Connecticut parish takes the lead in cooperative Vacation Church School program
For the second consecutive summer, the Three Saints Church of Ansonia, Connecticut is planning a Vacation Church School for July 9-13. Father Patrick Burns, pastor at Three Saints, explains that five or six Orthodox churches in the Bridgeport area are getting involved, contributing both students and teachers.
“We sent out notices to both a diocesan email list as well as a greater Bridgeport clergy association list, to let people know about it and to pool resources for the program so that no one parish is strained by it. Due to our successful first year, we are enjoying even more cooperation this year with church school teachers coming from other parishes,” notes Father Patrick.
The all-day program will again be held at Three Saints Park, which is part of the parish’s property and includes two pavilions (one with a full service kitchen), a pond for swimming, volleyball courts, a soccer field and hiking trails.
While emphasizing the importance of inter-parish cooperation, Father Patrick also says that his parish had to take ownership of the summer church school program initially in order for it to become reality. All five of the teachers who attend Three Saints participated in the Church School in its first year and are supporting the program again this summer.
“We came up with a theme last year: the Sacraments of the Church as our spiritual compass. This year’s theme is the Beatitudes, and we are focusing on our moral compass. How do we live our lives? What are we singing about when we sing the Beatitudes? We want to give them something they can carry beyond church school, into their everyday lives.”
Rather than using curriculum, Father Patrick and the teachers create their own material to coordinate with their chosen theme and the five-day schedule. Each class consists of morning prayers, a Bible study time, lunch break, talks with Father Patrick, a craft to reinforce the lesson, free time for active play and swimming, and a wrap-up session to review the day’s lesson.
“We’ve had great feedback from kids who attended—in turn, they have told other families about our program, and this year we expect even more kids. All students are welcome; we’ve had some non-Orthodox kids come as well,” notes Father Patrick.
Even though it takes a tremendous amount of effort and cooperation to host an all-day program in the middle of the summer vacation season, Father Patrick explains that it is worth the trouble. “We have to take every opportunity we have to teach our kids—not just in a classroom setting, but in other creative ways. We need to help them integrate what they are learning about our faith so that they too can bear the light of Christ to people.”
For more information about planning a Vacation Church School program, contact Father Patrick Burns at (203) 734-3988 or email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).