Community Churches

Some people think God made us.

Some people have a different name for God.

When people talk to God it is called praying.

A church is a place where people go to pray.

Some people pray in a temple or mosque.

Many people believe that there is a powerful spirit who made the planets and sky and stars, and also all living things.  There are lots of different groups of people who believe in God, and each group is a religion.  People who also believe in Jesus are called Christians. There are other groups of people who call God by a different name or who do not believe in Jesus.

People in a community go to pray, or to talk to God, and give thanks or ask for things in a special building called a church, temple, or mosque (say mosk).

photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

Each Christian religion has its own churches.  Some are very big, others are quite small. Each group’s most important church is called a cathedral. Sometimes churches look a bit different in different countries. For example, in Russia the churches are famous for their colourful onion-shaped domes.

photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

There are many religions that are not Christian.

In the Jewish religion, people believe in God but not in Jesus. They pray in a synagogue (say sin-uh-gog).

When men and boys go inside the synagogue they must wear a small hat and when they pray they put on a special shawl over their shoulders.

photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

People who follow the religion Islam are called Muslims. Their name for god is Allah (say ar-luh), and they pray in a mosque.  Muslims have 6 prayer times each day. They go to the mosque at those times or else stop what they are doing to pray. When they pray, Muslims face the direction of Mecca, their holy city.  Some Muslim women and girls choose to wear a scarf called a hajib (say har-jeeb) that covers their head and neck.

A Malaysian Muslim woman - photograph © [2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

Some people are Buddhists. They follow the way of life that was taught by Buddha (it sounds like good-uh) many hundreds of years ago.

Buddhists respect all living things including animals and insects so they eat only vegetables. 
Buddhists pray in a temple.

A small Buddhist temple in China-photograph ©[2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

Some people follow the Hindu (say hin-doo) religion, which has more than one god. Hindus pray on their own, repeating the names of their favourite gods and goddesses. They give gifts of flowers, fruit or lit candles to the god they are praying to.

Hindus pray in a temple or in a special place called a shrine that they make in their home.

The Hindu goddess Lakshmi-photograph ©[2007] Jupiterimages Corporation

If you use any part of this in your own work, list it in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham, S. & Thomas, R. Community Churches [online] kidcyber.com.au (2010)