Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton, and welcome to this Christianity Practises lesson on Street Pastors.

Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the work of Street Pastors in supporting the local community.

Now we'll be drawing upon knowledge of the church in the local community, but there'll also be lots of new learning today.

Please don't worry though because I'm here to guide you through each step of our lesson, and I'm confident that by the end, you'll achieve the outcome.

So let's get started by taking a look at our keywords.

We have agape, church beginning with a lowercase c, church beginning with a capital C and Street Pastors.

Now the word agape is a biblical word that's used to describe a selfless and unconditional love.

Church, beginning with a lowercase c refers to the building, where Christians worship.

Church, beginning with a capital C, refers to the people of God and the body of Christ, among whom Christ is present and active.

It can also refer to members of a particular Christian denomination or tradition.

So for example, the Roman Catholic Church.

And finally, Street Pastors are a Christian organisation that involves people working mainly at night on city streets, giving care to people who need it.

Now, our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at the work of Street Pastors and we'll then move on to look at the impact of Street Pastors.

So let's get started and take a look at the work of Street Pastors.

Now, before we begin to look at Street Pastors, it's really important that we understand the difference between church with a lowercase c and church with a capital C.

Now, when we see the word church with a lowercase c, it refers to the Christian place of worship.

So the building in which Christians worship God.

It can also be used to refer to local Christian congregations who attend a local church building.

When we see the word church with a capital C, it refers to the Christian community of believers, and it's often used to refer to the universal community of Christians or whole Christian denominations.

So for example, the Roman Catholic Church.

Now the church is made up of individuals who believe in and accept Jesus Christ, and this means that Jesus is present and active within each individual, and therefore within the church as a whole.

Now, the church plays a really important role within the local community, and it does so with the support of individual local churches.

Now, one of the key roles of the church in the local community is to respond quickly to a range of needs within local communities.

Now, before we look at how the church responds to these needs, let's have a think about what these needs might be.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself what needs exist within local communities? Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered needs like poverty and housing issues within local communities or education, or perhaps you considered healthcare, which can include mental health support, or maybe you discussed the need for social support.

So for example, supporting people, who are facing loneliness within the local community.

So let's check your understanding so far.

This sentence has a missing word.

I'd like you to fill in the missing word.

One role of the blank in the local community is to respond quickly to the range of needs within the community.

Fantastic.

The missing word is Church.

But it's church with a capital C, because here, we are referring to the whole Christian community.

So well done for identifying the Church was the missing word.

So we've identified that there may be a number of different needs within local communities, and the church can actually support these needs in a number of different ways.

And this includes things like operating food banks, running social events through local churches, and also through the work of Street Pastors.

Now, Street Pastors are a Christian organisation involving people working on city streets, giving care to people they come across that might need it.

Now, Street Pastors are volunteers, which means they willingly give up their time to help people free of charge.

And these volunteers come from different Christian churches, which means that the organisation is made up of Christians from many different denominations.

Street Pastors patrol streets in local communities, particularly at nighttime, looking out for people who might be in need of support.

Street Pastors can be recognised by their blue reflective uniform like the one that you can see here.

The work of Street Pastors often involves engaging with people who are out at nighttime, and this might be people, who are out enjoying themselves at social venues, but Street Pastors might also come across challenging behaviour and or individuals who need support as well as people who are out enjoying themselves.

Now I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me or have a think to yourself, what challenging behaviour might Street Pastors come across when they're patrolling the streets? Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have said that Street Pastors might encounter drunk and disorderly behaviour or antisocial behaviour, or maybe you said that they might encounter gang crime or violence or threats of violence.

So now you've identified challenging behaviour that Street Pastors might encounter when they're patrolling.

I'd now like you to think about any examples of individuals, who need support that Street Pastors might encounter when they're out and about.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have said that Street Pastors might encounter individuals without a permanent address.

So people who don't have anywhere to stay or individuals who are struggling with addiction or people who are injured or in need of medical assistance, or they might encounter people who've lost their friends and maybe they're struggling to get home.

So now we've looked at some examples of behaviours that Street Pastors might encounter and individuals that Street Pastors might encounter.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false.

Street Pastors only support people who are out enjoying themselves at social gatherings.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because Street Pastors can also help people who are vulnerable.

So for example, individuals who don't have a permanent address and have nowhere to go.

So this shows that Street Pastors don't only support people who are out enjoying themselves.

So well done for identifying that the statement is false and for identifying the reason why.

Now, when Street Pastors encounter challenging situations or individuals who need support, they aim to respond in practical ways.

So for example, the work of Street Pastors includes handing out foil blankets, water, lollipops, and flip flops.

Liaising with friends and family to arrange meeting points for individuals who are lost and can't get home.

Engaging with vulnerable individuals, including people without a permanent place of residence.

Responding to requests from the police for assistance.

And providing first aid and waiting with individuals for emergency services to arrive, and removing glass bottles and other potential weapons or hazards to prevent violence and vandalism.

So now we've had a look at what being a Street Pastor involves.

Let's think about why Christians might volunteer as Street Pastors.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

Christian Street Pastors are motivated By their faith and they aim to share Jesus's love outside of the church by meeting people where they are and helping those in need and volunteering as a Street Pastor supports Christian teachings and the example that Jesus set through his own actions.

Now throughout the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates a selfless and unconditional love towards others, and this love is referred to as agape.

Now, Jesus demonstrates agape through parables like the Good Samaritan, which is found in the gospel of Luke 10:25-37, and through miracles such as healing the man with leprosy, which we can read about in the gospel of Matthew 8:1-3, but also through the way that he treated other people, including the way that Jesus treated those who were marginalised.

So those who were on the outskirts of society and people didn't generally socialise with.

Now as well as Jesus' own actions, Jesus also encouraged his followers to show agape towards others, and Jesus actually stated that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself.

So let's check your understanding.

True or false, the work of Christian Street Pastors reflects the teachings and actions of Jesus.

Fantastic.

That statement is true.

But why is that statement true? How do we know that the statement's true? Well, it's because Jesus taught love and compassion, and this is reflected in the work of Street Pastors because they meet people where they are and help people who are in need.

So well done for identifying that the statement is true, and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time for you to have a go to task.

I'd like you to explain two ways that Christian Street Pastors support the local community.

And in your answer, I'd like you to refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer.

Here's some guidance that you might find helpful.

For both ways, offer a point and then develop that point.

So say one way that Christian Street Pastors support the local community is, and this is because.

And then for one of those ways, you should also name a source of authority.

So for example, something that is said in the Bible or something that Jesus taught.

You should then say what that teaches.

So that might be a quotation or it could be a general belief or teaching.

You should then apply that to Street Pastors by saying what that means or what that shows.

So pause the video and have a go.

Welcome for your work on that task.

So let's take a look at what your answer might look like.

So for way one, you may have said that one way that Christian Street Pastors support the local community is by patrolling the streets at nighttime and identifying people who are injured and need medical assistance.

This is reflective of Jesus' actions in the New Testament.

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus showed agape through his actions such as healing the man with leprosy.

The work of the Street Pastors when they help people, who need medical assistance is a way of reflecting Jesus's actions and the love that he showed to others.

For way two, you may have said that another way that Christian Street Pastors support the local community is by engaging with vulnerable people.

For example, during patrols, Street Pastors often come across individuals who have no permanent address, and therefore have nowhere to stay.

Street Pastors will engage in conversation with these individuals to tackle loneliness and isolation.

So well done again for your work on that task.

We're now moving on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the impact of Street Pastors.

Now, the work that Street Pastors do can have a profound impact on both individuals and local communities.

We're going to start by taking a look at how Street Pastors can impact individuals.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So let's now take a look at some possible ways that the work of Street Pastors can impact individuals.

So you may have discussed that providing supplies like water and flip flops can help prevent injury and illness, or that engaging with vulnerable people can help tackle isolation and loneliness.

Well, you might have considered that removing dangerous objects from the streets can improve the safety of individuals when they're out and about.

Well, you may have considered that when Street Pastors provide first aid, they're helping prevent serious illness and helping avoid people having to attend hospital.

Let's now hear from someone who has been helped by a Street Pastor and the impact that this had on them.

So this is Faye and she shares her experience.

Faye says, "One night, I went out with my friends to celebrate one of their birthdays.

Most of my friends live near at least one other member of the group, but I live on the other side of town.

When it came to going home, everyone shared taxis or lifts with people who live near them.

But because I live on the other side of town, I needed to get a taxi by myself.

I booked a taxi and waited, and during the time I waited, all of my friends had been picked up and I was left waiting for my taxi alone.

I felt quite scared because I was by myself, and it was dark and I didn't know how long I'd need to wait.

After waiting for a short time, I was approached by two Street Pastors who asked if I was okay.

I told them that I was waiting for my taxi and they offered to wait with me until it came.

The taxi finally arrived and the Street Pastors watched me get in safely.

I was so grateful for the Street Pastors seeing me and waiting with me so that I was not by myself.

And I felt so much safer waiting with them." So what we can see here is that Faye was helped by two Street Pastors when she'd been out enjoying herself and found herself waiting alone for a taxi at nighttime.

So what we can see is that Faye was made to feel much safer in that scary situation because of the Street Pastors.

So now we've seen that there are a number of ways that Street Pastors can impact individuals, and we've heard Faye's story.

Let's imagine that I've been asked to give one way the work of Street Pastors supports individuals in the local community.

I've said engaging with vulnerable people.

Now, I would like you to also give one way that the work of Street Pastors supports individuals in the local community.

So pause the video and have a go.

Okay, so you may have said that Street Pastors ensure that individuals get home safely or that they prevent illness, injury or the need for medical care.

So well done if you've got one of those answers or something similar.

I'd now like us to think about how the work of Street Pastors can impact the local community.

So now we're moving away from the focus on individuals and looking at how the work that Street Pastors do can actually impact whole local communities.

So pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself.

Off you go.

So as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that the work of Street Pastors can increase safety within the local community.

So make the local community a safer place overall, particularly at nighttime.

Or maybe you considered that the work of Street Pastors reduces disturbances and antisocial behaviour in the local community, or that they can help prevent criminal activity.

Or perhaps you considered that Street Pastors promote a caring and compassionate society within local communities.

We're now going to hear from Agata, who is a Roman Catholic Christian that volunteers as a Street Pastor in her local community.

Agata explains how and why she became a Street Pastor and the impact of the work that she does.

Agata says, "One night I saw some people in blue reflective jackets giving out water, talking to people and helping people get home.

I stopped to speak to them and I found out that they were Christians who volunteered as Street Pastors.

I loved that the Street Pastors were taking practical and immediate action, and I decided to volunteer.

I now volunteer most Friday and Saturday nights and have the opportunity to help people in a range of situations.

As a Street Pastor, I'm motivated by my Christian beliefs and I'm able to reflect Jesus' teachings and actions by helping people I encounter during my patrols.

I'm also proud to know that I'm making a difference in my local community, helping people get the help that they need and making the streets safer for members of the community.

Since volunteering as a Street Pastor, I've also inspired other members of my church to volunteer to." So what we've seen here is that Agatha is motivated by her Christian beliefs to volunteer as a Street Pastor, and that the work that she does makes a real difference in the local community and makes the streets a safer place.

So now we've looked at the impact that Street Pastors have on the local community.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false.

The work of Street Pastors only benefits individuals within the local community.

Fantastic, that statement is false, but why is that statement false? Well, it's because the work of Street Pastors also benefits the community as a whole by making local areas safer places through reducing crime, antisocial behaviour, and reducing the risk of injury.

So well done for identifying that that statement is false, and for identifying the reason why.

It's now time to have a go at a task.

Here's an evaluation statement that says "All Christians should volunteer as Street Pastors to help their community." If you were completing a full response to the statement, you'd be expected to evaluate the statement by referring to Christian teaching, giving reasoned arguments to support the statement and reasoned arguments to support a different point of view and reaching a justified conclusion.

Now for the purpose of today's task, Alex has written two paragraphs responding to the statement, one paragraph that supports the statement and another paragraph supporting a different point of view.

You should reach a justified conclusion based on Alex's arguments.

Here is Alex's first paragraph.

It may be argued that all Christians should volunteer as Street Pastors to help their community because Street Pastors provide valuable help and support to individuals and local communities.

For example, Street Pastors will engage in conversation with people in need, showing compassion and reflecting the teachings and actions of Jesus.

This demonstrates that volunteering as a Street Pastor is an effective way to support the community and therefore all Christians should do this.

Alex's second paragraph says this.

On the other hand, some Christians may argue that they do not need to volunteer as Street Pastors to help their local community, because there are other projects that they can get involved in instead.

For example, volunteering at a food bank can be another way for Christians to follow the commandment, "Love your neighbour as yourself," Mark 12:31.

This shows that there are other ways for Christians to help their community, and it is not necessary for all Christians to volunteer as a Street Pastor.

So based on Alex's arguments, you should now reach a justified conclusion.

Here's some guidance that you might find helpful.

Start with a clear overall view.

So for example, overall it is clear that, and then state the view.

Briefly show awareness of other perspectives.

So for example, although some Christians believe that, and then show that you have awareness of another perspective.

And then finally justify your overall view with a reason.

So say this is because.

So you should now pause the video and have a go at reaching a justified conclusion.

Well done for your work on that task.

So you were asked to reach a justified conclusion based on the arguments that Alex had given, and your conclusion might be similar to this.

Overall, it's clear that volunteering as a Street Pastor is something that all Christians must do, although it's not the only way to show compassion and reflect the teachings and actions of Jesus.

This is because Street Pastors carry out vital work like engaging with vulnerable people, which effectively supports individuals and the overall community.

Or your response might look like this.

Overall, it's clear that volunteering as a Street Pastor is not something that all Christians must do, despite it being a way to show compassion and reflect the teachings and actions of Jesus.

This is because there are other projects such as food banks that Christians can get involved in and also show that they are adhering to the teachings of Jesus.

So well done for reaching that justified conclusion based on Alex's arguments.

We've now reached the end of our lesson, but before we finish, let's take a look at some of the key things that we've learned today.

So we've learned that Church, beginning with a capital C, refers to the Christian community and that one role of the church is to support local communities.

We've also looked at Street Pastors, which are a Christian organisation that involves people working mainly at night on city streets, giving care to those in need.

We've seen that Street Pastors are volunteers from many different Christian denominations and are recognised with their blue reflective uniforms. We've also seen that Street Pastors engage with people who are out at night, and this can be people who are socialising or people who need support or are showing challenging behaviour.

And we've seen that when Street Pastors encounter challenging situations or individuals that need support, they aim to respond in practical ways, like offering water, first aid and engaging with that person.

And finally, we've seen that the work of Street Pastors has a profound impact on both individuals and local communities.

A huge well done for all of your work in this lesson.

It's been wonderful learning with you today.