Session 2: The First Christians

Useful Texts for Leader Reflection/Preparation

(Scriptural, Liturgical, Lives of Saints, etc):

Materials:

A: Passports, Polaroid camera, film, glue stick, pens or pencils, rubber stamps for “official seals.”

B & C: News magazine articles on Jerusalem, black and white world maps (available at most teacher supply stores) for each participant, different color markers, a middle eastern map that includes Jerusalem, notebooks and pens for participants, passports, Polaroid camera, film, glue stick, pens, rubber stamps for “official” seals.

A: Younger Children

Preparation:

Decorate the classroom space as if it were going to be a birthday party (streamers, hats, maybe a cardboard or real cake, etc.). As students arrive and they notice the decorations tell them that today we are going to learn about a very special birthday.

1. Opening prayer

2. Tell students, “Just as all of us shared the good news on the cards we made, all of Jesus’ friends helped to spread the good news of God’s love for us. In fact, Jesus told His friends to teach others about Him and God, His Father. Today we are going to learn about a very special birthday. Can anyone guess whose birthday it might be?” Get a few responses and then say, “I have something for us to read. Let’s read it and see if anyone can guess whose birthday it might be.”

3. Discussion of Pentecost and the 1^st Christians

Read the attached compilation of Matt. 28:16-20 and Acts 1-2.

Ask the following questions:

4. Discussion of Family as “Little Church”

Say, “St. John Chrysostom says that every family is a “little Church.”

Include the following in your discussion:

Ask: “What do we do together in our families to show love? to work together? to share with others? to help others? to celebrate? How can we bring God’s Good News and love to other people?”

5. When you are finished, tell students, “Jesus’ friends, were called apostles (which means “those who are sent”) since He sent them to teach all people about Jesus and God’s love. They did not stay long in Jerusalem after Pentecost. Instead, they traveled all over the world, teaching people about God’s love for us.”

6. Passports: You need to make copies of the passport page so that every participant has one. Pass out passports and say, “Next time we’re going to visit some of the places the apostles visited and learn how they and the people after them followed Jesus’ command to baptize all nations. But, before we begin our journey, we need to fill out a passport.

7. Conclude by reviewing how the apostles were so happy about the Good News of God’s love in Jesus that they shared it with everyone they met and eventually to other people all over the world.

You may wish to use any remaining time to hold a little birthday party: sing the troparion of Pentecost instead of “Happy Birthday”; discuss what might be appropriate “gifts” to bring for the Church’s birthday; or have a cake with candles and drinks.

B & C: Pre-teens and Teens

1. Opening Prayer

2. Tell students: “One of the most important cities in the world is Jerusalem.” Ask students if they have heard about Jerusalem in or on the news. Show students articles and pictures to reinforce your statement.

3. Discussion on Matthew 28: 16-20 and Acts 2.

Read or choose participants to read the accounts of Jesus’ Ascension and Pentecost in the above scripture citations.

Discuss the following:

What 4 tasks did Jesus give to His disciples before He ascended back to His Father: 1. make disciples of all nations; 2.baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; 3. teach them to do all that He taught them to do; and 4. go to Jerusalem and wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Have participants write these down in their notebooks.

4. Discussion on the First Christians

Have participants take a clean piece of paper from their notebooks and fold it in half so that there are two columns. At the top of one column have them write “The First Church,” and “My Family: a Little Church” at the top of the other column.

Give participants Bibles and have them mark the two readings above from Matthew and Acts. Have them look through the texts to find answers to the following questions:

Have participants write each of the above on a separate line under “The Early Church” column.

5. Discussion on family as a “little Church”

Looking at the things they’ve already written in their notebooks, brainstorm with them ways that every family can be like a little church.

Include the following in your discussion:

Discuss: “What do we do together in our families to show love? to work together? to share with others? to help others? to celebrate? How can we bring God’s Good News and love to other people?”

Have participants write each of the above in the column labeled “My Family: A Little Church.”

6. The Good News Spreads Across the World

When you are finished, state: “The apostles followed Jesus’s command to teach all nations. After they preached in Jerusalem, where they established the first Church, they traveled all over the world, teaching others about Jesus Christ and starting new churches. Among the places the apostles visited were Rome, Italy; Damascus, Syria; Egypt; Ethiopia; India; and Greece.” Hand out a black and white map of the world to each participant. Have students locate these places on the map and color them with one color marker. Ask them if they know anything about any of these places.

Continue by saying, “The Good News about Jesus continued to spread across the world.” Using another color marker have participants color in any other country that they know of where the Church was established.

Have participants use their markers to make a key on their map to show which color indicates the apostle’s missionary work and which color indicates the further growth of the Church.

7. Passports: Continue by telling students: “Next time we’ll be visiting some of the places the apostles visited: Antioch, Syria; Athens, Greece; and Rome, Italy. We’ll need to fill out a passport to travel from country to country.”

Fold passports. Have students fill in each section. Take pictures and glue them onto the passports. A teacher, serving as the Passport Officer, should sign and stamp each passport. Collect passports and maps for next session.

8. Conclude by reviewing how the apostles were happy to share the good news of God’s love and how they obeyed Jesus’ command to “teach all nations.”

9. Closing Prayer

Bible Story

(The following text is a compilation and summary of material found in Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1-2.)

After seeing the women, Jesus appeared to his disciples and proved to them that he was alive. He stayed with his disciples for forty days after he had risen from the dead. Then one day he took them to a mountain and said: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Now I say to you: ‘Go and make disciples in every nation. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you to do.”

Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait there until God’s promise was given to them. Jesus said he would send God’s Holy Spirit to baptize them. When God’s Spirit would come, Jesus said they would become his witnesses – his apostles! They would bring his Good News to the people in Jerusalem and to all parts of the world!

Then Jesus lifted up his hands and blessed them. The disciples looked up and saw a cloud lifting Jesus up into the heavens. They kept looking up until he disappeared out of sight! Two angels in white robes appeared among them and said: “Why are you looking up into heaven? This Jesus whom you saw go up into heaven will come back in the same way.” The disciples stayed for awhile and then remembered Jesus’ instruction that they should return to Jerusalem. As they went back to the city, they were filled with great joy! Even though Jesus was no longer with them, they remembered him saying: “I will be with you, even unto the end of time!”

The disciples returned to the upper room where they had been staying. Everyday they prayed with the women and Mary, Jesus’ mother, and other relatives in his family. They waited for more than a week for God to send his Holy Spirit.

The big Jewish feast of Pentecost was coming and the city was crowded with many people. They had traveled to Jerusalem from countries all over the Roman Empire. Jesus’ apostles and friends were together in the upper room when suddenly a powerful sound came from heaven. It was like the rush of a big wind and it filled the whole house. Tongues, like fire, came down and rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages!

Jesus’ friends ran outside, speaking to each other about what was happening! When the visitors and the people of the city heard them, they were confused. They said: “We all speak a different language, but each one of us understands what these men are saying about the great works of God. How can this be, since we come from different places and we don’t understand all these languages? What does this mean?

Then Peter stood up and said: Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, listen to me. In the Scriptures God said: “I will pour out my spirit upon all people, and your sons and daughters will prophesy...and I will show you wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth...before the day of the Lord comes! That will be a great day and when it comes, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Then Peter told the people in Jerusalem about Jesus. He told about the miracles and signs that Jesus showed, he told them about his teaching, and he told them how Jesus was killed and died. Finally, he told them how Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of God his Father.

The people were amazed to hear this and they asked Peter and the apostles “What do you want us to do?” Peter said: “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God has promised this to you and to all your children.