1. Introductory comments

2.  Explore the origin, nature and function of Church;  reflect on, and be challenged by, different models of Church;  be introduced to and challenged by the requirements of collaborative ministry and the role of the laity;  reflect on the relationship of Christian traditions to each other and to other major faith traditions and to the secular world.

4. What is your experience of belonging to the church?  What does this mean?  How is this expressed?

5.  Derives from the Greek meaning ‘thing belonging to the Lord’  ‘kurios’ – Grk - master, lord, king  Old English: cirice; circe;  Middle English: chereche-chiriche-chirche- churche ...church and Church

6.  Originally a legislative assembly of citizens  Only citizens who enjoyed full rights could belong  So the significance of ekklesia implies both legality of the assembly and the dignity of membership

7.  Always of central importance  The central role of church in mediating salvation The mediating function of certain ministries, structures, institutional forms e.g. Bishop  Sacraments – God’s life communicated  The role of Mary  Visible organisation

8.  ‘faith seeking understanding’  A reality which eludes definition  Both human and divine  “The Church….at once holy and in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal.” (Lumen Gentium N8) 1964

9.  ‘Mysterion’ = ‘sacramentum’  Impossible to fully understand  A mystery to be dwelt on

10.  One  Holy  Catholic  Apostolic

11.  ‘One’ The Catholic Church is one because of her source: CCC 813  ‘Holy’ The Church is holy because of her essential link with her founder, Jesus Christ

12.  ‘Catholic’ – as in universal  The universal significance of Christ  Jesus / Paul in Galatians  LG13 – diversity supports catholicity  ‘belong to’ and ‘related to it’  Jews and Muslims are related to it - CCC 839

13.  The Church is rooted in the first apostles and has an uninterrupted succession since that time.  The issue of succession is of course a controversial one in Christian communities.  In particular for the Anglican Communion where ‘apostolic succession’ is claimed but not generally allowed by Roman Catholic / Orthodox theologians

14.  Institutional  Community / People of God  Sacrament  Servant  Herald......................and later:  Discipleship

15.  A vine?  A petrol station?  Penguin colony?  Supermarket?  Sheepfold?  Body of Christ  Bride of Christ [ Eph 5:21-33 ]

16.  What or whom does the Church consist of?  What is your immediate understanding?

17.  Church Militant  Church Suffering  Church Triumphant

18.  Non-Orthodox Oriental Churches  Assyrian, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian. Syrian, Syrian church of India  Cause of separation – lack of agreement about the decrees of either the Council of Ephesus 431 (only 1 divine person)  or the Council of Chalcedon 451 (2 natures, one human one divine)

19.  1054 – The split between the Eastern Orthodox and the Western Roman Churches  Orthodox: Greek and Russian  Causes: complicated but  Language and communication  Some theological disputes  Different flavours

20.  Protestant Reformation  Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, Knox  Lutherans, Anglican Communion, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Dutch Reformed and many more.....

21.  In communion with the Bishop of Rome  There are several different liturgical rites: Armenian; Byzantine; Coptic, Ethiopian, Chaldean; West Syrian and Maronite.  None of these is a Roman Catholic Church

22.  Is one rite –  The LATIN rite  Within the worldwide communion of Catholic Churches

23.  The Body of Christ  Community of believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour  We become members by Baptism  We sustain membership by participating in worship and sacramental life  And where possible, also in its broader ministry to the poor, sick, etc  The Church is therefore the whole body of Christians without regard for denominational differences.

24.  The ‘whole Church’ as in baptised Christians  Denominations now exist  ‘Local’ churches - even in Pauline writings

25.  Traditionally, the problem is not the existence of church but its origin  What connection exists between Jesus and the Church?  But now we might be asking why the church exists at all?

26.  When did the church begin to exist?  Did Jesus intend that the church should exist?  Did the church remain faithful to Jesus’ intentions?  And in particular during the foundational period of the New Testament writings

27. What is the Church for ?