"We Believe" session 2

Pop Quiz Did you do it?

Memorization Work

W E ARE THE CHURCH Session 2

Will you be loyal to The United Methodist Church, and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service?

What does “CHURCH” mean?

What does “CHURCH” mean to you?

We Are The CHURCH

I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together! The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.

We Are The CHURCH

2. I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together! We're many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces, all colors and all ages, too, from all times and places.

We Are The CHURCH

3. I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together! Sometimes the church is marching, sometimes it's bravely burning, sometimes it's riding, sometimes hiding, always it's learning.

We Are The CHURCH

4. I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together! And when the people gather, there's singing and there's praying, there's laughing and there's crying sometimes, all of it saying:

We Are The CHURCH

5. I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus, all around the world! Yes, we're the church together! At Pentecost some people received the Holy Spirit and told the Good News through the world to all who would hear it.

Your church

Places in your church

Our church

Denominations a short history

The Apostolic Church {the Acts’ Church}

The catholic Church {Roman Catholic & Greek Orthodox}

the Reformation {the Protestant church}

> Lutheran church

> Anglican church (church of England)

Additional denomination growth and colonizing the Americas

United Methodist Church

Other denominations you can think of . . .

Why so many denominations ? If we all follow Jesus Christ ?

The Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12.12-20

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The Body of Christ

Colossians 1.18

The Body of Christ

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Let’s take a break

WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTS ?

Things you like to do

Things you seem to do well

How can God use those gifts and talents ?

Fellowship

John 13.34-35

34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

How do we share and show our love for each other in our church family?

What did Jesus tell

the disciples to do?

Matthew 28.18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

What is our church doing to fulfill these instructions ?

Hold Sunday morning worship weekly, w/ hymns, prayers, sacraments & preaching

Hold Sunday evening worship, w/ gospel songs, prayers & preaching

Hold Sunday School

Sponsor missionary conferences

Work to bring more justice to our society

Visit members to encourage support

Collect food & clothing for less fortunate

Conduct revival meetings

Provide a bus ministry

Offer weekly prayer meetings & Bible study groups

Prayer breakfasts

Come Together - -- Third Day You can all call me crazy For the things that I might say You can laugh all you want to I know there will come a day When we all will come together And learn to set aside our hate If we could learn to love our neighbors Just like we would love ourselves We've got to come together 'Cause in the end we can make it - alright We've got to brave the weather Through all of the storms We've got to come together 'Cause in the end we can make it - alright We've got to learn to love You can call me a dreamer But these dreams will come true Yes, I am a firm believer In the things that we can do If we would all just come together And let the Lord lead our way There is nothing that we can't do There is nothing we can't face I know that there will come a day When the Lord will call His own away To a place that He has made for all of us But until the day of His return There's a lesson that we've got to learn We are brothers and we're sisters We are one

For next time . . .

Memorize commandments 6 – 10 of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20.1-12)

Inventory the Bibles in your home; list the translation, year printed, special significance – if you can bring your most unusual Bible to the next session.