At the heart of Richmond Temple's Sunday School program is a core of dedicated volunteer teachers and parents, supported by Self-Realization Fellowship monastics. The teachings given in Self-Realization Fellowship Sunday School are centered on the writings of our founder, Paramahansa Yogananda.
Meditation and high moral principles are the cornerstones upon which the teachings of Self-Realization Fellowship are based. Children are taught to lead happy balanced lives by bringing God into their daily lives through kindness to others, and by developing a personal relationship with God through meditation.
Classes
- Pre-School Girls and Boys — Ages 3 - 5
- Primary Girls and Boys — Ages 6 - 9
- Junior Girls and Boys — Ages 10 - 12
Sunday School Format
- Pre-Service — Children and Parents are welcomed to the Sunday School. The children are engaged in a pre-service activity (craft, game, etc.) creating a sense of unity and loving exchange and are given an introduction to the lesson of the class.
- Energization Exercises — The children assemble either indoors or outdoors to learn and practice the technique of drawing energy into their bodies as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda. They say an opening prayer and do several exercises together.
- Meditation — This is the heart of each Sunday School class; children learn how to still their bodies, calm their breath and turn their minds inward in meditation.
- The Class — The usual sequence for this part of the class is: opening prayer, offeratory, chanting, affirmation, sitting in silence and meditation, closing chant and closing prayer.
- The Lesson — Each week's class has a special spiritual theme and objective which is presented through a story, an object lessen, a puppet show, role playing, discussion, etc. Here the children become familiar with the line of Self-Realization Fellowship Gurus and their teachings, as well as the "How-to-Live" principles taught by Paramahansa Yogananda. A special emphasis is placed on making the material interesting, age-appropriate, and applicable to the children's daily lives.
- The Craft (optional) — This phase is connected to the lesson. It brings the lesson to a hands-on level, giving the children an opportunity to relate to it through an object they create themselves. This is also a time of informal conversation, facilitating a deeper understanding in the children of the lesson.
- Closing Prayer — The children finish Sunday School class with a prayer and a moment of silence, remembering God even in the midst of activity.