Christian Support for the Family (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)
Revision Note
Written by: Glenn Millington
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Support for the Family by the Church Community
What is the Parish?
The parish is an area around a local church
The Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches have an organisation based on parishes and dioceses
A diocese is a collection of parishes under the jurisdiction of a bishop
For example, the Bishop of London is head of the London Diocese and its 413 parishes
Each parish has a parish priest (usually known as a vicar in the Church of England) and centres around a parish church (the church for the local area)
How the Parish Supports the Family
Christians believe it is their duty to support their own families and the families of others
There are many ways that the parish can help families
Providing counselling support
Supporting couples who are expecting children
Organising family events and special family worship services
Running parental support classes
Supporting with rites of passage. For example, baptism or marriage services
Encouraging children to attend Sunday School and other special services
Why the Parish Supports the Family
Christians try to follow the teachings of Jesus who taught that we should love and support those in need
The teaching ‘thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ from the Book of Leviticus (19:18) encourages Christians to help anyone, regardless of whether they are known to you
The bible says, ‘A new command I give to you: Love one another’ (John 13: 34) and so Christians should follow those teachings and support those in their parish and beyond
The Importance of the Local Parish for Christians Today
How the Local Parish supports Christians today
The local parish continues to support Christians in their lives in many different ways
Schools | Most areas have local Church primary and secondary schools who provide Christian education and worship alongside the standard education
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Family Worship | Many Churches are exploring new ways to be more family friendly
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Sunday Schools | Where children can learn about the Christian faith in a child centred environment while their parents attend church |
Rites of Passage | For example; baptism where the priest/minister will meet with the family before the sacrament and gives advice and guidance |
Confirmation classes | Run for children before they are confirmed or in the Roman Catholic church before their First Holy Communion. These classes help parents with the Christian upbringing of their children as they bring their children into full membership of the church |
Counselling Services | Most parishes offer help with parents/couples keeping their marriage vows through counselling. There are also counselling services such as: ‘Good News Family Care’, Catholic Marriage Care, the National Catholic Child Welfare Council and the Children’s Society. Dioceses in the Church of England have special children and family officers to provide help for families in the diocese |
Support with Children | Many Churches run toddler groups and Messy Church to help parents with young children to socialise and learn from each other
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Why do Local Parishes help Christians today?
Parishes have a duty to help children baptised or dedicated to the church
The Church teaches that one of the main purposes of marriage is to have children and raise them in a secure and loving place, and so the Parish must be able to help provide this
The Church has a social duty to help parents bring their children up in a Christian environment
The family is the place where children are introduced to the religion, and so If the parish does not help with this Christianity will not grow
Worked Example
Outline three ways in which the local parish can support families
(3 marks)
Answer:
They can help with rites of passage like baptisms or weddings (1 mark)
They can support parents who are expecting a child (1 mark)
They can encourage children to attend Sunday school (1 mark)
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