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UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER - a series of CTB discussion evenings

8 pm on Sunday evenings at Brentwood Baptist Church, Kings Road

7^th June Week 1. Christian Initiation and Church Membership Session Leader: Rev. Peter Thomas

14^th June Week 2. Ministry and Mission Session Leader: Rev. David Matthews

21^st June Week 3. Church, Authority and Decision-Making Session Leader: Rev. Ian Jorysz

28^th June Week 4. Eucharistic Communion Session Leader: Rev. Chris Goldsmith

PARTICIPANTS' NOTES

Understanding Each Other – A series of CTB Discussion Evenings

AIMS: for members of different churches to discuss what they believe together
and so to build friendships with members of other churches.

7^th June – Christian Initiation and Church Membership

What do you understand by BAPTISM? Who might be baptised? What does CHURCH MEMBERSHIP mean to you? How does a person become a church member? Is CONFIRMATION part of your practice?

Rev. Peter Thomas, Brentwood Baptist Church (Session Leader)

Believer's Baptism (normally but not necessarily by immersion) is initiation into the Christian life and into the universal church of a believer who has personally professed saving faith in Jesus Christ. A Believer (whether baptised as a believer or not) is accepted into the membership of the local church by decision of the other members who recognise their saving faith. Infants are welcomed into the church by an act of Thanksgiving (for the birth) and Dedication (of the parents to bring the child up to know Christ for himself or herself). Baptists have no equivalent of Confirmation, only Believer's Baptism.

Rev. Ian Jorysz, St. Peter's South Weald

Incorporation into the Body of Christ is conferred by baptism. Young children are baptised on the basis of the faith of the church community and that of their godparents, who take responsibility for nurturing their godchild’s faith. Confirmation (the laying on of hands by a Bishop) is expected when older. Traditionally this is also when Holy Communion is first received, although churches are now free to admit children to communion earlier. Anyone baptised resident in a parish has a right to membership of the parish church; everyone has the right to baptism, marriage or a funeral in their parish church.

Rev. Chris Goldsmith, Christ Church Warley

Anglican practice is to baptise all those who publicly assent to Christian faith. For those too young to speak for themselves the expressed faith of their parents is deemed to cover them and enable them also to be baptised into the covenant community. When they are able to express their own faith, a service of confirmation marks their informed assent to the promises previously made on their behalf. Through baptism we become members of the universal Christian church. Affiliation with a particular local Anglican church is expressed by joining the electoral role of that church. This is open to those who are baptised, at least 16 and are resident in the parish, or regularly attend.

Rt. Rev. Mgr Bill Nix, Dean of Brentwood Cathedral

In the Catholic Church there are three sacraments of initiation. Adults seeking membership of the Church spend about nine months in instruction and preparation. At the Easter Vigil they make their profession of faith and are baptised. Following baptism the Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated in which they receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and finally in union with the community they receive the Eucharist for the first time.

For children the sacraments of initiation are spread over time. Parents request the Sacrament of Baptism for their child, making a profession of faith on their own behalf and on behalf of their child, promising to bring their child up in the practise of the faith. At about 8 years old, after instruction, the child receives the Eucharist for the first time. At 14+ the young person, again after a period of instruction and preparation is confirmed by the Bishop and so becomes a full member of the Church.

KEY QUESTIONS: What do Christians all agree about? Where do our differences lie? Where do our differences come from e.g from Scripture, tradition, culture or spiritual experiences? Which differences actually matter?

Understanding Each Other – A series of CTB Discussion Evenings

AIMS: for members of different churches to discuss what they believe together
and so to build friendships with members of other churches.

14^th June – Ministry and Mission

What is the role and nature of PRIESTS or MINISTERS? Is there a distinction between CLERGY and LAITY in your denomination and if so what is the difference? What does your denomination understand by the word "MISSION"?

Rev. David Matthews, New Harvest Community Church (Session Leader)

I was once asked what I thought of women ‘priests’. Somewhat tongue in cheek, I replied, God has already answered that question; “(He) has made us kings and priests to His God and Father..” (Revelation1:6). King and Priest were among the highest callings under the old covenant. Under the new covenant all believers share these graces. The ‘laity’ have been abolished and we are all ‘ordained’ for ministry and mission. Our mission is to bring the good news of the Gospel to all people in all places by all means. To that end every believer is equipped by the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Matthew Bemand, St. Thomas’s Church

The Church of England has three orders of ministry, Bishops, Priests and Deacons. Only Priests and Bishops may celebrate the Eucharist, and only Bishops may confirm or ordain. Many in the C of E (but not all) hold that ordination is a sacrament which changes something at the deepest level of a persons being and can never be undone. All the people of God however share in Christ’s priesthood through baptism. The ordained priest shares in that priesthood in a particular way, making Christ present to the people above all in the eucharist. Mission is a task of the whole body of Christ. The C of E is in a privileged position as the established church to reach out to people, especially in times of need, and each parish serves all who live within it, not just members of its congregation.

Rev. Ellie Goldsmith, St Paul’s Bentley

The church’s mission is to try to bring all of “human life ….. under the sway of God’s rule”, reflecting God - the “fountain of sending love”. So the church seeks to discern what God is doing in the world and join in. This involves the re-integration of all of creation - the personal, the communal and the cosmic, and has an eschatological dimension. Ministry is serving the mission of God. Every baptised Christian is called and gifted by God for various ministries. Some are called to the ordained ministry (deacons, priests and bishops); their role is public, representative and enabling of the work of others. Lay and ordained constitute the priesthood of all believers.

Rev. Peter Thomas, Brentwood Baptist Church

Baptists do not see a distinction between clergy and laity. Any member of a Baptist Church can e.g. preach, baptise, preside at communion in their church. Accredited Ministers have a “trans-local” ministry as pastor-teachers. The shared task of Ministers, Elders and Deacons is to ^“to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12). Jesus commissions all Christians to play their part in the mission of the church, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them .... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)