Christian practices

• Worship

  The way Christians show their love and respect for God, connected to the word 'worth' and means to recognize someone's importance and value
• Christians have beliefs about God that make them want to worship Him
• Types of worship

  • Public
  • Private
• Public worship

  • Takes place with other people
  • Can be at a church building
  • May be at the home of another Church member
  • Usually on a Sunday
  • May take the form of church services, Bible readings, Bible study, Alpha courses, preaching, choir singing
• Private worship

  • Takes place alone
  • Allows the worshipper to spend time nurturing a personal relationship with God
  • May involve meditation, Bible study, worship of an icon (usually in Greek Orthodox Christianity), Prayer, Rosary
• Prayer

  An important aspect of Christian worship that helps Christians build a personal relationship with God by communicating with him
• Reasons Christians pray

  • Adoration
  • Confession
  • Thanks
  • Petition (asking for something)
  • Intercession (asking for help for someone else)
• Christians pray for something that is not in God's overall plan

  God's response may be different from what they asked for
• Jesus: '"I know the days I have planned for you" (Jeremiah 29)'
• The Lord's Prayer

  The most famous prayer in Christianity, given to Christians by Jesus during The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6)
• The 7 sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches are rituals that believers feel were initiated by Jesus and allow them to truly follow his orders
• Baptism

  A symbolic and physical way of cleaning oneself from sin, as Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist before beginning his ministry
• Jesus' apostles were told to baptize others "in the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28)
• Infant baptism

  • Performed to remove Original Sin caused by Adam and Eve's betrayal of God
  • Includes rituals like pouring blessed water or oil, wearing white, and gifting a candle
• Believers baptism

  • Full immersion, where the person dedicates themselves to the Church and makes the decision as an adult
  • The minister asks if they truly accept Jesus and dips them into the water, raising them to a new life with Jesus as their savior
• Holy Communion


  The most important form of worship for Christians as it re-enacts the Last Supper - the meal Jesus had with his disciples the night before his crucifixion
• Holy Communion can be referred to as the Eucharist, which means Thanksgiving
• Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Catholic Mass/Anglican Holy Communion

  1. Liturgy of the Word (hymns, prayers, Bible reading, sermon)

  2. Liturgy of the faithful (priest receives wine and bread, prayers offered, consecration of bread and wine as body and blood of Christ, distribution of holy bread and wine)
• Holy Communion in the United Reformed Church

  1. Liturgy of the Word (three Bible readings, psalm, homily, Creed, prayers)

  2. Liturgy of the faithful (distribution of unconsecrated bread as a sign of belonging)
• Christians believe it is their role and duty to spread the word of God and help people convert to the Church
• Great Commission

  Jesus' disciples were sent out to preach the Gospel across the empire
• The Church's mission is still the same - not just to get people to believe in Jesus, but to get others to dedicate their lives to spreading the good news also
• 80% of religious persecution and discrimination is suffered by Christians - this was the case in 139 countries (about 75% of the world)
• Bible: ''everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted''
• Bible: ''If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too''
• Reconciliation

  The primary mission in evangelism is to help people achieve salvation through grace by bringing them to have a relationship with God
• Sin

  Causes God's children to be separated from Him
• Parables

  • Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13)
  • Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15)
• Many Christians believe that it is not just enough to believe in Jesus, that you have to live a life based on his values and ideals
• Food banks are needed more than ever due to a staggering rise in poverty in the UK
• Bible: ''for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat''
• The Trussell Trust, a famous food bank charity, was set up based on this teaching
• Street Pastors

  Aim to help care for vulnerable people in practical ways, often working at night with the homeless or on Friday and Saturday nights in city centres as an extra support to the police
• Bible: ''What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed'. But does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.''
• Christians are told throughout the New Testament that they need to remove the shackles of wealth and live a simple life; that it is important to share wealth with those who do not have it in order to live equal lives
• Examples from the Bible

  • The Good Samaritan (Luke 10)
  • It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (Mark 10:25)
  • The Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16)
• CAFOD

  CAFOD's mission is to work alongside the world's poorest people. They work without prejudice, don't preach, and pride themselves on their diversity. They believe their Catholic values are best shown through working for justice and an end to poverty. CAFOD's work draws directly from Catholic Social Teaching (CST), Scripture and the tradition of the Church. CST is at the heart of what they do and who they are. As well as asking supporters to donate and campaign, they place equal importance on prayer.
• Christian Aid

  As a Christian organisation, they believe every one of us is created in the image of God and deserves respect and care, and the opportunity to live a life of peace, dignity and worth. They work for and with people of all faiths and none, as well as with churches and other organisations, to promote sustainable development, strive for social justice and pursue their vision of a world without poverty. They support poor and marginalised people, whatever their beliefs, sexuality, gender and ethnicity, to lift themselves out of poverty by tackling both the causes and the symptoms of poverty so that everyone can achieve equality, dignity and freedom.