Sunday School News - November 2025
- Dr. Jane Brasko Kelly
- Nov 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Dear Sunday School Families,
Here is the Sunday School schedule for November 2025:
November 1 Kidmission, St. Demetrios, 10-2, for JOY/HOPE aged children
November 2 Worship and Classes
November 9 Worship and Classes, Godparents Sunday
November 14-16 GOYA Fall Retreat
November 15 Advent/Nativity Fast Begins
November 16 Worship and Classes
November 23 Worship and Classes- Spark Sunday
November 30 No classes, Thanksgiving Break
🌟 Important Dates Ahead
March 1st: Sunday of Orthodoxy & Picture Day
March 7th: Trip to see Kardiotissa Weeping Icon and visit to Holy Protection Monastery
Sunday School Thanksgiving Outreach
Throughout October, St. Luke Sunday School families donated packets of 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). This annual Sunday School outreach to 300 women incarcerated on the Thanksgiving holiday is coordinated with the charity Why Not Prosper, which serves both presently and previously incarcerated women by offering them a hand up, not a hand out (https://www.why-not-prosper.org/). We ask God’s blessings upon all those who donated so selflessly to make Thanksgiving a brighter day for the women at PICC, remembering Jesus’ own words: ‘Truly I say unto you, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brethren, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40.
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 our Directors at stlukesundayschool@gmail.com.
2026 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival
The 2026 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical Festival manual of Topics, Tips, and Resources has been released. We have already given these materials to the teachers and to the families of 7th -9th graders (Junior Division), and 10th-12th graders (Senior Division). You may access this official Oratorical packet of information here:
Parents, please discuss this opportunity to delve deeper into our faith with your children by asking them to review the topics and by encouraging them to participate in the first step of the Oratorical Festival ladder, the St. Luke Parish Oratorical Festival. Further details will be forthcoming, but the parish festival is projected to take place in either February or March 2026. For questions about the Parish Oratorical Festival, please contact Art Karros, akarros@gmail.com.
Senior Division Topics (10th -12th Grade)
TOPIC 1- Pick a common icon type that is found in Orthodox churches (for example Christ Pantocrator, Virgin Hodegetria, the Resurrection icon) and explain its meaning and theological significance.
TOPIC 2- Why is the feast of Pentecost important and what does the story of Pentecost teach us about the Holy Spirit?
TOPIC 3- Saint John frequently contrasts light and darkness in his Gospel and letters. Choose one of his teachings about light (such as “God is light” or Christ as “the light of the world”) and discuss how this imagery helps us understand our Christian calling and witness.
TOPIC 4- Throughout history, Orthodox Christians have faced persecution for their faith, from ancient martyrs to modern confessors. How does the witness of martyrs, both ancient and contemporary, strengthen and guide the Church today?
TOPIC 5- Orthodox funeral services speak of death as “falling asleep” and emphasize the hope of resurrection. How does Orthodox teaching about death and eternal life influence how we live and how we care for the dying and grieving?
Junior Division Topics (7th-9th Grade)
TOPIC 1- Select a hymn that is chanted in the Divine Liturgy and explain its meaning and theological significance.
TOPIC 2- Choose a Saint who was a child or young person. How did their faith influence their life, and what can we learn from them?
TOPIC 3- Who is the Ecumenical Patriarch, and why is he significant in the Orthodox Church today?
TOPIC 4-Choose an Old Testament story (such as David and Goliath, Daniel in the lion’s den, or Joseph and his brothers) and explain how it teaches us important lessons that apply to young people today.
TOPIC 5- Select a major Orthodox feast day and explain why we celebrate it and how participating in this celebration deepens our understanding of Christ and our faith.
Elementary Division Topics
1. Tell us about your favorite story from the Bible. What happens in the story and
why do you like it? What does it teach us about God or how we should live?
2. Describe something you love about your Orthodox church. It could be an icon,
a special service, the way it looks, or how it makes you feel. Why is this special to
you?
3. Choose a saint you’ve learned about and tell us why you think they were special.
What did they do that showed their love for God? How can we be like them?
4. Share an Orthodox tradition that your family celebrates, such as a special holiday,
blessing, or custom. How does your family celebrate it and why is it important to
you?
5. Choose an icon from your church and describe what you see in it. Who is shown
in the icon and what story does it tell? What do you learn from looking at this icon?
The entire packet of Oratorical Topics, Tips, and Resources may be found here:
*For more news, visit the Sunday School website, https://www.ss.st-luke.org; stop by the Sunday School office; or contact us at stlukesundayschool@gmail.com (Jane Kelly, Panayota Kevgas, Sophia Milinkovic).
In Christ’s Love,
The Saint Luke Sunday School Team
