What is a Christian?
Christians are people who have responded to the good news brought by Jesus Christ, believing that in Jesus, God has come among us, sharing our joy and our pain, and bringing the offer of new life and wholeness to us and our world.
Who is Jesus?
Christians speak of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
During Jesus' early life, nearly 2000 years ago, many people found in him:
--- a new closeness to God;
--- forgiveness of their sin and failure;
--- the beginnings of life in abundance.
This still happens today.
Jesus accepted death on the cross for us, has been raised to new life at Easter, and has sent the Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage us.
Christians respond to him with faith.
Where is Jesus today?
Jesus encounters us:
--- in our prayer and worship of God, privately and as a community of the church, and we attempt to show the new life this brings us;
--- through reading the Bible, especially the New Testament.
What is the church?
Being a Christian means being baptised into the church, which is the body of Jesus Christ in the world today. We share communion with Christ and with one another in the Eucharist, the family meal of the Christian community.
What is baptism?
We begin our Christian journey by being baptised with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We are brought into a new and intimate relationshp with God the Father by the coming of Jesus Christ and through the work of the Holy Spirit.
The God we know and worship is Father, Son and Spirit: one God in three persons; the Holy Trinity.
What is the Bible?
The Bible is a collection of books which Christians accept as God's word, interpreted by inspired writers at different stages of history. It comprises the Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament contains writings about God's will for created order being lived out in ancient civilizations, and is part of a heritage shared with Judaism and Islam.
The New Testament
This section of the Bible details the revelation of Jesus who is the Messiah (Christ).
Writings about the life and works of Jesus, his cross and resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the life of the early church shows us God's will for all people.
The way to understanding
The Bible is still the best-selling book in the world. Understanding of the Bible by each generation is assisted by modern translations in all languages, and many commentaries written to assist the reader.
(Information Supplied by Canon Dr Don Edwards, BD, PhD, Grad Cert Ed )
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Anglicanism
Universal
Anglicans are Christians and members of the universal church, valuing what is distinctive about the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Worshipping God
Worship of God is central to Anglicans.
There is a variety in Anglican worship: contemporary and informal, or traditional and formal. A special place is given to the eucharist, in which we share the sacrament (visible sign with spiritual meaning) of the body and blood of Christ.
Significant facts
The Lambeth Conference, a gathering of bishops which meets every ten years, has identified as significant to Anglicans in the quest for Christian unity:
---The bible
---The Nicene Creed (statement of faith)
---The sacraments of Baptism & Eucharist
---The role of Bishops
History
Anglicans bring together traditions from the early centuries of Christianity, ancient Celtic Christianity, medieval Catholicism and the European Reformation of the sixteenth century.
The name "Anglican" indicates roots in the Church of England and still involves being in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Contemporary picture
Today, Anglicans embrace a variety of languages and cultures from many different parts of the world, giving distinct features to our worship, church life and theology.
Anglicans today are actively exploring how our own land and multicultural heritage enrich Australian Anglicansim.
Anglicans world-wide are seeking to reflect something of the unity-in-diversity of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit: three persons in one God.