Wednesday nights @atonement 9th grade



Small Group Time: Where is the Church?week of January 27th, 2021 InstructionsBe sure to start on a positive note. Welcome each learner by name. Let them know you're glad they're here! If anyone is absent, mention you'll be praying for that person together. Small Group Time is for give-and-take discussion. Your main job is to draw learners out and get them talking about the theme. Ask open-ended questions that will provoke responses. Once the conversation begins, intervene only to bring it back on track or to stimulate more talk.Bible Text: Matthew 16:13-20; John 17:6-21; Ephesians 2:1-22Lesson Focus: The various Christian denominations share core beliefs.Big Question: If we all worship the same God, and Jesus is Lord of all, where did all of the different “churches” come from?Key Words: PROTESTANT, CATHOLIC, ORTHODOX, CREED, ECUMENICAL, INFALLIBLE, INERRANT??The Christian church includes many denominations that are united in the central belief that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth in order to save humanity from sin and death.??The two most significant “splits” in the Christian church are the East/West split in 1054, sometimes called the “Great Schism” between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, and the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that resulted in the creation of several new denominations in the Western church.??Many modern denominations formed when disagreements arose among church leaders in regard to specific teachings, doctrines, and/or interpretations of scripture.??Recent history has seen reunions of denominations that had split in the past and a growing number of ecumenical agreements and cooperative ministry efforts among the various denominations.Discussion TimeUse the following questions to kick off a conversation about the theme:1. Help students dive into the Key Words by asking for definitions and/or providing these definitions:-PROTESTANT: refers to the multiple reform movements started within the Roman Catholic Church of the 15th and 16th centuries. These reform movements resulted in many denominations within the Christian church.-CATHOLIC: with a capital C, refers to the Roman Catholic Church; with a small c, refers to the union of all believers in Jesus Christ.-ORTHODOX: Means “correct” or “true” belief. The Eastern Orthodox Church began the process of Christian councils to determine which teachings were true to the Christian faith and which would be considered outside the faith or heretical.-CREED: A statement of faith. Creed comes form the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe.” Three ecumenical creeds are accepted among Christian denominations—the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.-ECUMENICAL: A reference to partnerships, joint discussions, and shared ministries among Christian denominations.-INFALLIBLE: Means that it cannot be wrong. This term is used to describe certain teachings from the papal office and also to describe the teachings of the Bible.-INERRANT: Means that there are no errors. Similar to the idea of infallibility, this term is used to describe scripture as handed down from God without any human mistakes included.2. What aspects of the various denominations do you find most meaningful or helpful?3. Did looking at other denominations help you understand LCMC better?4. Where can you find more information about all of the denominations?Open the Bible1. Have students turn to Matthew 16:13-20. Read this passage as a dramatic dialogue by assigning parts to the students and reading only the direct quotations. Ask students the same questions that Jesus asked his disciples (Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am?) and write their answers down. Given these answers and the answers of the disciples recorded in Matthew, discuss what the “rock” is that Jesus plans to use as the foundation of the church. Some possibilities include the following:??Jesus is referring to Peter himself as one of the first leaders after Jesus rises from the dead.??Jesus is referring to Peter’s faith and trust in God’s revelation.??Jesus is referring to the teaching that he is the Son of God.-Accept all thoughtful answers. How might these possibilities affect the students’ understanding of the formation of the early church?2. Have students turn in their Bibles to John 17:6-21. This passage is in the middle of a long prayer spoken by Jesus just before he is betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. Instruct the students to listen for the theme of unity as you read the passage aloud. Have students work in pairs or in small groups to answer these questions:??What or whom is being united in these verses???Why does Jesus want this unity to take place???What is the expected result of the unity?3. Have students turn in their Bibles to Ephesians 2:1-22. Long before the Christian church split into denominations, the New Testament taught about unity between Jews and Gentiles. Ask the students to list things that Jews and Gentiles have in common according to these verses. Then ask them to list the differences between Jews and Gentiles. Discuss which holds more power for the people—will they be united or divided? Why? What are the similarities and differences between Christian churches?4. What feelings or emotions do you associate with the word church, the people, or the building? How is your experience different from, or similar to, the description of the church described in Acts? Read Acts 2:43-47.-How was the church community in Acts similar to or different from your church community? -What can you tell about their church attendance? -Does it make any difference if you’re in church on Sunday? Why? Why not? -Does it matter to other people if you’re there? Why or why not? -What’s your first memory of church? Open the CatechismHave students turn to the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer (p. 18). Ask a student to read the answer to the question, “What does this mean?” Ask another student to read the answer to the question, “How is this done?” Where is the Church according to the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer? ................
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