9th Grade

"Our Identity and Purpose" is the theme for the 9th-grade Sunday School as it delves into the core beliefs of the Nicene Creed, exploring the essence of our faith and salvation. Through lessons on the Holy Trinity, salvation, human existence, spiritual growth, and Christian symbolism, students are guided to understand their identity as God’s creation created in His image and likeness and to recognize their purpose in aligning their lives with the teachings of the Orthodox Church. The book aims to illuminate the mystery of the Triune nature of God, the significance of salvation, and the path to holiness, emphasizing the importance of living in communion with God and fulfilling the divine plan for our lives.

Learning Outcomes

This list summarizes all the learning outcomes a child should know at the end of this Grade and at this age. For more information on this approach of "what a child should know?", we recommend reading "The Goals and Objectives of Education in the Orthodox Church", by Rev. Fr. Dr. Anton.

Sin

G9.LO1 - Theorize whether people are fundamentally good or evil, and then conclude with the Orthodox understanding. (Lesson 16)

G9.LO2 - Propose ways that we might grow in the likeness of God and make choices directed by the Spirit and not by the passions of the flesh. (Lesson 8)

Holy Confession

G9.LO3 - Analyze the Hoosoyo prayer. (Lesson 4)

G9.LO4 - Reflect on the trust in the sanctity of Confession. (Lesson 4)

G9.LO5 - Identify with the repentance of the prodigal and the preemptive forgiveness of the father. (Lesson 1)

Holy Qurbana

G9.LO6 - Dissect the quote "The Eucharist is the state of perfect man. When man stands before the throne of God, when he has fulfilled all that God has given him to fulfill, when all sins are forgiven, all joy restored, then there is nothing else for him to do, but to give thanks." (Fr. Schmemann) (Lesson 7)

G9.LO7 - Examine "The Eucharist is our secret joy and certitude, the source of inspiration and growth, the victory that overcomes evil, the presence that makes our whole life, life in Christ." (Fr. Schmemann) (Lesson 7)

G9.LO8 - Consider the quote "Liturgy is the source and the expression of the entire spiritual experience. In prayers, the Church articulates its vision of God and the destiny of humanity and the entire creation" (Fr. Baby Varghese) (Lesson 7)

G9.LO9 - Discuss the term "Anamnesis" and translate the understanding of the Church that time spent in Liturgy blends past/present/future altogether. (Lesson 8)

Liturgical Calendar

G9.LO10 - Analyze the patterns of the Old Testament Readings, New Testament Readings, and the Gospel to develop a deeper understanding of our Salvation and our purpose as Christians. (Lesson 7)

G9.LO11 - Understand how the Scripture verses were chosen in the Holy Liturgy. (Lesson 11)

G9.LO12 - Discuss how "Liturgical theology should investigate the theological principles that have guided the fixation of the lectionary" - Fr Baby Varghese (Lesson 11)

G9.LO13 - Observe the construction of the Liturgical calendar and the balance of feasting and fasting, how the progression of the Liturgical tones match the calendar, etc. (Lesson 11)

Salvation

G9.LO14 - Differentiate the Orthodox view of salvation compared to the Protestant/non-denominational view of salvation. (Lesson 3)

G9.LO15 - Differentiate "Ancestral Sin" vs "Original Sin". (Lesson 2)

G9.LO16 - Explore salvation as a relationship with God. (Lesson 2)

Jesus Christ

G9.LO17 - Explain "begotten of the Father, born of the Virgin" (St. Cyril) and "from two natures" (St. Severus) (Lesson 3)

G9.LO18 - Interpret and Appreciate the Manitho of St. Severus. (Lesson 3)

G9.LO19 - Justify that the Love of Christ compelled Him to come for our salvation. (Lesson 3)

Holy Baptism

G9.LO20 - Analyze the Liturgical Service of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. (Lesson 5)

Mental Health

G9.LO21 - Invalidate the stigma of counseling and justify that it is acceptable to seek help from a professional/formal setting. (Lesson 4)

G9.LO22 - Elaborate that the Church's spiritual disciplines and sacraments are tools to deal with the burdens of a fallen world. (Lesson 10)

G9.LO23 - Identify and differentiate situations of peer pressure and methods to stand up to it. (Lesson 14)

G9.LO24 - Differentiate between the Church's view and the world's view of body image. (Lesson 10)

G9.LO25 - Distinguish between healthy-unhealthy and moral-immoral influences. (Lesson 14)

G9.LO26 - Identify symptoms and causes of stress and methods to deal with them. (Lesson 15)

G9.LO27 - Identify and seek ways to develop positive friendships and how to separate from negative influences and friendships. (Lesson 14)

Fasting and Prayer

G9.LO28 - Explain the main objectives of fasting. (Lesson 10)

G9.LO29 - Argue that fasting is liberation from our enslavement to desire and passions. (Lesson 10)

G9.LO30 - Deduce that other things that we can try to fast from are other distractions that can interfere with our spirituality. (Lesson 10)

G9.LO31 - Examine how fasts of Wednesday, Friday, Nineveh, and Great Lent are penitential fasts while the others are intercessory, commemorative of those events, and in spiritual preparation. (Lesson 11)

G9.LO32 - Articulate that we also have a tradition of optional supplemental fasts that people can observe out of personal piety and for specific intercessions. (Lesson 7)

Sanctity of Life

G9.LO33 - Apply the intrinsic value of the Sanctity of Life to the issues of the Death Penalty, Suicide, Stem Cell Research, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and cloning. (Lesson 13)

Holy Trinity

G9.LO34 - Identify and analyze the occurrence of the Trinity in both the Old Testament and New Testament, and explain how God fulfilled his work of Salvation. (Lesson 3)

G9.LO35 - Explain why adding the "Filioque" does not align with the Church's teaching of the Trinity. (Lesson 9)

G9.LO36 - Evaluate how the basis of Christian life is founded in the Holy Trinity. (Lesson 9)

G9.LO37 - Defend the Holy Trinity being uncreated, self-existent, eternal, adorable, and of one substance. (Lesson 9)

Symbolism

G9.LO38 - Experience our liturgical life of the Church as a taste and revelation of the heavenly reality. (Lesson 7)

G9.LO39 - Explore various symbols in the life of the Church. (Lesson 12)

G9.LO40 - Discuss how the Holy Cross symbolizes Christ. (Lesson 12)

G9.LO41 - Articulate and value that symbols are reality and not merely representations. (Lesson 5)

God the Father

G9.LO42 - Justify that Father is an expression of natural and relational authority in the Holy Trinity and thus, Father is the Begetter (Generator), Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible. (Lesson 9)

G9.LO43 - Validate that trusting in the Father leads to obedience. (Lesson 14)

G9.LO44 - Verify that Jesus uses the expression My Father as a paradigm for our relation also with God the Father. (Lesson 6)

G9.LO45 - Explain how the Father is the Begetter (generator) and the Holy Spirit does not take His generation from the Son. (Lesson 9)

Holy Spirit

G9.LO46 - Interpret the Sedro of the 3rd service on the Feast of Pentecost. (Lesson 6)

G9.LO47 - Interpret the phrase, "Proceeds from the Father, takes His essence from the Son". (Lesson 9)

G9.LO48 - Perceive the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives (as the Comforter, the Sustainer of Creation, Sanctifier, the opener of eyes, the teacher of wisdom, the guide of our life.) (Lesson 6)