RS Christian


Ascension	The event 40 days after the Resurrection, when Jesus returned to God, the Father, in heaven, recorded in Luke 24 and Acts 1.
Atonement	Literally ‘at-one-ment’, it refers to the reconciliation between God and humanity that was sealed by the sacrificial death of Jesus.
Baptism	The sacrament through which people become members of the Church. It involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin.
Believer’s baptism	Initiation into the Church by immersion in water, of people old enough to understand the ceremony and who have made the decision to live a Christian life.
Bible	Source of wisdom and authority, a holy book containing the Old and New Testaments
Catholic	The tradition within the Christian Church which is led by the Pope.
Christ	The leader promised by God to the Jews. The word literally means 'Anointed One' in Greek; the Hebrew equivalent is Messiah. Christians believe Jesus to be the Christ.
Christian	Someone who believes in Jesus Christ and follows the religion based on his teachings.
Christian Aid	A Christian charity that provides emergency and long-term aid to the developing world
Christmas	The festival to remember the birth of Jesus
Church	The people of God / Body of Christ, among whom Christ is believed to be present and active through the power of the holy spirit. A building in which Christians worship.
Creation	Christians believe that the world is God’s loving creation.
Crucifixion	Roman method of execution by which criminals were fixed to a cross. The execution and death of Jesus on Good Friday
Easter	Festival of the resurrection of Jesus
Eucharist	Literally “thanks giving” a sacrament in which the death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine.
Evangelism	Preaching the gospel to convert people to the Christian faith.
Evil	The opposite of good. A force that is seen in many traditions as destructive and against God.
The Father	The first Person of the Trinity, the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Foodbanks	Places in local communities where people in need can go to collect food, often run / supported by churches and religious charities.
Grace	The unconditional and generous love that God shows to people who do not deserve it.
Heaven	The state after death of being with and enjoying eternity with God
Hell	The place of eternal suffering or the state after death of separation from God for those who want no relationship with him.
Holy Spirit	The third person of the Holy Trinity who descended like a dove on Jesus at his baptism. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is present and inspires them.
Incarnation	Literally 'in flesh', or 'enfleshed', the doctrine that God took the human form as Jesus.
Infant baptism	Sacrament of initiation of babies and young children into the Church
Informal prayer	Spontaneous prayers spoken from the heart which are personal to that individual in that moment.
Iona	Place of pilgrimage founded by St Columba in the fourth century
Jesus Judgement	First century Jewish teacher and holy man, believed by Christians to be the Son of God. When God decides whether each person should receive eternal life or eternal punishment.
Just	This refers to the nature of God as one who treats each individual human being fairly and equally.
Law	This refers to the law of God, revealed in the Bible, which Christians are called to obey. St Paul made it clear, however, that salvation is not earned by obedience to the law but is God’s free gift.
Liturgical worship	A church service which follows a set structure or ritual.
Lourdes	A place of pilgrimage where the Virgin Mary appeared to St Bernadette and it is claimed that miraculous healings have taken place.
Lord’s Prayer	The prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus. Used in personal and communal worship.
Mission	Literally “sent out”, the duty of Christians to spread the good news and the gospel.
Non-Liturgical worship	A service which does not follow a set text or ritual. Sometimes spontaneous or charismatic
Omnipotent	The belief that God is ‘all powerful’
The Oneness of God	The belief that God is ‘One’.
Original sin	The traditional belief that is still held by some Christians that human nature is basically flawed, and so humans have a tendency to go against God’s will. Christians who think that the Bible is literally true believe that it has been passed down from Adam and Eve.
Orthodox	A Christian denomination found mainly in Greece and Russia
Persecution	Facing hostility and ill-treatment. Some Christians face punishment or death for practicing their religion.
Pilgrimage	A religious journey to a holy site or sacred place. It is an act of worship
Prayer	Communicating with God (thanksgiving, confession, requests for help, listening to God)
Private worship	A believer giving God praise on their own.
Protestant	Christian denominations where authority is based on the Bible rather than Church teaching.
Reconciliation	Making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups after conflict
Resurrection	The event celebrated on Easter Day of Jesus rising from the dead, an event recorded in all four gospels and the central belief of Christianity. The form that many Christians believe the afterlife will take, referring to either physical or spiritual bodies.
Sacrament	The outwards sign of an inward change by the power of the holy spirit (E.g. baptism, holy communion)
Salvation	Saving the soul and deliverance from sin and admission to heaven brought about by Jesus.
Sin	Behaviour which is against God's laws and wishes/against principles of morality. A thought, word or action which is wrong, which people know is wrong and which people freely choose.
The Son	The second Person of the Trinity. This is Jesus, in whom God became incarnate.
Son of God	A title used for Jesus, the second person in the Trinity; denotes the special relationship between Jesus and God.
Street Pastors	A Christian organisation involving people working mainly at night on city streets, giving people care when they need it.
Suffering	When people have to face and live with unpleasant events or conditions.
Trinity	The belief that there are three Persons in the One God. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are separate, but are also one being.
Word	St John’s Gospel 1 describes God creating the world through his Word and links this to Jesus in the statement: ‘The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us’.
Worship	Showing adoration and reverence. Offering praise to God