St. Sophia

Religious Education Ministry

Background

In today’s world, we face major difficulties in having a parish Religious Education Ministry. Irregular attendance, a culture that is hostile and unsupportive, pressures on a family such a finances, strife between family members and additional pressure from social media. With this in mind we have tried to find a practical approach that considers the following.

  • Considerations
    • No additional attendance requirements
    • Greater density by minimizing instructional group divisions
    • Using online resources to allow parishioners flexibility to read/prepare and use the time together on Sunday for discussion/learning.
    • Recognize/respect the time pressures on families by keeping sessions under 30 minutes
    • Families/individuals must engage with the material for the Ministry to have any meaning
    • Start simple to be successful – add topics and groups based on initial experiences

Structure

  • Sessions
    • Separate sessions after each Liturgy – 2 sessions after the 8:30 liturgy and then repeated after the 10:30 liturgy. 1 for Children and 1 for Adults
    • Children’s expected to last 10 minutes – Adults expected to last 20 minutes
    • Children’s will be immediately following the conclusion of Liturgy to be held in the church
    • Adults will begin after getting food/refreshments
      • After 8:30 Liturgy session to be held in the picnic area or inside depending on weather
      • After 10:30 Liturgy session to be held in picnic area or inside (hall or church) depending on weather and attendance

Programs

  • Children’s Program
    • Each Week’s Gospel
      • The Gospel lesson will be delivered online in story format using a word level appropriate for children.
      • There are a few discussion questions provided with the story for family discussion
      • There is a simple craft activity (coloring/drawing) to download and do
      • At Sunday’s liturgy when the Gospel is read, the children are encouraged to display their craft
      • Following the liturgy, parents and children will remain in church to talk about what they learned and discuss any questions that the children might have.
  • Adult Program
    • The Divine Liturgy
      • The intention is to have a less formal, more collegial activity. First get food and refreshments, find a place to eat, then begin the session
      • A member of the Clergy will discuss a particular topic regarding the Divine Liturgy.
      • Questions and Answer period to follow for those who wish to engage further.

Remarks

Given our size, available resources and time pressures, starting simple and being successful would be a proud accomplishment. We build on success and learn from failures. Looking forward to everyone’s help to make this relevant and meaningful which is our ultimate goal. FDM