Department
of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry
Orthodox Church in America
PO Box 675 Syosset, NY 11791
http://yya.oca.org
yyacm@oca.org
And
the Two Shall Become One:
A
Teenage Study-unit on Sex, Sexuality and the Sacrament of Marriage
What's
Inside:
Before You Start
Before beginning this unit, participants should have completed
the study-unit What’s Love Got to Do With It? Everything! available
from the Orthodox Christian Publications Center (OCPC). Also read the "How
to Use This Book" section. It includes the basic framework of the unit
and provides suggestions for inexperienced teachers. The coordinator of this
unit should inform the parents/guardians of all participants about the basic
content of the unit in order that they can be prepared for any questions which
may arise at home.
Disclaimer: This unit does not attempt to cover the myriad
of issues surrounding sexuality in our culture. Nor does this unit attempt
to serve as a form of sex education
program comparable to that in public schools -- we do not cover the biology
of the sexes, sexual reproduction, sexual diseases, or how to use birth control.
It does however, attempt to provide a means of teaching the Orthodox Christian
view of sexuality and marriage to teens and young adults.
This unit is intended to accomplish the following:
Age
and Grade Level
This
unit is designed to be discussed with youth between the ages of 13-18.
Reproducing
this unit: All
educational units designed by our Unit on Education and Community Life Ministries
are designed to be reproduced locally. Every teacher and staff member should
have his or her own copy.
Suggested
Reading
In addition to the texts mentioned in the session outlines, the following resources can be a great help to leaders as they prepare
1.
Synodal Affirmations on Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and the Sanctity of Life:
These affirmations, issued by the Holy Synod of Bishops on the occasion of
the Tenth All-American Council, outline
the Church’s basic teachings on these areas of life. They can be downloaded
from the OCA web site at http://www.oca.org/OCA/All-American-Council/10-Miami-1992/Synodal-Affirmations.html
2.
Sacrament of Holy Matrimony Service Book:
Available from the Orthodox Christian Publications Center (OCPC).
3.
Pastoral Encyclical on Marriage: Available from OCPC.
4.
The Sacrament of Love
by Paul Evdokimov: Available from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary (800/204-BOOK).
5.
Family Life: Christian Family in Today’s World
compiled by the OCA’s Unit on Education and Community Life Ministries: Available
from OCPC.
6.
Marriage as a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints by David and Mary Ford: Available from St. Tikhon’s Bookstore
(888/454-6678).
7.
HIV, AIDS & U: A 3-session Discussion Guide on Christians and HIV/AIDS.
Available from the OCA’s Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries.
Materials
Sessions
will require the use of a chalkboard or other similar, large writing surface.
Participants will also do work in a journal or workbook. You may wish to supply
them with blank composition/diary books
for keeping journals. Such books make excellent keepsakes and can be used
with other study-units, allowing participants to trace the progress of their
religious education in your ministry.
How to use this book:
This
book is divided into seven sessions. Each session is designed to take between
45 minutes to 1 hour to complete with the option of expanding even further
into additional activities. Each session is, itself, divided into the following
nine sections:
1.
Aim: Also known
as the rationale, this section provides the basic principles and reasons
of the session. The “Aim” section also defines the goal(s) of the session,
which is the general outcome for the unit session.
2.
Guidance for Leaders:
This section briefly provides further discussion of the rationale or motivation
for the session, and give the leader some things to keep in mind when teaching.
3.
Objectives: This
section lists specific tasks that participants should be able to accomplish
as a result of finishing a session. They include skills, experiences, and
ideas to be acquired. Objectives are usually framed in terms of goals. For
example, "By the end of this unit, students should be able to . . . ."
4.
Useful Texts:
This section lists references to any texts that you should use during the
session. Sometimes they will include the useful texts described at the beginning
of the entire unit (above), though mostly they include scriptural passages,
liturgical texts, and lives of the saints. Teachers should keep these texts
on hand during each session and should read and reflect on these before the
time of the session.
5.
Materials: This
section lists materials needed for the activities in the session, such as
those for writing, or creating
expressions of participants’ experience. All sessions require a chalkboard-like
surface and journals.
6.
Procedure: This
section provides the general overview of the session in terms of procedure,
what needs to be done. Feel free to follow or adapt activities according to
local need.
7.
Check-In and
Review: Each session begins with a brief check-in and warm-up. This
section describes a warm-up to suit each particular session. The main idea
of the check-in is for participants to describe their own progress in a manner
that will get them thinking about the contents of each session in a new way.
After check-in, it is important to briefly review the content of the last
session. Suggested review questions are given for each session.
Reviewing is an important way of tying the unit together and making
it possible for newcomers to catch-up on what they missed. Check-in and review
should take no longer than 5 minutes.
Important!
Remember that your preparedness and your interest in the subject and in the participants are invaluable. If you think that what you do together is important, the example will rub off on them.
Please
read and think about each session well before you are scheduled to teach it.
You may want to gather materials, consult with your priest about some point
of information, or get data from the parish library, public library, or an
Orthodox book service before the session. It is always a good idea to reflect
on the lesson several days before presenting it. Good ideas often come over
time.
Begin and end each session with a prayer [i.e., O Heavenly King, It is
Truly Meet]. Check with your parish priest about what would be most appropriate.
It is important that participants understand that doing God’s will
is always achieved when we continuously call on His name for guidance.
Finally,
be flexible and creative!
This study unit demands local input, talent, and creativity. Do not be afraid
to alter the sessions to fit your own circumstances. The more you can make
this material to the youth in your area, the more successful we all will be!
Let
us hear from you!
If you use this unit, in its present form or in your own adapted fashion, please let us know. Share your experience and your photos with The Orthodox Church newspaper! Many people throughout our Church need to see that programs like this are being done. You can contact our unit at Orthodox Church in America, Education and Community Life Ministries, PO Box 675, Syosset, NY 11791 or at yyacm@oca.org. We hope this unit is helpful in your ongoing ministry!
|
|
Department
of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry |
|