The future of the Christian Church
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the role and importance of mission, evangelism and Church growth for the future of the Christian Church.
Key learning points
- Jesus instructed his apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.
- Many Christians interpret Matthew 28:19 as an instruction to continue Jesus' mission.
- Carrying out the Christian mission of spreading the gospel is known as evangelism.
- Evangelism can be carried out locally, nationally and globally through a range of methods.
- The Church is growing in some parts of the world and declining in others, showing its mission remains important.
Keywords
Apostles - 12 disciples chosen by Christ to preach his gospel; later including early Christian leaders responsible for spreading the message of Jesus
Evangelism - preaching the gospel to others with the intention of converting them to the Christian faith
Gospel - meaning “good news” and referring to the teachings and revelation of Jesus Christ
Mission - meaning ‘sent out’; the duty of Christians to spread the gospel
Common misconception
Evangelism always involves preaching in public.
Evangelism can involve preaching and public speaking, but it can also be carried out through subtle actions and living out the teachings of Jesus in everyday life.
Teacher tip
You may wish students to complete their own response to the statement in task C after completing the activity.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.What does the season of Lent commemorate?
Q2.When does Lent begin?
Q3.Holy Week remembers the events that happened before Jesus' ...
Q4.What event is celebrated on Easter Sunday?
Q5.The Easter season ends with , 50 days after Easter Sunday.
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to its meaning.
the 12 disciples chosen by Christ to preach his gospel
preaching the gospel to convert people to the Christian faith
means ‘sent out’; the duty of Christians to spread the gospel
Q2.Jesus said, 'Go and make of all nations.'
Q3.How do many Christians today interpret Matthew 28:19?
Q4.Evangelism can involve public preaching or actions.
Q5.Where is Christianity growing rapidly?
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: The future of the Christian Church, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 religious education lesson on: The future of the Christian Church, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 religious education lessons from the Living the Christian life unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.