Theme #3

Jesus Christ’s Mission Continues in the Church
Fall of 2015, 2018, 2021

Overview:
This theme will focus on the role the Church plays in helping us all to come to know and to love Jesus, and to come to know what our responsibilities are to the Church in return.

Goal: To help the participants recognize that faith is a communal experience that is strengthened by a community of believers that we know as the Church.

Vocabulary:
church, Pentecost, Gentiles, St. Paul, Apostles, Apostolic Succession, St. Peter, Deposit of Faith, Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Pope, Magisterium, Marks of the Church, Catholic, Holy, Ecumenism, Communion of Saints, Diocese, Hierarchy, Laity, Religious/consecrated life, Infallibility, Evangelization.

Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of belonging to communities (family, friends, school teams/organizations, countries) in order to appreciate the communal nature of the Church.
2. Recognize that the Church is a holy community established by God and endowed with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
3. Understand that the Church exists to bring God’s saving love to everyone (evangelization).
4. Appreciate that the Church is founded by Christ, entrusted to people from the time of the Apostles, and guided by the Holy Spirit.
5. Develop an awareness of images of the Church, especially the Body of Christ.
6. ONE, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic: Recognize that the mission of the Church is to be the unified Body of Christ to the world and that we must rely on the Holy Spirit to unite us in our differences ­– The Church is One.
7. One, HOLY, Catholic and Apostolic: Understand that God works in and through the Church so that we may be more perfectly unified with God by living the life of a disciple, as modeled by the Saints – The Church is Holy.
8. One, Holy, CATHOLIC and Apostolic: Define the Church as universal in its call to bring all people into relationship with Jesus and in that it contains the most complete means of salvation – The Church is Catholic.
9. One, Holy, Catholic and APOSTOLIC: Recognize that Christ built His Church on the foundation of the Apostles who were sent to share His teachings with the world; and recognize the bishops, successors of the apostles, still teach, sanctify, and guide the church today – The Church is Apostolic.
10. Grasp that as Catholics we are sent, as the Apostles were, to live the active life of a disciple, sharing the Gospel in every part of our lives.

See below for a list of helpful resources from the Educational Resource Center (ERC).

Theme #3