Christianity: The Role of the Church in the Local Community and Living Practices

Question 1

What is the significance of Christian rites of passage?

Answer 1

• They welcome people into the Church
• Some are sacraments: receiving the grace of God
• Marking a stage in life
• Many non-believers baptise their children and many non-believers get married in Church
• A way of celebrating life and involving the local community

Question 2

What are Christian attitudes towards infant baptism?

Answer 2

• Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox will have their children baptised
• Very important to Catholics as they believe baptism allows babies to repent: as they are babies, they have not sinned, so they can’t repent.
• Water is poured over the child’s head (in Orthodox the child is immersed) to represent being cleansed of original sin and the beginning of new life
• Roman Catholics rub chrism oil onto the child’s forehead to symbolise the coming of the Holy Spirit
• The priest may light a candle and hand it to the parents to represent the light of God

Question 3

What are Christian attitudes towards dedication?

Answer 3

• Some non-conformist Churches don’t believe in infant baptism, such as the Baptist Church
• However, some parents in these Churches may choose to have a service of dedication, in which they promise to bring up the child in the Christian faith until they are old enough to decide for themselves
• Prayers are said for the parents, asking God to help them be good parents

Question 4

What are Christian attitudes towards believer’s baptism?

Answer 4

• In non-conformist Churches, an adult can choose to have a believer’s baptism
• This shows their free will and that they choose to become Christian
• They ask God for forgiveness of their sins and commit themselves to following the Christian faith
• They stand waist-deep in a pool of water in a church (sometimes the sea or a river)
• They often wear white to symbolise purity and forgiveness from sin
• The minister lays them back in the water and baptises them and raises them back up to standing
• This represents the cleansing work of God and the start of a new life with the presence of the Holy Spirit

Question 5

What are Christian attitudes towards confirmation?

Answer 5

• When children who have been baptised are old enough, usually around 12, they can choose to be confirmed into the Christian faith
• Confirmation happens in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Methodist Church
• Candidates take a series of classes run by their church in which they learn more about the Christian faith
• During the service they answer the same questions their parents answered in their baptism, e.g. “Do you turn to Christs?”, “Do you repent of your sins?”
• They come to the front of the church and kneel. The bishop places his hand on the candidate’s head and prays for God’s Holy Spirit in them
• In a Roman Catholic service the bishop places some chrism oil on their forehead

Question 6

Describe a typical marriage ceremony.

Answer 6

1) The minister explains the purpose of marriage and checks that there is no lawful reason why the couple may not be married.
2) The couple exchange vows.
3) The couple exchange rings and the minister asks that God bless the vows they have made.
4) Prayers are said for the couple and hymns are sung.
5) The couple are given their marriage certificate.

Question 7

What happens in an Orthodox marriage ceremony?

Answer 7

• The rings are exchanged at a betrothal ceremony before the wedding
• During this ceremony most rituals are done three times to represent the Trinity
• In the wedding service the couple wear silver crowns called stefanas, to represent the royalty of marriage
• The couple takes three sips of wine from a shared cup, recalling when Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana
• They follow the priest and circle the altar three times

Question 8

What is the purpose of a funeral service?

Answer 8

• To celebrate the life of the dead person
• To acknowledge that the person is safe in God’s care
• For mourners to comfort each other
• To publicly express love or admiration for the dead person
• To mark the beginning of life without the dead person, in which they are remembered

Question 9

What are some common features of a funerals service?

Answer 9

• Bible readings
• Prayers
• Eulogy
• Hymns
• Requiem mass (Catholic)
• Burial/cremation (Christians are more likely to be buried as some believe in full-body resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:52)

Question 10

How do church communities support families?

Answer 10

• Visiting the sick
• Offering counselling to a couple with marital difficulties
• Groups for young mothers or the elderly
• Involved with local charities
• Sunday School