"For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Acts 13:47
Dear Students and Families,
Welcome back to St. Mary’s Church School! I again have the honor of teaching grades 7-12, and older guests are always welcome too.
WHAT’S NEW FOR 2024-25?
New Theme: This Fall, our class will follow the Archdiocesan theme of “Salvation to the Ends of the Earth” as seen in the two-part work of St. Luke known as 1) the Gospel According to St. Luke; and 2) The Acts of the Holy Apostles, which tells the story of how the Gospel began to spread across the Roman Empire. Since we are called to be witnesses to the Gospel also, this isn’t just ancient history; it’s extremely related to our life in Christ today.
WHAT ISN’T CHANGING?
We’ll stick to the same expectations as previous years. Let’s make an agreement:
Teachers:
We’ll do our best to reflect God’s love with plenty of enthusiasm and joy.
We’ll always share the teachings of the Church, not opinions we made up.
We’ll always review previous lessons so nobody feels confused or left out.
Students:
Come as much as you can. Don’t let your lazy parents keep you home!
Share your ideas and your honest questions. Jacob “wrestled with God” and we do too.
Your friends are welcome to come and participate. Your phones are not.
Parents:
Your teaching matters most. Let’s talk any time about how to work together: churchschool@smaoc.org or reply to this message.
Please make sure there is a Bible available to your child in your home. If you need one, just ask.
Email System: As you can see, our weekly class emails are on Substack. That’s where I summarize the lesson after each week. Visit stmarysbrooklyn.substack.com to sign up or read past messages.
Last Sunday we had a few minutes to talk about St. Luke and his Gospel account; we’ll gather again tomorrow morning to begin our study. Hope to see you then!
With love in Christ,
Mike