Especially for Small Church Schools

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.

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.

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.

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 

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

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.

Illustrated handouts of the each Sunday's Gospel for every Sunday are offered at five levels with discussion questions. It is paraphrased for the younger grades, and presented as it will be heard for the older students. Engaging graphics and great questions--it can be used as the curriculum for a small church school, or by parents who wish to read the gospel on Saturday night with their children.