Class: Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS 1 / JS1)
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 10
Age: 12 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Christian Religion Studies
Curriculum Theme: Christian Religion Studies
Previous Lesson: Identification of the Names of Community Leaders in Relationship in the Church and Community.
Topic: RELATIONSHIP IN THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY CONT
Subject Matter: Relationship in the church love your Christian brothers and sister Rom 12: 9-21 maintain relationship in the church 1pet 3:8-13, Rom 13:1-7

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain:

Identify biblical passages that teach about relationships in the church and community.
Explain the importance of showing love to Christian brothers and sisters.
List ways to maintain good relationships in the church and community.

Affective Domain:

Appreciate the need to demonstrate genuine love and peace towards others.
Desire to build and maintain harmonious relationships with fellow believers and community members.

Psychomotor Domain:

Practice showing kindness, hospitality, and respect to those around them.
Relate biblical teachings to their daily interactions within the church and community.

Interact respectfully and constructively with peers and adults in group activities.
Collaborate in discussions about how to apply biblical principles of relationship.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
State Unified Scheme of Work
Christian Religious Knowledge for Junior Secondary Schools 1
The Holy Bible (NIV/KJV)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

The Holy Bible
Charts showing examples of good relationships and community interactions
Pictures depicting Christian fellowship and community service

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps pupils understand how to build and maintain positive relationships within the church and wider community, guided by biblical principles. It enables them to apply teachings on love, respect, and submission to authority in their daily lives, fostering a peaceful and supportive environment.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils have prior knowledge of basic Christian teachings and the importance of living in harmony with others in their immediate environment.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Relationship in the Church and Community

Introduction to Relationships

Good relationships are important for peace and growth in both the church and the wider community. The Bible teaches us how to relate to one another with love and respect.

Love Your Christian Brothers and Sisters (Romans 12:9-21)

The Apostle Paul teaches believers how to express genuine love within the Christian community. This love should be sincere and practical.

Key aspects of love from Romans 12:9-21:

Love must be sincere; hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need; practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.
If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Maintaining Relationships in the Church (1 Peter 3:8-13)

Peter encourages believers to live in unity and harmony, showing compassion and love to one another.

Ways to maintain relationships from 1 Peter 3:8-13:

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing.
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.”
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

Respect for Authority in the Community (Romans 13:1-7)

The Bible also teaches us to respect and obey those in authority, as their authority comes from God.

Key teachings from Romans 13:1-7:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.
Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Memory Verse

Romans 12:10 – “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Bible Reading

Romans 12:9-21
1 Peter 3:8-13
Romans 13:1-7

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Lecture, Demonstration, Question and Answer, Visual Aids

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Set Induction
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils, reviews the previous lesson briefly, and introduces the topic by asking pupils about the importance of getting along with others in church and school.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to greetings, recall the previous lesson, and share their thoughts on relationships.
Learning Point: Pupils are prepared for the new lesson and connect it to their experiences.

Step 2: Explanation of Love in the Church (Romans 12:9-21)

Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the concept of genuine love among Christian brothers and sisters as outlined in Romans 12:9-21, emphasizing practical ways to show love, such as sharing, hospitality, and blessing others.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask questions for clarification, and participate in a short discussion on the meaning of genuine love.
Learning Point: Pupils understand the biblical teaching on loving fellow Christians.

Step 3: Bible Reading and Discussion (Romans 12:9-21)

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Reading/Interpretation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils to read Romans 12:9-21 from their Bibles and discusses key phrases, asking them to identify practical applications.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read the scripture passage and contribute to the discussion by identifying how they can apply the teachings.
Learning Point: Pupils gain deeper insight into the scripture and its application.

Step 4: Maintaining Relationships (1 Peter 3:8-13)

Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains further how to maintain good relationships in the church and community using 1 Peter 3:8-13, focusing on being sympathetic, compassionate, humble, and not repaying evil for evil.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, take notes, and share examples of how they can apply these principles in their daily interactions.
Learning Point: Pupils learn practical ways to maintain peaceful and loving relationships.

Step 5: Bible Reading and Discussion (1 Peter 3:8-13)

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Reading/Interpretation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads pupils in reading 1 Peter 3:8-13 and facilitates a brief discussion on how these verses promote harmony and peace.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils read the scripture and discuss the importance of showing sympathy and humility to others.
Learning Point: Pupils connect the teachings to the importance of unity.

Step 6: Respect for Authority (Romans 13:1-7)

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Questioning
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the biblical teaching on respecting and submitting to governing authorities as found in Romans 13:1-7, emphasizing that all authority is established by God.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and ask questions about the importance of obeying rules and respecting leaders in their community and school.
Learning Point: Pupils understand their civic responsibilities from a biblical perspective.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

Mention three ways to show love to your Christian brothers and sisters according to Romans 12:9-21.
According to 1 Peter 3:8, what attitudes should Christians have towards one another?
Why does Romans 13:1-7 teach us to obey governing authorities?
Recite the memory verse (Romans 12:10).

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Summarization/Assignment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarizes the main points of the lesson, reiterating the importance of love, peace, and respect for authority in the church and community. The teacher then assigns homework.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen to the summary and copy down the homework.
Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their learning and prepare for further study.

Home Task: Write three lessons learned about RELATIONSHIP IN THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY CONT and one suitable way to apply the teaching responsibly.

Lesson Keywords

Relationship – The way in which two or more people or things are connected.
Church – A building used for public Christian worship, or the entire body of Christian believers.
Community – A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
Love – An intense feeling of deep affection. In Christian context, selfless concern for others.
Authority – The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
Submission – The action of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.
Sympathy – Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else’s misfortune.

Differentiation

For pupils who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can encourage them to find more biblical examples of good relationships. For pupils needing more support, the teacher will use simpler language and provide direct examples to illustrate the biblical principles.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Encourage pupils to share real-life examples of how they can apply these biblical principles in their homes, schools, and communities. Emphasize that practicing these teachings leads to a more peaceful and fulfilling life. A brief role-play activity demonstrating good and bad relationships could be integrated if time permits.