St. Ananius
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the history module is to teach children the rich history and traditions of the Coptic church. In this module, we will go over Christ and disciples, St. Mark, St. Anianus, and St.Polycarp. These Saints established the grounds of our Coptic faith and built the foundation of the Coptic Orthodox Church. St.Mark converted St. Anianus to Coptic Christianity when he came to Egypt. St.Mark ordained St. Anianus as Bishop of Alexandria and opened his house as a church.
INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 5 Minutes
Please review the previous week's lesson. (5 minutes)
After reviewing last week's lesson, ask the students if they remember the cobbler and then dive into his story.
HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes
Memory Verse (review last week)
"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15)
Memory Verse
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes
As we learned last week, St. Mark met St. Anianus in Alexandria when he tore his sandal and went to him to fix it. Today we will talk more about St. Anianus himself.
St. Anianus was born to pagan parents and he worked as a cobbler, fixing people's shoes. He lived a simple life. Remember, when he was repairing St. Mark's shoe with a needle, he accidentally injured himself and screamed in pain saying "O, the Only God". When St. Mark heard this, he prayed to God, took dust from the ground, spat on it, and put it on St. Anianus's finger and he was healed immediately. After, St. Mark asked him "Do you know who the One God is?". St. Anianus said he did not know. However, he was amazed at this miracle and he asked St. Mark to come to his house to talk about God. He spent many hours learning about God from St. Mark the Apostle. St. Anianus was so excited that he decided to bring the good news to his entire family. He and his household were all baptized and believed in our Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Anianus was the first Christian to be baptized in Egypt and was ordained as the Bishop of Alexandria. He began to preach with St.Mark and converted many people. When the pagans heard this, they were getting angry at St. Mark and wanted to harm him. St. Mark escaped and went to Rome. Before he escaped, St. Mark ordained St. Anianus as the second Pope of Alexandria. St. Anianus continued preaching and baptizing people in the name of the Lord. He even turned his own house into a church and today is known as the church of St. Mark the Martyr.
Share the icon of St. Mark and St. Aninus with the kindergarteners.
DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes
God will always lead you to the right place. Even when things seem like they're not going well, God is redirecting you for a greater plan. So when St. Mark's shoe broke, it seemed like it was a bad thing, at first. He walked a lot and had to walk even more with his broken shoe. But God let that happen so that he can lead Ananias to God. And then St. Anianus can lead others to God. He first decided to convert his family. They had faith and served God together. So when bad things happen, that's okay because God always has a plan. St. Anianus and his family were the first Christians to be baptized in Egypt. They continued to preach the good news and serve our God.
LIFE APPLICATION - 5 Minutes
When things go wrong, or when we're frustrated, we should talk to God so that he can guide us and make them into good things. We should always keep our eyes and our hearts open to see where God is leading us. God opened St. Anianus' heart and eyes to him and he accepted him and brought the good news to his family and later to many millions of people in Egypt.
ACTIVITY - 15 Minutes
Option One:
A key aspect of this story is that when St. Anianus heard the good news, he told his family and they were all baptized. For this craft, the material needed is popsicle sticks, stickers, glue, and the verse printed. Create a house with the popsicle sticks then glue those together. Next, decorate the house with stickers. Glue the verse on the paper in the center of the house.
Option Two:
Print and distribute the coloring page of St. Mark's Cathedral in Egypt with the kindergarteners. Discuss the joy of the Mother Church and its strength and perseverance. Have them write their names on their papers to take home and review.
SERVANT RESOURCES
PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK
Encourage the parents to include the intercession of St. Anianus in their prayer routines this week. Mimic St. Anianus' family by praising the Lord as a family. Each night for this week, make sure to pray as a family, read the Agpeya and the Bible together.