Especially for Teachers

Heaven and earth meet in the Church through the Divine Liturgy. The newest full-color zine from the Greek Department of Religious Education begins with a brief history of worship in the Orthodox Church and then details each section of the Divine Liturgy.

Orthodox Institute 2009 will be held November 5-8, 2009, at Antiochian Village, Ligonier, Pa. This year’s theme is Beyond the Classroom. We are pleased to present two keynote speakers: His Grace, Bishop THOMAS, Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic, and Paul Finley, Executive Director of Antiochian Village.

The book provides the basic tenets of Orthodoxy from creation to the Church in 58 pages each with a sentence and full-color illustration. The second part of the book gives a fuller analysis of the 58 statements, and is suitable for adult classes. The book is a handy general resource and has been used with children who have had no prior classroom introduction to the faith to help them "catch-up" with their classmates. Available from the Antiochian Bookstore or from ArchangelsBooks.com.

There are 80 cards, 8 1/2" x 11" in size. Each card features a full-color photograph on the front. The text and suggested activities printed on the reverse sides of the cards provide simple explanations of each picture and are meant as guidelines to encourage further study. The cards break up into four clearly defined sets: Sacraments, Feast Days & Services, Great Lent & Pascha, and Divine Liturgy. Packaged in its own colorful storage box, the Teaching Pictures will be useful for all grades of the curriculum. Order from the Antiochian Bookstore or the Orthodox Christian Education Commission.

These are useful for framing when the feastdays are celebrated, and are a valuable supplement to any educational effort. The subjects include Christ, the Mother of God, saints, and major feasts of the Church year. An accompanying instructional booklet includes explanations of the theology of the icons and the spirituality expressed in each icon. The most complete and accessible icon collection for popular use. A bi-lingual edition, Vengan y alaben al Senor, includes a booklet in Spanish with the English commentary printed on the back of the icon prints.

We've put together a comprehensive guide of many curriculum options for those who work with teens.

If you are looking for a fun, hands-on way to teach young people about the importance of doing acts of charity, Project Mexico has developed a three-lesson Church School Curriculum that is available at no cost. The three lessons give students an opportunity to examine what it means to be poor, hear what Christ instructed us to do for those in need, learn about Project Mexico's ministry to the poor and orphaned of Mexico.

FREE DOWNLOAD! Modules of 1-2 lessons for 3-4 different age groups. Some of the lessons are based on the Orthodox Church in America’s Youth theme of the year, such as Champions of the Faith. Other topics are suitable for seasonable emphases such as stewardship, charity, and missions, and may work for retreat settings.  

FREE DOWNLOAD! FOCUS is a series of modules of 5-6 lessons for 5 different age groups. Topics covered are the Journey to Pascha, the growth of Orthodox Christianity in North America, the Theotokos, and the Nativity season.

Bible Activities

1. Discovering Biblical Meaning in Liturgical Verses – 13 pages of verses and scriptural references

during the services of Nativity 

2. Examining the Nativity of the Theotokos – through hymnography and iconography and Scripture.

FREE DOWNLOAD! Although each Christian generation has its own unique challenges there were those followers of Christ – in various times and places – who suffered extraordinarily for the Faith. They gave their lives completely through sacrificial service or in death, " for the sake of Christ and the Gospel." Saints in Times of Trouble bears witness to twelve such disciples.

FREE DOWNLOAD! The North American Saints Activity Book is the first in a series of online resources from the Department of Christian Education of the Orthodox Church in America. It offers biographical information about twelve saints whose lives and witness built up the Church in America.

In addition there are striking black and white drawings of each saint, based on their icons, and an array of puzzle activities which will give students a challenging and enjoyable way to learn more about each one. A special feature of the book is a map for each saint, tracing the path of his travels and witness.

Those of us who teach Sunday school to young students often face the dilemma, “What craft can the children do this week??!” A coloring page, of course, can be used as a last resort, but if you’re like me, you prefer using a variety of arts and crafts that are easy, fun, and inexpensive.

The Saint of the Day, from Ancient Faith Radio, briefly tells the story of one of our venerable Saints we are commemorating for each day. It is heard eight times daily Monday—Friday, and is also available as a podcast. Our reader is a professional actor and an ordained Deacon in the Orthodox Church, Dn. Jerome Atherholt. Our source is www.abbamoses.com.

At their Orthodox Kids Corner website, Potamitis Publishing offers hundreds of free coloring pages (including icons), dot-to-dots, mazes, puzzles, and other activities, available for free download for personal and Sunday Church School use. You can also send e-cards.

Potamitis Publishing publishes Orthodox children's books, in both English and Greek. Filled with lush and vibrant images, praised by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew the 1st, these books offer engaging stories that make Orthodox teachings accessible for little ones and adults alike.

The Orthodox Kids Corner at their website, provides hundreds of free downloadable materials for personal use and Sunday Church schools.

Visit the Orthodox Church in America's Department of Christian Education website at www.dce.oca.org.

Resources include:

• Complete (FOCUS) Units. There are five units: Monasticism, Journey to Pascha, The Nativity Season, My Orthodox Family, and The Theotokos. The units consist of of 5-8 lessons written at five levels, preschool-adult.
• Mini Units. There are 15 multi-leveled units of 1-2 lessons, including Mission, Repentance, and Champions of Faith.
• Teacher Resources. In this category there are 182 articles, handouts, music, bible stories, tools, and activities.

Phyllis Meshel Onest, M.Div., the Director of Religious Education for the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, has compiled an exhaustive resource list for both church school and home use at www.phyllisonest.com.

• Sources of books, icons, tapes, magazines
• Home Schooling Resources
• Websites at Your Fingertips
• Church School Director Resources
• Church School Teacher's Notebook
• Great Lessons Need These….!
• Jr. & Sr. High Resources
• Parents & Families Resources
• Pre-School Resources
• Small Church School Resources 

Children's Orthodox Christian School Bulletin. St. Nicholas Orthodox Parochial School, Inc., Tarpon Springs, Florida, publishes the Children's Orthodox Christian School Bulletin weekly from September through June of each year. The bulletin is a copyrighted piece which is distributed electronically to approximately 1,000 individuals and organizations in the United States, Canada and the Far East.

The Department of Christian Education coordinates the Art, Poetry, Creative Writing and Photography festivals.

Much of the Southeast suffered an ice storm this past December. The southeast does not ‘do’ ice or snow very well. We spent four days without power. The evening of the third day (Saturday) we went to stay with parishioners who had had their power restored. As we sat around the dining table. Ali (a bright eleven year old) asked the question.

Orthodox parents are given by God the responsibility of raising their children as 0rthodox Christians.  This task to be sure, is a difficult one.  Parents must make a commitment not only to become active in the Church but also make one to the religious education of their children.

A number of years ago, I received an interesting call from a concerned parishioner.  The previous week’s bulletin had run an announcement that Church School registration would begin soon, and that parents or grandparents of all children ages four and up should register their children.

The tithing theme for 2009-2010 is To Tithe Is To Show That We Care for the Church. On this web page you will find a set of parish posters, Teacher Notes, Student Booklets, and other materials.