Christianity: Practices Workbook

For AQA GCSE Religious Studies

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Christianity Practices Contents
Worship: Forms of worship (public vs private, liturgical,
non-liturgical, informal)

Prayer (set prayer eg. Lord’s Prayer vs informal prayer)

Sacraments: Baptism (infant vs believers) & Eucharist

(holy communion, different interpretations)

Celebrations/Actions: Pilgrimage (Lourdes and Iona)

Festivals (Christmas and Easter)

Role of the Church: Helping the local community

Evangelism: Worldwide church (reconciliation,

persecution and charities)
 Topic Exercise book Textbook Exam Qs Confidence
check check (1-5)

Worship

Liturgical worship

Non-Liturgical worship

Informal worship

Use of the Bible

Private worship

Prayer

Sacraments

Sacraments

Baptism

Eucharist

Pilgrimage

What and why

Iona case study

Lourdes case study

Festivals

Christmas

Easter

Other Festivals

Local Church

Food banks case study

Street Pastors case study

Worldwide Church

Aid and development

Aid Case Study:

Persecution: History

Reconciliation

Church Mission

Evangelism

UK context

Changing worship and expression

Christianity Practices Key Teachings
Topic Key teaching/Quote
Worship The Lord's Prayer ‘Our Father in heaven…’
‘where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there I am in the midst of them.’ (Bible)
‘when you pray, go into your room, close the door
and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you.’ (Bible)
Baptism ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptising them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ (Bible)
Eucharist (Holy ‘This is my body which is for you; do this in
Communion) remembrance of me… This cup is the new covenant
in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in
remembrance of me.’’ (Bible)
‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in
me, and I in him.’ (Bible)
Role of Church Helping ‘Love thy neighbour’ (Bible)
others
‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…’
(Bible)
‘Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.’
(Bible)
Role of Church Mission ‘There ore go and make disciples of all nations…’
(Bible)
Role of Church ‘For if. while we were God’s enemies, we were
Reconciliation reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how
much more having been reconciled, shall we be
saved through his life.’ (Bible)

‘Blessed are the peacemakers…’ (Bible)

Forms of Worship
Private Worship Public Worship

● Individual and personal ● Important to be part of a

● “When you pray go into community
your room, close the ● “When two or three are
door and pray to your gathered together I am
Father who is unseen” in the midst of them”

Liturgical Non-Liturgical Informal

Traditional/ritualistic Changes from week Focus on individual

Set pattern to the to week prayer
service Set around themes Personal prayer in
Readings from the Includes prayers and silence (Quaker) Spirit-
Bible readings but different inspired worship
Set prayers ones (Evangelical)
Roman Catholic and Singing and dancing
Orthodox Baptist and Methodist
Provides a sense of Promotes a personal
Creates a more
familiarity and being connection with God.
modern, enjoyable
part of an old
and happy
tradition.
environment.
Prayer
Set Prayer Informal Prayer

A set prayer is a prayer that is During informal worship,

not specific to one person, and extemporary prayers are the
very common throughout the most common type of prayer.
denomination. Set prayers
come from the Bible, for Many Christians prefer
example, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. informal prayer rather than set
prayer. This is because it
A set prayer is meant to be
seems to come more directly
said and repeated many times from their heart and,
- like chanting. Whilst therefore, they feel like they
repeating it, a person have a stronger connection to
meditates. God.

Some Christians also use

rhythmic breathing as they say
the prayer. The first part is
said while inhaling and the
second part is said while
exhaling.
1. Give two forms of Christian prayer (2 marks)

2. Explain two contrasting ways in which Christians worship (4 marks)

3. Explain two reasons why Christians pray (5 marks)

4. “Private worship has more meaning for a Christian than public worship”
(12 marks)
5. “For Christians the best way to reach an understanding of God is by
practicing prayer” (12 marks)
Sacraments
Roman Catholic, Orthodox and many Anglican Christians believe there are 7 sacraments. The
sacraments were encouraged in the teaching and ministry of Jesus. They were used by the early
church and were recorded in the New Testament.

TASK: Match up the Name and Symbol with the outward sign, inner grace and category. One has
been done for you. It may be helpful to use different colours.

Some Protestant Christians only accept 2 sacraments (Baptism and Eucharist) and some reject all
sacraments.
 A sacrament is a ceremony that enforces or introduces someone into the
Christian faith. These are important to Christians because many will
believe that they enforce their religion and show their devotion to God
and Christianity.

Two important sacraments in Christianity are:

Baptism and Eucharist (Holy Communion) which is the celebration of
the last supper with Jesus and his disciples. “He who eats my flesh and
drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.”

Roman Catholic Eucharist Protestant Eucharist

● To take part in Eucharist

● To take part in Eucharist
you must be baptised
you have to be a church
● Eucharist is offered daily or
member
weekly ● Eucharist is offered
● The Lord’s Prayer is said monthly
before the priest receives ● Minister reads the story of
the bread. the last supper whilst bread
● Wine is in a single and wine is distributed.
chalice ● Wine is in individual
glasses.
● The blessing of the bread
● The bread and wine are
and the wine
seen as a representation of
literally turns it into the Jesus’ flesh and blood.
flesh and blood of Jesus.
Sacraments - Baptism
Before his ascension Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore go make disciples of all nations, baptising them in
the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Infant Baptism Believers/Adult Baptism

Some Christians believe that infant Other Christians may argue that
baptism is more appropriate as it baptism in adulthood is better as it
can rid you of the original sin. means that you enter the religion
by choice rather than the choice of
In Christianity, it is believed that your parents.
everyone is born with the original
sin, through the act of sex, passed This means that if a child were to
on from Adam and Eve. have been baptised yet in later life
disobeyed Christian values it would
This purifies the child giving them have been a pointless act as they
more of a chance of going to are failing to show their devotion
heaven. to the faith, through the act of sins.

People would also argue that it It could also be argued that it

welcomes the child into the faith shows the person’s devotion to
from a younger age, meaning that their religion more as it has been
they are brought up with Christian their own personal decision.
morals.

1. Give two types of baptism (2 marks)

2. Explain two contrasting ways in which Christians celebrate
Eucharist (4 marks)

3. Explain two ways in which Christians think worship is important (5

marks)
Practice Exam Questions
4. “No child should be baptised” (12 marks)
5. “For Christians Eucharist is the most important sacrament” (12 marks)
 Celebrations/Actions - Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a religious journey that someone might choose to
undertake in order to better understand God, seek forgiveness for their
sins or demonstrate their faith.

Lourdes - Miracle healing

Iona - Better understanding of
God

Lourdes in south west France is a Iona is an island off the west coast of
place of pilgrimage dedicated to Scotland. In the 6th century AD, St
Mary, the mother of Jesus. Columbia, and Irish missionary who
brought Christianity to Scotland,
In 1858, a young girl named established a small monastic
Bernadette had visions of Mary in a community there.
grotto near a river. Mary told
Bernadette to dig for a spring of It is now home of the ecumenical
water, which was discovered to have Lona community and a place of
healing properties. Christian pilgrimage dedicated to the
Virgin Mary.
Now thousands of pilgrims visit
Lourdes to pray at the grotto where Some people think Iona is a ‘thin
Mary appeared, to recite the rosary place’, where the veil between the
together, and to bath in the water spiritual world and the physical world
where it is claimed that 67 miracles is thin. So it is believed to be one of
and over 6000 other cures have taken the best places in order to better
place. understand God.
 Celebrations/Actions - Festivals
Festivals are important in all faiths as the mark important moments and
give believers and opportunity to reflect on what is important in their life.
In Christianity festivals mark events in the life of Jesus.

Christmas - incarnation of Jesus

Easter - crucifixion, resurrection, and
ascension

At midnight mass, the Eucharist Easter follows Holy Week. Easter

begins in near darkness, the church Day comes at the end of the long
being lit only by candles. Specials period of Lent and Holy Week.
hymns known as carols are sung, Many Christians will have fasted
churches are beautifully decorated during this time, remembering the
time Jesus spent time in the
with flowers and Christmas trees.
wilderness being tempted by the
Nativity scene showing Mary, Joseph Devil.
and Jesus together with the
shepherds and animals.
 Practice Exam Questions
Christians thank God for, and
celebrate with joy, the incarnation.
His resurrection from the dead
It is a time for both giving to and proved Jesus to be the Son of God.
receiving from loved ones, so is a
symbol of love shared. There is no need to fear death as
Jesus, victory over death has opened
up the possibility if eternal life for
humanity.

1. Give two reasons why Holy Week is important to Christians (2 marks)

2. Explain two ways in which Christians celebrate Christmas (4 marks)

Practice Exam Questions
3. Explain two ways in which pilgrimage is important to Christians (5
marks)

4. “Pilgrimages are a waste of money” (12 marks)

Practice Exam Questions
Practice Exam Questions
5. “For Christians Christmas is the most important festival” (12 marks)
Practice Exam Questions
Role of the Church - Helping Local Community
The role of the church in the UK is to work both individually and together to
make their local community a better place for everyone to enjoy. The church
also brings people together during services and community events and
everyone is welcome. Some Christians believe that their role is to follow
Jesus’ example and “love thy neighbour”, showing this through their actions.

Food Banks: Set up all around the UK, individuals donate food which is given
to people in difficult situations due to lack of money or who are out of work
and in need of support - they are intended as a short term solution. Food
Banks are working towards ending hunger and poverty in the UK, however,
the demand has increased over the past 5 years. “For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to
drink.”

Street Pastors: Christians in local churches who go on patrol in some big

cities in their local community. They work with the police but focus on
listening to people’s problems and giving reassurance and guidance for their
physical and spiritual needs. “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is
dead…”
Use the table below to answer the following questions:

Which continent had the greatest percentage of Christians on 1910?

_________________________

Which continent had the greatest percentage of Christians in 2010?

__________________________

Which continents has Christianity grown in?

______________________________________________

Why do you think Christianity has grown in some places but not others?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Role of the Church - Evangelism

Many Christians believe that only those who believe in God and Jesus are
able to get into heaven, all non-believers will go to hell, as such they see
their role to convert (evangelise) nonbelievers to be saving them in the
afterlife.

“Therefore go and make disciples of many nations…” Jesus’ last words

before he ascended to heaven directly encouraged his disciples to spread
the word of God and some Christians would argue that this was their holy
duty in the world today.

Traditionally missionary organisations have sent Christians around the world,

helping in local communities whilst also preaching the word of God and
evangelising the local community by setting a positive example and building
churches.

Role of the Church - Worldwide

Reconciliation: When people are brought together to be friendly and
understand each other.
Reconciliation is linked to Jesus as he brought people together through
Christianity through his life and death. Desmond Tutu is a retired archbishop
from South Africa and was subjected to the apartheid there. He worked to
help people forgive the people for the discrimination they faced and helped
bring communities together.
Task: Add annotations to the diagram below to explain how it shows reconciliation:

Persecution: Hostility and ill treatment due to someone’s opinions, for

example religion.
Christians often work to stop persecution of specific people, mostly when
the persecution is religion-based. For example, Open Doors is a Christian
organisation that raises awareness of persecution, fights for justice and
religious freedom and delivers bibles to those in need.
“Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Christian Aid was set up at the end of the Second World War and was
originally called Christian Reconstruction in Europe. It was set up in response
to the terrible refugee crisis that had arisen. After this had been sorted out
they became Christian Aid and began helping further than Europe, with
natural disasters and newly independent countries. They work to empower
people to be able to further help themselves in the future.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you
feed him for a lifetime.” (Proverb used by Christian Aid)
Practice Exam Questions
1. Give two reasons why charities work in LEDCs (2 marks)

2. Explain two ways in which street pastors work in the local community (4
marks)

3. Explain two ways in which a worldwide relief organisation carries out its
mission overseas (5 marks)
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4. “It is more important to help the poor than worship in a church”

(12 marks)
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5. “For Christians Evangelism is the most important duty” (12 marks)

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