Nativity resources, activities available on Department of Christian Education web site
A variety of educational resources for the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord are available on the web site of the Orthodox Church in America’s Department of Christian Education at dce.oca.org.
A five-session study unit, “The Nativity Season,” is available for use with five different age groups. It may be accessed at dce.oca.org/focus/nativity. The unit’s objectives are to enable the students to describe some of the elements of the Nativity season, including hymns, saints, fasting, and Old Testament preparation, and to define the Great Feast of the Nativity as God’s long-awaited gift to us of a Savior.
Of special interest is the making of a “Jesse Tree” in lesson 4 for age levels 10-12 and 13-17. Both contain Jesse Tree materials, which will offer students a good foundation for understanding how the Church views Old Testament prophecies and figures as leading to the Nativity of Jesus Christ.