Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Hardy and I will be teaching you your RE lesson today.

We are going to be exploring some really interesting ideas together, and I will be guiding you through everything step by step so that by the end of the lesson, you will all have met the learning outcome.

Are you ready to get started? Let's begin.

Today's lesson is Quakers and Pentecostals, and it's taken from the unit the Church: Has there always been diversity? By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to say that "I can describe some distinctive features of Quakers and Pentecostals." To help us to understand today's lesson, we have four keywords that we are going to use.

They are: denomination, Quaker, Pentecostal, and evangelism.

Now a denomination is a group within a religion.

A Quaker is a member of the Religious Society of Friends.

Pentecostal is a denomination that emphasises the gifts of the Holy Spirit, evangelism, and expressive worship.

And evangelism means telling others the good news about Jesus and salvation.

Now our lesson today on Quakers and Pentecostals will have two parts to it.

Firstly, who are the Quakers? And secondly, who are the Pentecostals? We're going to start off today with who are the Quakers? Now here's Aisha.

Aisha is going to explain to us what we mean by theology in religious education, because theology is the tool that we're going to use in today's lesson.

She tells us that "Theologians are interested in stories, texts, and traditions." So today we're looking at traditions.

"We can better understand how people connect to God by examining what they think about religious stories, texts, and traditions." So in this lesson, we'll be finding out about Quaker and Pentecostal traditions to better understand how different denominations of Christianity express their faith.

Now, what do you think is happening in these pictures? I would like you to pause the recording to discuss and talk about what you think is happening, and then when you are ready for the explanation, you're going to come back and press play.

Welcome back.

So these pictures show the first Pentecost.

The story of the first Pentecost helps us to understand why there are so many denominations in Christianity today.

So across the UK, there are many different types of Christianity called denominations.

The Christian Church began after the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to Jesus' followers.

People from many different countries were in Jerusalem at the time and they were amazed to hear the message about Jesus spoken in their own languages.

After this, they became followers of Jesus and travelled to their different parts of the world to share the good news they had heard.

Because the message of Christianity spread to so many different places and cultures, the Church has been diverse from the very beginning.

Today, Christians still believe in one God, but different denominations may worship in different ways.

They may have different traditions, styles of prayer, music, or ways of organising their churches and services.

Some, such as the Pentecostals, focus on lively worship and the power of the Holy Spirit, while others, such as the Quakers, value quiet reflection and stillness.

Even though they are different, all denominations are inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus and live out their faith in their own way.

I think we are ready for our first check for understanding.

Here we have a true or false check.

Is this statement true or false? All Christians worship in exactly the same way.

Pause the recording whilst you answer this question and then press play when you are ready to continue.

Welcome back, and well done if you said that the answer was false.

Why is it false? Because Christians belong to different denominations, which means they may worship in different ways, use different music or prayers, or organise their services differently to others.

Now Sam is here to help us find out more about the Quakers.

She has Tamara with her to help.

Sam says, "Hello, Tamara, I am learning about the Quakers and their worldview.

Are you a Quaker?" And Tamara tells us, "Hello, Sam.

Yes, I am a Quaker.

We are also known as the Society of Friends.

We have existed since the 1600s when a man named George Fox started a new movement that believed people can talk to God directly without needing priests or churches.

Today, we can be found in 87 countries.

Almost half of our 400,000 members live in Africa." Sam asks, "Thank you, Tamara.

Can you tell me more about who the Quakers are and what they do?" And Tamara responds, "Well, Quakers grew up from Christian roots, although not all Quakers identify solely as Christian or necessarily follow traditional Christian beliefs and practises.

We are known for being pacifists.

This means we are against war and violence and we try to live peacefully.

Not all Quakers believe exactly the same, but peace is at the heart of what we do." Sam wants to know, "Is there anything else that Quakers all agree on?" Let's see what Tamara is going to show us.

Let's have a look at this mural.

I can see four words on there: Peace, equality, simplicity and truth.

Tamara tells us, "Yes, there is something that all Quakers all agree on.

As well as being pacifists and wanting peace, Quakers believe in inequality, simplicity and truth.

If you visited a meeting house, you may see something similar to this mural.

These values remind all Quakers of what is important." Now we are ready for our second check for understanding.

Here we have a multiple choice question.

Can you select the correct option that answers Which of the following would a Quaker try to pursue in their daily lives? Is it A: wealth, fame, success and strength? Is it B: harmony, fairness, honesty, and simplicity? Is it C: competition, power, tradition and honour? Or is it D: silence, mystery, rules and rituals? Pause the recording whilst you think about your idea and then press play when you are ready to continue.

Welcome back and well done if you selected answer B.

Now, Quakers believe in simplicity, so they wouldn't choose A.

They believe in equality, so would not want the power that C talks about.

And in D, a Quaker would not think that there are rituals that everyone must agree with.

So B is the answer.

Harmony is another word for peace.

Fairness is another word for equality.

Honesty is talking about truth, and simplicity is all about living a simple life.

Now, take a look at this picture.

What do you think is happening here? I would like you to pause the recording whilst you all talk about what you are seeing, and then when you are ready to hear the explanation, you're going to press play again.

Welcome back.

Well done if you said this was a Quaker meeting.

Now in a Quaker meeting, everyone sits quietly together, usually in a circle.

There is no priest or leader because Quakers believe that everyone can have a direct experience of God.

They sit in silence to help them listen to what is deep inside themselves, what they call the inner light.

Quakers believe that the inner light is a part of God's spirit in everyone.

This quiet time is for thinking, reflecting, or listening to God.

If someone feels strongly that they have something important to share, they may stand up and speak and then the group returns to silence.

Quakers believe that God can guide people through this quiet listening.

They also believe that every person is equal and connected and that they all have the ability to choose between right and wrong.

For Quakers, worship is not about saying special words.

It's about being still, open and ready to listen to the truth within.

Sam has a question.

Tamara, "Is this Quaker worship?" Tamara says, "Yes, this is Quaker worship.

Quakers believe that everyone is equal.

There isn't one person who leads our times together, such as a vicar or priest.

Anyone can speak during worship if they feel guided by God.

To start with, we all sit together in silence and let thoughts about God come to us.

We believe that God is in us and we listen for his guidance." Let's recap what we have learned about the Quakers.

Here's an example of a Quaker meeting house building.

Now, in Quaker worship that takes place in this building, people sit together in peaceful silence to listen to God.

Sometimes a person may feel moved to share a Bible verse, a hymn or thought, but often the meeting stays quiet.

At the end of the meeting, people can choose to share what they were thinking about with the group.

This calm and open way of worship reflects the Quaker values of peace, equality, truth and simplicity.

Quakers try to carry these values into everything they do.

A Quaker will live simply, treat others fairly, and campaign for peace in the world.

Okay, it is now time for another check for understanding.

This time, we want you to select the statement that would not complete Tamara's sentence.

So Tamara says, "The Quakers believe.

." And then how would she not complete her sentence? Is it A: The Quakers believe that anyone could share a thought or message if they feel moved to do so? Is it B: The Quakers believe that silence is uncomfortable and should be avoided in worship? Or is it C: The Quakers believe silence can be a way to connect with God? Okay, you're going to pause the recording here whilst you decide on your answer, and then when you are ready to have the feedback, you're going to press play again.

Okay, off you go.

Welcome back, everybody, and well done to you if you chose B.

This would not complete Tamara's sentence.

She would not say that Quakers believe that silence is uncomfortable and should be avoided in worship.

That's the opposite of what Quaker worship is like.

So well done if you got that one correct.

So now I think we are ready for our first task of today's lesson, and here we have that mural that Tamara showed us with those four values that all Quakers share, of believing in peace, equality, simplicity, and truth.

Now, I would like you to explain who the Quakers are and how their beliefs impact on the way they worship and the way they live their lives.

And I want you to use these four ideas of peace, equality, simplicity, and truth.

Now, to complete this task, you may want to write a paragraph.

You might want to give a speech or you might want to make a table.

Whilst you're completing your task, you're going to pause the recording and then when you are ready for feedback, you're going to press play again.

Okay, off you go.

Welcome back, everybody.

Now, you were given a task to explain who the Quakers are, and your explanation might look something like this.

If you wrote your explanation down, it could say something like: Quakers believe that everyone can have a direct connection with God.

Their worship is peaceful and quiet with no priests or set songs or music.

People sit in silence and only speak if they feel guided by God.

Quakers value peace, so they are against war and they're called pacifists.

Quakers believe in equality, so they try to treat everyone fairly.

They believe that truth is important, so are honest.

They appreciate simplicity, not needing lots of things, both in church and at home.

These beliefs guide how Quakers worship and how they live their daily lives, showing kindness, fairness, and respect to others.

I wonder what else you included in your explanation.

Well done for your hard work at completing that task.

So now we're ready for the second part of our lesson and we're going to answer the question, who are the Pentecostals? Now members of the Pentecostal church are called Pentecostals.

Pentecostalism became popular in the early 1900s.

In the UK, there are around 17,000 Pentecostal churches, which means there are slightly more Pentecostal churches than Church of England churches.

There are hundreds of millions of people around the world who identify as being a Pentecostal, and Pentecostals are one of the fastest growing Christian groups, especially in Africa, South America and Asia.

Now what is happening in these pictures? I would like you to pause the recording whilst you think about what is happening in these illustrations of the first Pentecost.

Press play when you are ready for the explanation.

Welcome back.

So these illustrations show a story from the Christian Bible and tells us what inspires Pentecostal Christians.

The book of Acts is found in the New Testament of the Bible.

In Acts, Christians read how, at Pentecost, the followers of Jesus all waited for a helper from Jesus.

As they prayed, they heard the sound of a strong wind, and then tongues of fire seemed to come to rest on the top of their heads.

Christians believed that this was the sign of the Holy Spirit.

Now after this, the Holy Spirit enabled the followers of Jesus to speak confidently in other languages.

This was so they could communicate the news about Jesus to people from various nations.

In particular, Peter, a disciple who had previously denied even knowing Jesus was given the confidence to preach a sermon to crowds gathered in Jerusalem.

And this resulted in the conversion of many people.

The Bible also tells Christians that the Holy Spirit gave the followers of Jesus the power to heal others.

Now, the Pentecostal Church believes that Christians can experience the Holy Spirit today in the same way that the followers of Jesus did at Pentecost.

They also believe that the members of the Church should go out into the world and evangelise, telling people about Jesus, just like the first followers of Jesus did.

Pentecostals believe that the Holy Spirit is still active and powerful today.

They are known for lively worship, including singing, dancing, clapping, and praying out loud.

Many Pentecostals believe in spiritual gifts, such as healing, speaking in tongues, which is a special prayer language and prophecy, which is where a person delivers a message from God to others.

Now let's have a check for understanding.

I want you to tell me what event in the Bible is Pentecostalism based on? So have a look at these three pictures and what they represent, what story they are talking about from the Bible, and then you're going to select the correct option.

So whilst you're thinking about that, pause the recording and when you're ready to check the answer, you're going to press play again.

Okay, off you go.

Welcome back, everybody.

And well done if you selected C.

So this illustration is from the part of a Bible story about Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to the followers of Jesus, demonstrated by the flames that appeared above their head.

Hopefully you realise that A is showing the nativity story and B is showing the story of the crucifixion.

Now, Pentecostals have four core beliefs.

The first one is salvation.

They believe that due to the Resurrection, Jesus can save people from sin and transform people's lives for the better through faith in him.

The second thing they believe is in the power of the Holy Spirit.

So Pentecostals today need to be connected and filled with the Holy Spirit in their daily lives.

They also believe in miraculous gifts.

So they believe that the Holy Spirit can bestow spiritual gifts, such as healing, to empower believers for evangelism.

And they also believe in the authority of the Bible.

They believe that the Bible is the ultimate authority for beliefs and practises, guiding Pentecostals in their understanding of God.

Now another important aspect of the Pentecostal denomination is evangelism.

Pentecostals want to share the good news about Jesus with other people.

They want other people to know about God's love, forgiveness and salvation.

Pentecostals believe that it is important to tell people about Jesus in their everyday life.

Now, this type of evangelism may involve: talking to people about their beliefs, they might invite people to church, they might pray for people, and it might include using music or drama or social media to share the message.

Sam asks, "Hi, Faith, can you tell me what happens during Pentecostal worship?" And Faith responds, "The Pentecostal services that I attend are full of joyful noise and energy.

I meet together with a large group of people to praise God, using music played by a worship band.

And we clap, sing and respond out loud to what we hear." Now at her Pentecostal church, Faith may experience the following in the service.

And when we talk about this, I want you to be thinking about the comparison with what we heard earlier on with the Quaker place of worship.

So in Faith's church, a Pentecostal church, during the worship, she will experience this as being energetic with joyful music played by a worship band.

There will be singing, clapping, dancing, and raising of hands.

Also in the service, there will be prayer.

So prayer might take place in groups, it might be out loud, it might be silent, and some people may speak in tongues, which is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

There will be Bible teaching.

So a pastor or church leader will give a message or a sermon explaining what the Bible says and how it applies today.

And there will be a response.

So people may ask for help with making a life decision.

There might be healing that they want, or they might say that they want to make a commitment to evangelise.

So those are four things that Faith might experience when she goes to one of the services at her church.

Sam now wants to know, "Faith, can you tell me what impact attending a Pentecostal church has had on you?" And Faith tells us, "Attending has helped me connect with God both emotionally and spiritually.

I can express my love and thankfulness for everything God has done.

Being part of the Church has also helped me grow in my faith.

Like other Pentecostals, I try to live by the Bible, show kindness to others and share the message of Jesus wherever I go.

It's made me more confident in my beliefs and more caring in how I live." Time now for our last check for understanding in this lesson.

I would like to know what is a Pentecostal church service usually like? Is it A: silent and still with no talking or instruments? Is it B: full of singing, music and joyful worship? Or is it C: everyone sharing a reading from the Bible? So you're going to pause the recording and when you're ready to check the answer, you're going to press play again.

Off you go.

Welcome back and well done if you selected B, a Pentecostal church service usually would be full of singing, music and joyful worship.

Now A would be more like a Quaker meeting and C is incorrect as only a few people would share a reading from the Bible in the meeting, not everyone in the meeting.

So well done if you got that correct answer B.

It is now time for our final task.

We know that not all denominations worship in the same way.

Now, can you prove this by using the example of the Quakers and the Pentecostals to explain the similarities and differences between these two denominations? Now you may want to write an explanation, you might wanna make a diagram or a list, or you might want to complete a comparison chart.

Think about what you've learned in this lesson about Quaker worship and everyday life and what you have learned about Pentecostal worship and everyday life.

Now you're gonna pause the recording whilst you complete the task and then press play when you are ready for the final feedback.

Welcome back and well done for remembering everything that you've learned in today's lesson and using it in your answer.

Now you may have chosen to write an explanation that looks like this: Quakers and Pentecostals are two different Christian denominations, but they worship in very different ways.

Quakers usually sit together in silence, waiting to feel the presence of God and listening to the inner light within each person.

Pentecostals worship with energy using music and prayer and joyful praise to connect with God.

Quaker beliefs are often personal and can vary.

Some Quakers see themselves as Christians, while others may not.

Pentecostals often focus on sharing their beliefs with others, which is called evangelism.

Even though they are different, both groups try to live by values such as peace, love, and respect.

I wonder what other similarities and differences you were able to write about.

Now it is time to look at a summary of everything we have learned today.

We've learned that there are lots of different Christian denominations in the UK.

When the Church began at Pentecost, Jesus's followers travelled to different places to share his message, leading to differences in how Christians worship and what they believe.

Different denominations believe in one God, but have different ways of worshipping him.

The Society of Friends began in the 1600s because people wanted to experience God personally and not through clergy.

And Pentecostalism started in the early 1900s with an emphasis on experiencing the Holy Spirit and evangelising to others.

Now, in summary, a Quaker worship is quiet and Pentecostal worship is lively.

So well done, everyone, fantastic learning today.

I do hope to see you again soon for another RE lesson.

And until then, I want you to take care, and it's goodbye for now.