TABLE OF CONTENTS SUBJECT PAGE FIRST SECTION: PREPARATION MATERIAL.................................................... 3 Introduction to the Series....................................................................................... 4 Classroom setup & rules………………………………………………………………………............... 10 Themes and Subjects of Grades 1 – 5..................................................................... 12 Church Calendar...................................................................................................... 13 One Year Lesson and Servant Schedule.................................................................. 14 Characteristics of Third Grade Students................................................................. 16 Theological and Spiritual Background………………………………………………………………… 19 SECOND SECTION: CORE MATERIAL….......................................................... 23 Second Grade Themes and…………………................................................................. 24 Third Grade Themes and ………………....................................................................... 26 Fourth Grade Themes and………………..................................................................... 29 Unit I: Repentance and Confession ..……………………………………………………………… 32 Lesson 1: Who is the Sinner? Review of 10 commandments...................................... 33 Lesson 2: Who is the Sinner (II): Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.............. 44 Lesson 3: Who is the Sinner (III): Our Lord Loves the Sinners (Zacchaeus)................. 59 Lesson 4: Repentance is a Journey (Saint Moses the Strong) ………………………………….. 68 Lesson 5: The Publican's Prayer …………………………………………...................................... 76 Lesson 6: The repentant returns to the church (the prodigal son)..………………………… 85 Lesson 7: Faith and forgiveness: ……………………………………..…………………………………….. 95 Lesson 8: The Mystery of Repentance and Confession (in steps)............................... 105 Lesson 9: Repentance Unit Review............................................................................. 114 1 Unit II: Divine Liturgy ………………………………………………………………………………………… 124 Lesson 10: Introduction to the Holy Liturgy: Holy Space, Holy Time......................... 125 Lesson 11: Preparatory.............................................................................................. 131 Lesson 12: Offertory I................................................................................................. 137 Lesson 13: Offertory II................................................................................................ 144 Lesson 14: Liturgy of the word: ……………………………………………................................... 153 Lesson 15: Liturgy of the Faithful: Reconciliation Prayer …........................................ 160 Lesson 16: Liturgy of the Faithful: Anaphora………………………………………………………….. 167 Lesson 17: Liturgy of the Faithful: Anamnesis and Epiclesis....................................... 175 Lesson 18: Liturgy of the Faithful: Litanies and Commemoration.............................. 184 Lesson 19: Liturgy of the Faithful: The Fraction and the Confession……………………..… 192 Lesson 20: How to Prepare for Communion............................................................... 204 Lesson 21: Liturgy Unit Review……………………………………………………………………..……….. 213 Unit III: God’s Family of Faith on Earth Jacob ………………………………………..……………. 221 Lesson 22: Review of Abraham's life as God's chosen first Patriarch……………………….. 222 Lesson 23: Jacob and Esau …………………………………………………….……………………………….. 229 Lesson 24: Isaac Blesses Jacob…………………………………………….…………………………………… 234 Lesson 25: God Renews the Covenant with Jacob…………….……………………………………… 240 Lesson 26: Jacob and Laban……………………….……………………………………………………………. 245 Lesson 27: Jacob Becomes Israel…………..…………………………………………………………………. 251 Lesson 28: Unit Review………..…………………………………………………………………………………… 259 Unit IV: Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation Lesson 29: The Flood Lesson 30: Crossing the red sea Lesson 31: Naaman the Syrian Lesson 32: The Ethiopian Eunuch Unit V: We are one in Christ Lesson 33: Ethnicity - St. Teckla Hymanout the Ethiopian and Sts. Maximos & Domatius.. Lesson 34: Age - St. Misaeel the anchorite & St. Lesson 35: Sex - St. Elaria and St. John of the golden gospel 2 Lesson 36: Status - St. Arsanious and St. Moses the strong Lesson 37: Possession - St. Helena the queen Unit VI: Seasonal Lessons...................................................................................... Lesson 38: The Feast of Nyrouz.................................................................................... Lesson 39: the Feast of the Cross.................................................................................. Lesson 40: Kiahk - St John the Baptist birth and life………………………………………………… Lesson 41: Holy Nativity - the humility and poverty of our Lord's birth………………… Lesson 42: Holy Theophany - Baptism is forgiveness of sins…………………………………… Lesson 43: Lent - Samaritan woman………………………………………………………………………… Lesson 44: Lent fasting and repentance - The return of the Ninevites…………………… Lesson 45: Holy week - prepare for the palm Sunday…………………………………………….. Lesson 46: Holy Resurrection - St Mary Magdalene………………………………………………. Lesson 47: Holy Fifty days - Christ gives the church the power to forgive sins.………. Lesson 48: Ascension and Pentecost - Pentecost reconciling the world.………………. Lesson 49: Fast and feast of the holy apostles………………………………………………………… Lesson 50: Fast and the feast of the Holy Theotokos-St Mary the gate and the ladder THIRD SECTION: MINI REFERENCE ....................................................................................... 3 FIRST SECTION PREPARATION MATERIALS 4 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES Although Sunday school is a relatively recent term in our Church, its existence is very old. The school of Alexandria is one of the most ancient Christian seminaries. Catechesis of new believers was the main function of the school. THE RITE OF BAPTISM IS THE MODEL From the rite of Baptism in the Coptic Church, we can identify three stages of “transformation” that must happen to the new converts before they are fully inaugurated as members of the body of Christ. The first is educational, where they get to know the Gospel and get “the Story” as told by the eyewitnesses, the story of Salvation as given to us in both the Old and the New Testament. St. Luke writes, “In as much as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eye witnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophorus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.” The Gospel then is the right information, the good news. Whenever the Gospel is told, some would be moved to repentance to be “cut to the heart.” Some would be filled with joy and wonder, and speak in tongues. Some would be filled with fear and trembling. Others would be mocking. No one who hears the Gospel can be indifferent. In this first stage, the Church anoints the “catechumens” with the sermon’s oil to guard the mind against all the work of the enemy. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in breaking down all high walls and fortified strongholds that keep humans away from the light of the Gospel of Christ. The second stage is the stage of the movement of the heart, marked by the oil of Joy, “to be planted in the fruitful olive tree that is the Holy church of God.” The joy of Christ is what carries on with the Christians all their lives. No one can take that joy away from them. It is the joy of knowing Christ and being in Him. The joy that fills the heart more than oil and fat can satisfy the body. Our Lord becomes - to the believer in Him - the food and the drink of the spirit in the journey through the earthly life. Before the anointment with the oil of joy, the catechumen is asked to make the oath. The oath is renouncing Satan and accepting Christ. The baptized here is a spouse of Christ, pledging fidelity. It is verbalizing what he or she feels in the heart and knows in the mind. Here the Spirit brings life to the heart and satisfaction that no other can bring. The third stage is the consecration. It starts with the immersion in the water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. In doing this, the believer is born again to God and becomes united with 5 Christ. He or she is now a new creation, a clean vessel ready to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who should never leave, as long as, he or she lives. The next step would for the Holy Spirit to indwell in the Holy Chrism. SUNDAY SCHOOL AS A SUPPORT AND CONTINUATION OF THE MOTHER’S WORK When a baby is going through the rite of Baptism, the mother takes the vows for the baby. In doing this, the church recognizes the mother as the first and most important catechetical school. When the mother renounces Satan for the baby, she pledges to stand against evil work manifesting itself in her children’s life. Even more importantly, she pledges to cultivate in her children a strong hate toward sin. When she accepts Christ, she pledges to bring her children to the love of Christ and all his teachings through the church. The mother does not do this alone. The divine plan had already included the help of the Comforter in achieving this goal. The teacher role is to help the student to wonder at the good news and ponder it in his/her heart. Since