Christianity

Christianity

The history of Christianity begins in first-century Galilee. At that time, the Jews of the Holy Land were living under Roman occupation. The man we know as Jesus was born in a Galilean village called Nazareth. The story of Jesus life and deeds, as well as what happened leading up to his arrest and later crucifixion are documented by Gospel writers who also tell of his subsequent resurrection. The Romans considered him to be a political and social trouble-maker, they wanted him dead. The Romans carried out countless crucifixions outside Jerusalem's city walls that were witnessed by the people but the crucifixion of Jesus was much more significant. Christians believed that his death was part of a divine plan to save humanity. The death and resurrection of Jesus is at the very heart of the Christian faith. Christians believe that his death and ultimate sacrifice enables their broken relationship with God to be restored, known as the Atonement. The word atonement is used in Christian theology to describe what was achieved by the death of Jesus.
Christianity (ppt presentation) (Primary Resources Site)	Stations of the Cross (ppt presentation)	History of Christianity in England
Christianity (BBC Schools)	Christianity in Britain (REfuel)	History of Christianity (Fact based Faith)

The Interactive Church (Primary Resources Site)	The Church
The Christian church is fundamental to believers. The church is the place where the Christian faith is nurtured and where the Holy Spirit is manifest on earth.It is where Christians are received into the faith and where they are brought together into one body through the Eucharist.
Take a look at this beautiful Christian Church in Scotland. This website offers a photo tour of the church and information about its history. Click image.
	OurChurch in Fen Ditton
Our own Church in Fen Ditton village has a wonderful history and was built in the 12th Century it is built of rubble with Barnack stone with clunch and limestone dressings and lead covered roofs. The building has a chancel, nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, a south porch, and the west tower includes some 12th century masonry. The tower was built in the early 13th century, and comprised three stages with a plain parapet and angle buttresses. In the 15th century the chancel arch and nave were rebuilt and the clerestory, south aisle, south porch and north vestry were added. The octagonal font dates from the 14th century. The patronage of the church has belonged to the Bishop of Ely since 1251 and during the middle ages the rector was entitled to revenues from both the small and great tithes. (A tithe is 1/10 of the annual produce of land or labour taken as tax for the church). The church of St Mary was named in 1515. If you wish to read more about our own local church visit the link which is where the above information was sourced. British History Online. Want to know more history on Fen Ditton Church?		image sourced from www.picturesofengland.com
	Images from Christian Churches

	Beautiful Windows

Places of Worship
	Christian Festivals
Advent (REfuel) Ash Wednesday (ppt) (Primary Resources Site)	Shrove Tuesday and Lent (ppt) (Primary Resources Site) Journey through Lent (REfuel) Lent (BBC)	They Call it Easter (REfuel) The Way of the Cross (REfuel)
An Easter Garden (REfuel) Ascension (REFuel)	Christmas (REfuel) Christmas	Holy Days (BBC) The Christian Calendar (BBC)
Good Friday - The most important events in Christianity are the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whose life and teachings are the foundation of Christianity. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. It commemorates when Jesus was executed by crucifixion. Good Friday is a day of sadness and mourning in the Christian church. Special Good Friday services give Christians the opportunity to reflect and meditate on how Jesus suffered and died on the cross, and how this affects their faith. Some countries, have special Good Friday processions, where followers of Christianity re-enact the Crucifixion. The main service on Good Friday is held between midday and 3pm. In many churches the service is based on the last seven words of Jesus on the cross, with hymns, prayers, and short sermons.
	Easter - commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with much joy. The date of Easter changes each year, and several other Christian festivals depend on Easter for their dates. Flowers fill the Churches, and special hymns and songs are sung. Not all Easter customs have Christian origins, the Easter Bunny for example is Pagan in origin. On Good Friday, Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion. After his body was taken down from the cross, it was buried in a cave. The tomb was guarded, and an enormous stone was placed over the entrance, so that the body could not be stolen. Some women visited the grave on the Sunday following his burial and found the stone moved, and the tomb empty. People saw Jesus on that day, and for days afterwards. Christians believed that God had raised Jesus from the dead.
Pentecost - is the time to remember when the Holy Spirit came to the followers of Jesus. 50 days after Jesus' resurrection (Easter) his frightened followers were meeting in a room in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit changed them, not in how they looked but in the sort of people they became. Instead of being frightened and hiding, they became bold and spoke about the effect Jesus had had on their lives. Pentecost is often referred to as 'the birth of the Christian Church'. Some Christians also call this time 'Whitsunday' because traditionally it was the occasion when followers were baptised and they wore white clothes. 'White Sunday' became 'Whitsun'.
Christmas - Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth changed the whole world. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago; His mother was the virgin Mary. When he was born, an angel came to some shepherds in a field and said "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." When Jesus was born there was no room for him at the inn in Bethlehem, so the Son of God was laid in a manger where animals stayed.		The Nativity Story (topmarks)

Sunday Creation Day	God and Jesus
	Christians believe that there is only one God, whom they call Father, as Jesus Christ taught them. Christians recognise Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save mankind from death and sin.Jesus Christ taught that he was Son of God. His teachings can be summarised, briefly as the love of God and love of one's neighbour.Jesus said that he had come to fulfil God's law rather than teach it.

What do you know about Jesus?

Jesus and his teachings

What Jesus said

The last days of Jesus

Prayer

Prayer is the means by which Christians communicate with their God. The New Testament records that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray and that he encouraged them to address God as Father. Christians believe that they continue this tradition.

Sometimes the prayers are formal and part of a ritual laid down for hundreds of years.Others are personal and spontaneous, and come from personal or group need.

Whilst prayer is often directed to God as Father, as taught by Jesus, some traditions encourage prayer to God through intermediaries such as saints and martyrs.Prayers through Mary, as the mother of God, are central to some churches and form a traditional part of their worship.

Baptism

The Christian church believes in one baptism into the Christian church, whether this be as an infant or as an adult, as an outward sign of an inward commitment to the teachings of Jesus.

The Sacraments

Marriage

Christians believe that marriage is a gift from God, one that should not be taken for granted. It is the right atmosphere to build a family life. Getting married in a church, in front of God, is very important.
A marriage is a public declaration of love and commitment. This declaration is made in front of friends and family in a church ceremony.

Saints

The word saint is now most commonly used to refer to a Christian who has lived a particularly good and holy life on earth, and with whom miracles are claimed to have been associated after their death. The formal title of Saint is conferred by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches through a process called canonisation. Members of these Churches also believe that Saints created in this way can intercede with God on behalf of people who are alive today. This is not accepted by most Protestants.In the Bible, however, the word saint is used as a description of anyone who is a committed believer.

Life after death

Christians believe that there is a life after earthly death. While the actual nature of this life is not known, Christians believe that many spiritual experiences in this life help to give them some idea of what eternal life will be like.

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