Self-Realization Fellowship Sunday School classes are open to all children interested in learning about the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and the spiritual way of life he introduced. No prior experience with the teachings is required.
The Los Gatos Center Sunday School has been in continuous operation since 1965 and seeks to follow the Sunday School principles and ideals established by Paramahansa Yogananda and administered by the Self-Realization Fellowship Youth Services.
Our Goal
Sunday School Primary class
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 children come to understand that lasting inner peace and security is found through an inner relationship with God. 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.
Emphasis is given to the practice of the science of meditation as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda for personal experience of God. Children are shown how to develop moral character and the noble qualities exemplified in the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita, such as faith in God, respect, kindness, consideration for others, courage, and even-mindedness. These qualities then act as spiritual building blocks for the right development of a child's character and help to establish positive habits such as self-discipline, service to others and truthfulness.
School Program Age Ranges
The Los Gatos Center has a Sunday School program and a Teen group available for the following ages:
Preschool:
Ages 3 - 5
Primary:
Ages 6 - 8
Junior:
Ages 9 - 12
Teen Group:
Ages 13+
Sunday School Hours
Sunday School Preservice activities start at 10:45 AM, and the main Sunday School classes are from 11 AM - 12 PM, concurrent with the Sunday morning Reading Service. Parents and guardians are encouraged to drop off their children at the classrooms between 10:45 AM and 11:00 AM.
Additional SRF Youth Activities
Los Gatos Christmas Play
Every December, the Los Gatos Center Sunday School puts on a Christmas play for the congregation after a Sunday Reading Service. All Sunday School children of any age are welcome to act and perform in the play. Practices are held for several weeks before, allowing them to practice their parts with their peers on designated Sundays after the Reading Service and Sunday School.
Los Gatos children singing bhajans
Every early-January, bhajans (Indian spiritual songs) are played and sung together by all interested Sunday School children in order to honor the birthday of Paramahansa Yogananda. The children practice singing the bhajans together for a few weeks prior and perform for the congregation after the Sunday Reading service.
Throughout the year, other activities for the children are introduced. Group jeopardy, Easter egg hunts (for the younger children in April), book drives, and other activities present opportunities for the children to learn, grow, and have fun together. To inquire about these activities, please ask an Usher or Sunday School teacher next time you are at the Center, or use this contact form to reach the Sunday School committee via email.
SRF Youth "How-to-Live" Program
Youth Group Program
Each year Self-Realization Fellowship conducts a “How-to-Live” Summer Day Program in Encinitas, California, consisting of a five-day session for girls and a five-day session for boys. The Summer Day Program is for children 7 to 12 years old and teens 13 to 18 years old.
Youth Group practicing Energization Exercises
Through the practice of monastic-led Energization Exercises, meditation, satsangas, and other programs exploring Paramahansa Yogananda’s teachings, youth are able to discover the inner strength needed to make choices that lead to a deeply satisfying inner and outer life. Attendees also experience a special pilgrimage outing to the SRF Encinitas Hermitage and meditation gardens, where Paramahansa Yogananda lived and communed with God for many years. In addition, there are numerous interactive activities that make use of an amphitheater, music room, technology lab, conservation hiking trail, basketball court, and soccer/track field.
Youth Group recreation
The SRF Summer Day Program is held daily at the Encinitas Country Day School, a 20-acre campus bordering a lagoon that provides the feeling of being quietly secluded while easily accessible to nearby towns.
