“Curriculum in religious education must encompass more than the schooling context if it is to fulfill its aim of integrating persons into the life of the Church. Three contexts have been indentified as centers of focus for intentional religious education: the church (worship), the school (formal teaching), and the family/community (praxis). It is the interrelationship and integration of education in these three contexts thats leads to wholeness.”
– Constance Tarasar, A Process Model for the Design of Curriculum for Orthodox Christian Religious Education
Great Lent & Pascha Lesson
A handout to send home with your students at the beginning of Lent
Journey to Pascha Poster
Use the poster to write in your parish’s Lenten services. When are the services? What are the different services about? Hang the poster on your classroom wall to visually see the progression towards Pascha!
Lenten Almsgiving
A handout to send home with your students at the beginning of Lent
Lessons & Activities for "Sweet Song: The Story of Saint Romanos the Melodist"
Printable lesson plans are available for this story
Living Our Faith: "It's Too Hard for My Kids"
I’ve heard many times over the years, “It’s too hard for my kids” when someone brings up the topic of fasting and children. Read more…
Lessons & Activities for "Pascha at the Duckpond"
Printable lesson plans are available for this Lenten story
Offering Our Gifts to God: Baking Prosphora – This is less than a 4 minute video intended to give children a glimpse into how prosphora is made at home.
This is a great way to teach young children or special needs children how to make the sign of the cross.
This provides a concrete visual, as well as, breaks it down into steps – which allows the children to understand what they are trying to achieve.
1. Place three of the same color stickers on the child’s right thumb, forefinger, and middle finger
2. Place two stickers on the palm of their right hand, under their ring and pinky fingers, to indicate where they will fold down their fingers
3. Ask the child to pinch their three right fingers with stickers on them together. This symbolizes the Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit – separate, but One. You can explain to the child(ren) that there are some aspects of life that we don’t fully understand, and the mystery of the Holy Trinity is the greatest of these.
4. Ask the child to fold down their right ring finger and pinky finger into their palm. This symbolizes Christ coming down from Heaven to earth. It also represents His two natures: fully God, fully human.
5. We touch our forehead first (We love God with all our mind), then to our chest (We love God with all our heart), and then to our right shoulder followed by our left shoulder (We love God with all our strength).