The Church
It’s very easy to take it for granted that the Church exists - that is still around after two thousand years in spite of all the opposition and difficulty it has faced. When you think of the Church, what is the first word that comes to your mind?
The Mission
The Church’s task is to make the kingdom of God, which has already begun with Jesus, germinate and grow in all nations.YOUCAT 123
The Mindset
We must be saved together. We must come to God together. Together, we must present ourselves before him... What would God say to us if some of us were to return without the others?Charles Péguy (1873-1914, French poet)
The Early Church
The whole community remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. And everyone was filled with awe; many signs and miracles were done through the apostles. And all the believers were united and owned everything in common; they sold their goods and possessions and divided the proceeds to all according to what each one needed. Each day, with one heart, they went faithfully to the Temple but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they ate their share of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and approved by all the people. Day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47 (RNJB)What is the Church Like?
Read through the passage above from the Acts of the Apostles and then try to pick out three things about the early church that stand out.
What is the Church like? What does the Church do?
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together.
Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They replied, ‘We will come with you.’
They went out and got into the boat but that night caught nothing.
When it was getting light, Jesus was standing on the shore, though the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus called out, ‘Children, have you anything to eat?’ They answered, ‘No.’
He said to them, ‘Throw the net out to starboard and you will find something.’
So they threw the net out and did not have strength to haul it in because of the number of fish.
The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord.’ So Simon Peter, hearing that it was the Lord tied his outer
garment round him (for he was stripped) and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net with the fish;
they were only about a hundred metres from land.
When they came ashore they saw a charcoal fire there with fish cooking on it and bread.
Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you have just caught.’
Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net onto the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them,
and although there were so many the net was not broken.
John 21:2-11 (The Revised New Jerusalem Bible)
This event takes place after the Resurrection of Jesus. Can you see an image of the Church being presented to us here? What does that image tell us?
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