Just Teach Sheet – Adult January Week 3 – 2026

Adult Formation – Just Teach Sheet (Layered)
January Week 3 (2026)
Theme: Baptism and New Life in Christ
Focus: Belonging to the Church – Identity, Communion, and Responsibility
Audience: Adults (practising, returning, catechists, serious learners)

Weekly Goal

To understand that Baptism incorporates us into Christ and into His Church.
Christian faith is not private spirituality; it is ecclesial belonging that shapes identity, prayer, moral life, and mission.

What You’ll Need

This sheet
A Bible
Quiet time for reflection

Opening Prayer (Daily)

Lord Jesus Christ,
You did not save me alone.
You joined me to Your Body, the Church.
Teach me to belong fully,
to love truthfully,
and to live responsibly within Your people.
Amen.

Day 1 – God Does Not Save Us Alone

Core Teaching

From the beginning, God gathers a people.
Salvation in Scripture is never purely individual.

1 Corinthians 12:27
“You are the Body of Christ.”

To belong to Christ is to belong to His Body.
The Church is not an optional extra to faith; it is part of God’s saving plan.

Reflection

Do I treat faith as something private rather than shared?

Practice

Thank God today for one concrete way the Church has supported your faith.

Deepening (Optional)

The Church is communio: a real participation in Christ’s life, not a voluntary association.
This guards faith from becoming self-designed spirituality.

Day 2 – Baptism Incorporates Us into the Church

Core Teaching

Baptism does two things at once:
it unites us to Christ and incorporates us into the Church.

Romans 12:5
“We are one body in Christ.”

Belonging to the Church is sacramental, not merely social.

Reflection

Do I see myself as a member, or as a consumer?

Practice

Pray for your parish community by name today.

Deepening (Optional)

Incorporation is ontological: Baptism establishes a permanent ecclesial identity.
This is why faith cannot be reduced to “me and God.”

Day 3 – One Body, Many Members

Core Teaching

The Church is not uniform.
Unity does not mean sameness.

1 Corinthians 12:18
“God arranged the members… as He chose.”

Each baptised person matters and has a place, even when unseen.

Reflection

Where do I compare myself to others rather than serve faithfully?

Practice

Offer one hidden act of service this week.

Deepening (Optional)

Difference in the Church is ordered to communion, not competition.
This protects unity without erasing vocation.

Day 4 – Belonging Brings Responsibility

Core Teaching

Belonging to the Church brings real obligations:
truthfulness, charity, perseverance, and mutual care.

Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other’s burdens.”

Christian freedom is lived within responsibility to others.

Reflection

Where do I withdraw when belonging becomes costly?

Practice

Reach out to someone in difficulty or isolation this week.

Deepening (Optional)

Ecclesial responsibility flows from Baptism, not from roles or titles.
Mission belongs to all the baptised.

Day 5 – Living Ecclesial Faith in the World

Core Teaching

Belonging to the Church shapes daily life:
family, work, speech, online presence, moral choices.

Matthew 5:14
“You are the light of the world.”

Faith is not confined to worship; it is carried into the world through the Church’s members.

Reflection

Where does my public life fail to reflect my ecclesial belonging?

Practice

Choose one concrete way to live your faith publicly and charitably this week.

Deepening (Optional)

The Church is missionary by nature.
Ecclesial belonging necessarily tends outward toward witness.

Weekend Synthesis

Core truths
God saves a people, not isolated individuals.
Baptism incorporates us into the Church.
Unity includes difference.
Belonging entails responsibility.
Faith is lived ecclesially in the world.

Apologetics and Clarifications

“Isn’t faith just between me and God?”
Christian faith is personal, but never private.

“What if the Church disappoints me?”
Human weakness does not nullify Christ’s gift.

“Do ordinary members really matter?”
Yes. The Church is built from the baptised, not spectators.

Catechism References

CCC 751–752 – The Church as God’s people
CCC 781 – The Church as family
CCC 1267 – Baptism incorporates us into the Church
CCC 871–873 – Vocation of the laity
CCC 2179 – Parish life and belonging

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
You have joined me to Your Body, the Church.
Teach me to belong with humility,
to serve with generosity,
and to live my faith faithfully
for the good of others and the glory of God.
Amen.