Spritual Teaching

Vision:

We strive to pass down the Ethiopian  Orthodox Tewahedo Faith as we have received it from the Holy Apostles AND we  will also instill pride and confidence of our religion so that students will be  ambassadors of their faith.

Mission:

We will provide an environment where children  of the DSKM community can praise God and learn the word of God; we will also  build foundational knowledge and instill lifelong devotion to the Ethiopian  Orthodox Religion.  We hope to equip students  with the necessary tools of spirituality and instill the reverence of God in  their lives in order to weave this lifestyle into their lifelong journey.  We will accomplish this by:

1. Leading a dynamic, discussion-based program  that will engage students
2. Involving dedicated teachers who will guide  the spiritual maturity of students
3. Providing an honest, comfortable yet  respectful environment where students can communicate with each other and have  fellowship.
4. Providing students with an opportunity to  constructively criticize various aspects of the program or curriculum in order  to work to continually improve the program.
5. Involving the Senbet Timhirtbet, Education  Committee, Parents’ Committee and DSKM administration for a cohesive team of  volunteers dedicated to build the next generation of devout Ethiopian Orthodox  Christians.
6. Ensure all students succeed by promptly and  thoroughly addressing any concerns students may have and following through even  after their graduation of the program

Core Curriculum will focus on the following themes:

1. Bible Knowledge (Old  + New Testament) [Goal:  Students should be  able to indentify major books of the Bible, understand major themes of the  Bible, incorporate reading the Bible into their daily lives]
2. Doctrine of the  church (dogmatic and sacramental) [Goal:   Students should be able to identify essential elements of the Ethiopian  Orthodox Tewahedo Church and indentify major points that distinguish our Church  from other faiths. ]
   • Five Pillar  Mysteries
   • Seven Holy  Sacraments
3. Orthodox Church  in Ethiopia [Goal:  Students should be  able to understand and appreciate the journey of the EOTC and learn about  miracles, saints, and books that exist within our church.]
4. Mezmur/Liturgy  [Goal: Students should be able to follow  and participate in the Divine Liturgy as well as worship through songs]
5. Life as a  Christian [Goal:  Students will be  oriented on how to lead a spiritual life in a secular world.  We will discuss the importance of prayer,  fasting and almsgiving as key ways of keeping God first in their lives.