Celebrations and the Local Church (1RB0)

The rhythm of the year

Christian life has a rhythm of celebrations through the year, from Advent to Easter. It is lived out in the local church, the community of Christians in one place. This module explores the main festivals and the role the local church plays in its community.

The language of the church year

Four ideas run through the topic:

Order the church year

Put these events of the Christian year into the order they happen.

• Advent, preparing for the birth of Jesus
• Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus
• Lent, forty days of preparation
• Holy Week, remembering the last days of Jesus
• Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus

Match each festival to its meaning

Gathering the community

Festivals and worship gather a religious community together. This can be compared across religions.

The greatest festival

What do Christians celebrate at Easter, the most important festival of the year?

• The resurrection of Jesus from the dead
• The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
• The giving of the Ten Commandments
• The end of the harvest season

More than a building

The local church is more than a building: it is the community of Christians in one place. It is a centre of worship and fellowship, of teaching and mission, and of outreach, running food banks and supporting those in need. The New Testament pictures church leaders as shepherds caring for their flock, as taught in 1 Peter 5:1-4. Many churches also practise ecumenism, working together across denominations.

Advent, Lent and the Christian year

The season of _____ prepares Christians for Christmas, while _____ prepares them for Easter. At Easter, Christians celebrate the _____ of Jesus. Walk into a parish hall midweek and you may find a toddler group or a night shelter rather than a service, and that is still the local _____ at work, because belonging together is what _____ means. Different denominations working together is called ecumenism.

What the local church does

Select the TWO roles a local church plays in its community.

• Running outreach such as food banks for those in need
• Being a centre of worship and fellowship
• Collecting taxes on behalf of the government
• Deciding the national laws of the country

Serving the community

A local church wants to serve its community well. Help it make good choices.

• Many families in the area are struggling to afford food. What could the church do?
• Other Christian churches nearby want to work together. What is this practice called?
• How can the church help local people feel they belong?

What is Lent?

What is Lent, in the Christian year?

• Forty days of preparation and self-denial before Easter
• The celebration of Jesus being born
• A single day of harvest thanksgiving
• The week straight after Christmas Day

The Christian year

Tap the TWO statements that are correct about Christian celebrations and the local church.

• Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is the most important festival.
• Advent is the season straight after Easter.
• The local church supports its community through outreach such as food banks.
• Christmas celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.
• Ecumenism means refusing to work with other denominations.

Why the local church matters

Explain the importance of the local church in its community, and compare how Christians gather with how Muslims gather for worship.

• Describe two roles the local church plays in its community
• Explain why festivals like Christmas and Easter matter to Christians
• Compare how a local church gathers its community with how Muslims gather for Jummah or Salah
• Refer to a Christian teaching, such as leaders caring for their flock