Dear Church School Parents,
On SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 we will begin a new Church School year for our Children.
Our world continues to suffer from the ills of a fallen humanity. Our children are exposed to many of these ills, from witnessing the injustices and atrocities of the Middle East, to drugs and crime in our schools and neighborhoods. Many are the forces that persuade and shape our children’s perception of God, humanity and the world. For this reason, our children’s religious education is of paramount importance.
Church School is the imparting upon our children the necessary teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church so that our children may make God-pleasing decisions throughout their lives. In a world that continually suffers because of humanity’s indifference and ignorance, we Orthodox Christians fervently believe that the religious education offered in our Church Schools is absolutely essential.
We are blessed to have at our church, a dedicated staff of devout and knowledgeable Orthodox Christians who have assumed this awesome responsibility. Each one of our teachers has been touched by God and has been called to this ministry. They sacrifice their time to prepare lessons which impart the soul-saving teachings of our faith. They have witnessed how a young soul detached from God can be consumed by the destructive forces of our world. They have also witnessed through their own trials and tribulations the peace
and victory one finds in a living relationship with God.
Once again, as we find ourselves at the threshold of a new Church School year, we here at our St. Lazarus “Ravanica” parish are eager to receive your children that we may “proclaim the truth of the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ” to your children. With our teachers using the curriculum of our Diocese, in conjunction with my input and our Church School Superintendents, Julia and Zoran Djuric, we anticipate a rich learning environment for our children.
Please make every effort possible to come to church before 10 A.M. when Divine Liturgy begins. Children, as last year, will dismiss to classes at their regular scheduled time.
We are looking forward to an educational and inspirational Church School year for our children. Be assured that we will do everything possible to bless our children with the teachings of our Faith. However, we need the cooperation of ALL of the parents’. This means coming to church every Sunday and on time. It means patiently waiting until your child’s lesson is completed before leaving church. It means becoming involved in and supporting our Church School program as parents, and finally, it is essential that you discuss with your children what was learned in Church School.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Remember, religious education should be a daily experience for people of all ages, children and adults. On behalf of our Church School staff, we look forward to working with you in educating your child in the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church.
Yours in Christ,
Proto Zivan Urosev
Email: churchschool@ravanica.org
