Dr. Pat's Orthodox Super Sunday School Curriculum

EPISTLES, FEASTS, AND SACRAMENTS

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS

This sample schedule is provided for the convenience of the Church School coordinator. Feel free to substitute your own dates and teachers. For example, the feast lessons are scheduled to occur the week before the feast, but will need to be moved for the movable feasts. The other lessons progress in order, epistles and then sacraments, with feasts interspersed.

Teachers:

Schedule of Classes:

General notes:

Each student has been given a Bible and should bring it to class each Sunday or leave it in class.  There are also some extra Bibles for use of visitors, etc.  There will also be a copy of the icon for each of the major feasts for each class and a map of the world in Paul’s time.

Teaching schedule: I have tried to accommodate any scheduling needs that you have communicated to me ahead of time in the schedule.  However, we all know that there will be last-minute needs; please trade with someone if you cannot teach on your assigned day and then call me and let me know who’s traded with whom so I don’t panic at Liturgy when I don’t see you there!

Paperwork and insurance regulations:  Each of us must “apply” each year for our volunteer position; our references will be checked as per diocesan regulations.  We will also have a parent volunteer who could come into any classroom at any time as required by the insurance company. 

Opening Exercises: Teens may remain in the social hall for fellowship until “stolen” by their teacher. 

Curriculum: While the theme of the lesson should be adhered to, the actual ideas in the curriculum are suggestions; if you have a creative idea for a craft or game or discussion (along the appropriate topic), please follow your own drummer.  Teens also respond well to note-taking and quizzes; they’re used to this in school, can do it well, and realize that there is material to be learned and not just time to be killed. There should be enough here for you to work with; in fact, if discussion gets hot and heavy, there may be entirely too much here and you may have to pick and choose.

There are basically 3 types of lessons this year: epistles, feasts, and sacraments. 

The epistle lesson has a particular verse as theme; each age level of students is focusing on a different verse in each lesson.  Scripture readings follow; often a good idea with teens is to read “round robin” with each students reading a verse going around the circle so they don’t “zone out” while the teacher “drones on”. Discussion ideas follow, but some may fall flat while others may come to mind.  With teens it’s important to keep their interest; you have to “go with the flow”.

The feast lesson provides the icon to see if they already know the “story”, the gospel, epistle, and Old Testament readings (Why did the Church choose these particular readings?), the Troparia and Kontakia, and discussion questions.  There should be enough here to provide teaching and discussion.

The sacrament lessons provide a bare bones outline of the sacrament service itself, the Scriptural basis, special music, and discussion questions. A “field trip” to the sanctuary is a “must” when discussing the Liturgy; maybe Fr. Gregory can give a guided tour. The same might be said with ordination; ask Fr. Gregory to “strip” his vestments for the class so they can be seen and identified.

Workshops: We have 5 workshops planned this year learning traditional Orthodox ethnic “skills” that coordinate with our curriculum: baking prosphora, making koliva, decorating holy water jars, making kneeling cushions, and decorating Palm Sunday candles. These will take place after Church School in the Church Hall.