TAn Interview with Coordinator of the Sunday School in the Resurrection Congregation Emiliya Zinchenko


"CHILDREN LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE PERFORMANCES!"

Readers of our periodical the Banner have read about Sunday school of the Resurrection congregation of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, about children's theater the Little Angels, about their presentations staged by kids with pleasure and enthusiasm for religious holidays. Today we have a chance to talk to a person who organizes this work and puts in it all her sincerity, great respect and love to children. This is the coordinator of the Sunday School in the Kyiv Resurrection congregation Emiliya Zinchenko.

- I have recently participated in the worship service in the Resurrection congregation and have heard that the congregation has a tradition to have presentations by the Little Angel theater. Our readers would like to know more about it.
- The topic of the Vacation Bible School in 2004 was the Lord's Prayer and Parables. After classes snack children staged what they learned during the day. Since not all the children participated in the VBS, pastor V'yacheslav supported the idea to teach parables at Sunday school classes and make presentations after worship services.

- Tell us about your personal way to this blessed work with children.
- Member of the church choir Ludmila Yanovska invited me and my daughter to the worship service. At that time Ludmila worked at the musical school where my daughter studied. Later my son and my husband joined us. It was almost ten years agoand five years ago pastor of the congregation suggested me to teach children the Word of God at the Sunday school. I remember conference for Sunday school teachers held in Ternopil, Western Ukraine. Due to this conference and pieces of advice by experienced teachers I started my service.

- The question about preparation for such presentations. What kind of materials do you refer to while working on such plays? Do Sunday school teachers write their scripts? Do you involve kids in this process and do they like to participate in such presentations?
- I first of all turn to the Bible as well as materials printed by our church and literature from a library. Sunday School teachers help to pick up materials, costumes, and decorations. Children like to participate in these performances! They are eager to play roles in the projects, especially at their vacations. Due to heavy load at school children do not have much time for preparation during the academic year. Only thanks to their talent and commitment everything turns out to be nice. They perform like true professionals. Their grateful spectators: members of the congregation and parents encourage them and me to continue this work. I am grateful to Bishop V'yacheslav Horpynchuk for his advice, for help and support of my ideas and director of the children Christian theater Little Angel Natalia Noha for implementation of these ideas.

Volodymyr Cherevko


ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS

Ukrainian Lutheran Church - 2004
www.ukrlc.org