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THE COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRIARCATE

ST. GEORGE AND ST. RUEISS CHURCH

SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

PRE-SCHOOLERS

Revised Edition 2005

PREPARATION AND WRITING

Father Rueiss Awad,

St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church

Toronto, Canada.

To Order Write To

St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic, Orthodox Church

141 Bond Avenue

Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M3B 1M1

(416) 444-1092 or (416) 447-0108

St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church

No portion of this book may be reproduced or copied in any form without a written permission from:

St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

To my blessed two sons: Hegomain Fr. Marcous Elias Abdel Massih and Hegomain Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty.

Peace and love be with you.

Dr. Mahfouz has visited me and brought with him the suggested Sunday school curriculum for the land of immigration. I have studied with him the basic topics of the curriculum without getting into details. Although that I have pointed out some concerns on the doctrine and dogma curriculum, it is clear that the amount of work spent on preparing the curriculum is huge and worth thanking. Nonetheless, the Bible study part of the curriculum needs to be increased. God willing, I will also send you additional details on this curriculum.

May the Lord bless all the effort that our son Mahfouz has done in preparing the Sunday school curriculum, in collecting the relevant topics, and in performing the translation of subjects. May the Lord also bless all those who have joined him in preparing this project and those who revised the topics.

Let our goal be performing our best to try and arrive at perfection given what we have from abilities. Lastly, I would also suggest the addition of different recognized pictures according to our doctrine, dogma and history to the Sunday school curriculum.

May the Lord be with you. Be in peace.

Signed

Pope Shenouda III

22 August 1986

The feast of St. Mary

TABLE OF CONTENTS.. 7

INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM... 10

INTRODUCTION.. 27

SEPTEMBER.. 29

FIRST SUNDAY.. 29

THE STORY OF ZACCHEUS. 29

SECOND SUNDAY.. 35

EL-NAYROUZ FEAST. 35

THIRD SUNDAY.. 41

THE LORD JESUS HELPS THE FISHERMEN.. 41

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 47

THE DAY OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS. 47

OCTOBER.. 53

FIRST SUNDAY.. 53

LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER.. 53

SECOND SUNDAY.. 59

THANKSGIVING TO GOD.. 59

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. 77

NOVEMBER.. 83

FIRST SUNDAY.. 83

JESUS HEALS A DEAF-MUTE.. 83

SECOND SUNDAY.. 89

A SERVANT LEARNS GOD’S WAYS. 89

THIRD SUNDAY.. 95

BE A GOOD FRIEND LIKE DAVID AND JONATHAN.. 95

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 101

ST. MENA THE MIRACLE-MAKER.. 101

DECEMBER.. 109

FIRST SUNDAY.. 109

ZECHARIAH AND ELIZABETH.. 109

SECOND SUNDAY.. 115

THE VIRGIN MARY AND THE ANGEL. 115

THIRD SUNDAY.. 121

MARY VISITS ELIZABETH.. 121

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 127

THE NEW YEAR - WHAT DOES GOD WANT US TO DO?. 127

JANUARY.. 131

FIRST SUNDAY.. 131

Christmas songs and slide presentation. 131

SECOND SUNDAY.. 133

THE WISEMEN AND THE SHEPHERDS VISIT BABY JESUS. 133

THIRD SUNDAY.. 139

JESUS WAS KEPT SAFE IN EGYPT. 139

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 145

EPIPHANY. 145

FIFTH SUNDAY.. 151

THE CHURCH LOVES EVERYONE: 151

ALMS - THE FEAST’S CAKE.. 161

THIRD SUNDAY.. 167

OUR RESPECT FOR ABOUNA.. 167

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 173

EVERYONE OF US IS IMPORTANT TO GOD.. 173

MARCH.. 179

FIRST SUNDAY.. 179

THE CHOOSING OF NOAH AND NOAH’S ARK.. 179

SECOND SUNDAY.. 187

THE END OF THE FLOOD.. 187

THIRD SUNDAY.. 195

THE CALL OF ABRAM... 195

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 201

THE LORD PAYS ABRAHAM A VISIT. 201

APRIL.. 207

FIRST SUNDAY.. 207

EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. 207

SECOND SUNDAY.. 215

PALM SUNDAY- THE CHILDREN RECEIVE JESUS. 215

THIRD SUNDAY.. 221

GOOD FRIDAY. 221

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 227

THE LORD JESUS ROSE AGAIN AND THE STONE OF THE TOMB WAS MOVED.. 227

MAY.. 233

FIRST SUNDAY.. 233

JESUS WITH HIS DISCIPLES IN THE UPPER ROOM... 233

WHY NOT HIT BACK?. 267

JUNE. 273

FIRST SUNDAY.. 273

THE ASCENSION FEAST. 273

SECOND SUNDAY.. 279

PENTECOST. 279

THIRD SUNDAY.. 285

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS ( I ). 285

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 291

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS ( II ). 291

JULY.. 297

FIRST SUNDAY.. 297

THE LORD JESUS FEEDS THE CROWD.. 297

SECOND SUNDAY.. 303

THE APOSTLES’ FEAST. 303

THIRD SUNDAY.. 309

A NEW LIFE FOR SAUL. 309

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 315

GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS ( I ). 315

FIFTH SUNDAY.. 321

GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS ( II ). 321

AUGUST.. 325

FIRST SUNDAY.. 325

RAHAB AND THE SPIES. 325

SECOND SUNDAY.. 331

KING SOLOMON AND THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.. 331

THIRD SUNDAY.. 337

THE LOVE OF OUR LORD JESUS TO THE VIRGIN MARY. 337

FOURTH SUNDAY.. 343

THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION: 343

Recitation Curriculum... 345

MAJOR REFERENCES.. 350

EXTRA TABLE OF CONTENTS.. 351

INTRODUCTION TO THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

Principal Goal of Christian Up-Bringing.

The child had and still has, first as a person and second as a child, a special importance to our Lord Jesus Christ. He called the children and considered them models of perfection, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:3-5).

Therefore, children are beloved ones to Christ and are His friends with their simplicity and purity of heart. Christ called them, blessed them and asked His Disciples and Apostles after Him to take care of bringing up children and prepare the suitable environment for their spiritual growth.

St. Paul advises parents saying, "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged", (Colossians 3:21). From a Christian point of view, the general principal goal of religious up - bringing is the formation of the perfect man of God who is following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Also, our Lord said, "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15).

Hence, a Christian up-bringing is not merely an education to be given or a curriculum to be taught, but it is rather a life that is given through example and behavior through teaching and discipleship. The saintly Fathers of the church have emphasized this fact. St. John said about his practice of life with the Lord "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us - that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3).

The same fact was emphasized by St. Paul when he was talking to his disciple Timothy "But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium ... But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:10-15). Also in the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 3:17, "Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern". Therefore, the principal goal of the Christian up-bringing is to change the life of our children to the life of Christ in them, i.e. to a life based on the work of Christ in them as true Christians and not just religious persons who fear God but deny Him.

The Starting Point in Achieving the Goal of Religious Upbringing.

The teacher should not start with the student from power Zero. The student comes equipped with many social and religious experiences. His religious experience, although it is limited, it has a strong basis that is ready for spiritual growth. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the student has already obtained the spiritual birth i.e. he became spiritually re-born. After his baptism he was anointed with the Holy Myroun (Chrism) and the Holy Spirit dwelt in him. St. John said "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you; and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him" (l John 2:27).

Therefore, by obtaining these two Holy Sacraments and the Sacrament of Eucharist, the student becomes a member in the body of the Lord and a living part of the body of the Holy Church. This means that religious up-bringing is not something foreign with respect to the student. The student is a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in him. This means that it is not the teacher who makes the student live a life for Christ, but it is the inside work of the Holy Spirit that makes the whole difference. The role of the teacher is to make the student aware of the effect and the work of the Spirit. In this sense the student becomes aware of the secret grace inside him and as a result the divine word inside him grows as the seed grows inside the earth.

The Difference Between Religious Education and Religious Upbringing.

We should not aim at providing lessons in the form of giving information, i.e. a mere religious education. In this case religious experience will never exceed the circle of the mind and will never affect the heart and practice of the student. If we consider religious education as an element in religious bringing-up, we are in this case following Christ's plan in the development and building of the Christian personality. Christ with His example and His perfection gave us a model which should be followed and achieved. As for His teachings, they are meant to clear the way for us in order to follow them as examples and models.

The Need of our Church for a Coptic Orthodox Sunday School Program.

There is one basic difference between Eastern and Western theology; the latter depends on study, analysis and using scientific means, whereas Eastern theology is based on experience and depth which is mainly lead to true Christian life. The Eastern Church respects the role of the mind but it works under the supervision of faith.

The majority of recent Western Sunday School programs follow a pure analytical way of explaining the Bible. For example, miracles are explained through psychological and scientific factors. The man of God must accept miracles and believe them as they are. St. Athanasius said, "Our knowledge must not control (or have authority over) the word, but the word itself must have the control and authority over the mind".

Another basic difference is that our traditional Church uses the rites in education as a key in the process of living what is being taught.

Over and above what was mentioned before in relation to the basic differences in religious education between Eastern and Western churches, there are also basic differences in the various beliefs and the way Christianity is lived by in actual life.

We, as parents, teachers and clergy, are responsible in front of God to bring up our children according to the same spiritual Orthodox principles that we received from our saintly Fathers who shed their blood to perpetuate the perfect Orthodox faith . Therefore, our children must learn from the same source from which we learned before them.

The Sunday School program in your hands is a fruit of love granted by our Lord Jesus Christ to our children and a gift from Him to them. This program is purely Coptic Orthodox. All its references without exception are Coptic Orthodox (please review the reference list at the end of the book. In this manner all the information that is in this book (as well as all the books in this series) can be used with total confidence as it is devised according to our glorified church. The spirit of the lessons is indeed the same spirit of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

About the Books in Your Hands.

These books in your hands are integrated series of books which were written for children from age 4 to 18. With the grace of the Holy Spirit, if the child at age 4 follows this series of lessons until age 18, he will obtain an all-rounded spiritual background. The books (covering the teachings from pre-schoolers to grade 12) cover a study of most of the major Biblical subjects of the Old and New Testaments, the celebrations of the church of our Master's feasts, the life of the Saints and their feasts, the divine liturgy with its rites and spirituality, the true Christian life and Christian behavior, church sacraments, fasting, prayers, the creed and its explanation, the Ecumenical Councils, the difference between the various major Christian sects, the Christian family, the history of our church, the major personalities in the Holy Bible, ... etc. The program is indeed comprehensive and it covers all the key areas of our Orthodox church. If these lessons were given in the spiritual way that was emphasized before, great results will be expected with the work of the Holy Spirit.

General Rules and Principles to be Followed by the Sunday School Teachers.

1) The teacher must know the stage and the characteristics of growth of the children that he or she is teaching. A child who is 12 years old is different than a child who is 8 years old. The teacher must know the level of his/her students, their abilities to receive information that he/she is giving and the differences between the various abilities in the same class.

2) The positive participation of the students is very important during the lesson and the effectiveness of teaching. One of the key incentives for the student is to give importance to the lesson and have an effective communication with the teacher and, above all, to define clearly the purpose behind it and present the lesson in the form of problems that attract their attention.

3) The teacher must follow a psychological order of the facts he is presenting. Our Lord Jesus Christ used effectively the psychological method of teaching through His parables. The parables in their simplicity are drawn from the daily life of the people. We must emphasize here that the psychological method is not the only method of spiritual teaching. We should mention this method as one of the methods used. It is quite important to note that spiritual teaching must be imparted with certain goals in mind which are connected with the life of the children and related to the problems they face. We should provide guidance that is mostly needed for them.

4) The teacher must present the lesson and illustrate it with relevant information and present it as a coherent unity without ambiguity or contradiction. He may use illustrations to help him explain what he means.

5) Application of Christian principles to the actual social life must be emphasized in every lesson. The teacher should use stories (from the Old or New Testaments or from church history or church books) to attract the attention of the students and show the Christian principle in an applied manner. The teacher also may divide the subject into stages or small subjects. A good practice is to summarize the lesson or better still, ask the students themselves to summarize it.

6) The manner of expressing the lesson to the students is also very important. A teacher who is living by what he/she teaches will definitely be more effective in giving his/her message across. A teacher who is teaching under spiritual influence with compatible emotions to what he/she teaches will be definitely more effective than a teacher who is giving information.

ACKNOLEDGEMENTS

On behalf of the Coptic Orthodox children and youth, who are going to benefit a great deal from this revised Sunday School Program, I would like to express a word of appreciation and gratitude to:

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III

This program leans quite heavily on the writings of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. The majority of the contents of the lessons and their attachments are based on His Holiness' writings. This is a very bright and important aspect of this program. In 1986, during the time in which there was no Coptic Orthodox Sunday School program in the land of immigration, His Holiness reviewed the general contents of the program, commented and modified many key subjects, and then authorized the use of this program in all churches outside of Egypt, on a preliminary basis.

I can safely say that, if it was not for His Holiness Pope Shenouda III's support, wisdom, and writings, this book would not exist. The whole generation is in debt to His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, not only because of his great teachings and writings, but also because of his love and leadership.

His Grace Bishop Reweiss

His Grace Bishop Reweiss has been behind us all the way with his love and guidance. He wrote the forward for our previous version of the program in 1986.

His Grace Bishop Moussa

His Grace Bishop Moussa has provided constant support and encouragement in the completion of the previous program. Of course, His Grace's writings for the youth have been utilized in all the subjects directed towards the youth, in this book.

Fr. Tadros Malaty and Fr. Marcos Marcos

These Beloved Fathers reviewed thoroughly all of the contents of the first six books of the previous version of the program. Their dedication, experience, and wisdom have been an important factor in the quality of all the material. They contributed greatly towards setting up the lessons, in that sense. Father Tadros Malaty's deep writings, without any doubt, have been a key reference in the majority of the lessons. His latest advice to revise and enhance the previous version of the program has been held in the highest regards.

Dr. Fayek M. Ishak

Dr. Fayek Ishak (head of the English Department at Lakehead University) reviewed the first six books of the previous version of the program. He contributed, immensely, towards the setup of the lessons.

Fr. Gawargious Michael and Fr. Mikhael Armanios

These two beloved priests chose the proper songs to match the subjects of the lessons. They also arranged the proof-reading of all the books with a chosen group of youth.

Fr. Makary Silwanis

This beloved priest made all of the arrangements for revising the previous Sunday School Program. He single-handedly arranged to have the new program available online. His computer skills were a key factor in all areas.

Tassoni Ragaa

The continuous support and encouragement of Tassoni Ragaa played an essential role in the write-up of the previous version of the program, as well as in this revision. One of the aspects that kept this program centered and on track was her continuous reminder that this program is for generations to come and every effort is worthwhile for the sake of the upbringing of the children and youth.

The Youth of St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church

There was a key participation from Heba Khattas in this revised version. She in total love and joy contributed with great efforts in typing, checking, proof reading and commenting. All these things by her own initiative despite all the other responsibilities that she had to do towards her family, her work and her study.

There was a key contribution from Marian Awad in this revised version. She proposed that the lessons for Grades 11 and 12 be totally redone in order to prepare the youth to face the challenges at the university level. This idea resulted in a huge change in the curriculum for these two grades, as well as in the writing of the "Contemporary Issues" book.

Ninette Bishay sang over 100 songs in order to make sure that all the lessons were accompanied by beautiful songs in a great language and tone.

Caroline Yassa typed many lessons for the author, mostly dictated over the phone, at times when his eyes were very sore from reading. Her efforts are greatly appreciated.

Comments and proof-readings of many of the youth are greatly appreciated.

Maha Takla	Mark Botros	Patty Ibrahim
Nermin Tawadros	Peter Messiha	Hani Khattas
Jessica Gobran	Margaret Bebawy	Michael Aziz
Elena Neagu	Youstina Hanna	Safwat Armanios
Marian Barsoum	Helen Hanna	Maria Nasralla
Angela Salama	Margaret Massoud	Martha Tawadrous
Mina Gindi	Nancy Bishay	Samih Kalilian
Fady Dawood	Nagat Yassa	Emad Iskander
Lillian Ibrahim	Christina Habib	Paul Tadros
Mariam Tawadrous	Donna Hanna	Dina Ayoub
Joseph Bishay	Dina George	Timothy Gindi
Sameh Barsoum	Marianna Nasralla	Samy Messiha
Sherin Ishak	Angy Hinis	Mariana Ramzy
Michael Malak	Monica Sourial	Nivin Bishay
Michael Kalilian	Mira Henis	Kamilia Beshara
Viola Iskander	Sarah Deif	Marina Mouharib
Hany Matta	Peter Gobran	Georgina Rizk
Marline Ayoub	Michael Abadir	John Hanna
Christina Salama	George Hanna	Irini Gad
Steven Messiha	Rasha Michael	Mohib Tawfik
Marilyn Yassa	Mina Elkatib	Nadir Deif
Sandra Eleigizy	Sherrine Fidal	Hidra Bastawrous

Fr. Rueiss Awad

TEACHER'S GUIDELINES:

HOW TO USE THIS PROGRAM?

1. The teacher should realize that each lesson has been prepared to cover a specific point; starting from the title of the lesson to the end of it.

2. The teacher should read all the materials referred to in the lesson (i.e. the Holy Bible as well as any articles attached to the lesson), and then proceed by emphasizing all the points.

3. The teacher should enlarge the picture ahead of each lesson and use it as a visual aid as he or she is teaching the lesson.

4. The teacher should discuss the practical applications as he or she proceeds with the lesson.

5. The teacher should summarize the main points of the lesson with the students and give prizes.

FEATURES OF THIS SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

A COMPREHENSIVE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

1. This Sunday School program was the very first program to be written in the lands of immigration. This work was initiated in 1974, and the first version was published in 1986. We thank our heavenly Father, Who has given us the opportunity to extensively revise and improve it, in 2005.

2. In this version of the program, any repetition that was in the previous program, has been removed, all lessons were upgraded in both coverage and depth. Moreover, a whole new book, on contemporary issues, has been added.

3. The contemporary issues book covers subjects that are important for children and youth in today's world. These lessons are optional. For churches with regular youth group meetings, these issues would best be discussed during those meetings. On the other hand, for churches that do not hold regular youth group meetings, those issues could be discussed as part of the Sunday School program.

4. This version of the program also includes lessons, which form a basis for a missionary service, a service that should in the ideal situation be practiced by every member of our congregation. The objective is that each child, every youth, and in the long run each Coptic individual can behave and act in a way, which is an embodiment of the teaching and tradition of the Coptic Orthodox Church. In other words, our congregation would become role models in their communities, who attract people to our Lord Jesus Christ through their good practices: sincerity, commitment, hard work and dedication, tolerance, forgiveness, and all the other good qualities that differentiate a good practising Christian from those who merely have a Christian education.

5. In this Sunday School Program, we depended heavily on the writings of H.H. Pope Shenouda III as a reference for most of the presented material.

6. The lessons in this version of the program have already been tried in Sunday School classes, reviewed, improved and tried again. This ensures that the lessons are relevant and suit the level of the students.

7. In this version of the program, efforts were put forth to ensure that every aspect of the Christian life in the Coptic Orthodox Church is covered.

8. This Sunday School Program is not merely about giving specific education on Christianity to our children and youth but it is rather an attempt to deeply affect their feelings and spirituality. It is believed that such an approach will facilitate the practical application of the various aspects involved so that Christianity becomes a way of life for the individual, with deeply rooted Christian values, that are manifested as behaviour and attitude.

9. All copyrights of other Sunday School programs, and other writers, have been fully respected.

10. In this version, each lesson comes complete with pictures and songs that are suitable for the lesson.

11. This Sunday School program comes in various formats, for convenience. In addition to being available on this website for widespread use, it is also available, upon request, in hard copy format or on CD.

12. It is our strong belief that this Sunday School program will play a vital role in the spiritual upbringing of our children. May the Lord bless this Sunday School program and all other programs, for the growth of His Kingdom in us.

THE PREPARATION OF SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS

A. What is a Sunday School Lesson?

1. It is not a record of events that we convey to the students with the hopes of appearing to satisfy the required preparation process in front of other people. Neither is it a lecture that we deliver to our audience or student regardless of their interest in the matter.

2. However, it is, on one hand, a fruit of the live reaction between the servant and the lesson and, on the other hand, between the servant and the students. The Holy Spirit maturates this fruit and directs this service towards the salvation of the students and towards the glory of God.

For if the servant who teaches the people does not teach himself, the voice of the Lord rebukes him saying, " You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself ? " (Romans 2:21), and again in James 3: 1: "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment."

Therefore, the servant should engage himself in the lesson through prayers, relevant spiritual readings, and practical application, so that when the servant speaks with his students from experience and true knowledge, he says, with St. John the Beloved, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-" (1 John 1:1)

If a servant is not aware of the spiritual level of his students, he may burden them with instructions and lessons which they cannot handle nor apply and this, in turn, may cause the students to go astray and lose their eternal life. Therefore, it is crucial for the servant to establish a healthy, trustworthy, and fruitful relationship with his students, as well as to share in their joys and cheers, and their sadness and fears, all towards Jesus Christ. This is what St. Paul refers to in his epistle to the Galatians when he says, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you..." (Galatians 4:19). This close relationship with the students allows the servant to choose the most appropriate lesson that applies to their needs.

Hence a Sunday School lesson is:

A live mixture between the personal lives of the servants and the students through the lesson; the Holy Spirit creates this mixture and allows it to result in the bearing of fruit.

B. The Requirements for Sunday School Lessons

1. Humility in prayer before God.

God said, "...for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

My beloved brethren, sit down in peace and tranquility with the Lord and talk to Him about your personal need for Him in your service. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and pray saying, " Guide me dear God. What would you like my students and I to learn this week ? " Be obedient to His voice. It would be suitable to maintain a prayer time which equals that of the lesson.

2. Accurate knowledge of the meanings contained within the lesson.

This is achieved through:

a) Occupying yourself throughout the week with understanding the new lesson, beginning from the end of the previous lesson until the beginning of the new one. It is wise to use your free time, time before sleep, and time with fellow servants to increase and enhance your understanding of the lesson.

b) Resorting to spiritual and religious references and literature to help you develop the right understanding and concepts behind the lines.

c) Resorting to general educational references and literature to embody this understanding and these concepts, making them clear in the minds of your students.

3. Aids of presentation.

It is important that you transform your understanding of the lesson into a simple and clear presentation. It has been stated and proved that 85% of knowledge acquired is acquired through the sense of sight and visual learning as opposed to the 10% that is acquired through the sense of hearing. The rest of the knowledge acquired is done so through the other three senses.

In reality, the least effective way of transmitting knowledge to others is by merely talking; this has the weakest influence on the students. In contrast, the most effective way to teach is to use the "Learning by Doing" method, which requires enough time as well as sound experience.

What differentiate between the effectiveness of the two means of presentation are the tools used in the presentation. These tools aid the students in effectively understanding and retaining the purpose of the lesson by engaging both senses of sight and sound. These tools may include audio-visual devices such as pictures and movies, spiritual trips and outings, role playing during class, intellectually stimulating games, etc.

C. Recording the lesson.

It is recommended that the servant records the following during the preparation of the lesson:

Date of the preparation of the lesson.
Date of the delivery of the lesson.
Title of the lesson.
Purpose of the lesson.
References.
Preface.
Lesson.
Inference.
Bible verse.
Homework.
Aids of presentation.
Other points for memory.
Songs.
Personal reflections of the servant.

Purpose of the lesson:

It is necessary for the servant to clearly understand the purpose of the lesson at the beginning of his preparation. It is also necessary that the purpose of the lesson should agree with the maturity level of the students. For example, it is more appropriate for children to learn about God's love; on the other hand, learning about the power of God in their lives and in the lives of the saints is more appropriate subject matter for youth. As for young adults, learning about Christian virtues and spiritual practices is most appropriate.

Most importantly, the purpose of the lessons should agree with Coptic Orthodox Christian teachings, whether in specific occasions or in general.

References:

References could include:

a. Stories, examples, verses, etc. from the Holy Bible.

b. Spiritual books and literature.

c. General educational books and literature.

Recording the references is very useful for the servant because it helps the servant to refer back to them, if forgotten.

Preface:

The preface is the background of the lesson. It cultivates the thoughts of the students and directs their thoughts towards the lesson. This allows the lesson to be implanted in their minds and to, eventually, bear fruit.

It is important that the preface remain simple, short, and concise. The introduction could be in the form of focused questions, but should not be in the form of stories. Several stories in one lesson may deteriorate its effectiveness.

The Lesson:

The lesson could be divided into the following sections:

1. Introduction - it should be quick and concise and related to the preface. It should introduce the lesson smoothly without interrupting the chain of thoughts.

2. Body of the lesson - it contains the principle subject of the lesson, and follows these guidelines:

a. You must be accurate and careful when explaining theological concepts.

b. You must be careful when relating events and examples to elucidate the subject of the lesson, in order to properly guide the students' imagination without restricting it.

c. You must diligently expose the Coptic Orthodox doctrine in the lesson.

d. You should not use more than one story during the lesson and the story used should be relevant to the subject matter.

3. Focal Point - the point during the lesson at which the purpose of the lesson is clearly defined. (Examples: The Lord responds to the prayers of a needy person, or the angels come to give the saints their heavenly crowns and take them to heaven after many trials and persecutions.)

4. Conclusion - it should be, like the introduction, short and concise. It can summarize the purpose of the lesson, without introducing any new concepts.

Inferences:

Inference is a method used to determine how much the students have absorbed and retained from the lesson. It should be in the form of questions with the following guidelines:

a. They should clearly show the purpose of the lesson.

b. They should suit the maturity of the students.

c. They should be simple and direct.

d. They should link to each other.

e. They should not be `Yes' or `No' questions.

f. They should each have one correct answer.

Bible Verse:

The memorization of a Bible verse is an excellent way to help the students remember the purpose of the lesson. The chosen Bible verse should meet the following guidelines:

a. It should show the purpose of the lesson clearly.

b. It should be short which allows it to be easily memorized.

c. Children can easily memorize, as well as understand it.

Homework:

The height of your diligence in preparing the lesson is in choosing the proper and effective homework or application. The homework should have the following characteristics:

a. It should contain practical applications that apply to everyday life.

b. It should suit the maturity level of the students.

c. It should help in mastering the comprehension and retention of the lesson.

d. It should not include more than one instruction, in order to simplify the application of the lesson.

INTRODUCTION

Teaching in Pre-Schoolers (ages 4 to 5 years old)

1. This age is characterized by the inclination towards movements, playing and discovery of the world around the child through his personal experimentation.

2. In this age the child forms the idea of the “I” and concentrates on his or herself and wants to take everything for him or herself. We must not expect the child to get rid of the love of self quickly but it will take time, effort and prayer.

3. Some of the children also at this stage would like to do opposite to what they are told to do. Kindness and understanding are key factors in treating the children in this respect.

4. Imitation is one of the key characteristics of this age. This can be positively utilized to enhance the love of the children to worship, to get used to going regularly to church, to learn to give to the poor, to learn to deal nicely with people, to learn the polite way of talking, etc. The child is very flexible and ready to be shaped. As the adults around the child follow good manners, the child also easily imitates them.

5. In addition to all the above, the teacher must: start from simple to the more difficult facts, from the known to the unknown and from the total to the parts and back to the total again. Children must love the teacher, the class, the lesson and come very anxiously to class.

6. The story must be given as a story without too many comments. Illustration means may be limiting the wide imagination of the children at this age. More effective than the illustration means, are the good stories, the hymns accompanied with music, the class activities such as coloring, cutting and pasting pictures, etc.

SEPTEMBER

FIRST SUNDAY

THE STORY OF ZACCHEUS

Please read Luke 19:1-10, the attached sheet “Jesus Knows Where We Are”, and give the story, emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

The Lord Jesus knows where we are and what we are doing. He is trying all the time to help us.

MEMORY VERSE

“.. for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”

Luke 19:10

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Jesus entered and passed through Jericho because He is the Good Shepherd and He is working towards saving the lost sheep. Perhaps Zaccheus had heard about Jesus and perhaps he was very anxious to see Him, but he did not go anywhere else to see Jesus. Jesus came to his city and then Zaccheus acted quickly to see Jesus.

So was Zaccheus searching for Jesus?

Or, was the Lord Jesus entering Jericho searching for Zaccheus?

V Jesus knew Zaccheus’s name and where he was without anyone telling Him. The Lord Jesus is God.

V Zaccheus was surprised and was also happy to welcome Jesus in his house.

V Zaccheus became a good Christian and gave back the money that he had unfairly taken from other people.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. Our beloved Jesus is searching for us to be with Him and have a beautiful life with Him. We have to come to Him and obey what He is telling us to do in the Bible as Zaccheus obeyed Him.

2. The Lord Jesus is God. He loves us and He wants to help us.

Colouring Page

Songs

O MY CHILDREN

“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)

O my little dear children

You are so precious come to me.

Dear Lord Jesus Our God

We love You and praise you Our Lord.

I hear you praising and bless you

My eyes upon you all the time.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.
JESUS KNOWS WHERE WE ARE

Once a very short man named Zaccheus heard some exciting news! Jesus was going to be in the town where he lived. Zaccheus wanted very much to see Jesus.

When Jesus came, Zaccheus tried so hard to see Him, but he could not. He was too short to see the Lord as crowds of people were around Him. So, what could he do?

“I know what I will do,” thought Zaccheus. “I will run ahead and climb up that tree and I will see Jesus when He passes by.” And that is exactly what Zaccheus did.

Jesus stopped right under the very tree where he was! He looked right up at Zaccheus and He said “Zaccheus, you come down. I am coming to your house to visit you today.”

How surprised Zaccheus was! Jesus knew his name! Jesus knew where he was! Jesus is wonderful! Zaccheus scrambled right down out of that tree as fast as he could! How glad he was that Jesus was going to visit him!

SEPTEMBER

SECOND SUNDAY

EL-NAYROUZ FEAST

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

The church is celebrating a new “Coptic Year” in memory of all the people who loved the Lord Jesus Christ.

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Ask the children where their parents were born. They were born in Egypt. Have you visited Egypt? What did you see in Egypt? I saw many things; like the pyramids, the old churches and the monasteries. I also saw my uncles, aunts and grandparents.

V The Egyptians have had certain names for the months of the Coptic Year. They are different from those we have in Canada, the United States, Australia and Europe. This Coptic (or Egyptian) Year was known about 5000 years before the birth of Jesus.

V These days our Church celebrates “El-Nayrouz Feast”, which is the beginning of the Coptic New Year.

V When we celebrate the Coptic New Year, we remember the Saints who loved Jesus more than anything else. They are good examples for us.

V The Coptic Year has 13 months. The Western Year has 12 months. Ask the children the names of the Julian Calendar months.

V The Coptic Year always starts in September (about the beginning of the school year).

V Give them some dates.

V Show them some pictures for the Saints such as St. George, St. Mina and St. Mark. Then teach them how to recognize them. Those Saints love Jesus back.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. There are many saints whom we can take as good examples in our lives many of those saints were from Egypt.

Can you name some of them? (St. Mina, St. Demianah, St. Athanasius, St. Anthony the Great, St. Rueiss, etc.).

2. Some saints are men, women, even young children.

Colouring Page

Songs

O MY CHILDREN

“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)

O my little dear children

You are so precious come to me.

Dear Lord Jesus Our God

We love You and praise you Our Lord.

I hear you praising and bless you

My eyes upon you all the time.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

For the success

of this Sunday
School Program
the teacher should
refer to the

HOLY BIBLE

in his/her preparation
of the lessons and in
teaching the children
in the class

SEPTEMBER

THIRD SUNDAY

THE LORD JESUS HELPS THE FISHERMEN

Please read Luke 5:1-11. and tell the story, emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To show the power of our beloved Jesus, the Son of God.

MEMORY VERSE

“So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him” Luke 5:11

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Jesus always starts the move towards us and in many cases He appears as if He needs something from us. But He always plans to grant us a lot of blessings in our lives.

V Simon and the other fishermen had been trying to fish all night, but they could not catch any fish. Fishermen usually cannot fish during the day because the fish can see the nets and escape. But, we will see in this story that God can do anything.

V Jesus got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to move away a little from the land. Then He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. This shows us that Jesus borrowed the boat from Simon and appeared needy; but Jesus had a plan to give Simon lots of fish and later on to make him one of His disciples.

V There were two boats: one was carrying Peter and his brother Andrew, and the other James and John. Jesus entered the first one. He asked Simon to put his net in the water, even though it was still during the day. Simon obeyed the Lord Jesus. They collected lots of fish and they asked the help of their friends James and John.

V After they filled the two boats with fish, they left all the fish and followed Jesus. They did this because they believed in His power and that He is the Son of God.

V Let us praise the name of the Lord.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. Whatever we cannot do, can be done by Jesus. All what we have to do is to ask Him and obey Him so that He comes to us as He came to Simon’s boat.

2. We must learn from Simon to obey Jesus and give Him the small things that we have. How? We should help the poor. If we have a relative who is sick, we must help him or her. Then Jesus will give us in return great blessings.

3. The Lord Jesus may come to us as needy. But His intention is to give us His blessings.

Colouring Page

Songs

PETER AND JAMES AND JOHN

“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mat4:19)

Peter and James and John and the fishermen (3)

Out in the deep blue sea.

They went fishing, they caught nothing (3)

Out in the deep blue sea.

Then came Jesus walking on the water (3)

Out in the deep blue sea.

Then the boat was filled with fish (3)

Out in the deep blue sea.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

NOTES

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

SEPTEMBER

FOURTH SUNDAY

THE DAY OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS

Please read the attached sheets entitled “The Appearance of the Cross in the Sky” and “The Day of the Feast of the Cross”, and give the lesson with emphasis on the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

V To learn about the apparition of the cross in the sky and St. Helene’s finding of Jesus’ cross.

V To learn how to cross yourself properly.

V To appreciate the power of crossing yourself

MEMORY TEXT

“Jesus keep me near the Cross.”

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Please show the picture of Jesus on the cross. Jesus died on the cross, to assure us that He loves us. Since then all the Christians believe that the cross is a sign of love that we, as Christians, must always remember.

V The appearance of the shining cross in the sky three times (describe as in the attached sheet) was received by the people with joy and astonishment.

V Tell the story of finding the cross (as described in the attached sheet).

V Crossing yourself makes you in company with Christ and, thus, you cannot fear anything. You must cross yourself before you sleep and before entering a dark place.

V You should wear a cross and have one in your room.

V Cross yourself in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let us learn to cross ourselves in a proper way.

(Be sure to show the children how to arrange their fingers.)

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. What is the best sign that God gave us to show His love for us? The cross.

2. The cross is the sign that we are Christians.

3. We must be crossing ourselves several times during the day so that we do not fear the devil.

Colouring Page

Songs

MY CROSS

My cross, my cross my glory is in you!

I place you on my bosom and in my bedroom too.

REFRAIN

My cross, my cross you’re made of lowly wood

But in my heart, my cross you’re more precious than gold

My cross, my cross is with me everywhere

I sign you every morning and whenever I fear

My cross, my cross My victory’s in you

the pledge of my success in whatever I do

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE CROSS IN THE SKY

This happened THREE times:

1. The FIRST time, it appeared in the sky to the Emperor Constantine The Great to assure him victory before he was set to go to war. He and his officers saw it like a pillar of light in the sky surrounded by the following words: “With it (the cross) you will conquer.” Constantine was encouraged, became a Christian, went to war and was victorious.

2. In the SECOND time, the cross appeared to Julius Caesar on the doors of the city of Antioch. It appeared in the East like a pillar of light, which startled all those who saw it.

3. The cross appeared again, for the THIRD time, to all the people of Jerusalem. This happened in the sacred days of the Pentecostal Feast. To be exact, on the 8th day of May, 351 A.D. at 3:00 pm (about 9:00 am our time), a big cross appeared in the sky on Golgotha stretching to Mount Olive. It was very clear and was seen not only by one or two, but by all the people of the city also. It remained (there) for many hours shining brighter than the rays of the sun. All the people of the city came out to see the apparition. People were astounded, scared, but with great joy they witnessed that heavenly scene. Old and young, men and women of all ages, Christians and non-Christians, from all places praised Jesus Christ, our Lord.

THE DAY OF THE FEAST OF THE CROSS

In the day of the Cross Feast we remember the appearance of the glorious cross of Jesus Christ our Lord. When the Jews found out the very large number of miracles done in the name of Jesus’ tomb, they became angry and asked everyone in the Jewish nation to collect all the garbage and put it on top of the tomb to bury it. The Jews continued to do that for over 200 years until a very large pile of dirt was formed. Saint Helene, the mother of King Constantine, went to Jerusalem and asked about the location of the cross. Nobody told her until she met an old man who told her that the cross was underneath that pile of dirt. She then ordered that the pile of dirt should be removed. It was then easy to get out the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ. Afterwards she built a church on that site and the Christians go to visit the cross and the Church.

St. Helene did that because she loved the cross because it appeared to her son, King Constantine before he went to war and he won that war.

OCTOBER

FIRST SUNDAY

LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Please read (1John 4:7-10), the attached sheet “A Rich Woman Shares Her Home With Elisha” (2 Kings 4:8-11), and tell the story, emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

We must share our toys, play together and love one another. We must make our guests feel welcome.

MEMORY VERSE

“Let us love one another” 1 John 4:7

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Elisha was a prophet in the Old Testament, who was a disciple of another prophet who came before him named Elijah. Elisha was a good man. He loved God and God gave him the power to perform many miracles.

V The rich woman knew that Elisha was “a holy man of God”. She wanted to give him a place in her house.

V The rich woman who was kind and loving built a room for Elisha in her house.

V God is love. If we are the sons and daughters of God, we must love one another.

V We have to say “thank you” when people do something nice for us. Elisha, too, thanked the rich lady.

V If we love other people, we must help them.

V If we love our parents, we must help and obey them.

V If someone did something wrong to us, we should forgive them and continue to love them.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. We must share what we have with other people.

2. When we have guests, we must do our best to make them happy and comfortable.

Colouring Page

Songs

CHRISTIAN LOVE

“ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”

(1Cor 13:13)

In Christianity, the A-B-C’s spell L-O-V-E.

First Corinthians thirteen tells us what love really means.

Love is patient, love is kind looks not for mistakes to find

Love is humble, love is meek love will never self seek.

Does envy, never selfish never proud nor snobbish

Is not jealous, is not rude love rejoices in the truth.

Bears all things believes all things

Hopes all things endures all things

Now remains faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

A RICH WOMAN SHARES HER HOME WITH ELISHA

2 Kings 4:8-11

In a large house near the road there lived a kind, rich woman. As she watched the people who walked past her house, she noticed a man who went by often. “He must be the one who goes from place to place telling people about God”. She thought, “How tired he looks! I wish he would stop at my house for dinner, and I would like to hear him talk about God”.

She hurried outside and called Elisha. How glad he was to go into the cool house! The kind woman made him feel welcome. Then she invited him to share a delicious dinner. Elisha had a good time telling her about God’s wonderful ways. He thanked her for the food. Whenever Elisha was near, she invited him to rest and have dinner.

One day after Elisha had gone, the woman asked her husband if they could build a special room for him so that he could stay as long as he wanted. Her husband liked this idea, and built a nice room on the roof of their house.

One day Elisha came again. “We have a new room for you”, the woman said. They went upstairs to look at it. How surprised Elisha must have been! He wished to be in such a room to rest and pray after he helped people and told them about God all day.

Elisha thanked the woman for her kindness. She was happy too. She was glad to share her home with Elisha.

OCTOBER

SECOND SUNDAY

THANKSGIVING TO GOD

Please tell the story of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19), emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

Let us count our blessings and be thankful.

MEMORY TEXT:

Thanksgiving Prayer

“Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God”

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Ask the children: what are some of the things they should thank God for? We thank Him because He has given us our clothes, toys, a good house and good health.

V Fill in some of the things that the children forget to mention in thanking God. For example: He created us, made Heaven and Earth for us, gave us His Body and Blood in the church and gave us our parents to take care of us.

V Tell them the story of the ten lepers in detail.

V The ten men were suffering from their bad disease. They had been like that for a long time, and they lost all hope. They were rejected by all the people. This is the reason why Jesus met them at the outskirts of the village. No one had mercy on them.

V They said, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us.’ They had faith in Him and called Him “Master” and sought His mercy. He healed them and ended their misery.

V But only one of them did the right thing. He came back to Jesus to say “thank you” and glorified Jesus’ name.

V Remind them to thank God in all their prayers.

V We should celebrate Thanksgiving weekend with our family and thank God for our parents, and thank our parents because they are taking care of us.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

Let us say “thank you” to Jesus during the day for everything we have. Then at the end of the day we must thank Him for keeping us safe.

Colouring Page

Songs

FATHER I ADORE YOU

“ for there are three bear witness in heaven: the father, the word, and the holy spirit, and these three are one.” (1Jn 5:7)

Father I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Jesus I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Holy Spirit I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Three in one I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

For the success

of this Sunday
School Program
the teacher should
refer to the

HOLY BIBLE

in his/her preparation
of the lessons and in
teaching the children
in the class

OCTOBER

THIRD SUNDAY

THE ANGELS - I

JACOB WAS COMFORTED BY THE ANGELS

Please read Genesis 28:10-21 and tell the story emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

This is lesson 1 in a series of two lessons about the angels. God sends his angels to help us.

MEMORY VERSE

“The angels of God were ascending and descending on it” Genesis 28:12

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Jacob was afraid of his brother Esau after Jacob took the blessing of his father Isaac instead of the older brother Esau. Esau wanted to kill Jacob for that. Their mother asked Jacob to escape to his uncle Laban. While Jacob was traveling away from home and he was still afraid, the Lord sent his angels to him to comfort him. The angels indeed comforted him.

V We must pray every night before we sleep so that the angels protect us.

V The angels are white and bright (luminous) creatures.

V God sends the angels to do various things. For example, He sent the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to tell her the good news that Jesus would be born from her and the Holy Spirit. He sent the Archangel Michael to Mary Magdalene and other women when Jesus rose from the dead, and He sent an angel to get St. Peter out of jail.

V Let us learn the names of the 7 Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Rafael, Sorial, Sadakiel, Sarathiel and Ananiel.

Please give out some prizes for memorizing those names.

V Jacob called the place in which God talked to him and the angels came to him, the “House of God”.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. God sends his angels to benefit and serve us.

2. The angels are our friends. When we pray, they go up to heaven with all our prayers. Then they come down from heaven to us with an answer for our prayers.

Colouring Page

Songs

FATHER I ADORE YOU

“ for there are three bear witness in heaven: the father, the word, and the holy spirit, and these three are one.” (1Jn 5:7)

Father I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Jesus I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Spirit I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Three in one I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

NOTES

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

OCTOBER

FOURTH SUNDAY

THE ANGELS - II

THE GUARDIAN ANGELS

Please read Matthew 4:6.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To learn that God sends His angels to protect us, that the angels are nice and that we should love them.

MEMORY VERSE

“He shall give His angels charge concerning you” Matthew 4:6

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Let us start by reviewing the last lesson.

V Who can remember the names of the archangels?

V How many are they?

V Everyone has a guardian angel. As the name indicates, the guardian angels are sent from God to guard and protect us from the devil who is bad and wants to hurt us. We must please our guardian angel by obeying God.

V Tell the following story:

There was a man and his wife who used to help the poor and make a large supper for them in every celebration for the angels. They did that every year. It so happened one year that they did not have money and they were very sad. An angel appeared to the man and asked him to go and buy a lamb, a fish and some bread. The man sold his clothes and used the money to buy what the angel told him. The man’s wife cooked the food and at the angels’ celebration a large number of poor people came to eat. The man was ashamed because the food was very little for this number of people. The angel appeared to him and asked him to go to the kitchen and look in the cupboard. He did, and found a large amount of food for him and all his guests. The angel also told him to open the mouth of the fish he had told the man to buy. He found $300 in it. He took $200 for him and his wife and bought clothes instead of the ones he sold and gave $100 to the church.

V The above is from the synaxarium of the church. The name of the man is Dorotheos and his wife is Theobesta.

V Please ask the children some questions to follow up the story.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. God sends His angels to serve and protect us.

2. When we are in trouble, God sends His angels to remove the trouble and make us happy.

Colouring Page

Songs

FATHER I ADORE YOU

“ for there are three bear witness in heaven: the father, the word, and the holy spirit, and these three are one.” (1Jn 5:7)

Father I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Jesus I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Spirit I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Three in one I adore you

Lay my life before You

How I love You.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

For the success

of this Sunday
School Program
the teacher should
refer to the

HOLY BIBLE

in his/her preparation
of the lessons and in
teaching the children
in the class

OCTOBER

FIFTH SUNDAY

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS

Please read Luke 16:19-31, and tell the story emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To learn that the angels come to receive the souls of the good people after they die and send them to heaven.

MEMORY VERSE

“The beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom”

Luke 16:22

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V If someone is hungry and comes to your house, would you give him some food? Yes, I would give him food. Why? Because I love the poor people and I must help them.

V Give a description of the things that the rich man enjoyed. He did not help Lazarus who suffered a lot. Describe the story in detail.

V The rich man did not believe in God but Lazarus did. The rich man was not kind. God gave him a lot of money and he owned many things, but he did not offer any help to the poor and the needy. The rich man loved himself only.

V The bad people will go to Hades where they will cry and suffer while the good people will go to Paradise, where they will have a nice time without tears or sorrow.

V We have to help the needy. We have to help the sick people.

V There is no other chance for the bad people to do good things after they die.

V We have to love God and do what He is telling us.

V The angels help us during our lives as you recall from the previous lessons. After we die, they carry our souls to Paradise.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. Blessed are the merciful because they will have mercy from God and will gain a place in Paradise.

2. If you would like to go to heaven, be nice to people, help the poor people and help the sick people to feel better.

Colouring Page

Songs

CHRISTIAN LOVE

“ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.”

(1Cor 13:13)

In Christianity, the A-B-C’s spell L-O-V-E.

First Corinthians thirteen tells us what love really means.

Love is patient, love is kind looks not for mistakes to find

Love is humble, love is meek love will never self seek.

Does envy, never selfish never proud nor snobbish

Is not jealous, is not rude love rejoices in the truth.

Bears all things believes all things

Hopes all things endures all things

Now remains faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

For the success

of this Sunday
School Program
the teacher should
refer to the

HOLY BIBLE

in his/her preparation
of the lessons and in
teaching the children
in the class

NOVEMBER

FIRST SUNDAY

JESUS HEALS A DEAF-MUTE

Please read Mark 7:31-37, and tell the story emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To learn that Our Lord Jesus did everything perfect when He was on earth in the flesh. He is still with us and does everything for our benefit if we ask Him in our prayers.

MEMORY VERSE

“He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak” Mark 7:37

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V The man was deaf and could hardly speak. He was very miserable. Others asked Jesus just to lay His hands on him. They had faith and they saw His other miracles.

V By the words of Jesus “be opened”, the man could hear and speak immediately.

V Jesus asked the people not to tell anyone about what He did with the deaf- mute to teach us not to tell anyone about something good we did, otherwise we will only be rewarded by the people.

V When the people saw the miracles, they were amazed saying “He has done all things well” and they could not hide their feelings. They went telling all people.

V Jesus did every good thing when He was on earth. He taught, healed the sick, fed the hungry, made the dead arise from death.

V The people took the sick man to Jesus, so when we have a friend who is sick, we must pray for him.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. When we are sick, we must ask Jesus in our prayers to heal us. Jesus can heal us.

2. When we do something good, we should not go around telling everyone that we did it. Otherwise, we lose our reward in heaven.

Colouring Page

Songs

O MY CHILDREN

“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)

O my little dear children

You are so precious come to me.

Dear Lord Jesus Our God

We love You and praise you Our Lord.

I hear you praising and bless you

My eyes upon you all the time.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

NOTES

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

NOVEMBER

SECOND SUNDAY

A SERVANT LEARNS GOD’S WAYS

Please read the attached material entitled “A Servant Learns God’s Ways”. Also read the letter of St. Paul to Philemon, and emphasize the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To learn that when we make a mistake we have to say sorry to God and to people. God will accept us.

MEMORY VERSE

“Show me Your ways, O Lord” Psalm 25:4

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Onesimus had to run away after he took the money. He was very sad. When he met St. Paul, he found St. Paul very happy because St. Paul loved God.

V When we are with God, we are happy. Onesimus became very happy when he learned the ways of the Lord from St. Paul.

V He was sorry and prayed that God would forgive his sin. St. Paul also prayed for him and sent a letter to his disciple Philemon to accept Onesimus and then Philemon accepted him.

V When we make a mistake, we have to act like Onesimus: say sorry and promise not to do it again. God will forgive our sins and then we can take Communion.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. Anyone who makes a mistake should say sorry.

2. What is God’s way? If we repent and seek forgiveness, God will accept us.

3. When someone does something bad to us, we must forgive him as Philemon forgave Onesimus.

Colouring Page

Songs

O MY CHILDREN

“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)

O my little dear children

You are so precious come to me.

Dear Lord Jesus Our God

We love You and praise you Our Lord.

I hear you praising and bless you

My eyes upon you all the time.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

A SERVANT LEARNS GOD’S WAYS

Onesimus worked for a man named Philemon. Philemon loved the Lord, but Onesimus did not. He did not do things to please the Lord. One day, Onesimus saw some money left out that belonged to Philemon. How he wanted that money! No one was near, so he took it. Then he ran far away to a big city.

Later he met Paul in the city. Because Paul loved the Lord, he always told everyone about Jesus. And Paul told Onesimus about the Lord too. Onesimus could see that Paul was happy. Onesimus had not been happy since he took Philemon’s money. Onesimus told Paul about taking the money. Paul told Onesimus that the Lord loved him and would forgive him if he were sorry that he had sinned. Onesimus was glad to hear this. He asked the Lord to forgive him.

After that, Onesimus saw Paul often. One day Onesimus said, “I must go back to Philemon. The Lord has forgiven me for taking the money, and I want Philemon to forgive me too.”

Paul said, “Do not be afraid. I will write a letter to Philemon for you. He will be glad that you have learned to love the Lord now.”

So Paul wrote to Philemon to ask him to take Onesimus back again. Then Onesimus began the long journey back. He was afraid but he knew he was doing the right thing. The Lord would be with him.

NOVEMBER

THIRD SUNDAY

BE A GOOD FRIEND LIKE DAVID AND JONATHAN

Please read 1 Samuel 18:1-5; 19:1-7; 20; 23:16-18, and emphasize the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To learn that we have to be loyal to our friends. When the need arises, we must cooperate with them and give them gifts.

MEMORY VERSE

“And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David”

1 Samuel 18:4

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Jonathan was a loving friend (1 Samuel 18:1-5). After David killed the Philistine (who was bad and insulted God and His people), King Saul invited David to his house. King Saul’s son, Jonathan, loved David since that time and they became good friends.

Jonathan was a loving friend because he treated his friend David very nicely in his house and gave him his robe. Jonathan told David that he loved him as much as himself.

V Jonathan was a loyal friend (1 Samuel 19:1-23). Saul’s jealousy of David grew so much that he said, “I want David dead.” David escaped.

V Tell the story of the banquet at the king’s table. The king was angry that David was missing and then David knew that his life was in danger.

Jonathan was a loyal friend because he was honest with David and told him the truth that King Saul (Jonathan’s father) wanted to kill him. Jonathan advised David to be careful.

V Jonathan was a lasting friend (1 Samuel 20:24-42). We must be nice to people: help them, treat them well, share our toys with them and do as Jonathan did to David.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. Good friends are loving, loyal (they tell the truth), and lasting.

2. We must be honest with people. A friend who supports us when we are sick or in trouble is a true friend. Someone who does not support us when we are sick or in trouble is not a true friend.

3. A true friend will never encourage us to do something or go somewhere dangerous. A true friend will want us to be safe.

Colouring Page

Songs

O MY CHILDREN

“Let the little Children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 19:14)

O my little dear children

You are so precious come to me.

Dear Lord Jesus Our God

We love You and praise you Our Lord.

I hear you praising and bless you

My eyes upon you all the time.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

For the success

of this Sunday
School Program
the teacher should
refer to the

HOLY BIBLE

in his/her preparation
of the lessons and in
teaching the children
in the class

NOVEMBER

FOURTH SUNDAY

ST. MENA THE MIRACLE-MAKER

Please read the attached material entitled “St. Mena, the Miracle-Maker”, and tell St. Mena’s story, emphasizing the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To show that St. Mena loved the Lord and that many miracles were performed by his prayers.

MEMORY VERSE

“He left all, rose up, and followed Him” Luke 5:28

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V St. Mena was born to a Christian family after many prayers of his mother to have a baby. He joined the army, then left the army after 3 years and went to the desert as a hermit. (Relate this to the memory verse).

V The angels told him that he would go to heaven with Jesus.

V He became very happy when the angels told him that he would be with Jesus. He went and told all people that he is a Christian and that he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as Son of God.

V Many people became Christian when they knew or saw what St. Mena did.

V Why do we have a camel with the picture of St. Mena? Explain. Also, how was his body found? Explain from the attached material.

V Tell the story of the healing of King Zinon’s daughter by visiting the area where St. Mena’s body was buried. A large number of miracles were performed by his prayers and, therefore, he is called “The Miracle Maker”.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. We must love the Lord our God as St. Mena loved him.

2. We must always be ready to say that we are Christians, as St. Mena was ready.

Colouring Page

Songs

GOD IS DWELLING IN MY HEART

“For our heart shall rejoice in Him because we have trusted in His holy name.’

(Ps 33:21)

REFRAIN

God is dwelling in my heart He and I are one

All His joy He gives to me through Christ his Son.

And with Jesus in my heart what have I to fear?

For He is the Son of God in my heart, He is near.

Christians who are baptized have you ever realized

The great mystery God dwells in you and me.

This joy God gave to you share it then with others too

Show them that God is love lift their hearts above.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

ST. MENA, THE MIRACLE-MAKER

St. Mena is considered to be the most well known saint in the East and West, due to the many miracles that are performed by his prayers for us. That is evident in the numerous little clay bottles on which his name and picture are engraved. These were discovered by the archeologists in diverse countries around the world, For example, they were found in Heidelberg, Germany, Milan, Italy, Dalmata, Yugoslavia, Marseille, France, Dongola, Sudan, and Jerusalem, Israel. Visitors to these cities, and others, would buy these bottles which usually contain oil or water for blessing, and take them back to their relatives.

The Saint was born in the year 285, in the city of Niceous, which lies in the vicinity of Memphis. His parents were really ascetic Christians, his father Audexios, and his mother Auphomia. On the feast of St. Mary, the mother who did not have any children prayed in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary, with tears that God may give her a blessed son. A sound came to her ears saying “Amen”, and thus she called her son Mena.

His father, a ruler of one of the administrative divisions of Egypt, died when Mena was fourteen years old. At fifteen he joined the army, and was given a high rank because of his father’s reputation, and was appointed in Algeria. Three years later, he left the army longing to devote his whole life for Christ. He headed towards the desert to live a different kind of life.

After he had spent five years as a hermit, he saw the angels coronating the martyrs with glamorous crowns in a revelation and longed to join them. While he was thinking of it, he heard a voice saying: “Blessed be you, Abba Mena, because you have been called for the pious life since your childhood. You will be granted three immortal crowns: one for your celibacy, the second for your asceticism and the third for your martyrdom.

Immediately he felt as if the earth under him was vanishing, and he was overwhelmed with great eagerness to be carried to heaven. In a mood of valour, he hurried to the ruler declaring his Christian faith. His endless sufferings and the tortures that he went through attracted many of the pagans, not only to Christianity, but also to martyrdom.

THE SAINT’S BODY

The Saint’s assassins tried to burn his relics but they failed as the believers loaded his body on a camel and headed towards the western desert. At a certain spot, the camel stopped and the people could not force it to continue its trip by any means. Right there, they buried him near a water well (that place is his present monastery, at the end of Marriute Lake).

DISCOVERY OF HIS BODY

It so happened that a shepherd was attending to his sheep in that area and a sick lamb fell to the ground. As it struggled to get on its feet again, its scab was cured. The story was spread quickly and the sick who came to this spot recovered from whatever illness they had, just by lying on the ground.

During that time, the daughter of King Zinon, the lover of Christ, caught the itch. His advisors suggested that she should try that place, and she did. At night, the Saint appeared to the girl and told her that his body is buried in that place. The following morning, she bathed in the well and was healed. She related her vision about St. Mena to her servants, and that he cured her.

ST. MENA IN MARRIUTE

Immediately, King Zinon ordered that the Saint’s body be dug out and a church to be founded there. Not only that, but he also ordered to build a large city to be named after the Saint’s name. Sick people from all over the world used to visit that city and were healed by the intercession of St. Menas, the miracle-maker.

Mrs. Bucher recorded that destruction started to take place in the city and its inhabitants were degraded after the Arab Conquest. During the period after Haroun El-Rasheed, the Barbarians attacked it and burned a large portion of it. At the time of El-Mamoun, he ordered to pull the entire city down, and then he used its marble pillars which are numerous, to build his palace and the mosques. It was in the twentieth century that international missions began to search for the city and the church. The remainder of it, no doubt, demonstrates the glory of the Coptic past.

THE NEW CHURCH OF ST. MENAS

As soon as Pope Cyril the Sixth was coronated on St. Mark’s throne he began to put down the foundations of a very great monastery close to the remains of this old city. Thus, in his blessed days, God’s will had permitted the old monastery of St. Mena to be resurrected, and the Copts to visit it and to be blessed by the Saint. What is even more interesting is that the Pope has stated in his will that his body should not to be buried in the new famous Cathedral in Cairo, but in the monastery of his personal friend and intercessor, St. Menas' the miracle-maker!

DECEMBER

FIRST SUNDAY

ZECHARIAH AND ELIZABETH

Please read Luke 1:5-25, and tell the story with emphasis on the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To learn that we must trust the promises of God.

MEMORY VERSE

“My words, which will be fulfilled in their own time” Luke 1:20

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Describe the circumstances related to the birth of St. John the Baptist. His father and mother were too old and did not have a child. They kept praying that a child be born to them. At the right time God sent His angel to convey the happy news to Zechariah.

V What was Zechariah doing at the altar? He was a priest and he was praying and burning incense. The rest of the people were praying outside the altar.

V Zechariah was afraid of the angel and did not believe that he and Elizabeth would have such a great son. Why didn’t Zechariah believe? Because he and his wife were too old to have children anymore. (People their age had grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren, not little babies.)

V The angel told Zechariah that he was sent from God and that Zechariah should have believed him because of that. He told Zechariah that he would not be able to speak until he saw the baby God promised.

V God sent His angel Gabriel to give a message to Zechariah. God uses the angels to serve us. We must trust God and His promises.

V “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense” Luke 1:11. Actually the angel of the Lord is always standing in this place and never leaves the right side of the altar of incense. The angel raises the offerings, the prayers and the incense up to heaven. This is the reason Abouna at the end of the Divine Liturgy says “O angel of this day, flying up to heaven with these oblations, mention us in front of the Lord so that He may forgive our sins.

V In the days after the angel appeared to Zechariah, Elizabeth conceived. She was very happy and thankful to God.

V Zechariah remained silent because he did not believe the message of God.

V The Lord answers our prayers. We must trust Him because He loves us.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. An angel waits until the end of our praises and prayers, then he rises up. We must trust that the angel comes back carrying the fulfillment of our prayers in the right time as he did with Zechariah and Elizabeth.

2. As we trust that God loves us, we must trust His promises. We must not question God.

Colouring

Songs

King of Kings

“ And His name will be called…Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6)

King of kings and Lord of Lords

Glory, Alleluia.

Jesus, Prince of Peace

Glory, Alleluia.

Recitation Curriculum :

Please Look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

NOTES

_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

DECEMBER

SECOND SUNDAY

THE VIRGIN MARY AND THE ANGEL

Please read Luke 1:26-38. Also read the attachment “Christmas Message”, and tell the story, with emphasis on the points below.

PURPOSE OF THE LESSON

To let the children rejoice by telling them a very happy story and having them know it by heart.

MEMORY VERSE

“The Lord is with you” Luke 1:28

PLEASE EMPHASIZE

V Start with the childhood of the Virgin Mary. Her parents did not have any children and they were old. They prayed to God to give them a child and they promised to give this child back to serve God. After the birth of the little girl Mary, and at the age of 3, her parents gave her up for service and prayer in the altar. She stayed there until she became 12 years old. An old man named Joseph took her to his house to look after her, and they were later engaged. After some time the angel came to her with the happy message.

V Describe the conversation between the angel and St. Mary, in detail. The greeting of the angel had 3 parts: (1) Peace be with you, (2) The Lord is with you, and (3) He has greatly blessed you. Explain each part.

V The Virgin Mary was used to seeing angels during her prayers but she was troubled this time because of the greetings of the angel, and she was wondering why an angel would greet her like that, St. Mary was very humble. In her view, she did not deserve all these greetings. She never looked for, or accepted, any praise from people. She had a secret life with God in prayer and never became happy when people spoke so highly of her. This is the reason why she was troubled upon hearing the greetings of the Angel.

V The memory verse “The Lord is with you” Luke 1:28, reminds us that Abouna in the Divine Liturgy says the same thing to all of us. We then answer saying “And with your spirit”. Let us learn this by heart.

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS LESSON?

1. The Virgin Mary believed and obeyed the message of God. This teaches us to believe what God tells us in the Bible and to obey it.

2. Let us all rejoice with St. Mary as she was getting ready to receive Baby Jesus.

Christmas Colouring

Songs

I AM GLAD

“ Behold , I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Lk 2:10)

I am glad, I am glad that You came to our land

With Your peace and Your love we will go hand in hand

REFRAIN

He came for us with His tender love

Our God, our God came to save us our God

Saint Mary was pleased when she heard Gabriel

He told her you will bear our Lord Emmanuel

The angels in the sky praised the Lord for His birth

Glory to God in the highest and peace be on earth

A bright star far in the east appeared to the three wise men

It lead them to the manger in the city of Bethlehem

Recitation Curriculum :

Please look at the recitation curriculum at the end of this book.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

A JOYFUL MESSAGE

Nazareth was such a pretty village among the hills of Galilee, above the sea. In this village, there lived a young virgin, named Mary, who devoted all her life to worshipping God.

One day, while she was praying, a bright light suddenly filled her room and an angel appeared to her.

“Do not be afraid,” he said, “God has sent me to give you such happy news.”

As Mary quietly listened, the angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you...you will give birth to a child named Jesus. He is the Son of God, He will save all the world and bring them to Heaven!”

St. Mary was very happy. Bowing her head, she whispered, “I will gladly do whatever God wants me to do.”