Strand B - Church and Community Year 8

B8 – Disciples, Martyrs and Witnesses to the Faith

celinthomaskonnayil

Unit Overview

In this unit students will examine the life of the early Christian communities, which began with the disciples emboldened by the Spirit at the first Pentecost. Students come to an understanding of the key events and people whose influence shaped Christianity, including Paul’s role as the ‘Apostle to the Gentiles’, and they will examine the men and women who were martyred and persecuted as witnesses to the faith. Students will be challenged to reflect upon the role of the Spirit in their life and the enduring challenges for all Christians.

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Enduring Understanding

Jesus instituted the Church to continue his mission and it has always had its difficulties and divisions, as well as its inspiring witnesses.

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

  • describes the key characteristics of life in the early Christian communities. (RECKB8)
  • uses a range of sources to investigate the significance of key people and events in the early Church. (RECSB8)
  • appreciates the ‘timeless’ nature of the Church and some of the enduring challenges which face Christians. (RECVB8) 

Essential Questions

  1. How did the early Christian Church establish and develop, and how did different viewpoints on how the Christian Church should develop impact its formation? How were Christians persecuted in the early Church? What challenges to following Jesus exist for a modern Christian in Australia?
  2. Who were the early Christian witnesses? Why did martyrs exist in the early Christian church? Why would anyone convert to Christianity when you could be persecuted for your faith?
  3. Is being a witness to Jesus an ‘optional extra’? Can’t I just leave it for someone else to do?

Learning Focus & Statements of Learning

  • Students will deepen their understanding of the early Church by
    • considering its foundations and the gradual spread and growth of Christian communities.
    • exploring some of the divisions which arose within the early Church.
    • investigating the hardships and challenges faced by the early Christian communities.
    • exploring Acts 5: 17-42 The Apostles are persecuted
  • Students recognise and value the significance of key people in the development of the Church by
    • investigating Paul’s role as ‘Apostle to the Gentiles’.
    • considering the consequences of Constantine’s conversion.
    • reflecting upon the Scriptures and historical sources to identify the presence of martyrs, missionaries and converts in the early Christian communities.
    • exploring Acts 9:1-22 The Conversion of Saul
  • Students will recognise how life in the Church today is similar in parts to life in the early Church by
    • exploring how the Church remains ‘missionary’ in nature.
    • identifying some of the challenges facing Christian believers in the world today.
    • considering the example of contemporary Christian witnesses and heroes.
    • exploring Acts 1:8 The Ascension of Jesus

Learning Focus 1: Acts 5:17-42 – The Apostles are persecuted
Learning Focus 2: Acts 9:1-22 – The Conversion of Saul
Learning Focus 3: Acts 1:8 – The Ascension of Jesus

CCC 91 – The supernatural sense of faith

CCC 763-769 – The Church’s Origin, Foundation and Mission

CCC 774-776, 780 – The Mystery of the Church  

CCC 731-741, 747 – The Spirit and the Church in the Last Days 

CCC 946-962 – The Communion of Saints

CCC 1285-1288, 1315 – The Sacrament of Confirmation

CCC 2623-2625 – The Revelation of Prayer: In the Age of the Church

CCC 2471-2474 – To bear witness to the truth.

CCC 2634-2636 – Prayer of Intercession

CCC 2683-2684 – Guides for Prayer

CCC 2471-2474 – To bear witness to the truth.

Year 8 TKWL Chapter 3
3.1 Pentecost: The Birth of the Church, pp37-38.
3.2 Persecution, pp38-39.
3.3 Jews or Gentiles? p 41.
3.4 The Council of Jerusalem, pp41-42.
Year 8 TKWL Glossary: pp256-261.

We Gather…as a community and prepare to hear the Word of God Leader: Let us remember we are in the holy presence of our loving God. We pray together by making the Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Introduction- We come together to reflect on the needs of our world. We acknowledge that as people of God, we are called to be people who are witnesses of God’s love and God’s Word in our daily lives.
We Listen… to the Word of God as it is proclaimed because Scripture is the heart of a liturgical celebration. Acts 1:6-11 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
We Respond… with a ritual action such as a reflection on the Word, Prayers of the Faithful, Powerpoint, a ritual action and/or singing. Leader: Pope Francis, in a General Audience Address he gave on May 22, 2013, asked Christians to reflect on a number of questions. We spend some time reflecting on these questions for ourselves today: 
  • How do I let myself be guided by the Holy Spirit in such a way that my life and my witness of faith is unifying and real? 
  • Do I show the word of reconciliation and of love, which is the Gospel, to the community in which I live? 
  • At times it seems that we are repeating today what happened at the Tower of Babel: division, the incapacity to understand one another, rivalry, envy, self-centeredness. What do I do with my life? Do I create unity around me? Or do I cause division, by gossip, criticism or envy? What do I do? 
Let us think about this. (Pause for reflection… perhaps with some quiet music)   Leader: In response we pray ‘A Prayer for Witness’ (by the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council) Spirit of God,  We have heard your call to share in building up the Kingdom of God. Fill us with the desire to change ourselves and to change the world. Enflame our passion for justice into a commitment to address unjust situations and structures. Deepen our concern for our sisters and brothers in Australia and overseas who endure the burdens of poverty, war, exploitation and persecution. Let us enthusiastically play our part in the mission of the Church in the modern world. Banish any complacency in our hearts and minds. Teach us to recognise the lack of justice. May we always act in the spirit of justice. May we envisage, pray about and create a different sort of world in which injustice is replaced with a renewed sense of solidarity and care. Enlivened by the Spirit, may we go forth in the peace of the Holy Spirit to love and serve the Lord. Amen.
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. Leader: In the words of Pope Francis, we conclude our prayer… “Let us renew every day our trust in the Holy Spirit’s action, the trust that he acts within us, that he is within us, that he gives us apostolic zeal (eagerness to minister/serve), peace and joy. Let us allow him to lead us. May we be men and women of prayer who witness to the Gospel with courage, becoming in our world instruments of unity and of communion with God.”  Closing Song:C Closing song: ‘Alive Again’ by Matt Maher
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 some of the challenges facing the early Christian communities and investigates prominent Christian witnesses. (LRECKSB8)

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

  • deepen their understanding of the early Church
    • identify some of the challenges facing the early Christian communities.
    • create a profile of St Paul.
    • research and describe the work of one prominent contemporary Christian witness.

Who have been the big heroes in the history of the Catholic Church?
How can I be a witness to Jesus?

LSB8 1.1 

Read about some Early Christian Martyrs from the Loyola Press website and other sources.

  1. List the early Christian martyrs who are mentioned on this website
  2. Describe what the person did that lead to their persecution and death
  3. Describe in your own words how each of these people faced or dealt with persecution and death.

LSB8 1.2

Create a character profile of St Paul by using a ‘Describe a Character Graphic Organiser’ such as the one at docstoc.com. (Note that this can either be downloaded by entering an email address, or used by creating a new image with similar ideas). Locate an image of St Paul to include under his name and use the information gathered in Year 8 TKWL 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 and 6.6, and the scripture passage Acts 9:1-22, to complete the information about St Paul, including a description of him, his friends, his enemies, his conversion and what he did.

LSB8 1.3

  1. Read Year 8 TKWL 6.1 What is a Hero Like? Using your own words complete the following sentence: “The biggest hero in my life that I know is…”Make sure you give reasons why they are your biggest hero, that is, what do they do and say that makes him/her a hero to you?
  2. Use the Internet to research one contemporary Christian witness. Describe the background of this person (that is, what type of family/town/community did they grow up in?) and describe the work that he/she did or does. Finally, describe why you personally think this person is a good example of a modern-day Christian witness or hero?
    Some possible examples: Aung San Suu Kyi; St Edith Stein; St. Teresa of Calcutta; Fr Chris Riley (Founder of Youth off the Streets) .

Year 8 TKWL Chapter 3
3.2 Persecution, pp38-40.
3.3 Jews or Gentiles? p41.
3.4 The Council of Jerusalem, pp41-42.

Year 8 TKWL Chapter 6
6.1 What is a Hero Like? pp61-62.
6.2 Paul’s Background, p62.
6.3 Paul’s Conversion, pp63-64.
6.4 Paul’s Journeys, pp64-66.
6.6 What Sort of Person was Paul? pp69-72.

 

Acts 9:1-22 – The Conversion of Saul
Acts 1:8 – The Ascension of Jesus

Supporting Documents

Learning Experience 1

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Learning Experience 2

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Learning Experience 3

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