Below is the Sunday School Calendar for November 2023:
November 5 Worship and Classes
November 12 Worship and Classes
November 15 Advent/Nativity Fast Begins
November 18 Kidmission @ St Thomas 10am-2pm for JOY/HOPE students
November 19 Worship and Classes
November 26- No classes, Thanksgiving Break
*Please note that there will not be Sunday School on Nov. 26, so that all Sunday School students may worship with their families in church.
Sunday School Communications - We are now sending reminders via group text for Sunday School. Some of you may have already received the message. If you didn’t get the text, please do the following: Text @stlukes23 to 81010 – see below:
Sunday School Thanksgiving Outreach - The St. Luke Sunday School is currently collecting Thanksgiving-themed paper plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths, aluminum pans, and serving spoons for a Thanksgiving meal for 300 incarcerated women at the Philadelphia Industrial Corrections Center (PICC). Donations are not limited to Sunday School families, so we welcome involvement from our entire St. Luke family. This outreach is being coordinated by our sister parish, Annunciation, Elkins Park, in conjunction with the non-profit Why Not Prosper (https://www.why-not-prosper.org/), which will host the meal. This organization was established by a formerly incarcerated woman to serve and support other women during and after their time in prison. We are honored to participate in this valuable outreach to the women at PICC, as they are a part of our community that is often neglected or forgotten, especially at the holidays. If you are able to contribute to this initiative, please use this link to commit to donating one or more items:
Items may be left in the bin in the lobby of the Education Building until Sunday, November 12, 2023. Donations cannot be accepted after Nov. 12 as we will be delivering our items to Why Not Prosper that week. We thank you in advance for your consideration of this request and for teaching our children by your actions to follow our Lord's teaching: ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25: 40.
Sunday School CCSA Outreach - On Sunday, October 15, 2023, our Sunday School students made cards to send to the third graders at the Chester Charter Scholars Academy, (CCSA) all of whom received FOCUS backpacks and school supplies donated by our generous St. Luke community over the summer. Inspired by Mrs. Anna Hadgis, we hope that these cards will begin a supportive “pen pal” relationship between our Sunday School students and the third graders at CCSA, for whom family and school life is a bit more challenging than for most of the children at St. Luke. Anna and some of her Philoptochos sisters will take the cards to CCSA on our behalf when they visit the school in November to read to the third graders. Our students and teachers did a great job decorating the cards and writing messages. Thank you so much, Anna, for initiating this wonderful project!
Sunday School Veterans Project - Continuing a long tradition of Sunday School involvement with the St. Luke Philoptochos’ support of the residents at the Coatesville Veterans Medical Center, our students made Veterans Day cards on October 22, 2023 to accompany the gift bags donated to the Vets by Philoptochos members and their families. Many of our students, especially the younger ones, learned what a “Vet” is and why Veterans Day is so important. Our special thanks to Katina Maltas and Maria Carafides for giving us an opportunity to thank the Vets who sacrificed so much for all of us over the years.
Readers for Divine Liturgy - Please encourage your children to volunteer to read the Epistle or the Communion Prayer during Divine Liturgy. This is a great way for your child to become involved in the worship of our faith. We will send you the reading(s) ahead of time so that your child can practice and become comfortable with the texts beforehand. To volunteer your child, please contact Miss Sophia and Miss Jane at stlukesundayschool@gmail.com.
2024 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival- The 2024 Topics have been released (see below)! The Topics, Tips and Resources for the 2024 Oratorical Festival will be coming soon at goarch.org. For further information about participation in the St. Luke Parish Oratorical Festival, please contact Art Karros, akarros@gmail.com, or Peter Pavlis, ppavlis7104@gmail.com. Also, St. Luke will be hosting the Delaware Valley District Oratorical Festival on April 6, 2024. Stay tuned for more details!
JUNIOR DIVISION
(GRADES 7-9)
1. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has earned the title of the Green Patriarch, and was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World, for His teachings about humanity's spiritual responsibility for taking care of God's creation — planet earth. His All-Holiness stands on the shoulders of Saints, who taught that the world is a gift from God, and that taking care of His creation is a way to connect with God. Explore and discuss the teachings of His All-Holiness and the Saints on the creation of the world. What are some of our practical responsibilities as stewards of our planet, and how does that enrich our lives as Christians?
2. Many of us have heroes to whom we look up. It may be an older brother or sister, an athlete, or a musician. We have heroes in our religious life, as well as people who inspire us to practice our faith. They teach us, usually by example, how we ought to live as Orthodox Christians. Select a Saint or person who has been the most influential in your spiritual life. Describe the particular and practical ways that influence has taken place.
3. On the Day of Theophany (January 6), we chant, "All those who were baptized in Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Discuss the meaning of this hymn and the obligations it places upon us as Orthodox Christians.
4. When reading the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32), we learn about the various stages of repentance. What are they? How do they relate to the reversal of the son's journey away from the father? What does the father's reaction upon seeing his son teach us about our relationship to our Father in Heaven?
5. The Orthodox Church has a rich heritage of sacred hymns that "contribute radiant and poetic splendor to Orthodox worship," thus, opening the way to God. Select your favorite Church hymn and talk about how it strengthens your faith.
SENIOR DIVISION
(GRADES 10-12)
1. Slandered without cause, convicted without a trial, exiled unjustly — this was the life endured by one of the greatest saints of our times — Saint Nektarios of Aegina. Forgiving others who hurt us that deeply and unjustly seems almost impossible. What can we learn from Saint Nektarios, whose life was about forgiving what some might call the impossible?
2. Apostle Paul refers to Adam as the first man, and Christ as the Second Adam. The Fathers of the Church, especially Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, refer to Christ and Panagia as the Second Adam and the Second Eve. Why is the Most Holy Theotokos called the "Second Eve"? And why is Christ called the "Second Adam?" How do Christ and Panagia fulfill and go beyond their prototypes?
3. Christ says, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:1). He also says, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). Explore the Orthodox teaching on the Eucharist by reading the prayers of the Divine Liturgy the writings of one or more Church Fathers.
4. The number of natural disasters worldwide continues to increase, resulting in more communities destroyed and more lives lost. How would you respond to someone who questions why God allows natural disasters to happen when we know God can intervene at any moment? If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving, how can He allow evil things to happen?
5. During the Divine Liturgy, before the Consecration of the Holy Gifts, we hear the priest say the following: "Your own of Your own we offer to You, in all and for all." What does this petition mean to you as an Orthodox Christian? Why is it important for us to focus on giving back out of the gifts we have been given by God?
Have you registered your child for Sunday School yet? If not, no problem! To register your child or children, click on the following link: https://www.ss.st-luke.org/registration
Questions about Sunday School? Please contact Miss Jane and Miss Sophia at stlukesundayschool@gmail.com. Or, visit https://www.ss.st-luke.org, which will be updated throughout the year with additional information and resources for families.