Structure of the Mahragan Al Keraza Competition

Al Keraza Competition is now open to four elementary school age levels, Pre-K and Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grades, 3rd and 4th Grades, 5th and 6th Grades. As well as Adults competition in both Arabic and English languages (see “Rules and Regulations” for age restrictions).

Each team competes as a group in three categories listed below. Scores from all three categories will be averaged and the teams will be awarded prizes based on their overall score.

Competition Study Material

The study material is intended to help Alkeraza coaches/ servants to help prepare their team(s).

All the material is available for downloading and printing at http://www.lacopts.org.

The study material consists of these categories:

  1. Coptic Hymns

  2. Memorization

  3. Spiritual Studies

  4. Coptic Language

Coptic Hymns

The first category, Coptic Hymns, is designed to familiarize our participants with the treasures of the spiritual hymns that our fathers have preserved for us. These hymns, along with the Coptic language, tell us who we are, and link us directly to the past with the lives of the saints who were praying and contemplating these same hymns in a life of devotion and meditation. These hymns were used in order to set the atmosphere around them to reach up toward heaven while they were still on earth, joining the heavenly multitudes and praising the Almighty God with the angels.

Spiritual Studies

In the second category, Spiritual Studies, stories from the Holy Bible as well as history, doctrine, and rites of the Coptic Orthodox Church are chosen to carry out the theme of the competition. The contents (i.e. messages) need to be studied and thoroughly understood.

Memorization

Memorization focuses on the Coptic Book of Hours (or “Agpeya”) and is designed to help students adapt prayer from the Book of Hours in their own spiritual lives through memorization and repetition.

Coptic Language

The study of the Coptic language is designed to help the students learn the Coptic alphabets and read and understand the main Coptic words that are used in hymns and the Divine Liturgy.