Saints of Recent Decades: St. Herman of Alaska (December 13 or 25)

Note: Each section of St. Herman’s life story is preceded by an item (in parenthesis) that you could use to help you tell the story of his life to your Sunday Church School students. If you choose to tell his story in this way, we suggest that you line the items up ahead of class and work your way down the line, or pull each out of a box or basket as you tell his story. The items will help you to remember which part of his life to talk about next. They will also help the students to pay attention, as they will be curious about each item!

(small treasure chest with coins) Even though he was born into a merchant family in the diocese of Moscow, Herman was not interested in things of this world. He became a monk when he was still a teenager, first entering the Holy Trinity Sergius Hermitage near Petersburg.

(towel) While he was at the St Sergius Hermitage this happened to Fr. Herman: On the right side of his throat under his chin there appeared an abscess. It swelled quickly and disfigured his face. It became difficult for him to swallow, and the odor was unbearable. Father Herman expected to die. Instead of asking a doctor for help, he locked himself in his cell and began to pray before the icon of the Theotokos. With fervent tears he prayed, asking that he might be healed. He prayed the whole night. Then he took a wet towel and with it wiped the face of the Most Holy Mother, and with this towel he covered the swelling. He continued to pray with tears until he fell into an exhausted sleep on the floor. In a dream he saw the Theotokos healing him. When Herman awoke in the morning, he found to his great surprise that he was fully healed. The swelling had disappeared, even though the abscess had not broken through, and it only left behind a small mark as a reminder of the miracle. Doctors could not believe the miracle had happened. They said that the abscess must have either broken through of its own accord or have been cut open. But it was not: It was a miracle.

(picture of Valaam) Later, he moved to Valaam Monastery. The saint grew to love Valaam so much; monks there remembered him singing in his clear tenor voice while tears streamed from his eyes. For the rest of his life, St. Herman considered Valaam his spiritual home. (In fact, later he named his hermitage on Spruce Island “New Valaam.”) In the second half of the 1700s, explorers were expanding the boundaries of Russia, and Metropolitan Gabriel asked Valaam’s Elder Nazarius to choose ten men to evangelize the Aleutians. Herman was one of the men chosen. Sadly, after five successful years of founding schools and churches in the new world, the head of the mission Archimandrite Ioasaph and his entire entourage drowned. Then, one after another, others who were working on the mission left, until St. Herman remained alone.
(picture of Spruce Island) Spruce Island is not large, and is almost completely covered by a forest. In the middle of the island, a small brook flows to the sea. Herman selected this place for the location of his hermitage. He dug a cave out of the ground with his own hands, and he lived in it for a full summer. Before winter, a cell was built for him near the cave. He lived in that cell until his death. (And before he died, he converted the cave into a place for his burial.) A wooden chapel, and a wooden house to be used as a schoolhouse and a guest house were built not too distant from his cell. A garden was laid out in front of his cell. For more than forty years Father Herman lived here.

(angel ornament) One time, St. Herman was asked, “How do you, Fr. Herman, manage to live alone in the forest, don’t you get bored?” He answered “No, I’m not alone there! There is God, and God is everywhere! There are holy angels! How can one be bored with them? With whom is it more pleasant and better to converse, angels or people? Angels, of course!”
(spade) In addition to conversing with the angels throughout his hours of prayer and worship, St. Herman worked tirelessly. Father Herman himself spaded the garden, planted potatoes and cabbage and various vegetables in it. For winter, he preserved mushrooms, salting or drying them. The salt was obtained by him from ocean water.

(wicker basket) A wicker basket in which the Elder carried seaweed from the shore, was so large that it was difficult for one person to carry. The seaweed was used for fertilizing the soil. But to the astonishment of all, Father Herman carried a basket filled with seaweed for a long distance without any help at all.

(log) One winter night, his disciple, Gerasim, saw him carrying a large log which normally would be carried by four men; and he was bare footed. This is how hard Fr. Herman worked. Everything that he acquired as a result of his immeasurable labors was used for the feeding and clothing of orphans and also for books for his students, not to buy things for himself.

(“deer skin shirt” or piece of soft leather) His clothes were the same for winter as for summer. He did not wear a cloth shirt; instead he wore a shirt made of deer skin, which he did not take off for several years at a time. By that time, the fur in the deerskin shirt was completely worn away, and the leather became glossy. He also wore boots or shoes, an ancient and faded out cassock full of patchwork, and his headdress. He went everywhere in these clothes, and at all times; in the rain, in snowstorms, and during the coldest freezing weather. In this, Father Herman, like many other great saints, showed the most concern for the welfare/needs of others. Like those saints, he chose to wear old clothes to show his humility before God, and that he did not care about worldly things.

(two bricks and a board) A small bench covered with a deerskin served as Father Herman’s bed. He used two bricks for a pillow; these were hidden from visitors by a skin or a shirt. There was no blanket. Instead, he covered himself with a wooden board which he leaned against the stove to store it each day. This board Father Herman called his blanket, and he willed that it be used to cover his remains. It was as long as he was tall. He ate and slept very little.

(cookies) Even though he was busy with tending his own garden and observing his monastic rule, St. Herman still had time to reach out with great love and concern to his Aleutian neighbors. On feast days and Sundays, he would gather them in the chapel next to his cell, and lead them in holy services. The people loved to listen to his spiritual teaching, and would visit him at all hours of the day and night, staying until early morning to hear him teach. Saint Herman especially loved the Aleutian children, for whom he would bake cookies, and he watched over those who were weak and powerless. He started a school for orphans and defended the native Aleuts before the Russian fur traders who were exploiting them.

(stuffed bear) Herman dedicated himself fully for the Lord’s service; he worked hard to the glory of God. And God blessed him with many supernatural gifts. The people began to tell each other of miracles they’d seen: sometimes Father Herman would tell someone of a future event and it would come to pass. Others told about how animals, even bears, would eat from his hands.

(icon of the Theotokos) At one time on the island, the terrified inhabitants came to St. Herman seeking help from an oncoming tidal wave. The Elder then took an icon of the Mother of God and placed it on the sandy beach. After praying he promised the people that the tidal wave would not go past this holy icon. St. Herman promised as well that they would have the same protection in the future event of a tidal wave. Miraculously the waters flowed up to the icon of the Mother of God and stopped there. This icon is still venerated today in a small chapel on Spruce Island.

(box of tissues) A ship from the United States brought with its sailors a contagious disease that was fatal. It began with a fever, a heavy cold, and difficult respiration, and it ended with chills. Its victims died in only three days. On the island there was neither a doctor nor medicine. The illness spread rapidly through the village, and then throughout the nearby areas. The disease affected all, even infants. During this terrible sickness which lasted a whole month, Father Herman visited the sick, never tiring. He encouraged them when they were scared, and he prayed for them, brought them to penance, or prepared them for death. He never spared himself.
(yardstick or moss) Once the forest on Spruce Island caught fire. The Elder and his disciple Ignaty dug a belt about a yard wide in the moss in the middle of the forest. They extended the belt to the foot of the hill. The Elder said, “Rest assured, the fire will not pass this line.” The next day Ignaty was sure that there was no chance that they would escape the fire, and the fire, pushed by a strong wind, reached the place where the moss had been turned over by the Elder. The fire ran over the moss and halted, leaving untouched the thick forest which was beyond the line.

(star) People flocked to the elder for counsel and help. The Aleuts began to affectionately call him their “North Star,” referring to how his teaching guided and grounded them, or the even more intimate “Apa,” which meant grandfather. Couples with troubled marriages would seek his advice. With meekness, he would reproach people for their lack of sobriety or their cruelty. He himself for years refused any titles of elevation within the church, preferring the simplest designation, “monk.” His letters reflect his simplicity and tender disposition. The Elder often said that there would be a bishop for America; this at a time when no one even thought of it, and there was no hope that there would be a bishop for America;this was related by the Bishop Peter and his prophecy was fulfilled in time.

(flashlight) As the time of St. Herman’s repose drew closer, he began to tell his disciples to prepare, giving them specific instructions about his burial and services. Everything he prophesied related to his death came to pass, exactly as he had foretold, and so it was that on December 13, 1837, he leaned his head on the chest of his disciple Gerasim and reposed. “Glory to Thee, O Lord,” he pronounced with shining face, just before taking his last breath. Several Aleutian townspeople in another place reported seeing a pillar of light that reached from Spruce Island to the heavens. “St. Herman has left us,” one villager said. This same pillar was seen in various places by others. The night of his death in another settlement nearby, someone had a vision; it seemed as though a man was rising from Spruce Island into the clouds. The distance from the Harbor to Spruce Island is not great – about a two hour journey – but no one was willing to go to sea in such weather. The weather was bad for a full month and although the body of Fr. Herman lay in state for that whole month in the warm house of his students, his face did not undergo any change at all, and not the slightest odor emanated from his body.

(sailboat picture or toy/model) In 1842, five years after the passing away of the Elder, Innocent, Archbishop of Kamchatka and the Aleutians, was near Kodiak on a sailing vessel which was in great distress. He looked to Spruce Island, and said to himself, “if you, Father Herman, have found favor in God’s presence then may the wind change!” It seems as though not more than fifteen minutes had passed, said the Bishop, when the wind became favorable, and he successfully reached the shore. In thanksgiving for his salvation, Archbishop Innocent himself conducted a Memorial Service over the grave of the Blessed Elder Herman.

(map of AK) Fortunately for the Aleuts and all Alaskans, St. Herman hasn’t ever left them. Miracles attributed to his intercessions have happened since his repose and are still happening today. Most Native Alaskans today are still Orthodox, and they honor his memory with prayers and pilgrimages. His relics rest in the Resurrection Church on Kodiak, and Orthodox faithful from all over the world come to venerate them and ask for his prayers.

(picture of Mt Denali) But he doesn’t just help those who ask for his prayers. In the 1990’s, both Leo and Kathleen were people who loved mountaineering and rock climbing, and so for their honeymoon trip they decided to go to Alaska to bag the highest peak of North America, mount Denali (aka McKinley), 20,320 feet. While living at the camp at the foot of the mountain, they thoroughly prepared their expedition: talking to guides, studying the maps, checking the equipment, and waiting for a long stretch of good weather.
When they finally started their exciting, but extremely difficult, ascent, everything went just fine for a few days. But at the end of one day, on a narrow path, they met an old, strange-looking man in a long dark robe. He was walking in the opposite direction, down the mountain. In a friendly manner he greeted them and advised them to turn around and return to the base camp as quickly as possible because the weather was changing into a severe storm. Soon, he said, it would be very dangerous in that area. And, as if in answer to their unasked question of how could he know such a thing, he explained that he was local and knew the climate very well. Leaving them surprised and uneasy, he continued on his way.
A few minutes later, after Leo and Kathleen made the wise decision to turn back, they were thinking about that old man. They tried to remember what he looked like, and as they did, they realized that they hadn’t seen a backpack or any other hiking gear with him. How could he have made it up so high in the bare, rocky mountain in sub-zero temps, without any food or protection?!
A few days later, almost at the bottom of the mountain, they were caught by a severe storm. They survived it, constantly in their minds thanking the old man who had warned them of the danger so that they could turn back when they did. A week later, when they were staying at the base camp, they learned that some other climbers who happened to be at higher elevations than they were during the storm, never made it back after the storm.
Then Leo and Kathleen noticed something at the camp cafeteria. It was a picture of their rescuer, pinned to a bulletin board between some miscellaneous ads and photos of the mountain. They recognized him at a glance. When they asked the waiter who that was, he told them, ” It’s an Orthodox saint who lived in Alaska. His name is St. Herman.” And the photo showed the icon of St. Herman from the Orthodox church nearby. So, the Saint had told them the truth. He was indeed a local guy!

Blessed ascetic of the northern wilds
And gracious intercessor for the whole world,
Teacher of the Orthodox Faith
And good instructor of piety,
Adornment of Alaska and joy of all America,
Holy Father Herman
Pray to Christ God that He save our souls.

Besides the storytelling suggestion above, here are additional ideas of ways to teach your students about St. Herman:
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Younger students would enjoy this book about St. Herman’s life: http://www.svspress.com/north-star-st-herman-of-alaska-hardcover/

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Older children would  enjoy reading this book about St. Herman: http://www.holytrinitypublications.com/Book/272/Herman_A_Wilderness_Saint.html

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Read more about the saint’s life, and see photos of his grave and spring here: http://www.antiochian.org/stherman

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We do not have pictures of St. Herman, since he departed this life when the camera was still in the process of being invented (daguerreotypes were invented two years after he passed away). We do, however, have icons of him, and we can see pictures of Spruce Island where he lived. See Spruce Island and watch some videos about St. Herman’s life at this site: https://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/st-herman-of-alaska-and-spurce-island/
These videos would make great discussion starters for classes with older students!

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This blog is written by a mom for use with her children, but Sunday Church School students would enjoy learning about St. Herman in this way, as well! http://www.illumination-learning.com/blog/2012/12/teaching-my-children-about-st-herman-through-a-story-prayers-and-cookies/
And this one offers a different recipe for cookies as well as suggestions for interacting with his story through art: http://www.carriedonthewind.com/2011/12/saint-herman-of-alaska-and-spiced.html

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Need an idea for a retreat day theme? Here’s how one parish presented the life of St. Herman of Alaska during a lenten retreat: https://kellylardin.com/activities/tag/st-herman-of-alaska/

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Present your Sunday Church School students with this printable, colorable quote from St. Herman of Alaska:
http://www.antiochian.org/sites/default/files/st_herman_of_alaska_quote_from_this_day.pdf
Use the quote as a discussion starter. How did St. Herman show that he was striving to love God above all, and fulfilling His holy will? How can we do that as well? List ideas on the board, then pray and ask God’s help to successfully live in this manner. Send a copy of the quote with them so that they can be encouraged to work towards this life goal.

 

Saints of Recent Decades: an Introduction

In our forthcoming blog posts, we will be focusing our attention on saints who have lived in recent decades. (We will use the term “recent” somewhat loosely, as some of them lived more than a hundred years ago, which most children consider to be very, very old.) Our intent is to provide a resource for you that can be used to introduce your Sunday Church School students to saints who they can see in icons but also (at least in most cases) in actual photographs as well. Seeing the photos can help the children to better grasp the reality of the saints’ existence, that they are real people who actually lived and struggled just like we do to live an Orthodox Christian life. It is our goal that along the way, all of us will “meet” new friends as we learn about these saints who have walked the earth more recently.

Each post will focus on a recent saint, offering a brief retelling of his/her story. It will also offer ideas of ways to teach your Sunday Church School students about that saint’s life. We hope that you will interact with these posts, leaving comments of other ideas or resources on each saint that you have to share with the community, as well.

Of course, it is up to you if and how you put these blog posts to use in your classroom. Perhaps you could share the saint’s story while the children snack (if your Sunday Church School class takes place after Divine Liturgy), before you begin your main lesson. You could adapt the ideas to your class’ needs and teach a full lesson on each saint. Or you could just offer an occasional lesson on one of the saints, working them in around your usual lessons. However you apply these posts, we hope you find them encouraging and challenging, and that they will cause you to want to strive harder to be the man/woman of God that He has created you to be. May we challenge our Sunday Church School students to do likewise!

Through the prayers of the Holy Saints, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us!

Here are some ideas and links that you may find helpful:

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What is the definition of a saint, and how does a person become one? Did you know that there are different categories of saints? What exactly is theosis? Why do we ask the saints to pray for us? These questions and more are answered in this blog which is important background information for us as we prepare to teach our Sunday Church School children about the saints.  http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8044

Older children could read this blog together and discuss its application to their life. After all, sainthood should be our aim, for living a life of great godliness is the ultimate goal for every sincere Christian!

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One idea that could help your Sunday Church School students retain the information that you teach them about saints over the course of this year would be for you to have them create a “trading card” of sorts about the saint. It could feature a copied icon of the saint, a sketch that they make, or a photograph (if it is a recent saint), that is then attached to a 3×5 or 4×6 index card. Each student could then write a short description of the saint beneath the illustration (or on the back), or copy the troparion to the saint in that space. Perhaps something like this (only student-made): https://app.box.com/s/uvph2nn833y8gr1fj7yd.

Students could accumulate their “trading cards” in your classroom and have a whole set to take home at the end of the year, to remind them of these “new” friends that they met in your Sunday Church School class.

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There are so many men who have become saints. But there are also many women! We will feature both in our “recent” saint blogs this fall. If you want to see a list of women saints, here is one: http://www.antiochian.org/women/orthodox-women-saints

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Find a listing of each day’s saints, as well as links to more information about most of them here: https://oca.org/saints/lives This page is an excellent resource for a Sunday Church School study of the saints: students can look up their own patron saint, find out more about saints whose name day is on a date significant to the student, or use the page to “meet” new friends each time they visit the web page!
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“…What does a holy life look like in the twenty-first century? We tell ourselves, ‘Sure, people could live holy lives in the fourth century…there was no TV, internet, or any of the other temptations of our day!’ We doubt there are any saints who could have understood the struggles that we face.” Read on in this blog post about finding friends among the recent saints who are examples to us and can intercede for us. (Spoiler alert: we will be learning about many of the saints mentioned here, in the weeks ahead!) https://blogs.goarch.org/blog/-/blogs/reflections-on-a-modern-saint

 

On the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14 or 27)

The Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross celebrates not one, but two important (but very much related) events in the history of the Church. In this feast, we celebrate both the finding of the Cross by St. Helena in 326 and the return of the Cross to Constantinople (and then on to Jerusalem) in 628. Here is a short synopsis to refresh your memory:

Although the empress Helena was 79 years old, she left on a journey to Jerusalem to find the precious Cross in the year 325. She had never seen a basil plant before this time. Just outside of Jerusalem, she noticed this unusual plant (the basil) that was growing all over the ground. The unfamiliar plant’s appearance and its location caused her to suspect that this was a special place. She decided to have her men dig at that spot in search of the Cross. It turned out that she was right! Three crosses were found in the ground under the growing basil. All three were tested on a sick woman (and/or a dead man – traditions vary), who had no response to the two other crosses, but became immediately well after touching the Cross of Christ. Many, many people came into Jerusalem when they heard that the Cross had been found. The leaders of the Church held the Cross up high for all to see. The people responded by saying, “Lord have mercy!” again and again.

Soon thereafter, St. Helena had a church built at the site, and most of the Cross stayed in that church, with a small piece going back to Constantinople. And so it remained for many years. In 614, however, the Persians conquered Palestine and stole the Cross. A few years later, in 628, Emperor Heraclius and his men were able to recover the Cross after defeating the Persians. At that point, the Cross was returned to Jerusalem, to the Church of the Holy Resurrection.

We celebrate both the initial finding of the Cross and its recovery with this fasting feast. It may seem odd to celebrate a feast day by fasting. But we celebrate the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross with fasting because of what we are commemorating: the Cross on which our Lord suffered and died. A fast is the most appropriate celebration of that. As we celebrate, we should also be renewing our own determination to follow Him and live our Faith to the best of our ability, even though doing so may cause us to suffer. In this way, our fasting feast can help us to become the kind of Christian we are meant to be.

Oh Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance,

Granting to Thy people victory over all their enemies.

And by the power of Thy Cross

Preserving Thy Kingdom!

We hope that you had a blessed Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross!

 

Here are a few ideas of ways to learn about this feast and to teach your Sunday Church School students about it. You can tuck them away for another year!

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Very young children (preschool-K) will enjoy these activities related to finding the Holy Cross: https://raisingorthodoxchristians.com/2015/08/24/elevation-of-the-cross-part-2-activities/

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Find a simple lesson, complete with two craft suggestions, to help children learn about the Feast of the Elevation of the Holy Cross here: http://myocn.net/elevation-of-the-cross-prayer-beads/

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Find a printable children’s bulletin about the Elevation of the Cross here: http://myocn.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Childrens-Word-83.pdf

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Find thorough lesson plans on the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross at this site. (For example, here is the one for 10-12 year olds, http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/church-history/10-12-years-old/elevation-cross; and this one is for high school, http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/high-school/elevation-cross)
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Older children will benefit from reading the articles about the cross, including its finding and its elevation (there’s also one on the wood that was used to make the cross), complete with color icons and some pictures found in this unique and very thorough bulletin. Reading the articles together can be a very good starting place for discussion! http://stpaulsgreekorthodox.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/September2016Bulletin.pdf

On the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Sept. 8 or 21)

The very first feast of the new Church year is the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, and it is a very good place to start! After all, the birth of the Theotokos is where many of the other feasts begin. In this feast, we celebrate the miracle which God worked in the lives of Sts. Joachim and Anna, who were His faithful servants, but were never blessed with a child. Childlessness was a hardship for them. They had reached old age and had borne no children! In those days, barrenness was considered punishment from God for sins, and thus everywhere they went, people could look at them and judge them as sinners simply because they had no child. In fact, when Joachim went to the Temple to make an offering, he was turned away by the High Priest because of his childlessness (remember, at that time it meant “apparent sinfulness”). It was at this point that Joachim went off to the hills to earnestly pray for a child.

Meanwhile, Anna was in Jerusalem at their home wondering where he was, while also praying for a child. While they were praying one day, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to each of them, telling them that their prayers had been heard, and they would be given a daughter whose name would be known through all the world. He told Joachim to go back to Jerusalem, and he told Anna to wait for Joachim at the Golden Gate. They both believed the angel and obeyed him. So when Joachim arrived back at Jerusalem, there was Anna, waiting for him at the Golden Gate! God kept His promise to them by allowing them to conceive the Theotokos.

So, why do we celebrate this feast? The Kontakion of the feast tells us why:
“By your nativity, most pure Virgin, Joachim and Anna are freed from barrenness, Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. And we, your people, freed from the guilt of sin, celebrate and sing to you: ‘The barren woman gives birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our Life.’” In other words, we are not just celebrating the miracle of Sts. Joachim and Anna’s release from barrenness. Through Mary, the child given to them, Christ was born. And through His birth, death, and resurrection, Adam and Eve were released from Hades; and we ourselves are set free from the guilt of our sin. So, why would we NOT celebrate this feast?!?

Below are some links that can help us learn more about the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos. Other links will help us teach our students about the feast. If you are not teaching about it this week, tuck the ideas away for a future year.

We hope you had a blessed celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos!

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“[The Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos] is a celebration as well of the very first preparation of the salvation of the world. For the “Vessel of Light,” the “Book of the Word of Life,” the “Door to the Orient,” the “Throne of Wisdom” is being prepared on earth by God Himself in the birth of the holy girl-child Mary. The verses of the feast are filled with titles for Mary such as those in the quotations above. They are inspired by the message of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. The specific Biblical readings of the feast give indications of this.” Read about the Scripture passages in this article: https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/nativity-of-the-theotokos

This article is great background for any Sunday Church School teacher. It would also be a great discussion starter for older Sunday Church School classes, who could look up the verses being quoted and discuss the “type and fulfillment” that happens in scripture again and again, this time in the context of the life of the Theotokos.

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Find an explanation of the icon of the Nativity of the Theotokos, as well as a gallery of this icon as written by different iconographers, here: https://iconreader.wordpress.com/2011/09/08/the-nativity-of-the-theotokos-icon/
With middle-years students, look at the different icons together and find each detail mentioned in the explanation, and note how it is written in each icon.

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Find a plethora of information, as well as thought provoking and inspirational encouragement related to the Nativity of the Theotokos in this wonderful book: http://store.ancientfaith.com/heaven-meets-earth

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If you teach young Sunday Church School students, consider having a blue class day. Celebrate the birth of the Mother of God with lots of blue, the Theotokos’ color! Dress in blue; decorate the classroom with blue; eat a “blue” snack (including as many blue things as possible: maybe crackers with blue cheese or blue tortilla chips with salsa, fruit kabobs including blueberries, blue finger jello, etc.); you get the idea! Find this and other fun ideas, as well as a printable wheel for all of the feast days here: http://orthodoxsundayschool.org/epistles-feasts-and-sacraments/3-5-years-old/nativity-theotokos-0

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The Department of Christian Education of the OCA has a downloadable series of lesson plans on the Theotokos here: http://dce.oca.org/focus/theotokos
Lesson 1 is about the Nativity of the Theotokos, and is offered at 5 different age group levels. Lessons include reproducible pages of readings, icons, music, and more! If you are planning to teach a lesson on this feast, you will want to check these lesson plans to help you prepare.

 

Bible Story Grab Bags: New Testament

Author’s note: As we conclude the weeks of summer break from Sunday Church School, it is time that we finish our preparations for the forthcoming year. Pulling together items that remind you of Bible stories and putting them in a “Bible Story Grab Bag” can be one way to do so. Bible story grab bags can be used throughout the Church School year as part of a lesson, as an attention-getter, as a “something-to-do-during-snack-after-liturgy-before-our-official-lesson,” or as a lesson extender if you finish your usual lesson before class time is over. (It can also be revisited at the end of the year. To review, just have each student pull an item out of the grab bag and tell something they remember about that story.)

Here are selections from the New Testament which could be told, along with suggestions of items that could represent each selection in an Old Testament Bible Story Grab Bag:

The Annunciation (Luke 1) – toothpick “spindle” of red yarn or sign that says “YES”

The angel visits Joseph (Matt 1) – angel from Christmas decor

Mary visits Elizabeth (Luke 1) – jump rope (St. John “leaped” in St. Elizabeth’s womb)

The birth of John (Luke 1) – slate with “His name is John” written in white marker

The birth of Jesus (Luke 2) – small nativity, manger, or star ornament

The wise men (Matt 2) – small bag with gold rocks, incense, sm. bottle of oil for “myrrh”

Simeon and Anna (Luke 2) – hourglass (representing how long they waited for Christ)

The escape to Egypt (Matt 2) – replica of the pyramids

Jesus comes to the temple (Luke 2) – slate and chalk (he taught the temple teachers)

The baptism of Jesus (Matt 3, John 1) – bottle of water or a dove

Jesus and His disciples (Luke 5) – a bit of fishing net

The wedding in Cana (John 2) – small wine glass

Jesus and the storm (Mark 4) – toy ship or a storm cloud photo

Jesus and the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5) – toy tiara

The Sermon on the Mount teachings:

Love your enemies (Matt 5) – stuffed monster

The Lord Teaches the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6) – copy of the Lord’s Prayer

The parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders (Matt 7) –  jar of sand and a rock

The Good Samaritan (Luke 10) – bandages

The lost sheep (Luke 15) – toy lamb

The prodigal son (Luke 15) – fancy ring

Jesus feeds five thousand people (Matt 14) – 5 crackers and 2 candy fish in a baggie

Jesus walks on water (Matt 14) – small pair of water shoes

God shows who Jesus is (Matt 17) – glow stick flashlight w/ marker face “Jesus”

The Good Shepherd (John 10) – “shepherd’s crook”/brown tape-covered candy cane

Jesus comes to Zacchaeus (Luke 19) – tiny toy guy and a big toy tree

Lazarus (John 11) – toy person wrapped in a length of white crepe paper streamer

Mary anoints Jesus (John 12) – small bottle of perfume

The entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mark 11) – palm branch

Jesus drives the merchants out of the temple (Mark 11) – toy dove in cage or dollhouse-sized table and coins

Jesus celebrates Passover with His Disciples (Mark 14) – small dish (for identifying Judas)

Jesus washes the disciples’ feet (John 13) – small bowl “basin” and washcloth “towel”

Jesus prays in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14) – praying hands picture

Jesus dies on the cross (Mark 15) – small wooden cross

The burial of Jesus (Mark 15, John 19) – piece of white cloth “shroud”

The Resurrection of Jesus (Luke 24) – large stone “seal for the tomb”

Jesus ascends into Heaven (Luke 24, Acts 1) – stuffed cloud or handful of fiberfill

Pentecost (Acts 2) – lighter (for when “the tongues of fire” came down)

Saul On the Road to Damascus (Acts 9) – spotlight or bright flashlight

Sts. Paul and Silas Sing in Jail (Acts 16) – piece of broken chain

St. Paul Writes Letters (1 Corinth 12, 1 John 4) – pile of letters tied together

Here are some helpful links that can help you prepare your New Testament Bible Story Grab Bag. We also shared these when we posted this (https://orthodoxchurchschoolteachers.wordpress.com/2016/07/01/bible-story-grab-bags-old-testament/) but are re-sharing in case you missed them :

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Create a simple drawstring bag to be your “New Testament Bible Story Grab Bag.” Here’s a very basic pattern that you could use to make the bag: http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2013/06/easy-fat-quarter-drawstring-bag-tutorial.html

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Here are several other suggestions for storage for your storytelling “grab bag” (box? tube?): Decorate an empty wet-wipes container (see http://momstown.ca/2013/10/23/how-make-treasure-box-diaper-wipe-container/); a covered oatmeal tube or coffee can (see http://modpodgerocksblog.com/2009/09/delightful-toy-containers-made-from.html); or a paper-covered shoebox (this one suggests using maps, but any pretty paper would work: http://inmyownstyle.com/2013/09/map-covered-shelf-organizing-boxes.html) and store your story-starters in there instead of in a bag!
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Make story stones like this to include as your “story-starters” for the grab bag. To make your own, consider using an all-purpose glue (like modge podge) to adhere related pictures (hand drawn, photographs, or cut from magazines) onto smooth stones. You can then set the stones upright in sand in scenery, or in a timeline, etc, as you tell the story. http://www.poppitscupboard.com/p/home.html

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Gather actual items that represent the stories you want to tell to your class. These items will be your “story starters” which you will keep in the grab bag. They can be plastic or wooden miniatures, pictures or icons, or any significant item that shows up in a Bible story that will jog your (and your students’) memory. (You may also want to include a master list of every item, complete with its story and/or the scripture to which it belongs.) Here is an example: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/71/00/b9/7100b98b14a9ac8423d9ca6dcda5d3e4.jpg

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Here’s a related Bible storytelling tip: Tell a story using several bags, each containing one item that helps to tell the story. (For example, this storyteller gives ideas for using multiple items and bags to tell the story of Creation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Nu01DP_IQ.) Here are 12 Bible stories, already thought through for a similar project/presentation: http://curbsproject.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Bible-Story-Bags.pdf