The Growth of the Church PDF

10.3b.2 The Growth of the Church Jesus founded the Church by his words and actions as the means by which God ’s plan of salvation would be fulfilled. Since Jesus returned to heaven after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit has been moving baptised Christians to spread the Good News. The Holy Spiri...

10.3b.2 The Growth of the Church Jesus founded the Church by his words and actions as the means by which God ’s plan of salvation would be fulfilled. Since Jesus returned to heaven after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit has been moving baptised Christians to spread the Good News. The Holy Spirit has guided people through their conscience to live as God intended. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the Church began in what are now modern Israel and Palestine. From just a few people, it has spread across the world. The growth of the Church can be studied in five geographical and historical contexts. The Church’s growth in Jerusalem The first story of the Spirit stirring the expansion of the Church is the story of Pentecost itself. In 30AD, the Spirit stirred the Apostles to invite others to join the Church. Investigate the key events that initiated the growth of the Church in Jerusalem. Use the following Scripture references for your investigation. Acts 2:1-13 Acts 2: 14-36 Acts 2: 37-42 Acts 3: 1-10 Acts 3: 11-26 Whilst reading each of the passages, consider the following questions: Who are the key people in this passage?  What are the key events that occurred? How does this Scripture illustrate the growth of the Church during this time? The Church’s Expansion Beyond Jerusalem to Israel and Palestine Around 33-34AD the number of Christians in Jerusalem had grown under the impetus of the Spirit to the extent that the Jewish religious leaders began to plan their destruction. This was the first official persecution of Christians for their beliefs. The first to die for his Christian faith was Saint Stephen. Many Christians then escaped from Jerusalem to other towns and regions, where they began to bring others to Christian conversion. Investigate St Paul and the impact he had on the Church’s expansion beyond Jerusalem to Israel, Palestine and the Roman Empire. Use the following Scripture passages and the internet. Acts 9:1-19 Acts 9:20-22 Acts 9:26-31 In your investigation consider the following questions: Who was Paul? What happened to Paul? Where did Paul travel?  How did Paul assist the expansion of the Church? The Church’s Spread Across the Roman Empire The Roman Empire was largely at peace during the early centuries of the Church. It was during this time that people began seeking answers to their human heart questions. Many religions, particularly from Greece and Asia, sought to provide answers to what people were seeking. With all of this there were signs of people seeking to do good and the Holy Spirit stirring people through their consciences to do the will of God. Christianity began to grow throughout the Empire. As the Spirit moved ordinary Christians to live their faith in an unchristian society, other people were attracted by the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. They were attracted by the power of the love Christians showed both towards each other, and to all other people, a love flowing from the Spirit, which all Christians received as a result of the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Investigate the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire and the significance of Emperor Constantine.  In your research consider the following questions: Where exactly was the Roman Empire located? Who was Emperor Constantine? How long did he reign for? What were his notable achievements? How did he contribute to the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire? Growth of the Church During the Period of ‘Christendom’ The boundaries of the Roman Empire were set in the second century after Christ. The northern boundary was Hadrian’s wall which ran through modern day Britain, and the Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe. The southern boundary was the Sahara Desert and the interior mountains of Africa. The boundary to the east was the Euphrates River in Syria and to the west the boundary was the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the 300’(remove)s and the early 400’(remove)s, the Western half of the Roman Empire came under attack from the Germanic tribes which included, the Franks, the Alemanni and the Vandals. Battling these attacks meant that much of the Empire’s economic resources were used for defense. By 410AD, Rome had been overrun by these tribes and the Empire was divided between the Germanic tribes. Investigate the growth of the Church during the period of ‘Christendom’. In your investigation consider the following questions: How did the Roman Empire change after the invasion of Germanic tribes?  What does the term Christendom mean? What was the East-West Schism? What was the impact of the Schism on the Church? The Church’s Growth Beyond Europe In the second millennium (1000-2000AD), the Holy Spirit guided Christ’s followers to carry the good news beyond Europe to new communities. The Church grew to become an important part of the new world order. The 1500’(remove)s saw developments in technology and the dawn of the ‘Age of Discovery’. It was the age of Henry the Navigator, who explored the undiscovered areas of the African coast, and Christopher Columbus, who discovered the Americas. As exploration and discovery of new land continued , Christian missionaries sought to travel with explorers to proclaim the Gospel to all nations. Missions were established in Africa, and the Americas. Investigate how the Church grew beyond Europe and the role of missionaries in this growth. In your investigation consider the following questions: Who was Christopher Columbus? Where did he explore? Which missionaries followed him on his explorations? What role did the missionaries play in the growth of the Church beyond Europe?