Church School - Home School 
Lesson #1

Many of the lesson ideas in the weeks to come will be taken from Anthony Coniaris’ book “Making God Real in the Orthodox Christian Home.” 

This week’s theme is bringing Church school (and Christ) into the home.

“Some time ago the Supreme Court outlawed prayer and Bible study in the schools.  What has this done but drive us back to our homes where it all began?  Our homes must become more Christian than ever.  If our children may not pray in school, let them hear you--the parents--pray at home.  If they may not hear the Bible read in school, let them hear it read at home.  They may take prayer and the Bible out of our schools, but they can never take them out of our home, which is the greatest school out children will ever attend.  
So bring Christ into the home!”    

Bringing Christ into the Home, by A. Coniaris

1.   On the way home from church today, read over or color and then discuss the page on the gospel lesson for today.

2.   Establish an Icon Corner in your house.  The icon corner is the altar of your home church.  It will be needed in future lessons also.  It should have, first and foremost, an icon in it, blessed by the priest.  If you don’t have one, contact the Church School or Father John.  Make sure your family knows who and what the icon is about.  If you can, there should be an icon of Christ on the right, and of Mary with the Christ child on the left, with a Cross in the center.  The icon corner should face east. Icon corners also may contain additional icons, a Bible, incense, candles, holy water, holy oil, etc.   BUT, every house should have one.  Establish it this week if you don’t have one.

3.   Bless your children when they leave the house by making a sign of the cross over their head and greet them with “Christ is Born!” or “Christ is Among Us” when they return.  Remember, “goodbye” is just slang for “God be with you.”  Say it right this week.

4.   If you are hungry for more, read a verse or more from the Bible to your children at supper this week. Try 1 Peter.   At the end of your meal, bless yourself.

GOD Be With You!

by Joyce L. Swiokla. St. Michael's Orthodox Church, PA