Anna-Sarah Farha, Department of Christian Education

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. +Romans 12:4-5

One Body in Christ is the new Sunday church school curriculum from the Antiochian Department of Christian Education for Kindergarten-Adult levels. For the first time, adult lessons are included in the program so that all members of a parish may learn together.

Based on the Book of Romans, the curriculum is structured into two parts. Part I is made up of ten lessons that sequentially follow chapters 1-16 of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans. Part II covers the major themes of the letter (available December 2023.) 

To further support church schools, supplemental resources have been developed, including an Anchor Words chart with original illustrations by Kassiani Newman; a digital icon gallery; multi-media resources; and presentations on the Romans curriculum by Fr. Stephen De Young and Summer Kinard. The curriculum and resources can be downloaded from the Department of Christian Education.

From V. Rev. Nicholas Belcher, Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries Chairman, “our team felt it would be a providential opportunity to discuss the real issues in the lives of young people – so beautifully laid out by St. Paul’s teachings to the Romans. Among the topics that will be explored are key ones such as sinfulness both in the world and among God’s people, the meaning of justification and faithfulness, adoption into the family of God, and living a life of peace.”

Our prayer is for this curriculum to be a helpful tool for our church schools to:
+inspire our young people to strive for a deeper commitment to Christ,
+learn to struggle courageously with sin,
+and live lives of deep faithfulness as sons and daughters of the Most High God.

Our preschool classes will have access to all-new church school lessons this year, too. Living the Faith is a preschool curriculum currently under development, with lessons and resources released on a weekly basis this fall, also available for download from Christian Education.

All the materials go hand in hand with the theme of the Creative Festivals that will take place at the 2024 Parish Life Conferences. The PLC theme verse is  Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”