Frequently Asked Questions

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1. Why should Christians be doing this?

Because of our understanding of God:

We begin with the understanding of God as creator. Every aspect of life on earth begins, and finds its fulfilment in God. Each individual is uniquely made by God, and made in his image. Every human being therefore has an innate spirituality which they may ignore or seek to develop, and which is continuously influenced for good or ill by other people and by personal experiences.

God not only made all things but reaches out to his creation in love, seeking to bring them into the perfect relationship of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is seen supremely in his act of incarnation. Through Christ God both knows us, our nature and condition, and can be known. Through Christ's death and resurrection God made it possible for every one to brought back into right relationship with him.

For Christians Jesus is the model of perfect godly humanity; a model the church, as the body of Christ, seeks to follow. It is Christ the teacher who therefore inspires Christians to teach people about what they and others have learnt of God. It is Christ the Good Shepherd who calls us to offer pastoral care to individuals and institutions in our community. It is Christ the servant king who invites those who follow him to be the servant of others.

It is this Christian view of the world, expressed in a rich diversity of traditions, which the churches wish to express in their work with local schools. Although holding different beliefs the churches recognise that there are points of contact, connection and common concern between them and other faith communities. They want to work in ways that are sensitive to those faith communities, and to people who make no formal profession of faith. They consider it important to be open to the critical evaluation of all aspects of faith and belief.

2. Why work in Partnership with other faiths?

• Schools uniquely reflect the range of beliefs held in our communities. In such a context every person's beliefs need to be given respect. The educational process seeks to draw out the diversity of belief whilst giving a special place to Christian faith.
• To express Christian faith in this context we need to engage fully with this multi-faith dimension, giving value to shared beliefs, constructively highlighting diversity, facilitating both a helpful exploration of the beliefs of other major religions alongside our own. It is only by doing so that Christianity will be modelled, understood and given value by pupils of other faiths and no faith.
• In some communities schools are reluctant to be seen to work more closely with one faith community than another. Encouraging other faith communities to take part in RE and collective worship will meet these concerns and enhance the quality of RE and collective worship on offer.
• Working together in this context may be part of a wider move to develop positive relationships between faith groups in order to build healthier local communities.

The challenge for the Christian Church is to be engaged with other expressions of faith. If taken up this challenge offers dynamic possibilities for pupils to encounter people who have faith.