Strand B - Church and Community Year 10

B10 – The Church: Tradition, Challenge and Change

celinthomaskonnayil

Unit Overview

This unit will allow students to explore the pilgrim nature of the Catholic Church as it seeks to proclaim the Good News and work towards the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Students will investigate the Scriptural underpinnings of the Church’s mission, the significant people, movements and events that have shaped the Church throughout its history and the way in which the Church lives out its mission in the world today. Students will also be given the opportunity to reflect upon their place in the continuing mission of the Church as they are called to proclaim the Good News.

Download Support Document

Enduring Understanding

The Church exists to proclaim the Good News of God’s love to a changing world.

Objectives

A student will

  • value, appreciate and become aware of their religious identity and their spiritual heritage; appreciate the richness of the tradition and the need for community; be open to participation in the mission of the Church
  • develop knowledge and understanding of the nature and mission of the Church, both local and universal, and its history and teachings from its beginning to the present
  • analyse and communicate informed viewpoints on the nature and mission of the Church; review their experience in the light of its teachings; evaluate their participation in its undertakings

Outcomes

A student

  • articulates an understanding of how the Church’s mission and development has always been influenced by a range of social, cultural political and religious factors. (RECKB10)
  • investigates and evaluates the impact of significant people, movements and events on Church teachings and practices. (RECSB10)
  • appreciates the enduring but ever changing nature of the Church.

Essential Questions

  1. What was Jesus’ mission? Why is the Church described as a ‘Pilgrim Church’? How has the Church responded to the ‘signs of the times’? How does the Church respond to the ‘signs of the times’? Why is tradition important?
  2. How do social, cultural, political and religious factors influence the Church? Who are the significant people who have contributed to the life and mission of the Church? What is the impact of key periods of Church history?
  3. What are Apostolic writings and why do we have them? How does the Church respond to the changing world? In what ways is the Church active in the world? What challenges does the Church face in the contemporary world? How do we contribute to the continuing mission of the Church?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

  • Students will develop an understanding of the Church as a ‘Pilgrim Church’ by
    • reflecting upon its Scriptural underpinnings and relationship to the mission of Jesus.
    • exploring how it has evolved throughout history by ‘responding to the signs of the times’.
    • considering the place and importance of Tradition
    • exploring John 15:1-17 – Jesus the true vine
  • Students will deepen their understanding of the history and development of the Church by
    • documenting a detailed overview of the Church’s history.
    • investigating how the Church has been shaped and changed by a range of social, cultural, political and religious factors.
    • evaluating the contribution of significant people to the life and mission of the Church.
    • analysing the emergence and impact of ‘key periods’ in Church history.
    • exploring Hebrews 13:6-8 – Service Well-Pleasing to God
  • Students will value the life and mission of the Church today by
    • reflecting upon contemporary apostolic writings.
    • discussing how the Church is active in the world today.
    • considering challenges facing the Church in contemporary society.
    • considering their own contribution to sharing the Good News of Jesus.
    • exploring Ephesians 1:17-23

Learning Focus 1: John 15:1-17 – Jesus the true vine
Learning Focus 2: Hebrews 13:6-8 – Service Well-Pleasing to God
Learning Focus 3: Ephesians 1:17-23 – Paul’s Prayer

CCC 77-78 The Apostolic Tradition
CCC 748-750 “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.”

CCC 752: In Christian usage, the word “church” designates the liturgical assembly, but also the local community or the whole universal community of believers. These three meanings are inseparable. “The Church” is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all, a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ’s body.

CCC 763- 766 The Church instituted by Christ
CCC 767-768 The Church – revealed by the Holy Spirit

CCC 837: “The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honoured by the name Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety …” (Lumen Gentium, 322) With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound “that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist.” (Paul VI, Discourse, 1975)

CCC 1897-1927 The Human Communion
CCC 2415-2418 Respect for the Integrity of Creation
The Family in the Catechism of the Catholic Church By Cardinal William J. Levada Valencia (Spain), July 7, 2006

TKWL-Year 10
Chapter 3: The Reformation and Catholic Reform
Chapter 4: The Changing Church

We Gather…as a community and prepare to hear the Word of God

A Disciple’s Heart
Place the Scriptures, an open Bible and a number of suitable quotes about discipleship and mission in the prayer space as a focus for the students, such as:
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. Indian Proverb
We must be something great then, since the loving God, who has created and redeemed us, places such value on us. St Jean-Marie Vianney, the Cure of Ars.
Live what you have understood from the Gospels, even if it is only very little, but realise it fully. Rule of Taize.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” Mt 28:19-20
Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit. Pope Francis
Opening Prayer:
Lord God, your love for humankind present in the beginning of all things, extends throughout history and touches even my life.
Transform us, through your Spirit, and empower us to serve you, this day and all days. Amen
Adapted from http://www.faithandworship.com/Opening_prayers_for_Christian_worship.htm

We Listen…
to the Word of God as it is proclaimed because Scripture is the heart of a liturgical celebration.

Ephesians 1:17-23
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

We Respond…
with a ritual action such as a reflection on the Word, Prayers of the Faithful, Powerpoint, a ritual action and/or singing.

Students view:
Dr. Maya Angelou’s 3-Word Secret to Living Your Best Life | Oprah’s Master Class – 2 minutes

You are Calling Me
I believe you are calling me to happiness, Lord, to a new life, to the heaven that begins on earth, to a state of life, to a mission in the world, to people and to a community that reaches up to heaven. I believe, Lord, that you are calling me, yet often I do not hear your call.

Let me hear you and understand you in your Word. Entice me, so that I may seek and find you.

Awaken my longing, so that I may receive you wherever two or three are gathered in your name.

Send me people who tell me the truth about you, so that I may hear from you the truth about myself, about happiness, new life and the heaven that begins on earth. Amen                  
Taken from YOUCAT Youth Prayer Book. Frank Davidson. Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2011. p126

We Go Forth…
into the world to do what we proclaim and to give witness to the fact that we are disciples and followers of Christ. Use a final prayer, a blessing, a song or hymn.		Concluding Prayer:
We bless you Lord for our calling, for nurturing in each of us a disciple’s heart:
a heart sustained by your Spirit, a heart encouraged by fellow disciples.
May there grow in each of our hearts, the disciples commitment to serve,
the disciples willingness to learn, and the disciples joy in becoming a medium of your grace.
Amen
Adapted from Prayer for Parish Groups. Donal Harrington & Julie Kavanagh. The Columba Press. Dublin. 2006. pp36-37
Go Make a Difference Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek
Useful links 

Australian Curriculum

Cross Curriculum Priorities

The General Capabilities

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-ahc.gif

Critical and creative thinking   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-cct-1.gif

 

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia  

 

Ethical understanding   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-eu.gif

 

Sustainability  http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-se.gif

Information and communication technology capability   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-ict.gif

Other important learning identified by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA):

 

Intercultural understanding   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-iu.gif

Civics and citizenship http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-cc.gif

Literacy   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-l.gif

Difference and diversity http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-dd.gif

 

Numeracy   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-n.gif

 

Work and enterprise http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-we.gif

Personal and social capability   http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/images/content/icon-k10-psc.gif

Life Skills

Religious Education for students studying a Life Skills program is developed from the unit outcomes, resulting in the Learning Focus and Statements of Learning. Students may demonstrate achievement of these learning statements independently or with support designed to meet the needs of the student. Such support may include:

  • the provision of extra time to complete tasks
  • physical and/or verbal assistance from others
  • the provision of technological support
  • the assistance of a scribe
  • participating in a group task
  • providing verbal or artistic responses along with written ones.

A student

  • identifies and investigates the mission of the Church as given by Jesus and how the Church fulfils this mission today. (LRECKSB10)

A student studying a Life Skills program will be able to:

  • develop an understanding of the Church as a ‘Pilgrim Church’
    • identify the mission of Jesus from selected Scripture references.
    • describe a significant person or event in the history of the Catholic Church.
    • present information on how the Church is active in the world today.

What is mission?
What was Jesus’ mission?
Why is the Church described as a ‘Pilgrim Church’?

LS10B 1.1

Students explore John 15:1-8 Jesus the true vine, by:

  1. viewing an image of a grapevine – identifying the vine, the branches and the fruit.
  2. reading/viewing/listening to John 15:1-8 Jesus the true vine.
    making links between the vine, branches and the fruit with God, Jesus and his disciples.
  3. considering a question such as: How does this image reflect the Church? Where do we fit into this image and what we are called to do as Jesus’ disciples?

LS10B 1.2

Students identify a significant person or event in the history of the Catholic Church and:

  1. locate a picture/image of this person/event.
  2. describe the person or event.
  3. identify when this person/event occurred in the history of the Church.
  4. give 1-2 reasons as to why this person/event was important.

LS10B 1.3

Students select a person who is active in the Church today and present information which tells their story. For example, Pope Francis.

John 15:1-8 –  Jesus the true vine

Supporting Documents

Learning Experience 1

click icons to download

Learning Experience 2

click icons to download

Learning Experience 3

click icons to download