Sunday School Programs and Events
Any and all events sponsored by Saint Luke's Sunday School can be found on this page. Information and times of Sunday School events can also be found here. If there is anything not listed or that you would like to see please feel free to e-mail us at stlukess@gmail.com
Sunday School Programs and Events
September:
$ Registration: Registration will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2008 in the Educational Center. There will be tables set up with volunteers available to answer any questions you may have. Please fill out a form if you are not on our mailing list. If you are updating information, please take the time to do that as well.
October:
$ Open House: The annual Sunday School Open House will take place on Sunday, October 5, 2008. Parents and grandparents are invited to attend classes with their children and grandchildren. Copies of class curricula will be available in the Educational Center.
December:
$ Christmas Communion Breakfast: The CCB will take place, Sunday, December 7, 2008. Come one, come all, and meet jolly old Saint Nick! The CCB is the Sunday School’s sole fundraiser. It is a great deal of fun for children of all ages. The CCB will start at approximately 11 AM with a pancake breakfast followed by live entertainment. Students are not charged to attend the event.
$ Christmas Pageant: The Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy begins at 6 PM on Wednesday, December 24, 2008 followed by the pageant at approximately 7:30 PM. This year’s annual Christmas pageant will once again be organized and directed by Angelique Demetris. All students are invited and encouraged to take part in the pageant. The selection process for the pageant especially the major roles are based on attendance. Attendance is considered from the entire previous year when making selections.
$ Oratorical Festival: Preparation for the Oratorical Festival begins in early November. The festival is for grades 7-12 and is split into two divisions: the junior division (grades 7-9) and the senior division (grades 10-12). The Oratorical Festival provides students an opportunity to explore aspects of our Orthodox faith. Each student is responsible for writing a speech that is presented at a local level at Saint Luke’s. If the student wins, they must be prepared to move onto the regional, diocesan, and even national level depending on their success. The Oratorical Festival is a commitment that requires a good deal of work but is an extremely worthwhile task. It teaches students research skills, public speaking, as well as knowledge of their faith. If you would like to read further information, please try the following link http://www.goarch.org/en/archdiocese/departments/religioused/oratorical.
February:
$ Kid Mission: Delaware Valley Youth Commission sponsors the annual Kid Mission each year at a local parish. The Commission also designates a topic for students and assigns each Church a specific aspect of that topic to research. The date for this year’s Kid Mission is T.B.D.
March & April:
$ Sunday of Orthodoxy: Sunday of Orthodoxy will be celebrated this year on March 8, 2008 this year. All Sunday School students will participate in a procession around the Church holding holy icons depicting Christ, the Theotokos and all of those saints who have walked the Christian life before us. We rejoice in the Icons that bring God and His Saints into our lives, and give us a glimpse into heaven on Earth. We celebrate the return of the holy icons to the Church and begin the Lenten season remembering our Holy Orthodox faith which guides us towards our relationship with Christ. On this Sunday, students are asked to bring an icon from home so that they can take part in the procession.
$ Lenten Readers: Throughout the Lenten season, students in 5th grade and above will be asked to read Psalms and prayers at certain Lenten services. Again this is a wonderful way to get our students more involved so that they truly understand the journey we should all be on during Lent.
$ Saturday of Lazarus: Saturday, April 11, 2008. As we celebrate the Saturday when Jesus raised Lazarus from his bed, we also come together in anticipation of Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem. Immediately following the Divine Liturgy, students will go into the Educational Center where we will fold palms together and enjoy a Lenten luncheon.
$ Myrrh Bearers: Each year on Good Friday young ladies in grades 3-6 are invited to take part in the Apothoklesis Service and the Holy Friday Evening Service. The Myrrh Bearers represent all that is good and holy in our Christian faith. They were there, “early in the morning”, to find the empty tomb and to receive the word from the Angel that He is Risen and to announce that message. They faithfully ministered to Him and followed Him throughout His ministry on earth. There are two separate services that the girls may take part in, or if they choose, they may take part in both. We would like to have as many girls involved as possible and will not limit the amount that can participate.
$ Holy Friday Helpers: The Holy Friday Helpers program takes place on Good Friday, which falls this year on April 17, 2008. In an effort to better understand our Lenten journey, we are devoting the day to learning what we should do during throughout Lent. In the morning, we will start with a short lesson after which students will then go into Church to help the Philoptochos decorate the Epitaphion. Students will then head back down to the Community Center for crafts and lunch. The day will finish at approximately 1 PM. Notes from Father Christ are available for students who need an excused absence from school.