What is Christianity? - 91�ȱ� Bitesize

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Christianity is focussed on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe to be the Son of God. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the Middle East over 2,000 years ago.

What do Christians believe?

Christians believe there is only one God, but that he is revealed in three different forms:

God the Father
God the Son
The Holy Spirit

Christians model themselves on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught people to love God and love their neighbour.

Christians believe that God sent Jesus to live as a human being in order to save humanity from the consequences of its sins. Sins are the bad things humanity had chosen to do which had separated them from God.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus this broken relationship with God is restored.

What is the Christian holy book?

The Christian holy book is the Bible. It is divided into the Old and New Testaments.

The New Testament explains how God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to restore the broken relationship between people and God which had been caused by human wrong-doing.

Jesus was executed on a cross (Crucifixion) as a criminal by the Romans, and according to Christian teaching after three days he rose from the dead (the Resurrection).

Can you rearrange this puzzle?

Where do Christians worship?

Many Christians worship in churches. Some groups meet in homes and other buildings. 'Church' means the gathering of Christians as well as the building in which Christians worship. Their leaders are called priests or ministers.

Many churches hold a service called Communion, Eucharist or Mass, in which bread and wine are shared together, just as Jesus did with his followers before his death.

Christianity in pictures

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Image caption,
A Christian church
Christian churches are a familiar sight in the UK. The main part where worshippers sit is called a nave. Many churches, such as this one in Suffolk, have tall towers at the western end which house bells. Sometimes the towers will have steep spires added to them.
Image caption,
The Bible
The Bible is the Christian holy book. In churches the Bible is placed on a stand called a lectern so that is can be read out loud. In Anglican churches the lectern will often be in the shape of an eagle. Eagles are associated with John the Apostle who was one of Jesus’s twelve disciples.
Image caption,
The Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the Church of England and head of the worldwide Anglican communion. Justin Welby, the current Archbishop, is stood on the left in this photo, next to Patriarch Kirill who is the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Image caption,
The Archbishop of Westminster
Cardinal Vincent Nichols is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The leader of the Catholic church is Pope Francis who lives in the Vatican in Rome.
Image caption,
Amish children
The Amish belong to a group of Christians known as Anabaptists. The Amish emigrated from Europe to the United States from the 18th century onwards. Even though they live in America, many Amish still speak a form of German.
Image caption,
Nuns
Nuns are women who choose to take strict religious vows and live together in monasteries. There are many orders of nuns in the Catholic Church. The photo shows Siervas, a rock band formed by nuns based in Peru to spread the word of God through music.

Resources for teachers

To help your class understand Christianity, 13-year old Kirsty, 11-year old Nathan and 8-year olds Kiera and Santos share their stories and experiences in this series of short films.

91�ȱ� Teach has thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources to help deliver lessons - all arranged by subject and age group.

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