New Testament Module
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this module is to introduce the New Testament. In kindergarten, you will go over the Annunciation, the Nativity, the entrance to the Temple, and the Epiphany. They will learn the stories of Saint Simeon the Elder and Saint John the Baptist. The students will also learn differences between the Old and New Testaments and why our Lord Jesus Christ came.
TOPICS BY WEEK
Please read through all of the lessons in this module in preparation for this lesson.
- Week 1: The Annunciation
- Week 2: Entrance Into the Temple
- Week 3: Nativity
- Week 4: Epiphany
- Capstone Activity
The Capstone activity is going to take a lot of preparation. Be sure to get a head start on gathering the materials.
MILESTONES
Scripture: The Holy Bible details events witnessed by multiple saints and apostles. These New Testament events reveal who is the Christ prophesied about in the Old Testament. Although the four Gospels are written and witnessed by four different writers, they are all inspired by the Holy Spirit and are united in the message of salvation. The events of the early life of our Lord Jesus Christ reveal His identity as True God from True God, of One Essence with the Father, and also His full humanity. The children will have a good understanding of the first two chapters of the gospel of Saint Luke and epiphany in the first chapter of the gospel of Saint Mark in this module.
Spiritual: The early life of our Lord Jesus Christ reveals His identity as the promised Messiah and Savior. Deep within each event, one finds the profound love of God for His creation. Also revealed in these events is who is Christ and why He was incarnated. The kindergarteners will learn that our Lord Jesus Christ was incarnate and became Man to open the doors of Heaven for us.
Social: The social development and skills within the New Testament module teach kindergarteners to trust in the promises of God and the proper form of obedience. Trust and obedience are foundational elements of faith and they are observed in many Old Testament fathers such as Abraham and Joseph the Righteous. The epitome of trust and obedience is St. Mary who is discussed in the Annunciation and Nativity lessons. The children will learn that by reading the Bible daily and having our hearts open to our Lord, we can be ready to do the Lord's good work, like Saint Mary, Saint Simeon, and Saint John the Baptist.
Rituals: The Coptic Church's Rituals emphasise that Feasts of the Lord be formal with entrance by procession, the priests dress in their celebratory robes, and the hymns are in the festive tune. Every event in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ is a reason to celebrate His love in the Divine plan for our salvation. The kindergarteners will be able to identify and read the icons correlating with these New Testament stories. The kindergarteners will also have a very brief introduction to Baptism as a Holy Mystery of the Church that our Lord introduces to us with Saint John the Baptist.
PARENTS CORNER
Every lesson contains suggested practices and routines for you to send out to parents/guardians on a weekly basis. The ultimate goal is to give parents tools necessary to educate their children every day, creating an Orthodox Christian home. Encourage parents to create a prayer corner in their home or kindergartener's bedroom to practice daily prayers as a family. Also to create routines within their day in which the child should expect the family to come together to read the Bible.