Table of Contents:
1. Teacher’s background information.
A church is more than just a building.
The people are important – the Church should be a community of Christians from all races and nationalities.
Why do Christians go to church? To worship, pray, listen to Bible teachings and make friends.
Who or what influences the children’s behaviour?
2. Lesson plans and resources for:
a) What is the Church?
What is Church is a PowerPoint presentation (Opens in a new tab on www.slideshare.net) viewable or downloadable for teachers who can use electronic equipment in the classroom.
For teachers to teach from a printable document What is the Church lesson plan.
b) Places of worship.
Places of worship, a PowerPoint presentation viewable or downloadable for teachers who can use electronic equipment in the classroom.
c) What is in a Christian service?
For teachers to teach from a printable document What is in a Christian service at a church lesson plan
Church items worksheet (Pictures of some things which may be found in a Church building).
d) Free children’s songs.
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[1] ‘What is Prayer?’ By the Crossroads Kids’ Club.
Prayer comes in all shapes and sizes! Here’s a quick look at WHAT prayer is.
[2] ‘Why do We Pray?’ By the Crossroads Kids’ Club.
[3] ‘How Do We Pray?’ By the Crossroads Kids’ Club.
3. How to fulfil the locally agreed syllabus on ‘What is the Church?’
Hopefully, you will be able to match your local agreed syllabus with what is here which satisfies eight councils:
These lesson plans are based on the Progression Documents of The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education’ Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Rutland County Councils. This is in the light blue text.
The green text is from other Councils: Lewisham Borough, West Sussex, Hull and East Riding.
Here are the main aims for the visit:
- Visit local churches (more than once) and become familiar with the main features of the building.
- Find out what happens there and why (worship, baptisms, weddings) and what children do (choir, Sunday school, holiday clubs etc.)
- Explore stories connected with the church (e.g. its dedication, stained glass window showing Bible stories).
- Meet the people who go to the church and who lead church services (especially the vicar or minister) and find out what they do.
- Describe and explain practices.
- Tell of the ways people express identity in belonging to a faith group.
- How and why do people of faith worship?
- Describe how the building and its artefacts are used in different ways.
Key vocabulary: Church, Worship, Baptism, Hymn, Prayer, Priest, Vicar.