Sunday School
Sundays 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
“It isn’t academic education alone that makes people happy. It is ‘how-to-live’ education — how to develop a
harmonious, moral life, stronger will power, and spiritual understanding — that will bring happiness.”
- Paramahansa Yogananda
harmonious, moral life, stronger will power, and spiritual understanding — that will bring happiness.”
- Paramahansa Yogananda
Sunday School Classes by Age
Pre-School Girls ~ 3-5
Pre-School Boys ~ 3-5
Primary Girls ~ 6-9
Primary Boys ~ 6-9
Junior Girls ~ 10-12
Junior Boys ~ 10-12
Teen Boys & Girls ~ 13-19
Pre-School Boys ~ 3-5
Primary Girls ~ 6-9
Primary Boys ~ 6-9
Junior Girls ~ 10-12
Junior Boys ~ 10-12
Teen Boys & Girls ~ 13-19
It was under Paramahansa Yogananda's direct guidance that the first Self-Realization Fellowship Sunday School was formed in the 1940s — classes that met every week here at Hollywood Temple to learn and absorb the Self-Realization teachings.
Hollywood Temple continues to offer Sunday School classes to all children interested in learning about the SRF teachings and way of life; no prior experience with the SRF teachings is required. To register your child please come directly to the Sunday School building. Parents are invited to join the 9:30 a.m. Lecture Service in the Temple while their children attend Sunday School.
Additionally, Hollywood Temple Sunday School conducts a half-day retreat for boys one Saturday a year, and a half-day retreat for girls on another Saturday.
A Parent and Child room is also available in the Sunday School building for parents with small children who wish to view the Lecture Service. There is a live video of the Service for adults and toys for children.
Hollywood Temple continues to offer Sunday School classes to all children interested in learning about the SRF teachings and way of life; no prior experience with the SRF teachings is required. To register your child please come directly to the Sunday School building. Parents are invited to join the 9:30 a.m. Lecture Service in the Temple while their children attend Sunday School.
Additionally, Hollywood Temple Sunday School conducts a half-day retreat for boys one Saturday a year, and a half-day retreat for girls on another Saturday.
A Parent and Child room is also available in the Sunday School building for parents with small children who wish to view the Lecture Service. There is a live video of the Service for adults and toys for children.
Purpose of Sunday School
The purpose of SRF Sunday Schools is to inspire children to seek God and
love Him above all else, and to share His love with all. In this way they come
to understand that inner peace and security is found through an inner
relationship with God and not through "the things of this world." The
children thus learn at an early age how to live happy, balanced lives by bringing
God into their daily activities and developing a personal relationship with Him
through meditation.
Class 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 where children learn how to still their bodies, calm their breath and turn their minds inward in meditation.
- The usual sequence for this part of the class is: opening prayer, offertory, chanting, affirmation, sitting in silence and meditation, closing chant and closing prayer.
- Lesson - Each week's class has a special spiritual theme and objective which is presented through a story, an object lesson, 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.
- 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.
- Closing Prayer - The children finish Sunday School class with a prayer and a moment of silence, remembering God even in the midst of activity.
- This is also a time of informal conversation, facilitating a deeper understanding in the children of the lesson.
