New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

Baptism and the Eucharist

I can explain the role, meaning and celebration of baptism and the Eucharist, and their significance today.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel B

Baptism and the Eucharist

I can explain the role, meaning and celebration of baptism and the Eucharist, and their significance today.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Many Christians regard the Eucharist/Holy Communion and baptism as sacraments.
  2. Baptism is when an individual is initiated into Christianity, and some Christians believe this removes original sin.
  3. The Eucharist/Holy Communion is a form of Christian worship that honors the death and resurrection of Jesus.
  4. These practices originate from Jesus, but today there are different interpretations of their meaning and celebration.
  5. For Christians who celebrate baptism and the Eucharist/Holy Communion, they are a significant part of Christian life.

Keywords

  • Baptism - the sacrament through which people become members of the Church; it involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin.

  • Eucharist/Holy Communion - means 'thanksgiving'; a sacrament in which the death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated, using bread and wine.

  • Sacrament - an outward sign of an invisible and inward blessing by God; for example: baptism, Eucharist.

  • Transubstantiation - the belief that the substance of the elements of the Eucharist are transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

Common misconception

All Christians celebrate baptism and the Eucharist in the same way.

Many Christians celebrate baptism and the Eucharist, however, this can happen in many different ways. For example, there are different beliefs regarding the age that baptism takes place, and different beliefs and interpretations about the Eucharist.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Baptism and the Eucharist, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You may wish to share the full passage from John 3:3-6 with students to support Learning Cycle 3.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

5 Questions

Q1.
What are sacraments best described as?

stories from the Bible
Correct answer: outward signs of spiritual grace
historical events

Q2.
Why are sacraments important to many Christians?

they connect believers with famous people
they replace prayer
Correct answer: they are a means of receiving God’s grace

Q3.
Which of these statements is true?

only Roman Catholics celebrate sacraments
baptism and Holy Communion are the only sacraments in Christianity
Correct answer: there are differences in the number of sacraments across Christian groups

Q4.
Sacraments help mark significant in a Christian’s life.

Correct Answer: events, Events

Q5.
Christian groups such as the do not celebrate sacraments.

Correct Answer: Quakers, quakers

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

5 Questions

Q1.
Baptism and the Eucharist are considered to be by many Christians.

Correct Answer: sacraments, Sacraments

Q2.
What is a key purpose of baptism in Christianity?

to learn about the Bible
Correct answer: to be initiated into the Christian faith
to prepare for marriage

Q3.
The Eucharist is a form of worship that remembers Jesus’ death and .

Correct Answer: resurrection, Resurrection

Q4.
Why do Christian practices around baptism and the Eucharist differ?

Correct answer: because different denominations interpret Jesus’ teachings differently
because Christians now reject sacraments
due to cultural differences

Q5.
Which of the following best describes a key difference in beliefs about baptism among Christian denominations?

some Christians do not know what baptism is
some denominations think that baptism should involve dancing
Correct answer: some denominations baptise infants, while others baptise adults