practices

• Key Words


  • Baptism
  • Church
  • Christmas
  • Easter
  • Eucharist
  • Evangelism
  • The Lord's Prayer
  • Mission
  • Liturgical worship
  • Non-liturgical worship
  • Pilgrimage
  • Prayer
  • Reconciliation
  • Sacrament
• Baptism


  A ritual through which people become members of the church; Involves the use of water to wash away sin
• Church


  • The holy people of God
  • A building in which Christians worship
• Christmas


  Christian festival which celebrates the Incarnation (birth) of Christ
• Easter


  Christian festival which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ
• Eucharist


  Service where bread and wine is received by Christians to remember Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection. Also known as Holy Communion and Mass
• Evangelism


  Spreading the word of God through action or speech
• The Lord's Prayer


  The prayer taught to disciples by Jesus and used in many Church services
• Mission


  A call for a Christian to go out into the world to spread the Christian faith (a missionary)
• Liturgical worship


  Formal worship with set prayers, hymns and Bible readings
• Non-liturgical worship


  Worship with no set pattern, may have modern music and sermons
• Pilgrimage


  Going on a journey to visit a holy site
• Prayer


  A communication with God, can be private or during worship
• Reconciliation


  Restoring friendly relations after a conflict or falling out e.g. restoring the relationship between God and humankind
• Sacrament


  Rituals which have a special meaning or mark special events in a Christians life
• Worship


  • Can be formal or informal; use of the Bible as the 'word of God' or 'inspired by God'
• Liturgical Worship


  • Takes place in a church and is led by a priest
  • Formal, set prayers are read out
• Non-liturgical Worship


  • Also takes place in a church but less formal
  • No set prayers, instead people take turns to preach and read from the Bible
  • Can be modern and appealing to young people
• Eucharist


  • Eucharist and baptism are both sacraments meaning special occasions in a Christian's life
  • Eucharist is a representation of the Last Supper
  • In Eucharist a priest consecrates (blesses)the bread and wine and the congregation then receives these
  • Catholics and Orthodox Christians believe the Holy Spirit transforms the bread and wine into Jesus' body and blood
  • Anglicans believe the bread and wine are symbolic
• Pilgrimage


  • A pilgrimage is a journey made to a holy site
  • Iona (a remote Scottish island) is a place of pilgrimage for Christians. It is a place of history and reflection
  • Catholics go to Lourdes where a vision of Mary was once seen, they believe the water there has healing effects when people are sick
• Evangelism


  • Christians have a duty to evangelise. This means they have a mission to spread the good news to all non-believers that Jesus, Son of God came as a saviour. This is known as the Great Commission
  • Mission also involves Church growth. This means to spread Christianity and make new disciples and train converts in the way of following Jesus
• Prayer


  • Prayer means communicating with God, either silently or out loud, sometimes through song
  • It is one of the most important parts of the spiritual life of a Christian and enables them to have a personal relationship with God
  • Intercessions are prayers made on behalf of others
  • Thanksgiving is when people pray to say thank you to God
  • Set prayers are written down and used in Sturgical worship e.g. The Lord's Prayer
  • Informal prayer is not prepared/planned and often used in non-liturgical worship
• Infant Baptism


  • This is a formal service welcoming a new child into the Christian church
  • Holy water is sprinkled over the baby's head
  • All Catholics baptise their children close to birth in order to ensure they go to heaven
• Believer's Baptism


  • A believer's baptism welcomes someone into the church who is old enough to decide themselves
  • They are submerged in a pool of holy water
  • They make promises to stay away from evil
  • Jesus's baptism by John the Baptist resembles this
• Christmas


  • Christmas celebrates the incarnation (birth) of Jesus Christ
  • The nativity story is found in two gospels in the Bible
  • Christians give gifts to commemorate the gift of God sending his own son to the world
• Easter


  • Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • Jesus's crucifixion is remembered on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday
  • Christians celebrate by saying "he is risen" and by eating chocolate eggs that represent new life
• Church in the Community


  • Christians have a duty to help others in the local community
  • Street Pastors help vulnerable people at night
  • Food Banks provide food to people in relative poverty
  • The charity, Christian Aid is founded on Christian values. They help those in need in the UK and have projects abroad
• Reconciliation


  • Christians should be reconciled to God (through the death of Jesus and forgiveness of sin), but also with each other
  • An example is The World Council of Churches who work to reconcile Christians and others after conflict
  • In some places Christians have suffered and are still suffering persecution. This is where they are treated badly for their faith. Churches around the world work together to try and overcome this