Sunday Church School

"Of all holy works, the education of children is the most holy"

Saint Theophan the Recluse

Our Mission Statement

The purpose of Orthodox Christian Education is to help build up the Church, the Body of Christ, by nurturing every person in the life of personal communion with the Holy Trinity (theosis), and thus, through this ministry, to bear joyful witness to God's loving and redeeming work in the world. Orthodox Christian Education aims at the communication of the content of Christian truth in the context of concrete Christian living: believing, praying, worshipping, learning, applying, growing, sharing, serving and witnessing. We accomplish these goals by providing age appropriate curriculum and faithful and enthusiastic individuals to teach our students.

Schedule of Classes

Each Sunday begins with worship by participating in the Divine Liturgy, followed by religious instruction. The Divine Liturgy begins at 9:30 a.m. Families are encouraged to sit in the first seven pews on the left side of the Nave. These are reserved for Sunday Church School.

Classes are in session from 09/10/2023 to 05/19/2024. Classes begin directly following the offering of Holy Communion. Classes end promptly at 11:45 am. Parents are asked not to interrupt the classes and to pick up their children from the classroom promptly. 


Schedule of Events

First Day of SCS, September 10, 2023
Family Sunday / No SCS (Thanksgiving), November 26, 2023
Nativity Program Dress Rehearsal, December 16, 2023
Nativity Program, December 17, 2023
Family Sunday / N0 SCS (Christmas holiday), December 24, 2023
Family Sunday / N0 SCS (New Years), December 31, 2023
SCS Resumes, January 7, 2024
St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Parish Level, March 31, 2024
Family Sunday / N0 SCS (Palm Sunday), April 28, 2024
Family Sunday / No SCS (Pascha), May 5, 2024
Last Day of SCS and Awards, May 19, 2024
Vacation Church School, July 15-19, 2024

Student Recognition Day

The Sunday Church School will recognize its students who have achieved Perfect or Faithful Attendance on May 19, 2024 at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy. Only those students who meet the attendance requirements from the beginning of the Sunday Church School year will be recognized. Attendance Requirements: Perfect Attendance is 0 absences. Faithful attendance is 1-2 absences. In the event of an out-of-town trip, you may bring proof of attendance at another Orthodox Parish and you will be granted attendance for that day.

 

St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival

The purpose of the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival is to provide teenagers with an opportunity to learn, write, and speak about their Orthodox Faith, Church and Heritage. This strengthens their understanding and appreciation of their identity as Greek Orthodox Christians, and cultivates spiritual growth and maturity. The overall Oratorical program is called an Oratorical Festival rather than a contest to minimize the competitive spirit and emphasize a joyful learning experience. Since 1983 the Oratorical Festival has provided thousands of teenagers the opportunity to discover the fullness of the Orthodox Faith!


Students in grades 7-12 may participate. The division breakdown is:
• Junior: Grades 7-9
• Senior: Grades 10-12

The Parish Festival date will be announced in the fall. Each Parish sends its finalists to a District Festival.
The District Festivals are composed of parishes in specified areas of a Metropolis. District Festivals take place between March and April and the finalists advance to the Metropolis Festival.

The Metropolis Festival takes place between April and May and includes the finalists from each District. The first place Junior and Senior Speakers of each Metropolis advance to the Archdiocesan Festival.
The Archdiocesan Festival takes place in early June.

All national finalists will receive a college scholarship or a US Savings Bond as follows: The top three speakers in each division receive a college scholarship in the amount of $2000, $1500, and $1000 respectively, and the remaining finalists receive a $500 US Savings Bond. These awards are made possible by many generous donations to the St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival Scholarship Foundation.