Religion 8 Unit 3.1 Models of the Church

Apostles The word “apostle” means “one who is sent.” When we say that we believe in an “apostolic church,” we are saying that we believe that the church has been sent by Jesus into the world. Jesus gave the church two special signs to help us remember what it means to love generously and to help us teach the world about love: the sacraments of marriage and holy orders.

Apostles…Who were they again? Some more famous than others. Which ones do you know? What story is associated with them?

Quick! Get out your POD! Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the main four gospels

3.1 Catholic means “UNIVERSAL” We want to share God’s love with the population of the entire planet. Our mission is to not only spread the good news of Jesus and His teachings, but also to lead by example, and follow the teachings as role models for others Share in the love of the Trinity Father Son Holy Spirit *notice use of capital letters

…everybody? Believing in one Holy Catholic Church means believing that there is one church that can include everyone – people of every age group, social status, nation, race, color and way of life *Think about it (Discuss with your neighbor) Everyone is meant to be included yet there are some who may still feel excluded from the church, what can we do about that? There are people who claim to be following the faith values that are not inclusive. How do they justify their discrimination?

But aren’t all the Catholic Churches different? What traditions and variations are you aware of? Why do you think these differences exist?

Jesus told his disciples: “Go Jesus told his disciples: “Go... and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 28.19) Following Christ’s command, the followers of Jesus proclaimed the Good News throughout the world. Church communities took root among believers of every race and nation. However, the ways in which these churches expressed their faith became varied, coloured by the cultured and times of the people. These different ways of expressing faith are called rites. One thing we all have in common…the Pope is our leader

The Church is ONE ONE – ALL TOGETHER – FAMILY – WHOLE From the devout to the alienated Radical reformers to the defenders of the status quo The Church is not subject to one culture or one time but offers challenge to every culture in every time. Though marked by great diversity, the Church is one. All who believe have one source in the Trinity, one founder in Christ, and one soul in the Holy Spirit. No single model of church adequately represents its complexity and diversity. A variety of models help us to understand church and to accept others who operate from a different model of church than we do.

Models of the Church A model is a representation that helps us understand something more complex. When we first look at the different models of the Church and see the disagreements and divisions. What we are not seeing is the diversity these divisions produce within the church community. The different models work to balance the Christian community, much like the muscles in our bodies are grouped in opposition to each other in order to balance our skeletal structure. Altogether the different models or ways of seeing the Church make up the community of Jesus’ disciples. All the members are connected to Jesus Christ and are motivated by the Holy Spirit in the love of God, who is the father of all. Our challenge is to see and understand how we are connected with God, with one another in our own community, and with the world-wide community.

At the centre of the Church is the Eucharist At the centre of the Church is the Eucharist. Jesus offered his body and blood as the sacrament of salvation for everyone. When we share the body and blood of Christ, we are united in Christ. It is this communion of the faithful with Christ that is the Church.

Brainstorm, where might the church have areas of growth? Let’s find some issues to debate! There will not be a “winner”, it is an open conversation There are no simple answers See the next page for some additional topics

Be the force of reform from within the church Don’t just leave the church because of one of these philosophical reasons, see what you can do to make a change, or better understand why things are the way they are

Did you know the church has changed? Vatican II (Second Vatican Council 1962-1965) Designed to bring the church “up to date” Fish Friday…does anybody still practice this? “Obligation” removed! Requiring abstinence only on Ash Wenesday and Good Friday. Nuns not weraring a “habit” Mass in language other than Latin Need education to understand what changes are made and why