RS - Christianity Practises Key Terms

Worship

The act of religious praise honour and devotion, To show love and respect for God eg. Through prayer and religious services.

Liturgical worship

 A formal type of worship which contains set prayers, readings or rituals, usually in a church

Non-liturgical worship

 A service that doesn’t follow a set text or ritual

Informal worship

Informal worship focuses on the adoration of God and is not always carried out in a church

Private worship

When a believer praises or honours god on their own

**Prayer**

Communicating with God, either silently or through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession, or requests for God's help or guidance 

**Set Prayers**

Prayers that have been written down and said more than once by more than one person, for example the Lord's Prayer

**Informal prayer**

Prayer that is made up by an individual using his or her own words 

**Nonconformist**

An English Protestant who does not conform to the doctrines or practices of the established Church of England

 

**Sacraments**

Rites and rituals through which the believer receives a special gift of grace; for Catholics, Anglicans and many Protestants, sacraments are 'outward signs' of 'inward grace' 

**Baptism**

**T**he ritual through which people become members of the Church; baptism involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin

**Protestant**

A branch of Christianity, originally Protestants were called by that name because they were protested against some of the practices of the Catholic Church; there are many Protestant denominations, but they agree on the central belief that the Bible is the only authority for Christians

**Believers' Baptism**

**I**nitiation into the Church, by immersion in water, of people old enough to understand the ceremony/rite and willing to live a Christian life

**Infant baptism**

The ritual through which babies and young children become members of the Church, where promises are taken on their behalf by adults; the infant is freed from sin and introduced to the saving love of God and the support of the Christian community. 

**Holy communion**

A service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine; also called Eucharist, Mass, the Lord's Supper, the Breaking of Bread, and the Divine Liturgy

**Eucharist**

From a Greek word meaning 'thanksgiving'; a service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine 

 

Pilgrimage

A journey by a believer to a holy site for religious reasons; pilgrimage is itself an act of worship

**Festival**

 A day or period of celebration for religious reasons

**Christmas**

The day commemorating the incarnation, the birth of Jesus (25 December in most churches); also, the season of 12 days ending with the Epiphany (when Christians remember the visit of the wise men)

**Easter**

The religious season celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead; it starts on Easter Day and finishes with the feast of Pentecost

Church

The holt people of God, also called the Body of Christ, among whom Christ is present and active

Agape

**In Christianity**, agape is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". The unconditional love for anyone, to help anyone despite their own sins or past.

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**Parish Nursing**

 A parish nurse works through a local church to **provide local people and communities with holistic healthcare**. Parish nurses are focused on a person's overall well-being, which includes the spiritual, physical, mental and social aspects of health.

Mission

The vocation or calling of a religious organisation or individual to go out into the world and spread their faith

The Great Commission

Jesus; instruction to his followers that they should spread his teachings to all the nations of the world 

Missionary

A person sent on a religious mission, especially to promote Christianity in a foreign country through preaching or charitable work 

Evangelism

Spreading the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness 

**Convert**

Someone who had decided to become committed to a religion and change their religious faith

**Reconciliation**

 A sacrament in the Catholic Church; also, the restoring of harmony after relationships after relationships have broken down

**Persecution**

Hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs