One Year with the Divine Liturgy

Explanation of our church school program for the year:

For the 2020-2021 church school year, St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Euless, TX implemented a “One Curriculum” model. The idea was to have everyone in the parish learn about the same topic in order to nurture understanding of the Divine Liturgy, to bring families together in conversation about each week’s lesson, and to promote greater participation in the Divine Liturgy as a community.

All of our teachers were provided with the lessons below for their designated age group. Father Vasile would also provide a short lesson for the entire parish at the end of liturgy each week (labeled below as “Parish Lesson”) over the same topic as our teachers. Due to Covid and our classroom situation, our teachers would teach each week’s lesson on Zoom for Sunday School after liturgy. Each of our teachers also received Christ Amongst Us from New Rome Press for their own extended learning as well as an additional teaching resource for their lessons.  

The classroom lessons were written by Jennifer Hock and reviewed by Fr. Vasile Tudora.   
*Any mistakes or errors within these lessons belong to me, Jennifer Hock. Please forgive me.

Divine Liturgy Curriculum: Organization and Development

List of Topics / Lessons for the Year

Lesson Suggestions & Supplements

Bulletin Board Printout

Family Guide 

We cannot understand our worship without knowing the Scriptures. Yet the same is true vice versa: The meaning of the Scriptures is disclosed in worship.

Fr. Alexander Schmemann

"Liturgy and Life: Christian Development Through Liturgical Experience"

Lesson 1

What is the Divine Liturgy?

Goals: What does liturgy mean? Why is the Divine Liturgy so important?
Resource Needed: (PreK – 5th)
The Woman and the Wheat
by Jane G. Meyer
Student Lessons
Parish Lesson
Lesson 2

Worship in the Homes
(The Early Church)

Goals: When was the first celebration of Holy Communion? Where did Christians worship during the Early Church?
Student Lessons
Parish Lesson
Lesson 3

Worship in the Catacombs
(Time of Persecution)

Goals: What is a catacomb? Why did they worship in the catacombs?
Student Lessons
Parish Lesson
Lesson 4

Worship in Churches

Goal: What happened that allowed Christians to move from worshiping in the catacombs because of persecution to being able to build churches and worship openly?

Student Lessons
Parish Lesson
Lesson 5

General Structure of the Divine Liturgy
(Two Main Parts)

Goal: What are the two main parts of the Divine Liturgy?
Resource Recommended: (PreK – 12th)
Poster from Christ Amonst Us by New Rome Press
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 6

Liturgy of Saint Basil

Goals: Who is St. Basil the Great? When do we use the Liturgy of St. Basil?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 7

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Goals: Who is St. John Chrystostom? When do we use the Liturgy of St. John?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 8

Presanctified Liturgy

Goals: What is the difference between a Divine Liturgy and a Presanctified Liturgy? When do we celebrate Presanctified Liturgy?
Recommended Resource: (PreK – 5th)
Preparing the Gifts Visual or Video
from Orthodox Pebbles
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 9

Liturgy: Proskomide

Goals: What is the Proskomide? When does the priest prepare the Gifts?
Resources Needed: (PreK – 5th)
Preparing the Gifts Visual
from Orthodox Pebbles

Recommended: Teaching Pics
(page 21 in the catalog) from OCEC

Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 10

Liturgy: Antiphons, Small Entrance, Trisagion Hymn

Goals: What does Antiphon mean? What is the Small Entrance? Give a brief explanation of the Trisagion Hymn.
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 11

Liturgy: Epistle and Gospel Reading

Goals: What is an epistle? Who wrote them? What is the Gospel? Who wrote them?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 12

Liturgy: Litany of Catechumens

Goals: What is a catechumen? Why do we pray for catechumens?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 13

Liturgy: Cherubic Hymn, Great Entrance, Litany of Completion

Goals: What is the Cherubic Hymn about? What happens during the Great Entrance? What is the Litany of Completion?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 14

Liturgy: The Creed

Goals: What is the Creed about? Why is the Creed so important?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 15

Liturgy: The Holy Anaphora

Goals: What is happening during the Anaphora? 
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 16

Liturgy: The Lord’s Prayer

Goals: What does the Lord’s Prayer mean?
Resource Needed: (PreK – 2nd)
Our Father from Potamitis Publishing

(3rd – 5th grade)
Orthodox Children’s Bible Reader
from Greek Orthodox Archdiocese

Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 17

Liturgy: Holy Communion, Thanksgiving, Dismissal

Goals: Why is Holy Communion so important? What is another term for Holy Communion?
Resource Needed: (PreK – 5th)
Orthodox Children’s Bible Reader
from Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 18

Practical Preparations for Liturgy

Goals: What do we do to prepare for the Divine Liturgy?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 19

Use of the Senses During the Liturgy

Goals: How do we use our senses during the Divine Liturgy? Why do you think the Church incorporates the use of all of the senses during the Liturgy?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 20

Sight: Icons

Goals: What is an icon? Do we venerate or worship icons? What does venerate mean?
Resource Recommended: (PreK – 12th)
Several icons of different saints: A martyr, an unmercenary, bishops, Christ, Theotokos, monastic, etc
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 21

Sight: Clergy & Vestments

Goals: What is the role of the deacon, priest, and bishop? Explain one way you can tell the difference between a deacon, priest, and bishop when they are wearing their vestments.
Resource Recommended: (PreK – 2nd)
Build Your Own Bishop, Priest, Deacon from OCEC
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 22

Sight: The Church Building / Architecture

Goals: What are the three main parts of an Orthodox Church? (Horizontally: narthex, nave, altar & Vertically: the Heavens, The Church Triumphant, the Church Militant)
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 23

Hear: Hymns / Church Music

Goals: Who is St. Romanos the Melodist? Why do we sing during the Divine Liturgy instead of just reading all of our prayers?
Resource Needed: (PreK – 5th)
Sweet Song: A Story of St. Romanos the Melodist from Ancient Faith Publishing

Optional Resource: (PreK – 5th)
Lessons & Activities for Sweet Song

Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 24

Hear: Church Bells / Censers

Goals: Why do we ring bells? What do the parts of the censer symbolize?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 25

Touch: Making the Sign of the Cross / Kneeling / Prostrations / Veneration of Icons & Relics

Goals: How do we make the sign of the cross? What does it mean? Why do we kneel and prostrate? What is the difference between veneration and worship? Why do we kiss icons and relics?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 26

Touch: Priest Blessing / Addressing Clergy

Goals: How do we receive a blessing from a priest? How do we address our deacon, priest, and bishop? (How do we address our deacon’s and priest’s wife?)
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 27

Smell: Incense / Bees Wax Candles Burning & Their Use

Goals: What does incense represent? Read and discuss Psalm 140. Why do we use candles at church?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 28

Taste: Holy Communion / Andithoron / (Occasional) Kolyva, Artoklasia, Phanouropita

Goals: How do we make prosphoro? What does andithoron mean? How should we treat it? When do we make kolyva and why? When do we make artoklasia and why? When do we make phanouropita and why?
Student Lesson
Parish Lesson
Lesson 29

Review: One Year with the Divine Liturgy

Goals: Go over the main points we learned this year
Student Lesson

Prosphora Baking Class

Coming Soon!