in whatever way you can. Some examples might be, organizing the food from the food drive, “doorpeople” who open the doors for those coming or going, passing out bulletins, tidying the nave. As you do so, repeat to the children that God wants us to offer ourselves to Him.]

CLOSING:

[Pass out doorknob reminders.]

The Greatest Commandment

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your  mind.”

Lesson Plans Grades 4-5

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 1: “We Depend on God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will be able to explain John 15:7 as “We can do nothing without God. We must depend on God for all things, and trust God.”

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Vine and Branches Handout (provided)

Bible:  Genesis 1:26-27; Luke 10: 7 and John 15:7

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Every week the children will be asked to bring in an offering for your class box. Check to see if it is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, determine when you will collect the offering and write it in. Likewise, at the conclusion of each lesson, the doorknob hanger reminders are to be given out. Check to see if that is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, write it in.

This is the first of four lessons on tithing.  This lesson should be presented after your normal lesson for the day.  For that reason, no opening prayer is given in this guide and the materials listed here are only for this segment of your lesson. Words that appear in italics provide the intent of the writer, as if teaching this lesson. Answers appear in parentheses. Do not read aloud to the children from this lesson plan!

The students will begin by reviewing that we are made in God’s image, which allows us to be connected intimately with God. The focus of this lesson is the Gospel passage that Jesus speaks to the disciples, “I am the vine and you are the branches,” John 15:7. God is our source of life. We depend on Him, and trust Him.

INTRODUCTION:

For a few minutes now, we are going to have a special lesson. We will have three other special lessons in the next three weeks. These special lessons are to help us remember that God has given us everything, and it is only right that we should give back to God in thanksgiving. I have a special box here. I would like you to bring something to give to God each week. How many of you already contribute to the parish each week? We will place your offerings in the box.

CONTENT:

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, tells about the creation of human beings. Who can tell me something about human beings from the creation stories? [Allow responses.] Have a student read aloud Genesis 1:26-27.] Out of all creation, only the human person shares God’s image. Each of us is made in God’s image. God made us for a special reason—to live united with Him now and forever.

So, God has given us so much. What can we give God? Or what does God expect of us.  [Allow responses. Write on board: “God wants us to:”] First, we are to “Realize that we depend on Him, and trust Him for everything.”[Write on board

To remember our dependence on God there is a phrase that Jesus taught us. [Pass out handout and pencils.] Do you see the strong vine at the bottom, and the branches coming out of it? Write your name on two of the branches, and “God” on the vine. Now carefully tear your paper so that one of the branches is no long connected to the vine. Don’t tear it all the way off of the paper. If this were a real branch, would it live much longer? Why not?

Now look at the branch still connected to the vine. Draw several leaves growing from that branch. This activity is a metaphor for our lives. Below the drawing, we’ll write the words of Jesus: “I am the vine, you are the branches .  . . without Me, you can do nothing.” John 15:5 What does the saying mean? (We need to stay close to God because we depend on Him for everything.)

When we remember that we depend on God for everything, we learn to trust Him. We try to stay connected to Him. How do we do that? (Prayer, scripture, church).When and where do you pray? [Allow responses. Encourage class to find a time and place to pray every day.]. 

CLOSING:

Our special program, To Tithe is To Love, begins today. To help you remember to bring an offering to church to place in our box, we have doorknob hangers that tell you about a saint who had one of four qualities that we all try to have so that we give freely and cheerfully to the church. Today’s quality is trust. The Theotokos, the Mother of God, had to trust that God would take care of her. She is a good example, or exemplar of trust. Take this home and put it on your doorknob so that next week you can bring your offering for our special box.

Vine and Branches 

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE
2004

Lesson 2: “We Are Stewards”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will answer when asked, that a steward is a caretaker, and be able to complete a parallel table that shows the details of the story compared with our lives.

TIME:  10 minutes 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

Copies of Psalm 104 excerpts (provided

FOR THE CATECHIST:

The lesson presents the concept of stewardship by way of a story. The students will review the previous lesson concept, that God created all that is, and that everything belongs to God by reading excerpts from Psalm 104.

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we learned about the quality of trust. Trust is one of four qualities that help us bring an offering to God each week. Did anyone remember to bring an offering for our box? For this week’s lesson, we’ll begin with a story. And then read from a psalm.

CONTENT:

Do you know anyone who has a garden? This is a story about a garden, a family, and a steward, or caretaker.

There was a family with three children. They lived in the country on a farm. They grew their own fruits and vegetables. One day they received a phone call. Their grandmother was very sick and would probably die in a few days. It was summer, so the family, children and all, took the train across the

country to be with their grandmother and family. A man named Joe was hired to be the caretaker, or steward, of the garden. Joe would be allowed to take some vegetables for his own use.

About a week after they arrived, the grandmother died. The family stayed for another week, and then headed home.

When they arrived, the father of the family was shocked to see his garden. It had been a dry couple of weeks, and the plants were badly in need of water. A fence had a break in it and rabbits had climbed through and eaten the cabbages and carrots. The tomatoes that had been ready for picking were lying on the ground.

In a few minutes a neighbor came over with a basket of vegetables. He explained the situation. “Joe didn’t seem to care too much about working. He went into town every day and didn’t come home until night. When I tried to speak to him, he told me that he didn’t need the money and was about to leave town anyway. When I told him he was wrong to not care for your garden, he just shrugged and said he didn’t do anything wrong. It wasn’t like he was stealing something.”

The story ends here. In the story, the father left the garden in the care of Joe. What was Joe’s job  called in the story? (Steward or Caretaker) Did the garden belong to Joe? (No.) If you were the father of the family, what might you have said to Joe? [Allow responses.]

The story I told you applies to you and I. Let’s see if you can find the connection, with the help of some verses from Psalm 104. [Pass out Psalm 104 excerpt, have students read aloud.]

[Write on board as to make two columns: “Garden” and “All That Is.” As you discuss the parallels with the students, you will end up with the two columns reading:

GARDEN                    ALL THAT IS

Owner: Farmer Owner: God

Steward: Joe                Stewards: Us

Does anyone see a connection yet? In the story, who owns the garden? (Farmer) [Write “Owner: farmer under Garden.] Now, let’s think about us. Who owns the sky? Who owns the rivers? All that is belongs to God.  Who was the steward for the garden? (Joe)

In the first words of the Bible, God gave the world to Adam, who is a symbol for all humanity. He made Adam, and us, stewards of creation. Everything that is, belongs to God. Everything we have, belongs to God. So, who is the steward of all that is? (All of us.) Just as Joe should have returned to the farmer a well-cared for garden, as well as some of the best produce, we should give back to God from everything he has given us.

We speak of stewardship in the church as the three T’s: time, talent, and treasure. From all of these we are to return a portion to God. I didn’t use the word “give.” What is the difference between “give” and “return”, and why is “return” the right word? (Because “give” makes it seem like we own what we have, when everything we have is God’s.) What is a steward? (A caretaker) What are the three T’s of stewardship? (Time, talent, and treasure.)

CLOSING:

St. Nicholas was a very good steward. He had a lot of money from his family, and he gave it to poor people to help them out. We are good stewards when we use our talents in church. We can open doors for people, or help tidy the church, or even just smile at people. We are also good stewards when we bring an offering of what we have to God. St. Nicholas is on our doorknob reminder for this week. Next week, remember to bring in an offering for our box.

Psalm 104

Excerpted

Verses1-2

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:

You are clothed with honor and majesty,

Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,

Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

Verses 10-13

He sends the springs into the valleys;

They flow among the hills.

They give drink to every beast of the field;

The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

By them the birds of the heavens have their home;

They sing among the branches.

He waters the hills from His upper chambers;

The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all.

The earth is full of Your possessions . . .

Verse 35

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 3: “We Obey God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will answer when asked, that tithing began with Abraham. They will be able to define “tithe” as 1/10 of what they earn and receive.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Bible marked at Genesis 14:17-20, and 28:20-22, and Matthew 23:23

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

A ten dollar bill; ten one dollar bills; ten dimes; ten pennies

FOR THE CATECHIST:

In this lesson tithing will be explained. Within the lesson are examples from the Old Testament of times when people offered at least one-tenth of their goods to God in thanksgiving for something God did for them. The students will be challenged to tithe in a spirit of thankfulness to God for His blessings.  We tithe not because God forces us to do so, but because love for Him. The students will learn to compute 10%. 

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we learned the word steward. Who remembers what it means? (Caretaker). This week we’ll build on the fact that nothing we have is ours, and learn how we are to return to God a portion of what He has given us. How many of you know how to work with percentages? That will come in handy.

CONTENT:

Let’s think back to Joe and the farmer. Let’s pretend they lived in the Old Testament. This is how the story would have played out. Joe would have taken care of the garden, knowing that he was only the servant of a great master. He would have also prepared a basket of the finest produce from the garden—the “first-fruits,” in thanksgiving for the piece of land that was entrusted to him. He would want show that under his care the land had produced a rich harvest, and therefore, he would be worth keeping as a servant.

Last week I mentioned the three T’s of stewardship. Does anyone recall what they are? (Time, talent, and treasure). We are to help our church with both our time and our talent. We are also to help with our treasure, namely, any money that comes our way, both through work, and through gifts.

How much should we give? Since the time of Abraham in the Old Testament, people gave 1/10, called “a tithe,” of all they had. Here are some passages that tell about tithing. [Have students read the following aloud, making sure the students speak clearly the passage about tithing.]

1) Genesis 14:7-20 (Abram gives thanks for his victory over Chedorlaoner and offered a tithe for all he had. Abram was later called Abraham.)  “...and Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

2) Genesis 28:20-22    Jacob had a vision of many wonderful things God would provide for him. Jacob vowed to tithe from all God would give him:  “I will give the tenth to Thee.”  (Verse 22)

Tithing has been the way to show worship of God, since the time of Abraham. At the time of Jesus, it was understood and practiced. Jesus was scolding the Pharisees who tithed, but did not show justice, mercy, or faith. He told them it was right to tithe, but they should also have the right spiritual attitude. Let’s read Matthew 23:23.

Let’s try doing the math. If I have a dollar, how much should I give when I tithe? [Demonstrate on the board if necessary, and let students do other examples.]

[Use an example of a dollar.  One dollar = 10 dimes.  If you had a dollar, how much should you tithe?  (1/10^th of a dollar or 10 cents) 

Use the example of $10.00.  Suppose you got a birthday gift of $10.00. 

Ten dollars =10 dollar bills.  How much should you tithe? (1/10^th of ten dollars = 1 dollar)

You might say, “So, out of your birthday gift of $10 you give God $1.00 (meaning to the Church).  Is that too much to give to God?  Discuss reactions.]

CLOSING:

 Abraham was obedient to God long before the passage on tithing. He was both obedient and trusting. He knew that God was God, and he was man. He knew that it was only right to return to God what God had given him. Abraham is our exemplar of obedience.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 4: “We Offer Ourselves as God’s Servants”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will choose a way to help at church as a way of showing that they offer themselves to God through their time and talents.

TIME:  10 Minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Copies of : The Greatest Commandment (provided)

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

Pencils for each student

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Although the children have learned to tithe in the last lesson, tithing is actually only the beginning of how we show our thankfulness to God. What God truly desires is that we submit ourselves as servants to Him, so that we may be His hands and His heart. He desires our time, and our talent as well as our tithe. The Greatest Commandment is an expression of what truly pleases God. Consider having the children memorize the scriptural phrase.

INTRODUCTION:

Was anyone successful in remembering to tithe for their offering today? [Allow sharing.] In lesson one, we learned that God is Creator of all, including us. All of creation belongs to God. That is the starting point for our lesson today.

[Allow responses.] How many of you want to go to heaven? What do you think you need to do to go to heaven?

CONTENT:

One day a man asked Jesus what he had to do to go to heaven. What do you think Jesus said? [Allow responses.]

Here is the answer: [Pass out handout.] “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all  your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

God wants us to tithe, but as you can see from the Greatest Commandment, He also wants us to give our life to Him. What does this mean?

God wants us to be His servants in the world. He wants us to be kind, and to do good deeds. What does God want us to do as His servants? (To be kind and to do good deeds.)  [Allow responses to the following.] If your grandmother is sick, what is something you could do to make her life easier? If

Father has asked for people to help out cleaning the church, what is something you could do? If we have a food drive here at church, what can you do?

God wants us to offer ourselves to Him.by giving of our time and talents. Let’s make a list about all the people at church who offer their talents. [Help the children mention the various roles and people who fill them, for example, choir members, altar servers, people who bake prosphora, treasurer, etc.] Let’s remember what we have learned already. God made everything, including us, and everything belongs to God, including us! When we give ourselves to God, we are giving what belongs to Him already.

To have a church, it is necessary for many people to contribute their time and talent. What can we do? [Allow responses. Consider organizing the food from the food drive, “doorpeople” who open the doors for those coming or going, passing out bulletins, tidying the nave.] I challenge you to find a way to help at church. On the handout that has the Greatest Commandment, I would like you to write down: “I will offer myself to God through ______________________. I want you to choose one way you will offer yourself to God through your time and talent. Take the page home, place it where it will remind you to offer yourself to God. [Permit students to use “love my neighbor” as well, as a touchstone for what they will do.]

CLOSING:

Our exemplar for giving oneself to God is St. Thekla She heard St. Paul speak about Jesus, and decided to travel spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. This was very dangerous work for a woman in those days. She gave her whole life to serving Jesus Christ. She is our exemplar of giving oneself to God.

The Greatest Commandment

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 

Lesson Plans Grade MS

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 1: “We Trust God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will be able to state that thankfulness results when one realizes dependence on, and trust in, God.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Shoebox with poster art for lid

Material to make one or more posters for the parish, entitled:  “We Trust God”  (a piece of posterboard, or several depending on the size of your class, and individual sheets of paper so the students can work in pairs on their own piece which can be pasted to the posterboard to make a collage, glue sticks, magazines, markers, paint, etc.)

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Every week the children will be asked to bring in an offering for your class box. Check to see if it is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, determine when you will collect the offering and write it in. Likewise, at the conclusion of each lesson, the doorknob hanger reminders are to be given out. Check to see if that is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, write it in.

This is the first of four lessons on tithing.  This lesson should be presented after your normal lesson for the day.  For that reason, no opening prayer is given in this guide and the materials listed here are only for this segment of your lesson. Words that appear in italics provide the intent of the writer, as if teaching this lesson. Answers appear in parentheses. Do not read aloud to the children from this lesson plan!

The students will consider that they are nothing without God. All that is God created, and all belongs to God, even what they think belongs to them. What does God require of us? We are to offer back to God, first, our grateful hearts—we are to give thanks.

The posters can serve as reminder that God gives us all many blessings, including the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.  For these gifts, we should be grateful.

INTRODUCTION:

For a  few minutes now, we are going to have a special lesson. We will have three other special lessons in the next three weeks. These special lessons are to help us remember that God has given us everything, and it is only right that we should give back to God in thanksgiving. We will learn why bringing an offering to church each week is so important. I have a special box here. I would like you to bring something to give to God each week. How many of you already contribute to the parish each week? We will place your offerings in the box.

CONTENT:

Our mini-lesson today is called “We Trust God.” Think for a minute about the word trust, or “to depend on.” Who are some of the people on whom we depend?  [Make sure God is mentioned.] When  we depend on someone, we are saying that we need them. Do we need God? [Allow responses.] Does everyone feel the way we do? Why or Why not?

When a person realizes that all they have, and all they are, depends on God, what attitudes do they begin to develop towards God? [Write responses on board. Make sure “thankful” is on the board.]

Our task today is to make a poster that will remind those in our parish that first, all we have belongs to God;, second,, that we trust God;, and third, that we should be thankful to God. We’ll work together to make poster called “We Trust God.”I have some magazines, pencils and paper for either pasting, or drawing pictures or writing words so that people will remember to be thankful to God.

What words or pictures can convey that all we have belongs to God? What can convey that we trust God? Finally, what will lead people to think of giving thanks to God? [Write responses on the board.] Use these words, or pictures, and create a paper that will be added to our collage. I would like someone to write out three phrases for the collage: “We Depend on God,” “We Trust God,” “We are Thankful to God.” Next week we will add more to these, so cover only half of the space.

CLOSING:

Our special program, To Tithe is To Love, begins today. To help you remember to bring an offering to church to place in our box, we have doorknob hangers that tell you about a saint who had one of four qualities that we all try to have so that we give freely and cheerfully to the church. Today’s quality is trust. The Theotokos, the Mother of God, had to trust that God would take care of her. She is a good example, or exemplar of trust. Take this home and put it on your doorknob so that next week you can bring your offering for our special box.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 2: “We Are Good Stewards”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will be able to explain the word “stewardship” as using well what God has entrusted to us. They will note its three components, time, talent, and treasure. 

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Posters (continued from previous week), materials for continuing project

Chalkboard

FOR THE CATECHIST:

In this lesson students will focus on stewardship as returning to God a portion of their time, talent, and treasure Students will brainstorm ways they can use their particular talents in service to others.  Talents are to be understood in the broadest sense—those involving one’s hands, heart, physical capabilities, musical, academic, and artistic traits.

INTRODUCTION:

Last week we learned that we are nothing without God. God loves us, and has given us so much.
God wants us to have “an attitude of gratitude.”  What does “gratitude” mean? (Thankfulness). Let’s expand our thinking about what God desires, and deserves. Our keyword for today’s lesson is: stewardship. [Write stewardship on the board.]

CONTENT:

The word “steward” means “caretaker.” A steward is not the owner of what he or she works with, but rather, one to whom it has been entrusted. For example, an executive in a business has a great deal to do with whether the business earns money for its owners, or loses money. Yet, he is not the owner.  Would the owner want an executive who improves the business, or just keeps it going? (Improves) Keeping that in mind, let me recall for you a story Jesus told.

The man in the story is a owner of a business with three stores. Knowing he has to be gone for a long time, he chooses three of his managers to take full charge of each of the stores during his absence. The first manager, or steward, is given charge of the largest store. When the owner returns, the first steward shows that he has doubled the profit of his store. The second steward, upon the owner’s return, likewise shows that he doubled the profit of the second store. The third steward, was given the smallest store. He shows the owner, upon his return, that he kept his store safe, by closing it during the owner’s trip.

The owner is very upset at the third steward. Why? [Allow responses.]

Now, Jesus told this story because each of us is a steward in God’s eyes. We are stewards of our time, our talents, and our treasure. What are we stewards of? (Our time, talents, and treasure.) Each of us has received many talents that can be used to bring good into the world, and to serve God. Do we own the talents we have received? Let’s think about some talents that can serve God. [Write on board: Talents involving one’s hands, heart, physical capabilities, musical, academic, and artistic traits.] Look at the categories I’ve written and let’s brainstorm. What talents in these categories can serve the church, or bring good into the world? [Allow responses. Have a student take notes on these for lesson 4.]

Using the responses we’ve come up with, let’s add to the posterboards. Today we need someone to write the words “We are Good Stewards” on a piece of paper to add to our posters. Let’s find magazines, or words to explain stewardship on our posters. The words “We Return to God” can also be used. Why are we “returning” and not “giving.”(Because all we have is from God, and belongs to God.)

[Allow time for additions to the posters, arrange for them to be hung in the parish.]

CLOSING:

St. Nicholas was a very good steward. He had a lot of money from his family, and he gave it to poor people to help them out. We are good stewards when we use our talents in church. We can open doors for people, or help tidy the church, or even just smile at people. We are also good stewards when we bring an offering of what we have to God. St. Nicholas is on our doorknob reminder for this week. Next week, remember to bring in an offering for our box.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 3: “We Obey God”

OBJECTIVE:

When asked, the students will be able to answer that tithing began with Abraham, and is one of God’s laws.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Bible marked at Genesis 14:17-20

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

FOR THE CATECHIST:

This lesson focuses essentially on treasure.  “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

It is important for students to understand that money in and of itself is not bad. Otherwise, the Church would not ask for it, nor need it.  Then, when discussion begins about the specifics of tithing, your students will understand that money can be a joyful offering back to God Who gives all things. 

INTRODUCTION:

[Before class, write on the board:  “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”]

Last week we learned the three “T’s” of stewardship. What are they? (Time, talent, and treasure.) This week, we’ll find out more about the last “t.” Let’s take a look at the board. The quote is from Jesus. Is it true or false, and why? [Allow responses.]

CONTENT:

The concept of last week’s lesson, returning a portion of what we have been given to God, is found in the first few pages of the Bible. After the fall from Paradise, God wanted to create a people into which His Son would be born. He began by calling Abram out of Ur. He promised him that he would be the father of a people who would be more numerous than the stars. Although this sounded to good to be true, Abram and his people followed God on a journey. Abram was obedient to God.

In another story, Abraham was asked to bring his son Isaac up to the top of a mountain, and then to slay him. This was almost unbearable to think about, but Abraham was obedient. God stayed his hand before he could harm Isaac. Abraham is a model of obedience.

Last week we discussed stewardship. Returning a portion of what we have to God is stewardship. In particular, we will see that 1/10 or, a tithe, of all we earn and receive, is the starting point for stewardship. Now to the story in which the word, “tithe,” first appears.

During their journey, Abram and his people run into the inhabitants of a place called Chedorlaomer. Abraham’s family conquers the opposition, and brings the livestock and other riches back with them from the battle. A mysterious figure appears, Melchizedek, and Abraham recognizes him as a priest of God. Let’s listen to what happens.

[Have a student read Genesis 14:17-20.] What did the priest offer Abraham? (A blessing, bread, and wine) What did Abraham do in return? (Offered a tithe, or tenth of all he had.)  So begins the understanding that the proper worship of God involves returning 1/10 of all we earn and receive.

There are many other references to tithing, and commandments to tithe in scripture. Tithing has been the way to show worship of God, since the time of Abraham. At the time of Jesus, it was understood and practiced.

Just as Abraham, Jacob, and all the people of God have tithed, so we are to continue. We are to determine 1/10 of all we receive and earn, keeping in mind that all belongs to God, we are just returning what is due Him. I challenge each of you to bring a tithe next week, for our box.

Do you remember the quote from Jesus we discussed earlier? When we tithe, we put our heart and treasure in the same place.

Let’s try doing the math. If I have a dollar, how much should I give when I tithe? [Demonstrate on the board if necessary, and let students do other examples.]

CLOSING:

Obedience is our key word this week. Abraham was obedient to God long before the passage on tithing. He was both obedient and trusting. He knew that God was God, and he was man. He knew that it was only right to return to God what God had given him. Abraham is our exemplar of obedience.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 4: “We Offer Ourselves as God’s Servants”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will be able to explain that God wants us not just to tithe, but to offer our whole life to His service. 

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Bible marked at Matthew 23:23 and Luke 10:27

FOR THE CATECHIST:

In this lesson the students think about how Jesus made the mandate to tithe into a greater mandate, namely to offer our whole lives to Christ. Using their remarks from the second lesson, they consider their talents in terms of what they can offer the church.

INTRODUCTION:

Did Jesus ever speak about tithing? [Allow responses.]

He did; not as “I command you to . . .” but rather, acknowledging that it was and is the practice to be followed. See if you can understand what I mean. [Have a student read Matthew 23:23]. Jesus is denouncing the Pharisees for only paying attention to the outward observance of the law without matching it with a right heart. Notice how he tells them to pay attention to the spiritual while not neglecting to tithe.

Most importantly, Jesus repeated the Greatest Commandment that was given to God’s people in the Old Testament. Do any of you know the Greatest Commandment? Let’s hear it in this passage.

[Have student read Luke 10:27]. Does God ask us for a tithe of our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength?

Rather, we are to understand in this passage, and others such as, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God ,” (Matthew 6:32-33) that God wants our total allegiance, and love God is to be not only our first priority, but the very life within us, through His Holy Spirit. God wants us to offer ourselves to Him. God wants us to be His hands, and His heart in the world. Together, as church, through the Holy Spirit, we are God’s hands and heart.

[Allow discussion as time permits, using the following as starters:] Two lessons ago we spoke about being good stewards of our time, talent, and treasure. How do people serve the church, our parish, with their particular talents, or time? Do you have to have a lot of money to offer yourself to God? How do you serve the Church?

So, does God want merely our tithe? (No, God wants us to offer ourselves to His service.) When we serve the Church, unselfishly, we are offering ourselves to God.

CLOSING:

Our exemplar for giving oneself to God is St. Thekla She heard St. Paul speak about Jesus, and decided to travel spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. This was very dangerous work for a woman in those days. She gave her whole life to serving Jesus Christ. She is our exemplar of giving oneself to God. This is the end of this mini-unit. I hope you have been enriched, and challenged by what you have learned. We will continue bringing our offering to class each week, to place in the box.

Lesson Plans Grade HS

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 1: “We Humbly Trust God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will be able to explain humility according to one of the phrases on their handout. They will be able to state why we trust God.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

“We Are Nothing, and Have Nothing, Without God” Handout (provided)

FOR THE CATECHIST:

Every week the students will be asked to bring in an offering for your class box. Check to see if it is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, determine when you will collect the offering and write it in. Likewise, at the conclusion of each lesson, the doorknob hanger reminders are to be given out. Check to see if that is in each lesson plan, and if it isn’t, write it in.

This is the first of four lessons on tithing.  This lesson should be presented after your normal lesson for the day.  For that reason, no opening prayer is given in this guide and the materials listed here are only for this segment of your lesson. Words that appear in italics provide the intent of the writer, as if teaching this lesson. Answers appear in parentheses. Do not read aloud to the children from this lesson plan!

The first lesson of the program asks the students to think about the foundational virtue for Orthodox spirituality, namely, humility. They will be introduced to its true, and life-giving meaning. They will share their feelings as they express humility through their bodies, with a prostration.

INTRODUCTION:

For a few minutes now, we are going to have a special lesson. We will have three other special lessons in the next three weeks. These special lessons are to help us understand why it is important to bring an offering each week. I have a special box here. I would like you to bring something to give to God each week. How many of you already contribute to the parish each week? We will place your offerings in the box. 

CONTENT:

[Write on board: humility.] Let’s begin by word associations. What comes to mind with this word? [Write responses.] Here is the word which is at the root of humility: humus [Write on board.] Humus is decayed plant and animal matter--what everything becomes when it is ready to return to the earth. Here are some more associations. [Write “Adam” on the board. Wait for their reactions.] The meaning of

Adam is “red clay.” The association with humility is as follows: [Write on board: red clay -> Adam (humankind) -> humus -> red clay.]

Humility is the root of all Orthodox spirituality. It has been misunderstood by many to mean degrading oneself. However, in truth, humility is making a statement, about all of us. Humility says, [Pass out “We Are Nothing, and Have Nothing, Without God.”  Have students read aloud each paragraph.]

Our lesson today asks us to recognize that we depend on God for everything. Let’s try using our body to describe humility. [Have students do a prostration; when their heads are touching the ground, ask them what their feelings are.] Our Orthodox spirituality leads us to a right understanding of God and humankind. We depend on God, we trust God, we worship and love God who provides us salvation. When we prostrate ourselves, our bodies are expressing these ideas.

CLOSING:

Our special program, To Tithe is To Love, begins today. To help you remember to bring an offering to church to place in our box, we have doorknob hangers that tell you about a saint who had one of four qualities that help us give back to God. Today’s quality is trust. The Theotokos, the Mother of God, had to trust that God would take care of her. She is a good example, or exemplar of trust. Take this home and put it on your doorknob so that next week you can bring your offering for our special box.

We Are Nothing, and Have Nothing, Without God

Humility says, “We are creatures, created by the almighty God. In now way are we equal to God. We are created from the earth. He is not. He is above all that is.”

We are created, but we are the summit of creation. To Adam was given dominion over the earth. We intercede for all creation. We care for creation.

Humility is recognizing our place in the created order--above all creatures, but still, a creature. Yet, the reason we exist is that we may live now and forever, with God.

Humility is encapsulated in the statement, “God is God, and we are not.”

Humility recognizes that without God we are nothing—without God we have nothing—we depend on God for everything. Recognizing our dependence on God leads us also to humility.

The icon for the large dome of our churches is called the Pantocrator. It is Jesus the Judge of All. Pantocrator, means “over all creation.” It is an icon that inspires us to humility.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 2: “Stewards of What God Has Given Us”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will learn the term stewardship,” and will consider how they must make a decision to put Christ and the Church first and foremost in their lives as distractions can make them lose sight of the goal.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Index Cards

Icon of Christ Saving Peter (provided)

Chalkboard

FOR THE CATECHIST

If you have more than 5 in your class, copy the icon for each five students and arrange them in small groups. The lesson begins by asking the students to write names of teen idols and desirable things. They then talk about any time or money that teen’s devote to what they have written. The question is posed as to whether these people and things are good or bad? The students then hold their cards until the conclusion of the lesson. At that point, after they know the term, “stewardship,” the teacher poses the question of how much of our time, talent, and treasure goes to the church? Do we give our attention each day first, and foremost to Christ and the Church, or are we distracted by the many “things” in a teen’s life?” While these people and items are not bad in themselves, the sum of them can distract us so that we lose sight of Christ.” We need to make a decision, and a plan, so that we are good stewards of our time, talent, and treasure.

INTRODUCTION:

[Have index cards available to the students. On the board write these categories: movie and music stars, athletes, fashion divas, “hot” items to own, anything you are devoting time and energy toward.] Look at the board. I’ve written some categories of people and things. Use an index card to write the name of, for example, a movie star you like. Use one index card per name. Keep them with you until I tell you. [Teacher should participate as well.]

CONTENT:

Last week we considered a fact that many people try to forget. Do you remember the title of the worksheet we used? “We are nothing, and have nothing, without God.”  This week we will consider all that God has given to us, and what our response should be. The key word for today’s lesson is “stewardship.”

Let’s pretend that all of us own a candy factory business together. What kind of candy shall we produce? [Write responses on the board.] In order to run efficiently, our business has some departments. Let’s name two of them, and make up a name of a person who is in charge of each of these departments. [Write responses on board.] Now let’s say that there is a possibility of opening a new plant in an area so all of us are chartering a flight to check out this lead. We give instructions to the two department heads, and we make sure that these two employees have all that they need to continue production, and then we depart for two weeks.

Two weeks go by. When we return, we ask for the two to come into the board room. To our dismay, we find that (name of first department head), has been lazy. He has slipped behind in his schedule. His employees are confused, and there is little to show for his department’s effort. He has no excuse to offer.

On the other hand when (name of second department head), gives his report, it is obvious that he has run an efficient department. He has exceeded the production schedule, and has even improved some of the candy. He offers to us the best of the production from his department.

And at this point the story will end. [Allow responses to:] As the Board of Directors, what might you say to each of them? Would you keep on the first department head?

What does the word “stewardship” have to do with the story? (The two department heads were stewards, or caretakers of their departments.)

Let’s switch to the present day. In God’s eyes, each of us is a steward. Of what are we stewards? (Our lives, and the earth.) When God gave Adam dominion over the earth, Adam, and by extension, all of us, are to be caretakers of creation. We are to be stewards of all God has entrusted to us. Remember, we are nothing and have nothing with God. It is all “on loan,” or “entrusted to our care.” We need to pay attention to three items in particular: our time, our talent, and our treasure. We need to return a portion of each to God.

When we offer our talent and our time to church, are we “giving” or “returning.” [Allow responses.] (We are returning, because all we have is Gods, we are just stewards.)

In our attempt to be good stewards, we can fail, if we lose sight of our goal. [Pass out the icon to each group.] Remember when we spoke about how much time, or money, we spend on what is written on these index cards? I want you to keep that in mind, and one by one, place your cards on the paper icon. [Allow a minute to do so.] I am sure you are all aware of the word “devil.” It’s meaning is “to dissipate, or create chaos.” When our life is pulled in so many directions, it is easy to lose sight of Christ. We, like Peter, can begin to drown. I think we all want to be good stewards in Christ’s. We need to make a plan to put Christ, and His Church, at the top of our “life list.” We need to be good stewards of our time, talent, and treasure; and of our whole lives.

CLOSING:

St. Nicholas was a very good steward. He had a lot of money from his family, and he gave it to poor people to help them out. We are good stewards when we use our talents in church. Think about your particular talent—how can you give back to God in the Church? We are also good stewards when we bring an offering of what we have to God. St. Nicholas is on our doorknob reminder for this week.
 

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 3: “We Obey God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will be able to cite Abraham and Jacob as two figures who began the tithing tradition.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS NEEDED:

At least 3 Bibles, marked at 1) Genesis 14:17-20, 2) Genesis 28:10-22, 3) Leviticus 27:30-32 and 4) Malachi 3:6-10.

Chalkboard and chalk or large paper and markers

FOR THE CATECHIST:

The lesson provides some of the many scriptural passages where tithing is mentioned. It is a tradition that began with Abraham, and was given to Moses as one of the laws of the covenant. While some may say that tithing is a Protestant development, the scriptures make it clear that it is our tradition, and our law as God’s people.

INTRODUCTION:

Our first lesson’s key word, or spiritual quality to develop, was trust. The last lesson’s key word was stewardship. Any idea what the key word for this lesson is?

CONTENT:

What is the first book in the Bible? (Genesis) In the book of Genesis we learn about the beginnings of creation, humankind, evil, to name a few concepts. We meet Adam, Eve, Noah, and Abraham, and others. Abraham is our person to learn about today. After the fall from Paradise, God wanted to create a people into which His Son would be born. He began by calling Abram out of Ur. He promised him that he would be the father of a people who would be more numerous than the stars. Although this sounded to good to be true, Abram and his people followed God on a journey. Abram was obedient to God.

In another story, Abraham was asked to bring his son Isaac up to the top of a mountain, and then to slay him. This was almost unbearable to think about, but Abraham was obedient. God stayed his hand before he could harm Isaac. Abraham is a model of obedience.

During their journey, Abram and his people run into the people of a place called Chedorlaomer. Abraham’s family conquers the opposition, and bring the livestock and other riches back with them from the battle. A mysterious figure appears, Melchizedek, and Abraham recognizes him as a priest of God. Let’s listen to what happens.

[Have a student read Genesis 14:17-20.] What did the priest offer Abraham? (A blessing, bread, and wine) What did Abraham do in return? (Offered a tithe, or tenth of all he had.)  So begins the understanding that the proper worship of God involves returning 1/10 of all we earn and receive. [Write on the board: “We learn tithing from: Abraham.” Leave room for three other names.]

[To make sure the students can easily figure a tenth, put a few examples on the board.]

[Make three groups of students, and give each a Bible. Assign each one passage to read together, paraphrase to the class, and read aloud the verse that has the word “tithe” in it. 1) Genesis 28:10-22, 2) Leviticus 27:30-32 and 34. 3) Malachi 3:6-10.]

[As the students report, write on the board for each as noted. Write: “Jacob” on the list. Preface the first report with:] The first reading is from the book of Genesis, which tells the beginnings of God’s people. Jacob is Abraham’s grandson.

[Write: “Moses.” Preface the second with:] The book of Leviticus tells the laws that God’s people are to keep.

[Write: “Prophets.” Preface the third with:] The book of Malachi is a book of prophecy. The job of the prophet was to call God’s people back to the covenant—back to the obligations to God.

Just as the people of God have tithed from the beginning, so we continue. Who are the two that began the tradition? (Abraham and Jacob)

We are to determine 1/10 of all we receive and earn, keeping in mind that all belongs to God, we are just returning what is due Him. I challenge each of you to bring a tithe next week, for our box.

CLOSING:

Obedience is our key word this week. Abraham was obedient to God long before the passage on tithing. He was both obedient and trusting. He knew that God was God, and he was man. He knew that it was only right to return to God what God had given him. Abraham is our exemplar of obedience.

TO TITHE IS TO LOVE

2004

Lesson 4: “All Our Life Unto Christ Our God”

OBJECTIVE:

The students will review the mandate to tithe and add to it the understanding of tithing from the first fruits. The students will be able to explain that the Greatest Commandment is Christ’s measure for how much we are to dedicate to God—namely ourselves, in totality.

TIME:  10 minutes

MATERIALS:

Bible marked at Matthew 23:23, and Luke 10:27.

FOR THE CATECHIST:

In this final lesson all the qualities discussed earlier are brought together. The students are taken one step further with the concept of offering their entire lives to Christ. They are challenged to offer a tithe of all they will receive for graduation, in an act of solidarity with God whom they will be calling on to guide them in their college and adult lives.

INTRODUCTION:

Our key words thus far have been: trust, stewardship, and obedience. Last week we learned that tithing is the measure of proper worship of God. Who began the tradition? Did God ever dictate it? (Yes, to Moses in the book of Leviticus). So begins the understanding that the proper worship of God involves returning 1/10 of all we earn and receive. Do most people think of the words “proper worship” and “money” in the same phrase? [Allow responses.] What is our key to understanding these together? Let’s explore other words that tell about the money we give. [Write responses on board. The words that are best are “offering” or “returning.”]

CONTENT:

If you recall our first lesson, we discussed humility as realizing that we are nothing without God. In the second lesson we learned that we are “stewards” of what God gives us—not owners. In the third lesson we learned that we are to return to God 1/10 of what he gives us. “Return” is a good word to describe why we bring money to church. The word “offering” is even better.” What is the difference? [Allow responses.] Offering includes the idea of humility. We hope that what we offer will be pleasing to God.

In some of the passages from the Old Testament last week, the phrase “first-fruits” came up. In the story of the two department heads, the good steward offered the owners the best of what had been produced. First-fruits are the best. Today we speak of “seconds” or ‘second-hand” as not the best, so the concept is still around. What does that mean for tithing? If any of you are aware of “payroll deduction,” you

know the idea of first-fruit. Let’s say you get a paycheck of $100 each week. Before you do anything else with that money, you make out a check for $10 to the church.

It is easier to do that than to try and find $10 left at the end of the week. Also, it shows God where your priorities are.

Although it may seem hard, God never, ever asks of us what is not for our own good. It may not seem so at the time, but if we follow God’s commandments, we will discover why He has asked for our obedience. It will be for our own good.

In a few years, or months, you will be done with high school. You will have decisions to make about your life direction. You will pray, and trust God to be there for you to guide you and help you. Begin now to honor God in your life, by following His commandment to offer a tithe, of your earnings, and of what you will receive, especially when you graduate. I think you will find that by putting your tithe aside for God, you will think of God more often, and he will honor your attention with His presence in your life.

Did Jesus ever speak about tithing? [Allow responses, if time permits.]

Indirectly, He did. Have a student read Matthew 23:23. Jesus is denouncing the Pharisees for only paying attention to the outward observance of the law without matching it with a right heart. Notice how he tells them to pay attention to the spiritual while not neglecting to tithe.

Most importantly, Jesus repeated the Greatest Commandment that was given to God’s people in the Old Testament. Do any of you know the Greatest Commandment? Let’s hear it in this passage.

[Have student read Luke 10:27]. Does God ask us for a tithe of our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength?

Rather, we are to understand in this passage, and others such as, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” (Matthew 6:32-33) that God wants our total allegiance, and love God is to be not only our first priority, but the very life within us, through His Holy Spirit. God wants us to offer ourselves to Him. God wants us to be His hands, and His heart in the world. Together, as church, through the Holy Spirit, we are God’s hands and heart.

As you know you will need to trust God for the big things soon, begin now, one day at a time. Ask, “What would YOU like me to do this day, Lord?” Find a quiet place to pray this each morning, and hopefully also read a few passages from scripture. We are “God’s team” in the world.

CLOSING:

Our exemplar for giving oneself to God is St. Thekla. She heard St. Paul speak about Jesus, and decided to travel spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. This was very dangerous work for a woman in those days. She gave her whole life to serving Jesus Christ. She is our exemplar of giving oneself to God. This is the end of this mini-unit. I hope you have been enriched, and challenged by what you have learned. We will continue bringing our offering to class each week, to place in the box.

Program Concepts, Scriptures for Year One

To Tithe is to Love

Campaign of Advent 2004

Concepts Used in Year One Program

(Excerpt from Report: “Comprehensive Formation of Children in Regard to Tithing”)

Letter 2004

November 2004

Dear Pastors and Church School Directors,

With joy we have begun the Nativity Fast, emptying ourselves and slowing down our lives, so that we may truly appreciate the great gift of God’s Son. Coinciding with the Fast, is the new program, "To Tithe is To Love." With the delayed mailing, (see note below) you may choose to begin the program after the first of the year. As pastor, you may wish to look over the lessons for this year, in particular the scriptural references, should you desire to preach on tithing.

Knowing that all we have is from God, we worship and thank God by returning a portion to Him. The offering of 1/10, a "tithe," of what we earn and receive, has been our tradition beginning with Abraham, as noted in the following passage from scripture:

When Abram returned from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the kings who were allied with him, the king of Salem went out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a pirest of God Most High, he blessed Abram: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most high, who delivered your foes into your hand."

Sample of doorknob hangers that are being sent

Here is a sample of the doorknob hangers that are being sent:  Download PDF

Church School Director Overview

The following documents are available in PDF format:

• Overview of Program
• Labels

Note: To ensure labels print correctly, make sure to disable any page-scaling features in Adobe Acrobat.  The labels need to be printed exactly as they are formatted in order to align correctly to the page.

In order to turn off page-scaling, begin to print as usual by selecting "Print..." from the File Menu.  A window with Print Settings will appear, where you may select your printer, the paper size, the number of copies, and a number of other options.  Look for the following settings in this window:

As indicated, "Page Scaling" needs to be set to None.  After this is set, the labels ought to print accurately.

Grade Level Teacher Notes

The following teacher notes are available in PDF format, divided by grade level:

• Kindergarten-First Grade
• Grades 2-3
• Grades 4-5
• Middle School-High School

NOTE: THE TEACHER NOTES FOR GRADE K-1 HAVE BEEN CORRECTED.

Grade Level Booklets

The following booklets are available in PDF format, divided by grade level:

• Kindergarten-First Grade
• Grades 2-3
• Grades 4-5
• Middle School-High School

Posters

The following posters are available in PDF format:

• Gratitude (Color)
• To Tithe (Black and White)