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

St. Cecilia lived during the 3rd century AD in Rome, Italy. She is one of the most famous Roman martyrs of the early church and historically most discussed. When she was forced to marry her husband Valerian, a pagan nobleman, she sat apart singing to God - for that she was later declared the saint of musicians. She retained her virginity by telling her husband that an angel of the Lord was watching over her. The husband asked to see the angel. She told him to be baptised by Pope Urban I. After the baptism he saw an angel standing beside her. She suffered martyrdom along with her husband and his brother Tiburtius, at the hands of prefect Turcius Almachius in the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius between 176-180 AD. The legend about her death is that she was struck on the neck by a sword three times and lived for three days. She asked the pope to turn her home into a church. She was later beheaded. Her body when moved in 1599 from the Catacomb of Callixtus to the church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere was found to be still incurrupt, seemingly to be a sleep. Over the years a lot of music has been dedicated to her name by many famous composers - see list enclosed. *A Song for St. Cecilia’s Day * by John Dryden included My source for information was Wikipedia - a very well thought out source. Point of information Cecilia can also be spelt Cecity

50 years after *The Chronicles of Narnia *by C.S. Lewis were published Natalie Gillespie wrote her book Believing In Narnia. Believing in Narnia is the author’s interpretation of and commentary on the C.S. Lewis’s set of 7 books. The author’s audience is meant to be older children/ young teenagers but all those interested in the Christian faith will find the commentary useful and thought provoking. The book has been divided into 7 keys. Key 1 shows the symbols she has used for the book. Key 2 is a two page summary of each of the 7 books - excellent Key 3 looks in detail at many of the good and bad characters (80 pages) Aslan, the lion is compared to the life of Jesus (7 pages) Each of the Pevensie children are given several pages) (see contents page) Key 4 looks at the props and their meaning (36 pages) - excellent Key 5 looks at the places visited (8 pages) Key 6 looks at further reading Key 7 is a brief biography of C.S. Lewis’s life The 7 books make more sense when the commentary is also used. The book gives you the impression that Natalie Gillespie first of all enjoyed reading the books as a child, then enjoyed sharing them with her children. The book is dedicated to Joshua and Justin, two of her children, and there are passages where they ask questions and Natalie gives them an explanation. The opening chapter This Book is for Brave Kids ONLY! (see contents) explains the book beautifully. Other authors have also written about the Chronicles

Classes often have a 'starter' for the day. This can be How many words can you find in _________ On a special Christian festival why not take the name(s) as the starter. This could be looked at 4 ways:- 1. Creating a list. 2. Placing the words in a 3x3 or 4x4 square. 3. Creating a simple crossword with clues. 4. The teacher/parent creating a crossword for the children to solve using the answers given. The starter would be a combining of R.E. with an English spelling exercise.

John Newton loved to go to sea. He had a very eventful early life. He went to sea with his father aged only 11. Aged 18 he was press ganged by the Royal Navy. He became the ‘slave’ of Princess Peye. He eventually became a captain of three slave ships. Whilst a slave trader, on 10th March, 1745, following a very sever storm where his boat nearly sank ,he had a spiritual conversion.He started to read his Bible. He left the slave trade behind in 1755 and became the tide surveyor (tax collector) for the Port of Liverpool. He began to study to become a clergyman. Persistence paid off and eventually in 1764 to become a deacon. William Cowper, the poet, attended his church and together they wrote many hymns - Amazing Grace was one of them. He encouraged the young William Wilberforce to stay in politics. He waited 34 years before he wrote a pamphlet ‘Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade’. He sent a copy to every MP He died in 1807 knowing the British Passage of the Slave Trade act had been passed by parliament. I have included a copy of Amazing Grace, a list of the books he wrote and a word search (answers provided) . The slave trader who became the slave abolitionist and hymn writer. He was also the author of many Christian books.

We celebrate St. Luke, the evangelist, on October 18th. I have found a picture and written a a brief history of St. Luke. I have included the collect for the day. There is also a short crossword and word search -answers provided.

Saint Chad was a prominent Anglo Saxon Churchmen who became abbot of several monasteries. Bishop of Northumbrians and subsequently Bishop of Mercia and the Lindsey people. He was the brother of Cedd who also became a saint. Theodore, the new archbishop of Canterbury, was impressed by Saint Chad’s humility. The Venerable Bede said that the two years Chad worked as bishop in Mercia were decisive in christianising Mercia. Apparently he walked nearly everywhere but was eventually persuaded by Theodore to travel on horseback. Read about how seven days before he died a guest visited him to fore warn him. Saint Chad died during a plague. I have included information about the Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St. Chad in Birmingham. Saint Chad is the patron saint of the Catholic archdiocese of Birmingham. Sources used The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander & catholicireland. Note wikipedia has a great deal of information about him.

The Venerable Bede was born in about 672AD and lived to the age of about 62. At the age of 7 he was entrusted into the care of Benedict Biscop who in 674AD founded the the monastery of St. Peter at Wearmouth. The monastery moved to Jarrow in 682AD where Bede spent the rest of his life. Aged 19 he became a deacon, aged 30 he was promoted to priest. The Venerable Bede, also known as Saint Bede, is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He wrote around 40 books dealing with theology, history. observations on nature, music and poetry. His most famous work is * Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum translated from the Old English means *The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. It was completed in 731 AD and was the first work of history in which the AD system of dating was used. It is still a key source for the understanding of early British history and Christianity. He died in his cell on May 27th, 735AD The inscription on his shrine read Hac sunt fossa Bedae venerablis assa Here are buried the bones of the venerable Bede. He was the first of a long line of great English Historians. Sources used BBC British History * The Church’s Year* by Charles Alexander

Saint John was one of original twelve disciples Jesus chose to be an apostle. He was probably a disciple of John the Baptist first. John along with the other eleven spent a great deal of time with Jesus. He with older brother James and Simon Peter were part of of an inner circle. He is known as the ‘disciple Jesus loved’ because that is how he describes himself in the gospel of John. After Christ’s resurrection he was ‘number two’ to Peter. They are mentioned together on a number of occasions. He is recognised as the author of the Gospel of John, the epistles of John and the book of Revelation. Revelation begins with him saying he is on the island of Patmos ( ch.1 v.10), where it is believed he was being held prisoner for being a follower of Christ. He may have died a martyr. Sources suggest he lived until he was 90+ I have included, in full, all the Biblical references to John. Plus information from Wikipedia and Britannica

Father Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston was an English Anglican bishop, He was the Bishop of Stepney in London before becoming the second Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean. He is best known for his anti-apartheid activism (1956-96) and his book Naught for Your Comfort. He became president of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in 1981. Trevor was born in Bedford, England. He was educated at Lancing College (1927-31), Christ Church Oxford and at Wells Theological College. On Michaelmas. 27th September 1936, he was ordained a deacon. 1937 ordained a priest. Clifford Woodward, Bishop of Bristol presided over both. He served as a curate at St. Mark’s Swindon for 2 years. In 1939 he joined the Community of the Resurrection (CR), an Anglican religious order. September 1940 he sailed to Cape Town. 1941 he took his vows. In 1943 he went to the CR mission station at Rosettenville (Johannesburg, South Africa). His task was to continue the work of Raymond Raynes. Raymond had been nursed back to health by Trevor and recognized him as his successor. Over the next 13 years in Sophiatown he developed into a much loved priest and anti-apartheid activist. His nickname was Makhalipile (dauntless one). In 1949 elected Provincial of CR In 1955 the African national Congress (ANC) bestowed upon him the rare Isitwandwe award in recognition of his anti-apartheid activities. He was particularly concerned about the Nationalist Governments decision to bulldoze Sophiatown. He established the African Children’s Feeding scheme, which still exists. He also raised money for the Orlando Swimming Pools - the only place black children could swim until post 1994. Many South Africans lives were changed by Trevor. He was close to O. R. Tambo, ANC President during his years in exile (1962-90). Together they hosted many conferences, protests and actions. He met a young, ill Desmond Tutu when visiting a hospital. In 1955 he was asked by CR to return to England. He returned in 1956 and published Naught for Your Comfort which was based on his personal experiences in South African anti-apartheid. He worked as the master of novices at CR’s Mirfield house in West Yorkshire for 2 year. He then worked at the Prior in London. 26th June 1959 he and Julius Nyerere(JN) addressed the founding meeting of the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM). He became vice-president (1961-81). Became Bishop of Masasi (Tanzania) where he worked and reorganized the mission schools to be run by the independent government of JN.(1960-8). Back in the UK he became Bishop of Stepney. In 1978, after 10 years in England, he was appointed Bishop of Mauritius and Archbishop of of the Province of the Indian Ocean. April elected president of AAM ( 1981-94) 1995 Patron for Action for Southern Africa (ASA) replaced AAM Knighted 1998 Bishop Trevor of Sophiatown died at Mirfield, West Yorkshire on 20th April 1998. His ashes were taken to Sophiatown. AAM S.A. History Online

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

William was an English official on board the Mayflower in 1620 He was probably born in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire. He studied briefly at Peterhouse, Cambridge before entering the service of William Davison , ambassador to the Netherlands, in1584. He became a Puritan before moving illegally from England to Holland - the departure was a complex matter. They were arrested in 1607 but in 1608 they were successful leaving from the Humber estuary. For the first year they lived in Amsterdam, Holland. After controversy they moved to Leiden. He was first an assistant and later an elder to Pastor John Robinson. He printed and published Puritan religious books and taught English to university students. When the Speedwell sailed to England he was the highest ranked layman of the congregation and was their designated elder for the Plymouth colony. He was also the only pilgrim with political and diplomatic experience. The Mayflower departed Plymouth in England in September 1620. The 100 foot vessel carried 102 passengers and a crew 30/40 in cramped conditions. During the voyage the ship was buffeted by strong winds. After being blown off course by gales it landed first at Cape Cod. It continued on to an area near present day Plymouth, Massachsetts and landed on 21st December 1620. Within months half the passengers had died due to the cold, harsh New England winter. William served as the senior elder and religious leader of the colony until 1629 when pastor Ralph Smith arrived. He continued to preach irregularly until his death on 10th April 1644. 4 of the outer islands now bear his name - Great, Little, Middle and Outer Brewster. Source Wikipedia

William was a Christian minister serving a congregation in Salford, England. In 1800 he established a new congregation in Salford and built the chapel, Christ Church, at his own expense .He founded the Bible Christian Church in 1809. Followers were known as Cowherdites. He was one of the philosophical forerunners of the vegetarian Society founded in 1847. His early ideas and insights into the abstinence from eating meat, provided the basis for early ideas about vegetarianism. On 18th of January 1809 he asked his congregation, during his sermon, to refrain from eating meat. He is credited with being the main figure advocating the theory of vegetarianism. One of the distinct feature of the Bible Christians was a belief in a meat-free ‘vegetable diet’, known today as ovo-lacto vegetarianism, as a form of temperance.

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.

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