Over the past few weeks, the pupils in years three and four have been working intensively on the topic of "world religions" in their religion lessons. As part of this lesson, a visit to the Syrian Orthodox Church was planned to give the children an authentic insight into another Christian denomination. Unfortunately, the church visit had to be canceled due to current renovation work.
An alternative event was organized in the schoolyard to give the children a vivid insight into the Syrian Orthodox Church. The pupils of the Syrian Orthodox religious education classes were particularly committed to this. They not only prepared songs, but also informative contributions about the church and its traditions.
At the beginning of the event, the Syrian Orthodox children sang a song that immediately created a special atmosphere. The clothing and duties of altar servers in the church were then explained. The performance of Gabriel from class 4a, who presented various liturgical vestments, was particularly impressive. The children learned that clothing differs depending on age and position within the church.
After a second song, the students in the audience had the opportunity to ask questions. Among other things, they asked about the languages spoken during the service, the design of the church building, the origin of the songs, the procedures of a service and the tasks of the people who work in the church. Similarities to the Protestant and Catholic churches were also discussed.
The 45-minute event was not only informative, but also lively and vivid. The children were enthusiastic and took away many new impressions. In addition to the increase in knowledge, the focus was also on an important goal: to encourage the children to treat other religions and cultures with openness and respect. The campaign also helped to promote tolerance, mutual understanding, empathy and intercultural skills.
A successful replacement for the missed church visit.