Antiochian Educators Prepare Teachers for New Corinthians Curriculum

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — Sunday Church School educators gathered at Parish Life Conferences this summer for workshops preparing them to teach St. Paul’s First and Second Epistles to the Corinthians as part of the 2026–2027 curriculum theme, “One Body, One Spirit.” Diocesan Christian Education coordinators led the workshops across several regions, introducing teachers to the broader work of the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries and the newly launched Orthodox Learning Ladder, an online resource hub designed to supplement parish curricula.

Participants also received an introduction to the new Sunday Church School curriculum on First and Second Corinthians, part of the Christian Education Ministry’s eight-year cycle of biblical study. The first portion was scheduled for release in August, with the second to follow in December. A free, self-paced online course on First Corinthians was also presented, offering historical background, maps, timelines, teaching suggestions, reflection questions, project-based learning, and other resources to help educators make St. Paul’s teachings meaningful for students of different ages.

The workshops emphasized the continuing relevance of Corinthians, whose first readers faced division, pride, disagreements over leadership and worship, questions about spiritual gifts, and the challenge of living faithfully within a surrounding culture. Educators explored how these themes can be connected with struggles children and teenagers encounter today. Because the epistles often present theological and practical concepts rather than familiar biblical narratives, teachers were encouraged to begin with experiences students already understand, such as conflict, jealousy, exclusion, peer pressure, or feeling unimportant.

Teachers also reflected on St. Paul’s image of the Church as the Body of Christ in First Corinthians 12, emphasizing that every member belongs and that God gives different people different gifts for the good of the whole Church. Interactive activities demonstrated how games, visuals, discussion, movement, and humor can make serious biblical study more engaging. The workshops also stressed that children and teenagers are not merely future members of the Church but already belong to the Body of Christ through Baptism and Chrismation.

The workshops concluded with encouragement for the teachers and leaders responsible for helping young people grow in the Orthodox faith. The ministry expressed hope that participants returned to their parishes equipped to help students recognize their gifts, care for one another, and grow together as members of “one Body” strengthened by “one Spirit.”

Previously, the UOJ reported that an Orthodox Youth Movement reunion centered on prayer and fellowship.