Gospel

What kind of world did Jesus want?

1) Jesus calls his disciples

Read the story of Jesus calling his disciples to follow him in Matthew 4:18–19 here.

What does Jesus asks Peter and Andrew to do? 

By following Jesus, Peter and Andrew would be giving up a lot.

How would you feel if asked to give up so much?  What might you have said to Jesus?  Write your ideas on fish shapes or speech bubbles made from paper.

The word ‘gospel’ means good news. They must have thought that Jesus was good news. Look out for anything that might have seemed like good news to the disciples then and to Christians now about what Jesus said and did during this topic. 

What special new job have the disciples gained once they follow Jesus? Think what Jesus might have meant by ‘fisher of people’. Together, create images of what a ‘fisher of people’ might do.

2) Showing love to everyone

Following Jesus and being fishers of people are actions that Jesus wanted people to do, which is why many Christians today still try to do them.

Discuss why we don’t come to school when ill — we need to get better, we don’t want to infect others. Would you want to be near, or touch, someone who was infectious?

Look at the Leprosy Mission website (www.leprosymission.org.uk/ ) - can you find out what leprosy is?

In Biblical times, lepers were rejected by their communities and had to live separately from everyone else.

Read the story of Jesus healing a leper (Mark 1:40–44). Show amazement on your face every single time Jesus says or does something shocking. 

‘Why did Jesus touch and heal the leper?’ 

Jesus taught his followers not to judge people by what they looked like or what others thought of them. Everyone, even outcasts and needy people, were important to him.

3) What do churches do?

How are Christians are making the kind of world that Jesus wanted? 

Look at some signs from a church noticeboard or website showing what is happening in the community. This could include St Francis' church here.

Which church activities are the most important and why?

Think about which activities are important for different people: as toddler groups are very important for young families, shelters very important for the homeless, and so on.

Which are more important: worship services or caring for the elderly; celebrating a wedding, a baptism or a funeral; reading the Bible or giving to charity?

Which ones might a church leader (in any Christian church) be involved in; for example, leading worship services, visiting ill people, meeting parents of a baby being christened, arranging a special harvest service, preaching, talking to people about Jesus, helping with the community’s fundraising and so on.

Imagine a day (or a week) in the life of a church minister and create an imaginary daily timetable. Which activities might a church leader be doing today and what might she/he do on a Sunday?

Create a wanted poster for a church leader - what kind of person should they be?  What should skills might be good for them to have?  What do you think it means to live as Jesus wants us to?

4) What do you think Jesus would prefer our world was like?

Create a picture or collage of what you think Jesus would like our world to be like. 

What would the environment look like? 

How would the people behave?

What problems in the world would be solved?