I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
She became a nun and then for nearly 20 years a teacher before becoming a headmistress. In 1946 Mother Teresa experienced what she later called ’ the call within a call ’ when she travelled by train to the Loreto for her annual retreat. ’ I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them.’
She stayed and worked in Calcutta for the rest of her life. She was admired by many for her charitable work because by 1997 the 13 member Calcutta congregation had grown to 4,000 sisters who managed orphanges AIDs hospices and charity centres world wide. WOW!!
On 4th of September 2016 she was canonised by the Roman Catholic church -she became Saint Teresa.
I have include a brief biography, lots of detail about her missionaries for charity, information about her legacy, plus the two miracles needed to qualify her for sainthood. Wikipedia has been my main information source
John Hillery Osteen was an American pastor and founding pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas from its beginning in 1959 until his death in 1999. His television program , John Osteen, ran for 16 years and was broadcast to millions in the USA and nearly 50 countries weekly.
John was born in Paris, Texas. He earned a BA, MA and DrD. degrees from John brown, Northern Baptist Seminary (NBTS) and Oral Roberts University.
According to his biography it was not until 1939 that he began to think seriously about God. Shortly before his 18th birthday he was ordained by a church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
He served in various churches during the 1940s .
He married and divorced his first wife, Emma Jean Shaffer, while at Central Baptist Church (CBC), Baytown, Texas.
17th September1954 he married Dolores ‘Dodie’ Pilgrim. Their first child Lisa had severe health problems. As a result John’s theological beliefs began to shift and he had ecstatic religious experiences based on what he called ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’. In 1955 he resigned from his pastorate at CBC. He moved to Hibbard Memorial Baptist Church, Houston Texas but left in 1958
On Mother’s Day,10th May, 1959, he and Dodie started Lakewood Baptist Church in a ‘dusty, abandoned feed store’. The church dropped ‘Baptist’ from its name and became nondenominational.
In the mid 1980s John launched the Lakewood Bible Institute (LBI). He served as LBI’s president until its closure in the late 1980s.
John and Dodie developed Lakewood into a body of approximately 15,000 members with active ministries in televangelism, conferences, missionary support and food distribution
He was author of over 50 books, edited 2 magazines ‘Praise’ and ‘Manna’ and numerous teaching materials and audio tapes.
Dodie wrote* Healed of Cancer* - the story of her miraculous healing from metastaic cancer of the liver after being ‘given up’ by the doctors.
Dodie’s genuine warmth and compassion is one reason Lakewood is called* An Oasis in a troubled world.*
He hosted the weekly 'John Osteen’ television and his son Joel was his television producer. For 16 years they reached millions in the USA and beyond.
Before John’s death in 1999 he had become known as a ‘pastor’s pastor’ and was constantly busy leading conferences and seminars at home and abroad. He had established a great reputation as a fiery preacher, impassioned evangelist and author.
He died, unexpectedly, on 23rd January, 1999 aged 77.
Lakewood, 2011, was the USA’s nation’s largest megachurch.
Today, their youngest son Joel. the ‘smiling preacher’, with wife Victoria, are senior pastors. Lakewood’ Church has regularly 52,000 attendee. Media broadcast has expanded into 200 million households in the USA and an audience on 6 continents, thanks to television and other media.
They are sharing the message of hope found in Jesus with a new generation.
Sources used
Gospel Channel
Lakewood Church History
Wikipedia
I recently started to read in a theological book that there was a lot of significance in the fact that the Gospel of St. John has only seven signs or miracles.
I have printed out, in full, the seven signs/miracles, so the pupils can study them in detail.
The significance can be read about on Google.
I have used the Message Bible for the passages I have copied.
I have created 10 Bible word searches. 4 on the Old Testament, 4 on the New Testament, 1 about Animals and Birds and 1 about Plants and Trees.
There are three word searches about the books of the Old Testament and one about Moses and the ten plagues.
For the New Testament there are word searches about the 12 disciples and the books in the New Testament . I created only two word searches to go with St. Paul's three missionary journeys because two and three look very similar.
Answers are included.
William Carey is regarded by many as the founder of the modern missionary movement and as one of the most important church missionaries in world history. He believed in going to the heathen not waiting for God to do it. 'Expect Great Things- Attempt Great Things.'
He began life as a cobbler. After he was converted he taught himself New Testament Greek. He spent 50 years as a pastor/minister. He founded the Baptist Missionary Society. He spent 40 whole years in India, not having a furlough. He was responsible for the Bible being translated into all the major languages of the Indian subcontinent and many dialects and wrote a number of books. In 1818 William Carey and the Marshmans founded Scrampore college - today it offers theological and liberal arts education for some 2,500 students.
The powerful, and now famous book , 'An Enquiry into the obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of Heathens' - along with many others, can be found, in full, on the internet.
I have found several pieces of useful information. There is a chronology of his life, a short, readable, history of his life, plus a short crossword and word search. A 'typical day' reveals he must have used at least SIX different languages on that one day!!
There is a vast amount of information about William Carey on the internet. God's extraordinary 'plodder' changed the course of history.
John Wycliffe was the first to translate, or inspire, the Bible being translated into English.
He, with his associates, John Purvey and Nicholas Hereford, set about the task between 1381-1384. At the time it was regarded as heresy. The Roman Catholic church in the UK did not want it translated into the common vernacular so that the general public could read it - it would have meant the church losing some of its power and influence.
John Wycliffe escaped being burnt at the stake during his life time but in 1428 his body was disinterred and burned.
I have included most of the article from Visionmedia - it covers all I wanted to write.
I found on Utube that there are useful clips to use about his life under the title Church History in 3 minutes.
There is also a lot of information on Wikipedia
Mrs Gowan, a Scottish- Canadian widow, over 100 years ago, prayed that millions of people in Africa could be saved. Her son William and his friends. Thomas Kent and Rowland Bingham in 1893 sailed to Nigeria. Within a year William and Thomas died of malaria. Rowland returned to Canada broken and alone.
Rowland recovered his health and studied. In 1897 he married Helen Blair. In 1900, leaving behind his wife and baby , with two friends he attempted to enter the Sudan. Rowland was stricken with malaria and ordered him home. His friends followed on the next boat.
In 1901, with Rowland staying behind to organize things, four new recruits were ready to sail for Nigeria. Within two years, one died, two returned home, the fourth A. W. Banfield stayed.
Science discovered that malaria could be cured by quinine. Missions began to expand.
He was the editor of Evangelical Christian from 1904 until 1942 when he died. In 1912 he established the evangelical Publishers. In 1924 he established the Canadian Keswick Bible Conference.
His wife Helen was a strong and capable partner.
The Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) grew steadily. By 1933 the mission had 230 members. Rowland 6 times traveled to Africa. By the time of his death in 1942 there were 400 missionaries.
His persistence had paid off. Mrs Gowan’s prayer had been answered.
Sources wikipedia and SIM and* Ambassadors for Christ* edited by John D. Woodbridge
Mary Magdalene was an original follower of Jesus. The name Magdalene suggest she came from a small town called Magdala.
We first notice her in Luke’s gospel (Chapter 2 v 1-3). it simply says who seven demons had come out.
She is mentioned 12 times in total by name in the canonical Gospels- that is more than most of the disciples or non-family women in the Gospels are mentioned.
She is mentioned in the list of women who watched Christ’s crucifixion and his burial (Matthew 27 v 55-61 Mark 15 v 40-47 and John 19 v25 ).
She come very much to the fore in the resurrection story. She is one of the first to witness the empty tomb. She is the first to see him after his resurrection - but initially believes he is the gardener until Jesus simply says,* ‘Mary’. She gives her wonderful reply of Rabboni * -Master She is the first to testify to his resurrection. This is why in many Christian traditions she is known as the apostle to the apostles. (Matthew 28 v1-10, Mark 16 v 1-9, Luke 24 v10 and John 20 v 1-18).
We do not know for certain what happened to her afterwards. It is thought she went with John the disciple/apostle to Ephesus.
I have included Biblical texts from the burial and the resurrection.
In the Gnostic Gospels her closeness to Jesus results in tension with the other disciples.
Sources NIV Bible, wikipedia and ** The Church’s Year * by Charles Alexander
John Calvin was the Reformations supreme Bible teacher. Young John had originally planned a life of of quiet scholarship but a ‘sudden conversion’- his phrase- at age of 20 led him to want God’s will rather than his own.
Born a French man he found himself exiled in Geneva, Switzerland for most of his adult life. With maximum public exposure he became a preacher and teacher of the Bible, pastor. reformer, theologian and universal Christian counselor.
In the book *Great Leaders of the Christian Church
James I. Packer lays a very sound foundation. He writes about Calvin the man, his will. sudden conversion and called to Geneva and Calvinism in Europe (See notes). He also covers John’s Geneva, theology and knowledge of God.
John developed hie theology in his biblical commentaries as well as his sermons and treaties but the most concise expression of his views are found in his magnum opus * Institutes of the Christian Religion* It was and is
Protestantism’ s classic statement. Over the years the book grew! Edition 1 was 6 chapters (1536), edition 2 - 3 times larger (1539), edition 3 added new material (1543) and finally edition 4 - consisted of 4 books of 80 chapters each (1559)
Book 1 God the Creator, bk.2 Redeemer in Christ. Bk.3 Receiving the Grace of Christ through the Holy Spirit bk.4 Society of Christ or the Church
The theology of John Calvin has been more influential in both the development of the system of belief now known as Calvinism and in Protestant thought more generally.
Anchored in Geneva John became an international figure in his own life time. The modern world can hardly be understood without some knowledge of Calvinism.
Sources used
wikipedia
Great Leaders of the Christian Church edited by Woodbridge
Christianity Today
What is calvinism? by John Piper
Note The wikipedia site has a fantastic amount of information about John and Calvanism.
Thomas Becket is one of the most famous men in English History.
Henry11 asked, ‘Who will rid me of this traitor?’ Four of his knights took at his word and went to Canterbury Cathedral and in front of the high altar murdered Thomas.
Henry 11 and Thomas had been friends. Henry 11 had appointed him to be his royal chancellor. He performed his duties very capably and became the king’s trusted servant and friend. On the death of of Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury Henry11 appointed Thomas his successor. He believed Thomas would serve the state as well as the church.
On appointment Thomas changed his allegiance and his life style. He abandoned his worldly materialistic ways and became a saintly soul living a disciplined , pious and austere life. He steadfastly resisted all efforts to impose the royal will on the church. Discord developed over how the church and state dealt with clerics convicted of crimes.
Following a quarrel Thomas, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was forced into exile in France (1164-1170). On his return to England in 1170 he met with his death.
Henry11 when he heard the news was distraught - what he had said in anger he now regretted. Henry was forced to do penance because there was such an outpouring of rage from the public
Thomas was sainted in 1173 and became the most popular saint in English History.
His Legacy is enormous. In the ‘Canterbury Tales’ by Chaucer a group of pilgrims are on their way to worship at his shrine. (Read Legacy)
Sources used
Great Leaders of the Christian Church - Woodbridge
contribution from Robert G. Clouse
wipedia
BBC History
Edward the Confessor was a king who later became recognized as a saint
He lived in the eleventh century . He died shortly before the Battle of Hasting between King Harold, his successor and William 1, William the conqueror.
There are differences of opinion as to whether he was a weak or a strong king. Confessor reflects his reputation as a saint who did not suffer martyrdom. Wikipedia uses the work ’ nickname ’ to reflect the traditional image of him as unworldly and pious. He did reign for 24 years
It is said because he was unable to fulfill a vow to go to Rome that he built a monastery. The monastery we call Westminster Abbey. He re-established the Abbey of Westminster on a site of a church built 400 years earlier. It was the first Norman Romanesque church in England. Building began in 1042 and consecrated on 28th December 1065. Edward unfortunately was too ill to attend the ceremony and died the following week - 5th January 1066.
Edward was buried at Westminster Abbey. His body was exhumed a number of times and was finally given a centerpiece, in a magnificent tomb, in the new thirteenth century ( present day )Abbey.
Edward can be seen on the famous Bayeux Tapestry.
Edward the Confessor was for many years the patron saint of England until Saint George, during the time of the Crusades, replaced him. HIs feast day is 13th October.
Westminster Abbey was finally completed in 1090 some 25 years after his death. In 1245, during the reign of Henry111, it was demolished and replaced by today’s present building.
Looking for information about Desmond Tutu I found a list of Champions of Human Rights - 9 champions with a picture of each and some basic information about them which I thought could be useful for Key Stage 2/3 work.
These sheets were created under Youth for Human Rights. There are Free resource kits available in many languages.
Mahatma Gandhi
Cesar Chavez
Eleanor Roosevelt
Nelson Mandela
Dr. Martin Luther King (See separate entry)
Desmond Tutu
Oscar Arias Sanchez
Muhammad Yunus
Jose Ramos-Horta
I have added Father Trevor Huddlestone (See separate entry)
Plus information about anti-apartheid in South Africa
There are many articles written about the Hebrew word ‘Yahweh/Jehovah’ which in English translates into LORD.
I have chosen 3 ( one twice).
I found the article by Danielle Bernock particularly interesting. I have repeated the first double page in bolder print .She includes Biblical references.
She looks at many of the other words which can be related to God in the scriptures and obviously includes Jesus who is given various wonderful names in both the O.T. and N.T…
There are 6-9 definitions for Yahweh/Jehovah .
The second set showing 16 names includes pronunciation. .
The third set gives both pronunciation plus Biblical verses and references.
I hope these prove useful.
Source
Wikipedia
Henry Townsend (1815-1886) was an Anglican missionary in Nigeria. He was ordained in 1842 and he then set off for Sierra Leone. After working there for only a few months he was transferred to the Yoruba Mission.
He celebrated Christmas Day, 1843, in Badagry sharing the Gospel with Thomas Birch Freeman in who was the first European to enter Abeokuta.
From 1846-67 -twenty- one years - he based his mission in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Working with Samuel Crowther, a Yoruba Anglican priest, He wrote several hymns in Yoruba and helped in the compilation of Crowther’s Yoruba primer.
In 1858 he published a Yoruba newspaper - it was the first bilingual paper in Nigeria. Paper finished in 1866 but is said to have stated off the print media in Nigeria.
From 1971-2 Henry and his wife were co-principals of CMS Female Institution Lagos, Nigeria.
Henry retired in 1876. He died 10 years later in 1886.
Saint Dunstan was an English bishop. e was successively Abbott of Glastonbury Abbey, Bishop of Worcester, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised.
His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English church. He was both an artist and a scribe and was skilled in making pictures and forming letters as were other clergy of his age who reached senior rank.
He served as an important minister of state, including ‘prime minister’, to several English kings in the 10th century- Kings AEthelstan, Edmund, Eadred, Eadwig, Edgar. Edward and . AEthelred the Unready. He officiated at the coronation of King Edgar.
He was the most popular saint in England for nearly 2 centuries having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness.
He lived to the age of 79.
His final word are reported to be He hath made the remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: he hath given food to them that fear him.
Source
Wikipedia
John was a British Baptist Nonconformist minister and politician who became famous as the advocate of passive resistance to the Education Act of 1902.
In 1858 he was called to the Praed Street chapel in Paddington, London.
Whilst there he went to the university of London gaining 4 degrees (BA, BS, MA and BL 1859-66)
At the Praed Street chapel he gradually obtained a large following and in 1877 Westbourne Park was opened. He became a preacher , writer, propagandist and an ardent Liberal politician, he became a power in the Nonconformist body
He held a number of important Nonconformist roles
1879 president of the London Baptist Association
1888 & 1899 president of the Baptist
1898 president of the National Council of Evangelical Churches
1899 became a prominent campaigner against the Boer War
president of the Stop the War Committee.
1902 Education Act. John was the chief leader of the passive resistant movement.
1906 January - had a share in the defeat of the Unionist Government Efforts now directed to getting a new act which should be
nondenominational.
In 1883 rewarded an honorary DD by Bates College, USA, and then known as Dr Clifford
Martin was an eminent second generation German, Evangelical Lutheran, Christian theologian, and a protestant reformer, churchman and confessor.
He studied under Martin Luther at the University of Wittenberg , Germany. After Luther death (1546) he transfered to the University of Konigsberg (1547-8). A plague caused him to move swiftly to Saafeld.
Returned to Konigsberg (1550) to be employed by Albert, Duke of Prussia as the the court librarian.He now applied himself to theological studies with unrestricted access to what was considered one of the finest libraries in Europe.
1553 returned to Wittenberg where he joined the University faculty.in 1554.
1554 ordained and became co-adjutor of Joachim Morlin.
1567 took over as ecclesiastical superintendent when Morlin resigned.
1575/6 helped establish University of Helmstedt.
1577 Formula of Concord - one of the primary authors
1580 Book of Concord:Confessions of the Evangegelical Lutheran Church
instrumental in publication
? Examination of the Council of Trent and On the Two natures of Christ
1586 held post for 19 years, until he died.
His works demonstrate his ability as a biblical, doctrinal and historical theologian in the orthodox Lutheran tradition.
Martin died in Braunschweig aged 65.
In the Evangelical Lutheran tradition he is known as Alter Martinus - the Second Martin.
Source
Wikipedia
Thomas was a Scottish minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Free Church of Scotland and the Church of England. He has been called* Scotland’s greatest 19th century churchman*.
Aged 11 he attended the University of St. Andrews studying mathematics.
January 1799 he was licensed as a preacher.
May, 1803, following further courses of lectures, he was ordained as minister of Kilmany and acted as assistant to the professor of mathematics at St. Andrews.
His mathematics lectures roused enthusiasm but were discontinued by the authorities.so he opened mathematical classes of his own which attracted many students. Also gave lectures on Chemistry. and administered his parish.
1805 unsuccessful in application for professorship in mathematics at University of Edinburgh.
1815 became minister of the Tron church in Glasgow.
His reputation as preacher in Glasgow spread through out the UK.
Read paragraph on Parochial Work.
1823 he accepted the chair of moral philosophy at the University of
St. Andrews.
1828 he was transferred to the chair of Theology at the University of Edinburgh.
1834 he became leader and chairman of the evangelical section of the Scottish Church in the General Assembly which stood for ‘non-intrusionism’
( definition - no minister should be intruded into any parish contrary to the will of the congregation) Also elected fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
1835-41 he served as Vice-president f the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
1840 unsuccessfully applied for chair of Divinity at the University of Glasgow.
Thomas made a number of appeals as leader and by 1841 , 7 years later when he resigned as convener, £300, 000 had been contributed and 220 new churches built.
1844 he announced a church extension campaign for new building.
1846 became first principal of the Divinity Hall of the Free Church of Scotland.
On Friday,28th May 1847 he returned to his house at Church Hill. On the Saturday he prepared a report and continued in his usual health and spirits and retired to rest. He died on the Sunday. He was discovered lying dead in bed.
His academic years resulted in a prolific literature of various kinds: his writings filled more than 30 volumes.
The Thomas Chalmers Centre in Kirkliston is named after him.
Thomas Chalmers has been correctly called Scotland’s greatest nineteenth century churchman. He was also an outstanding mathematician.
Source
Wikipedia
Robert E. Nicholas was a twentieth century Saint Nicholas. He was a successful businessman who used his wealth to help others .Combining wealth and consecration he generously donated funds, usually anonymously to churches, philanthropic activities and mission agencies.
He contributed money towards the building of Wheaton College. In 1967 the library was named after him.
In V. Raymond Edman’s book They found the Secret, chapter fourteen entitled ‘The Satisfying Life’ we find that God had an appointment with Him. (See and read pages 122-125 ).
R.E., as he was called, found his Model ‘T’ would only go in one direction! He missed a train and ended up going back to a church he had tried to avoid! He had to hear the wonderful sermon by Dr, W. B. Riley about the Second Coming of Christ.
He began to learn that ’ our disappointments are God’s appointments.’ When he returned home his wife immediately noticed a change. In a few words he gave his testimony. Together they knelt in prayer and she also realised the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
For 10 years he was president of the building and loan association. He helped to such a degree, during the depression, that they pulled though without a single default.
Alfred Howard Carter, better known as Howard Carter, was a pioneer in the Pentecostal Christian faith.
Howard was born in Birmingham, England.
He took over England’s first Pentecostal Bible School. In 1913 an organization known as the Crown Mission began in the city. He became the leader of the group. 1916 he became involved in a a second Pentecostal work and had to quit his regular work to maintain leadership of the two churches.
WW1. In 1916 as a minister he should have been exempt from military service
but he was not a minister of a recognized denomination. Refusing to enter the military he spent 2 years in Wormwood Scrubbs prison. While there he focused on the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. His book Questions and Answers on Spiritual Gifts came later.
Released from prison he returned to Birmingham to pioneer a church called the People’s Hall
Later, in London with 5 other Pentecostals, the young Howard interpreted a message in tongues. *Gather my people from the North, South , East and West and build for me.
That night he received £2,500 from a business man - who had not paid his tithe- this launched him into a worldwide apostolic ministry.
In 1921 he temporarily took over the leadership of Hampstead Bible School - he stayed for 27 years. Under his leadership they purchased a nearby house and 2 more Bible schools were opened. ))
On 1st February 1924 he was 1 of 13 who signed the founding documents of the Assemblies of God. He served on the General Council as vice-chairman 1929-34 and as chairman 1934-45.
On 18th December 1831 Howard prayed for a companion. On the same day Lester Sumrall had a vision of multitudes going to hell if he did not help them.
In 1934 Howard was invited to minister at 2 camp meetings in the USA. This developed into a world tour of 60,000 miles. In the USA he met 17 year old Lester Sumrall.
They caught up with each other in Australia several years later Together they did the world tour, which included China, visiting many of Howard’s former Bible school students. The tour ended with Howard suffering with malaria on a bed in Amsterdam. Chronicled in ‘When Time Flew By’ by Lester Sumrall.
In 1948 Howard handed the Hampstead Bible School over to George Newsholme.
In 1952 at the 3rd World Pentecostal Conference in London, Wesley Steelberg, the Superintendent, died unexpectedly. In 1955 Howard married Ruth, the widow of Steelberg. They embarked on a 2 year world tour.
From 1965-7 They helped Howard’s John at the Bible School in Kenley, South London.
Ruth’s health began to wane and they moved to Springfield, Missouri. They ministered together until Howard, aged 80, died on 22nd January, 1971
The memorial service was held in London. Lester, unable to attend due due to a snowstorm, said *Howard had faith in me and launched me out on God.
*a man of great personality, genius, faith and the Spirit *
Sources
HC Mentors L S
wikipedia