Sunday School Programs and Events

Up BWS Pageant Kid Mission Godparent's Sunday Oratorical

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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 SSLukes@aol.com.

September:

 $    Registration:  Registration will take place on Sunday September 25, 2005.  It will be held upstairs outside of the religious education center by the water fountain.  All families are asked to re-register this year to make sure our databases are up to date.

 October:

 $    Open House:  The Sunday School Open House will take place on Sunday, October 9, 2005.  Parents and grandparents are invited to attend classes with their children and grandchildren.  Copies of class curricula will be available outside the religious education center.

 December:

 $    Breakfast with Santa:  BWS will take place, Saturday, December 4, 2005.  Come one, come all, and meet jolly old Saint Nick!  BWS is one of two yearly Sunday School fundraisers.  It is a great deal of fun for children of all ages.  BWS will start at 10 AM with a pancake breakfast followed by a morning of fun filled activities.

$    Communion Breakfast:  The Communion Breakfast will take place Sunday, December 11, 2005.  On this Sunday, the Sunday School has an assembly for all students.  Each year we use this time to discuss different topics in our Orthodox faith.

$    Christmas Pageant:  The Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy begins at 6 PM on Thursday, December 24, 2005 and is followed by the pageant at approximately 7:30 PM.  The year the 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.  In the past, the attendance from only September to December of that year was considered.  This year and in years to come, a student’s attendance from the entire previous year will be considered 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.  Monthly workshops are held on Sunday after Church.  These workshops are an opportunity for students taking part in the festival to get help and guidance from the Sunday School teachers on the Oratorical Festival Committee.  Lunch is always served at our workshops as well.  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:  The date of this year’s Kid Mission is Saturday, February 11, 2006 at St. Demetrios church in Upper Darby, PA.  The Delaware Valley Youth Commission sponsors an annual Kid Mission at one of the local parishes.  Each year the Commission designates a topic for students and assigns each Church a specific aspect of that topic to research.  Students spend a few Sundays investigating their assigned topic from our Orthodox faith and share their findings with other students from the other Churches.

March & April:

 $    Sunday of Orthodoxy:  Sunday of Orthodoxy is celebrated on March 12, 2006 this year and marks the first Sunday of Lent.  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 grades 6th and above will be asked to read Psalms and prayers at certain Lenten services.  Again this is a wonderful way to get out students more involved so that they truly understand the journey we should all be on during Lent.

$    Saturday of Lazarus:  Saturday, April 15, 2006.  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 religious education building 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 will take place this year on April 21, 2006.  In an effort to better understand our Lenten journey, we are devoting the entire day to learning what we should do during Lent.  We will start with a short lesson for students and then students will then go into Church to help the Philoptochos decorate the Epitaphion.  We will break for lunch shortly after this.  After lunch is finished, we will head back downstairs for crafts, and another short lesson before the Apothoklesis service at 3 PM.  Notes from Father Christ are available for students who need an excused absence from school.