Our Heavenly Friends: Coptic Saints

How do you introduce Saints to today’s children?

The challenge of introducing Coptic Saints to a “modern” generation lives in the Iconography. Coptic Icons are an honoured and cherished tradition of the Coptic faith. Because the icon contains many symbols, it can transmit the essence of the Saint’s life and the salient features of their journey. But, they can be slightly intimidating for a young audience who is now accustomed to animation as the norm. Enter: Our Heavenly Friends.

This is a fantastic Sunday School Program created by Laura Philopateer, the talent behind the fabulous Coptic Dad and Mom website, which aims to reconcile these two worlds. The beauty of the illustrations is stunning. Its ingenuity lies in its faithful representation of the Saints but in a child-friendly way.

Coptic Saints meet the 21st century!

And the program allows parents and Sunday School Servants to incorporate the Lives of Saints into everyday life (think story time before going to sleep) or alongside the regular Sunday School Curriculum (as an introduction before the regular lesson, for example).

The program comes complete with a posterboard, Saints Pictures, and a Study Guide ( an instructional manual for parents and servants alike). Here is where you can learn more about the program, and you can also make your order by following this link: Heavenly Friends.

Here is a quick summary of what each child receives: