Lesson video

Hi, my name's Miss Minton and welcome to this "Christian: Practises" lesson on "The Church in the local community." Now, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the role of the Church in the local community with reference to food banks.

Now, lots of our learning today might be new to you, but please don't worry, because I'll be guiding 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 church beginning with a lowercase c, Church beginning with an uppercase C, ecumenism, and food banks.

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 also refers to members of a particular Christian denomination or tradition.

So, for example, the Roman Catholic Church.

Ecumenism refers to efforts by Christians of different churches to develop closer relationships and have a better understanding.

And finally, food banks are places in the local community where people in need can go to collect food.

These are often ran or supported by local churches and religious charities.

Now, our lesson today will have two parts.

We'll start by looking at the Church as the Body of Christ, and we'll then move on to look at the role of the Church and local churches.

So, let's get started and have a look at the Church as the Body of Christ.

Now, the word church beginning with a lowercase "c" refers to the Christian place of worship.

And it can also be used to refer to local Christian congregations that attend a local church.

When the word Church has a capital "C" at the beginning, it refers to the community of Christian 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.

Now, the Church is commonly referred to as the "People of God" or the "Body of Christ." And we're going to look at what it means to say that the Church is the Body of Christ in more detail.

So, to say that the Church is the Body of Christ means two things, that there is unity among believers, and that there is action of believers.

And we're going to look at this now in a bit more detail.

We're going to start by looking at the Church as the Body of Christ, unity among believers.

So, to say that the Church is the Body of Christ highlights that each individual member of the Church plays an important role in the overall function of the Church, and that Jesus is the head of this Church.

Now, this is similar to how the human body works.

So, within our bodies, we have lots of different organs and individual parts that all work together to help the overall body perform its function.

But they each play a vital and individual role in this.

And this is similar to how the Church is made up of many different individuals, and together, they perform an overall function.

But this is only possible because each individual has a really important role to play.

So now, let's take a look at what it means to say that the Church is the Body of Christ, and the action of the believers.

So, the Church as the Body of Christ can also refer to the action of individuals, and the Church as a whole.

And this is part of the Church performing its overall function, like the human body.

Now, this is important because Jesus is no longer on earth.

Jesus has ascended into heaven and is with God the Father.

So, this means that the Church must work together and act as Jesus's body by carrying out actions that Jesus would have done himself.

Now, to highlight this, many Christians use a prayer that's attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila.

And the prayer starts by saying this.

"Christ has no body but yours.

No hands, no feet on earth but yours." Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, how does this support the Church as being the Body of Christ? Off you go.

So, this prayer suggests that Christians can be Jesus's physical body, his hands and his feet.

And this means many Christians interpret this as meaning that the Church should carry out Jesus's actions, so should do things that Jesus would do if he were on earth today.

So, let's check your understanding.

True or false? The Church as the Body of Christ refers to Christians acting individually and alone.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because to say the Church is the Body of Christ does refer to individual action, but because each individual has a vital role to play in the overall function of the Church.

The Church as the Body of Christ is about a community that are working together.

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

Now, this belief that the Church is the Body of Christ comes from the actions and teachings of Jesus because it's Jesus's teachings and actions that make the responsibility of the Church as the Body of Christ very clear.

So, for example, in Matthew 25:35-36, it says this.

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.

I was a stranger and you invited me in.

I needed clothes and you clothed me.

I was sick and you looked after me.

I was in prison and you came to visit me." Now, this passage is from the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

And in this passage, Jesus is outlining examples of acts of mercy and compassion that will be looked favourably upon when each person is judged.

Now, I'd like us to reflect on this teaching from Matthew 25:35-36.

And I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, how can the Church be the Body of Christ through its actions? And can you think of any examples within the local community? Off you go.

So, as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have considered that the Church can be the Body of Christ through helping people who are living in poverty, through visiting people who are unwell, through working for justice and doing what's right and fair, and through visiting people and spending time with people who are marginalised.

So, people who are on the outskirts of society that other people aren't socialising with and including.

So, let's check your understanding again.

Which of the following is not an example of the Church as the Body of Christ? A, feeding the hungry.

B, isolating people.

C, helping people who are living in poverty.

Or D, working for justice.

Fantastic.

The correct answer is B, isolating people.

So, isolating people is not an example of how the Church is the Body of Christ.

The Church as the Body of Christ would include people who are marginalised.

So, well done for identifying that B is the correct answer.

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

Laura is explaining what the Church as the Body of Christ means.

Laura says, "The Church as the Body of Christ refers to the community of Christians that make up the Church.

The Church as the Body of Christ highlights that each individual member of the Church plays an important role in the overall function of the Church, with Jesus at the head of the Church." Now, I would like you to write a second paragraph explaining what it means to say that the Church is the Body of Christ.

And you must include a source of authority in your paragraph.

So, pause the video and have a go.

Well done for working on that task.

So, you were asked to write a second paragraph explaining what it means to say that the Church is the Body of Christ, and you were also asked to include a source of authority in your paragraph.

Now, your response might be similar to this.

The Church as the Body of Christ can also refer to the actions of individual members and the Church as a whole.

A prayer attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila highlights that "Christ has no body but yours," meaning that the Church must work together and act as Jesus's body by carrying out actions that Jesus would do himself.

Now, what you can see here is that I have chosen to use a source of authority from Saint Teresa.

You may have used a different source of authority, and if you have, this is absolutely fine.

So, well done again for working on that task.

It's now time to move on to the second part of our lesson, which is to look at the role of the Church and local churches.

Now, in 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter offers guidance to the church leaders on how they can serve their community.

And 1 Peter 5:2-3 says this.

"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, watching over them, not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." Now, in this passage, Peter says that church leaders should be "shepherds" who watch over and care for their "flock." Now, I'd like you to pause the video and either talk to a partner, talk to me, or have a think to yourself, how might Christians interpret this passage? Off you go.

So, many Christians interpret this passage as meaning that church leaders should show others how to serve God, and they should set a good example for the local Christian community to follow.

This can be interpreted to suggest that the role of the Church, and churches in the local community, is to serve others.

Now, local churches play a really important role in the function of the universal Church and how the universal Church serves communities as the Body of Christ.

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 might local churches do to serve their local communities and contribute towards the Church being the Body of Christ? Off you go.

So, as part of your thinking time or your discussion, you may have said that the local church in the local community can be the centre of gathering and worship for local Christians, and it can also be a place where the sacraments are celebrated.

So, for example, baptism and the Eucharist.

You may have also said that it can be a place of discussion and learning for the local Christian community, and that it can be a hub for outreach work.

So, for Christians going outside of their church to work with others.

Or you may have said that the local church can actually be a place that encourages and facilitates ecumenism.

Now, we're going to hear from Ji-eun, who is a Methodist minister, and she explains ways that her church supports the local community.

Ji-eun says, "My local community is very diverse and there's lots of churches belonging to different Christian denominations.

One of the ways that my church supports the local community is through promoting ecumenism.

Ecumenism is when different Christian churches work together and they find commonalities that unite them, despite possibly having different beliefs and practises.

My church promotes this by facilitating monthly meetings where we invite leaders and members of other churches to talk about local issues and how we can work together to tackle them." We're now going to hear from Fergus, who is a Liberal Anglican Christian, and he's also explaining how his church supports the local community.

Fergus says, "My church organises fundraisers and charity events throughout the year to support the local community.

For example, there was a fundraiser recently that involved a fun community day with activities such as a raffle, a sweet stall, and face painting, and the money raised was donated to a local charity that helps people living in poverty.

Also, my church hosts social events aimed at different groups of people within the community.

For example, every Monday, there's a coffee morning that's aimed at elderly members of the community who are living alone or feeling lonely." So, what we can see from Ji-eun and Fergus is that local churches can support the community and work within the community in a number of different ways, from communicating with other Christian denominations and building unity, to hosting community events and social gatherings.

So, with that in mind, let's check your understanding.

True or false? The local church only supports the local community through fundraising and charity events.

Fantastic.

That statement is false.

But why is that statement false? Well, it's because there are many ways that the local church can support the local community, and that might involve fundraising and charity events, but it can also involve social events, education, ecumenism, and outreach as well.

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

Now, the support that local churches offer to local communities enables the Church as a whole to carry out work that supports and benefits communities on a much wider scale.

Now, one example of this work is food banks.

Now, food banks are places in the local community where people in need can go and collect food if they need it.

Now, food banks are often ran or supported by the Church, and this is because the work of food banks supports Christian teachings.

So, for example, Jesus taught to care for those in need.

And we see this in Matthew 25:35 where Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat." Jesus also taught that people should show love to others.

And we see this in Mark 12:31 when Jesus said, "Love your neighbour as yourself." The early Christian community also modelled the examples of Jesus and they did this when they shared their resources with people in need.

And we can learn about this in Acts 2:45, which says, "They sold their property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." So, what we can see here is the work of food banks supporting people in need reflects Christian teachings.

Now, food banks are also an example of how local churches contribute to the work of the universal Church.

So, for example, donations will usually come from schools and churches within a local parish, and members of the parish might also volunteer at food banks by collecting, sorting, or distributing food.

And we're going to hear from Kateryna, who is a Ukrainian Roman Catholic, and she volunteers at a local food bank.

She says, "I volunteer at a local food bank helping organise and package food parcels for people in need.

I do this because as a Christian, I believe in treating others as I would like to be treated.

Luke 6:31.

There have been times in my life when I've needed support from the local community, and I'm happy that I can now support others by volunteering at a food bank.

The food bank that I volunteer at has centres across the UK and is supported by the Church." So, let's now check your understanding.

True or false? The work of local churches supports the Church as the Body of Christ.

Fantastic.

That statement is true.

But why is that statement true? Well, it's because local churches and Christian communities play a really important role in supporting the universal Church acting as the Body of Christ.

So, for example, food banks are often ran or supported by the Church, but local churches play an important role in collecting and donating for the food banks.

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

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

In the table are some arguments relating to the statement that food banks are the best way for the Church to serve the local community.

Supporting the statement, we have the arguments that food banks help support individuals and families who are in need, and that running and supporting food banks shows love and compassion towards those who are living in poverty in the local community.

To support alternative points of view, we have the arguments that involvement in charity might be a better way for the Church to serve local communities because the money raised can be allocated to different needs.

And ecumenism may be a better way for the Church to serve local communities because it involves promoting peace and a unified society.

Now, I would like you to choose one of those arguments and explain why it is a compelling or strong argument.

Here are some suggested sentence starters to help you.

A strong argument which agrees or disagrees that food banks are the best way for the Church to serve the local community is.

And then you can lead on from that by saying that this is a strong argument as.

This argument is compelling because.

This argument is powerful as it.

Or this argument is convincing because.

So, pause the video and have a go.

Well done for your work during that task.

So, you were asked to choose just one argument and explain why it's a strong or compelling argument.

And your answer might be similar to this.

A strong argument that agrees that food banks are the best way for the Church to serve the local community is that food banks support individuals and families that are in need.

This argument is compelling because it supports Jesus's teachings from Matthew 25:35, where Jesus encourages helping those in need.

Now, you may have chosen a different argument, but as long as you have been able to state that argument and whether it agrees or disagrees with the statement and explain why it's a strong or compelling argument, then that is absolutely fine.

So, well done again for working on that task.

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 community of Christian believers.

And church beginning with a lowercase "c" refers to the Christian place of worship.

And it can also be used to refer to a congregation that attend a local church.

We've seen that the Church is often referred to as the "People of God" or the "Body of Christ." And that to say that the Church is the Body of Christ refers to the unity and action of Christian believers.

We've also seen that the Church can carry out Jesus's work through local churches serving their local communities.

And this can be done by helping people in need, promoting unity through ecumenism, and through social functions.

And finally, we saw that an example of churches contributing to the Church acting as the Body of Christ includes supporting and establishing food banks.

So, a huge well done for all of your work today.

It's been wonderful learning with you.