Additional Nativity season activities now available from DCE
Two additional educational activities for the Nativity season are now available on the web site of the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Education.
- Designed for pre-teens, “Jesus as Both God and Man” will guide students in discerning how the Gospel of Saint Luke reveals the Incarnate Lord as fully divine and fully human—a central aspect of the Orthodox Christian celebration of the Great Feast of the Nativity. The activity is available in PDF format.
- Third through fifth graders will benefit greatly from “Preparing for Our Lord’s Birth.” This activity relates the wonderful example of Saint Herman of Alaska, who is commemorated on December 13, to our own spiritual preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity. It also is available in PDF format.
A number of other resources focusing on the Nativity and Theophany also are available for individual and group study, including over a dozen scripts and resources, found at dce.oca.org/resources/plays, that provide ideas for Nativity Pageants and “yolkas.”
- “Calling All Ancestors of Christ to the Feast of His Nativity” is a rhyming poem written by Father Daniel Kovalak, in the style of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This charming piece reviews the Ancestors of Christ and describes both our liturgical and personal spiritual preparation for the Great Feast of the Nativity. Download it at dce.oca.org/resources/plays.
- “The Star and the Wise Men” is a story written for younger children, describing the events of the Nativity of Christ and including the flight into Egypt, which is remembered on December 26. Find it at dce.oca.org/assets/files/resources/162.pdf.
- “Jesus is Baptized by Saint John” provides younger children with a colorful description of the life and work Saint John the Baptist, including the events of Theophany. Download it at dce.oca.org/assets/files/resources/32.pdf.
Visit the DCE web site for a wide variety of educational resources, lesson plans, and study units for all seasons and age levels.
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