Raising Saints

Elissa addresses the little church of the family unit, reminding us that learning to live the Faith shouldn't stop during the summer.

Elissa encourages families to spread the joy of Pascha to a local cemetery.

Elissa encourages parents and Sunday school teachers to stress the importance of Pascha by sharing in its fullness the story that leads up to Christ's Resurrection.

Let’s not just offer little Bible Stories as morality tales. Let’s instead help our children to encounter the Scriptures in their wholeness, finding Christ in the Old and the New.

Elissa encourages us to teach our children to view their souls as habitations for our Lord.

Elissa offers some suggestions for teaching children about the purpose of fasting.

Elissa presents part two of her brief series on preparing for Lent.

Elissa offers ideas for teaching during the three-week period of preparation for Great Lent (which is itself a preparation) to ensure that our kids benefit from the Church's wise preparation before the preparation.

Elissa shares some examples of how to teach children about the Orthodox understanding of heaven and hell.

When teaching Orthodoxy to children, our goal is not just to make sure that our kids know things about our faith, but rather to shepherd them in their faith. So how do we do that? Elissa shares a few ideas.

Elissa offers various ideas for communicating the glorious feast of Theophany to children.

Elissa describes how the life of St. Nicholas can be used as an inspiration to give anonymously.

Elissa offers some suggestions for teaching gratitude to our children.

Elissa encourages us to participate fully in the Nativity fast in order to prepare our hearts for Christ.

Elissa shares how to use the lives of the Saints to combat children's fears.

Elissa explains how to help children who struggle with doubt about the existence of God.

Elissa explains how to be responsible for a child during the Divine Liturgy.

Elissa explains how it is that God has no beginning and no end and what that tells us about Him.

Elissa encourages us to allow this season—the beginning of the new school year—to be one that sanctifies us and changes us for the better.

Elissa demonstrates how the idea of the monastery is a very useful illustration to help all of us, especially our youth, understand how to be Orthodox in this world.