Our Church and Our Children

by Sophie Koulomzin, Ann Mitsakos Bezzerides

This book is a re-release of a classic by a distinguished Orthodox Christian religious educator and a foundational read for Christian parents and educators. Koulomzin, who taught Religious Education at St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary from 1954 to 1973, writes as a laywoman, teacher, mother, and grandmother about the task of Christian education. The work is a remarkable compendium of her wisdom. The contents of the book comprise a deep understanding of children, a wise appropriation of educational and developmental theory, a lived knowledge of the Orthodox faith tradition, and a keen sense of Orthodox church life in America. The book is peppered with engaging anecdotes from her half-century of experience working with children in the Church. For Koulomzin, recognizing that children are full members of the Church was of utmost importance, and her life's vocation was encouraging others to see this.

Among the key topics addressed in Our Church and Our Children are: the task of Christian education, developmental stages of children, Christian education in the family, the challenges and opportunities of the church school, and a vision and goals for the Christian teacher. It makes an excellent book for either group or personal study. Included in the re-release are a foreword, which gives a glimpse into her incredible personal life, a bibliography, and a chapter-by-chapter study guide.

Genres: Spirituality

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1975

Reviews

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to rate, parts of it I would rate at 3 stars while other parts are certainly worth of a full 5 stars. The main focus of the book covers the education of children within the church. The emphasis on the family being the first and primary place a child learns is a critical part of the book, without the family being active in the church, teaching the children does not have the same lasting effects. When it comes to active participation, although there is emphasis on this, it disappointed me to see that the author has the idea to separate the children in this, as she suggests a junior choir instead of incorporating the children into the main choir or having a special liturgy where there is more youth participation. I find that the different groups create a separation of the children from being seen as full participants in the church. The guidelines broken down by age group was quite a useful way to look at things, for any future church school teacher, youth group leader, or camp counselor, I would strongly recommend this section. When it comes to the formal education in the church I found myself having some different views. In parts of the book there is emphasis on relationships with other people growing up in the church, these help keep the kids wanting to come to church and church school. If the lessons are too formal and strict, which was my understanding of the type of lessons described, the children will resist coming. The author briefly mentions that the teacher should make note of how the child reacts and listens to lessons, but to go a step further I believe the teacher should get to know each student to help encourage their learning through their interests and connection. Children follow examples more than listening to them, as the children are in the oldest age group as teenagers, the balance between being a friend and teacher is a must. The teacher should show their own journey of participating, continuing to learn in the faith and struggling (in appropriate manner) to show the importance of the faith despite the difficulty. This can help the children be more inclined to listen and relate to the teacher. Overall, I think there are some flaws in the book but regardless I would encourage all that interact with the youth of the church to read this book.

[Lisa Wuertz · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many great points about parenting and bits of encouragement. Some nice tips for incorporating the Orthodox faith, feast days and such into family life and particular to stages of development. A book I will have to reread every so often.