1.2 - The Role Of The Church In The Local Community Flashcards
Why are Christians involved with others
In parable of sheep and goat, Jesus told disciples whatever they did for someone else they did for Jesus
Jesus welcomed sinners, so modern day Christians work with sinners and outcasts
Tell me Matthew 25:35-36
“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”
Helps explains why Christians help
What’s a food bank
People volunteer to help collect, sort and distribute food
Many people help because of their religious backround or that they just want to help others and some as a form of service
Tell me about the trussell trust
1997, founded a food bank garage
In 2004 launched the first and biggest uk wide food bank network - teaching churches and communities how to set up food banks in their areas
Vision is to end poverty and hunger in uk through giving compassionate, practical help and campaigning for justice
How does a food bank work
Professionals such as police, doctors and social service workers identify those in need of help and issue vouchers
Food bank exchanges vouchers for 3 days worth of food of nutritionally balanced and healthy food
Food donated from public with supermarkets playing a prominent role and volunteers sorting out the food
Tell me about the Salvation Army
It’s a Christian denomination founded in 19th century. They were shocked by deprivation they saw around them and unconcern of churches
Work with poor and disadvantaged
What work can be done by Salvation Army
Setting up soup kitchens and hostels for the homeless
Toy distribution at Christmas
Advice that helps people to get rid of and stay out of debt
Give employment guidance and information
Give emergency assistance, for example food, meals, clothes, baby supplies, showers
Providing community vegetable gardens where people can grow their own food
Collecting and redistributing unwanted furniture
Raising awareness of the issue of human trafficking
What are street pastors
Christians drawn from local churches that go out into streets of some big cities Friday and Saturday from 10pm to 4 am usually to care for physical and spiritual needs of young clubbing people who might be drinking heavily or getting into fights
Offer to listen and help all they come across, regardless of their views and behaviour
How do people become street pastors
Undergo several months of training locally or regionally before being given commission
They have a special service to seek gods blessing on this particular and very challenging kind of ministry to the local community
Before going out they will gather for a prayer
Over 20,000 street pastors in uk
What’s the st Vincent de Paul society
Roman Catholic society who help and visit sick, feed the hungry, help the homeless, befriend the lonely, help is given to anyone
What work does the st Vincent de Paul society
Repairing and restoring donated furniture to give those who need it
Support centres giving debt advice, counselling and providing training in literacy, numeracy and ict
Providing support for asylum seekers
Running community shops and food banks in areas where there’s great poverty
Provide holidays for disadvantaged children and families
Running hostels for newly released prisoners, homeless and mentally ill people
Soup kitchens
Activities for disabled people
What’s mission
Means “a sending” belief that you have been sent to do something
What’s evangelism
Term used for spreading the word of Christ, by way of preaching the gospel
What type of faith is Christianity
Has always been a missionary faith and over centuries it has spread throughout the world
What’s the church army
Is a lay (not ordained) Anglican organisation committed to evangelism
Evangelists trained over 4 years and are licensed by Church of England and Ireland to work through the uk
Committed to enabling people to find faith, showing the love of God as revealed in Christ, encourage the church as a whole and locally to live up to its calling
What work does the church army do
Running clubs for children, and working with families
Projects for young people eg church army bus - teenagers can chat over coffee and there’s an adventure project for troubled and vulnerable teenagers
Working with drug addicts
Acting as chaplains, for example in hospitals or in prisons
Visit elderly and provide luncheon clubs for them
Provide alternative forms to church
What’s the ichthus fellowship
Started with intention of evangelising by planting churches throughout London and Kent - movement has now spread and there are many link churches
One aim is to worship Jesus
- through worship, bible studies, shared meals, serving those in need,
How does ichthus differ from traditional denominations
Celebrations where people from a number of churches come together
Congregations where local church’s meet for worship and service to the community
Cells where smaller meeting for Prayer, discussion and support in the fatigue occur in homes
What are fresh expression of church
It describes new churches that are different in approach from The churches that planted them because they are intended for a different group of people from those already attending the original church
The from of the new church fits the location and context of planting it - often not traditional - church for surfers and another four young people in a skate park, found in cafes, pubs and schools too
Intended for those who have never been to church or who don’t want to go back - aim to attract new “disciples for Christ”
When Jesus called his disciples he said “follow me and I will make you fishers of men”
What are the priorities of the spring harvest
Deliver the bible teaching and seek gods presence in worship inspired by the Holy Spirit and there are some activities for children and teenagers
Some have a first personal experience of God, and to deepen the commitment of others
What’s prosecution
Is hostility and Ill treatment usually because of prejudice
What did Jesus say about persecution / how did it inspire Christians
‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you … Rejoice and be glad, Becuase great is your reward in heaven’ (Matthew 5:11-12)
Inspired them to respond to persecution with forgiveness and love rather than with vengeance and hate
Also encouraged churches not suffering from persecution to those who are
Common to see Christians getting involved in protests and arguments about persecuted groups in order to try change law and society
Tell me about brother Andrew
He saw how difficult life was for Christians who were persecuted for their faith - so travelled throughout Eastern Europe, smuggling in bibles and other Christian literature, despite risk of arrest
Estimated he helps Christians in 125 countries
What’s open doors
An organisation committed to support persecuted Christians wherever they are
What support is given by the work of open doors
Fights for justice and religious freedom in the U.K. And internationally through meeting with politicians and public campaigning
Delivering bibles to Christians practising faith in secret
Awareness raised for those prosecuted through prayer, fundraising, volunteering support and special campaigns of prayer for persecuted
Practical support to those who have fled from violence - provide food, medical kits, literacy classes to help them find work
Offer trauma consulting to enable healing and a spirit of reconciliation
Tell me about James and Stephen smith
They were shocked when they visited Yad vashem, the Jewish holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem
Returning to England, offered educational programmes encourage people of all ages to take personal responsibility for challenging all types of discrimination and to seek justice for all
Opened the Kigali memorial centre in Rwanda, offer medical, counselling, financial and Educational support is given to the many women and children widowed and orphaned by 1994 genocide
What does reconciliation mean
Means bringing people together to be friendly again
Jesus death was an act of reconciliation, God reconciled the world to himself and that God gave to believers the ministry of reconciliation
Why is reconciliation necessary
Although often a very painful process, 21st century full of conflict within and between families, religions, racial/ethnic groups and nations
Christians believe they are called to use what influence they have in these areas of life to create a family; a community, a nation and a world in which they feel valued and secure and in which all can flourish
What’s corrymeela
A centre and movement
Movement began when some of students at a university were concerned with growing sectarian tensions - discrimination and hatred between groups within society
Want to establish an open village where all people of good will could learn and live together - dean came true as a site called corrymeela
Work continued through the troubles
What programmes does corrymeela do
Working with families needing help to work through difficult times or needing respite support
Helping those aged 18-25 to deal with issues of concern to young adults
Working with schools to help children to encourage positive and active citizenship
Currently working with the city of londons university’s olive tree programme involving Israelis and Palestinians students, helping them to understand their own situation through learning about and from the troubles
Tell me about the community of the cross of nails
In 2011, they became a memorial to all civilians who have been killed or injured by conflict world wide.
Network includes churches, schools and prisons
It’s a community built from the rebuilt Coventry cathedral
Tell me about the archbishop Desmond tutu
Started a teacher, then Anglican priest and finally the archbishop of Cape Town - used position to speak out against apartheid and to campaign for social justice, but rejecting any violent methods
When apartheid ended, tutu chaired the truth and reconciliation commission where the perpetrators of the most horrific acts of violence and their victims came face to face, and asked for forgiveness.
Since then been involved with search for reconciliation between Israel and Palestinians
Tell me about poverty in LEDCs
Less economically developed countries , religious voluntary aid agencies such as Cafod, Christian aid and tearfund help people there
How are people affected in LEDCs
Poorest countries so need most help - many have debts with richer countries which they cannot reply
Money generated by the country goes to debts rather than building better facilities for its own people
Others are victims of unfair trade, so exploited by richer countries
Many have or still suffer from conflict - which destroys infrastructure and facilities
Many countries have corrupt leaders so power leads to limiting opportunities and life chances of the poorest
Why do people hell LEDCs
Becuase they can, many Christians are in privileged areas so help others.
What is emergency aid
It’s an immediate response, generally to a disaster - food and bottle water essential to prevent hunger, dehydration and water borne disease
Medical kits often requested
Aid to keep people alive
Tell me about short term aid
Takes over as emergency teams Leave and the process of rebuilding begins
Families need uniting, homes need to be rebuilt and children need to be back at school
Tell me about long term aid (development)
About tackling the root cause of the problem and enabling communities to become self sufficient instead of being aid dependant - eg educational programmes, well digging and the training of medical and health workers
Tell me about the Christian response to poverty - examples
Cafod, Christian aid and tearfund are all part of the disasters emergency committee
Tell me about campaigning in the U.K.
Putting pressure on those in positions of power, particularly the government, eg send petitions or peaceful process - can lead to more determination from government to secure justice for LEDCs
Tell me about increasing public awareness
Often achieve through persuading sympathetic celebrities to speak out in the media
Educational resources produced to bring change and justice when they grow up
Tell me about fundraising
3 charities (Cafod, christian aid and tearfund) all have their particular ways of raising money
A small amount of money is used for costs associated with fundraising and administration
How does work in the U.K. Allow help in LEDCs
The work of fundraising, campaigning and increasing public aware a enables a constant flow of money to resource the work in LEDCS
Tell me about the catholic agency for overseas development
Cafod
Now supports over 500 partners in LEDCs
Cafod is a member of Catholic aid
Cafod gives emergency aid and use disaster risk reduction strategies
Also Cafod trains and advises local people in constructing homes less vulnerable to earthquakes
When emergency over, Cafod remains to put long term development in place
Cafods help is given to poorest of poor
Tell me about the Cafod project in southern Zambia
Cafod provided the village with 2 solar powered water pumps- clean water
Families have more Varied diets as they can grow more fruit and vegetables
A school has been set up
Tell me about Christian aid
Gives emergency aid and be involved in long term sustainable development and in campaigning for justice
Works through partner organisations and poor are supported
Money raised from governments and institutions by induviduals also donate in May during Christian aid week
What proverb is used by Christian aid
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”
Tell me the 5 areas Christian aid focuses on
Giving ordinarily people political power
Ensuring essential services, such as water and sanitation for everyone
Seeking a fair and sustainable share of the worlds resources for all
Eliminating discrimination of any form and ensuring equality of treatment for all
Tackling violence and building reconciliation and peace
Tell me about the Christian aid project in Burma
Burma is vulnerable to a lot of natural disasters and malaria is a big problem
Christian aid is raining healthcare workers to detect the early signs of malaria using a diagnostic kit
Distribute mosquito nets, train villagers in basic healthcare and hygiene
Tell me about the tearfund
When Christians were concerned about suffering of 40 million refugees, money sent to evangelical alliance - money shared among evangelical agencies caring for refugees and money contained to come in and so tearfund was born
Prayer is at the heart of the movement
Money raised through fundraising by evangelical churches and induviduals
Encourages Christians to become more involved through becoming parts of its projects through gap years or mission trips
Provides emergency aid and sustainable long term development
Work not about physical needs but spiritual needs to - preaching the gospel
Tell me about a tearfund project in Ethiopia
Supports creation of self help communities to lift themselves out of poverty
Senait lives in the town of Nazret and before joining group she Couldn’t afford education for children, with a tearfund loan and support she could establish a kindergarten that charges low fees and gives free education to very poor
This enables mothers to work and earn money for their families
Senait gives counselling to poor families, encouraging them to save
Tell me some reasons from the bible why Christian aid, tearfund and Cafod respond to those in need
Prophet Amos said what God required above all from Israel was justice and fairness “let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream” - Amos 5:24
Old Testament las encouraged generosity to poor
“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness…” - Colossians 3:12
When there was a famine in Jerusalem - meant prices would have rocketed, Christians living in Antioch in Syria made a collection and sent money to Jerusalem so people could afford to buy food
