A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal
worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing
seventh-day Sabbatarianism. The church service is the gathering together of Christians to be taught the "Word of God" (the
Christian Bible) and encouraged in their
faith. Technically, the "church" in "church service" refers to the
gathering of the faithful rather than to the
building in which it takes place. In most Christian traditions, services are presided over by
clergy wherever possible.
Styles of service vary greatly, from the
Anglican,
Eastern Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox,
Presbyterian,
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
, and
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...
traditions of
liturgical worship to the
evangelical Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
style, that often combines worship with teaching for the believers, which may also have an evangelistic component appealing to the non-Christians or skeptics in the congregation.
Quakers and some other groups have no formal outline to their services, but allow the worship to develop as the participants present feel moved.
The majority of Christian denominations hold church services on the
Lord's Day (with many offering Sunday morning and Sunday evening services); a number of traditions have mid-week Wednesday evening services as well. In some Christian denominations, church services are held daily, with these including those in which the
canonical hours are prayed, as well as the offering of the
Mass, among other forms of worship.
In addition to this, many Christians
attend services on holy days such as
Christmas,
Ash Wednesday,
Good Friday,
Ascension Thursday
The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, also called Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (i.e., shared by ...
, among others depending on the Christian denomination.
History
The worship service is a practice of Christian life that has its origins in the
Jewish worship.
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
and
Paul of Tarsus taught a new form of worship of God. As recorded in the
gospels,
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
met together with His disciples to share teachings, discuss topics, pray, and sing hymns.
The holding of church services pertains to the observance of the
Lord's Day in Christianity.
The
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
has a precedent for a pattern of morning and evening worship that has given rise to Sunday morning and Sunday evening services of worship held in the churches of many Christian denominations today, a "structure to help families sanctify the Lord’s Day."
In and , "God commanded the daily offerings in the tabernacle to be made once in the morning and then again at twilight".
In
Psalm 92, which is a prayer concerning the observance of the Sabbath, the prophet David writes "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night" (cf. ).
Church father
Eusebius of Caesarea thus declared: "For it is surely no small sign of God’s power that throughout the whole world in the churches of God at the morning rising of the sun and at the evening hours, hymns, praises, and truly divine delights are offered to God. God’s delights are indeed the hymns sent up everywhere on earth in his Church at the times of morning and evening."
The first miracle of the
Apostles
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
, the healing of the crippled man on the
temple steps, occurred because
Peter and
John went to the Temple to pray (Acts 3:1). Since the Apostles were originally Jews, see
Jewish Christians, the concept of
fixed prayer times, as well as services therefore which differed from weekday to
Sabbath to holy day, were familiar to them.
Pliny the Younger (63 - ca. 113), who was not a Christian himself, mentions not only
fixed prayer times by believers, but also specific services—other than the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
—assigned to those times: "They met on a stated day before it was light, and addressed a form of prayer to Christ, as to a divinity ... after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble, to eat in common a harmless meal."
The real evolution of the Christian service in the
first century
The 1st century was the century spanning AD 1 ( I) through AD 100 ( C) according to the Julian calendar. It is often written as the or to distinguish it from the 1st century BC (or BCE) which preceded it. The 1st century is considered part of t ...
is shrouded in mystery. By the
second and
third centuries, such
Church Fathers as
Clement of Alexandria,
Origen, and
Tertullian wrote of formalised, regular services: the practice of
Morning and
Evening Prayer, and prayers at the third hour of the day (
terce
Terce is a canonical hour of the Divine Office. It consists mainly of psalms and is held around 9 a.m. Its name comes from Latin and refers to the third hour of the day after dawn. With Sext, None and Compline it belongs to the so-called "Litt ...
), the sixth hour of the day (
sext), and the ninth hour of the day (
none). With reference to the Jewish practices, it is surely no coincidence that these major hours of prayer correspond to the first and last hour of the conventional day, and that on Sundays (corresponding to the
Sabbath in Christianity), the services are more complex and longer (involving twice as many services if one counts the
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
and the afternoon service). Similarly, the liturgical year from
Christmas via
Easter to
Pentecost covers roughly five months, the other seven having no major services linked to the work of Christ. However, this is not to say that the Jewish services were copied or deliberately substituted, see
Supersessionism.
With respect to attire worn at church services, Christians have historically tended to wear
modest clothes (cf. ).
Men have traditionally removed their caps while praying and worshipping, while women have traditionally worn a
headcovering while praying and worshipping (cf. ).
These practices continue to be normative in certain churches, congregations, and denominations, as well as in particular parts of the world, such as in
Eastern Europe and in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...
, while in the West, attention to these observances has waned generally (apart from those denominations that continue to require them, such as
Conservative Anabaptist churches).
In many
nondenominational Christian churches, it may be customary, depending on the locality, for people to be dressed casually.
Contemporary church services
Contemporary worship services have their origins in the
Jesus Movement of the 1960s. In the 1980s and 1990s,
contemporary Christian music, comprising a variety of musical styles, such as
Christian rock and
Christian hip-hop
Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...
was adopted by evangelical churches.
[Suzel Ana Reily, Jonathan M. Dueck, ''The Oxford Handbook of Music and World Christianities'', Oxford University Press, USA, 2016, p. 443][Mathew Guest, ''Evangelical Identity and Contemporary Culture: A Congregational Study in Innovation'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2007, p. 42][Don Cusic, ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship: Pop, Rock, and Worship'', ABC-CLIO, USA, 2009, p. 85-86] Over the years, the
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
s have been replaced by
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
s,
electric guitars and
drums. These contemporary worship services feature a
sermon based on the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
.
Worship service in
Evangelical churches is seen as an act of God's worship. It is usually run by a Christian
pastor. It usually contains two main parts, the
praise (
Christian music) and the
sermon, with periodically the
Lord's Supper
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institut ...
.
During worship there is usually a
nursery for babies.
[Greg Dickinson, ''Suburban Dreams: Imagining and Building the Good Life'', University of Alabama Press, USA, 2015, p. 144] Prior to the worship service, adults, children and young people receive an adapted education,
Sunday school, in a separate room.
[Jeanne Halgren Kilde, ''When Church Became Theatre: The Transformation of Evangelical Architecture and Worship in Nineteenth-century America'', Oxford University Press, USA, 2005, p. 159, 170, 188]
With the 1960s'
charismatic movement, a new conception of
praise in worship, such as clapping and raising hands as a sign of worship, took place in many evangelical denominations.
In the 1980s and 1990s,
contemporary Christian music, including a wide variety of musical styles, such as
Christian Rock and
Christian Hip Hop
Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...
, appeared in the
praise.
In the 2000s and 2010s, digital technologies were integrated into worship services, such as the
video projectors for broadcasting
praise lyrics or video, on big screens. The use of social media such as
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
and
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...
to retransmit live or delayed worship services, by Internet, has also spread. The
offering
Offering may refer to:
In religion
* A religious offering or sacrifice
* Alms, voluntary gifts to others, especially poor people, as an act of virtue
* Tithe, the tenth part of something, such as income, paid to a religious organization or gover ...
via Internet has become a common practice in several churches.
[Michael Gryboski]
Millennial-Majority Churches Detail Challenges, Success Stories in Growth and Finances
christianpost.com, USA, June 18, 2018[Ghana News Agency]
Asoriba launches church management software
businessghana.com, Ghana, February 3, 2017
In some churches, a special moment is reserved for
faith healing
Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healin ...
with
laying on of hands during worship services. Faith healing or divine healing is considered a legacy of
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
acquired by his death and resurrection.
The taking up of
tithes and
offerings (gifts made beyond the tithe) is a normative part of the worship services.
The main Christian feasts celebrated by the Evangelicals are
Christmas,
Pentecost, and
Easter for all believers, among others depending on
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is a distinct Religion, religious body within Christianity that comprises all Church (congregation), church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadersh ...
s (cf.
evangelical feasts).
Quaker Meeting for Worship
''
Quakers'' (the Religious Society of Friends), like other
Nonconformist Protestant denominations, distinguish between a
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chri ...
, which is a body of people who believe in Christ, and a '
meeting house' or '
chapel', which is a building where the church meets.
Quakers have both unprogrammed and programmed Meetings for Worship. Unprogrammed worship is based on waiting in silence and inward listening to the Spirit, from which any participant may share a message. In unprogrammed meetings for worship, someone speaks when that person feels that God/Spirit/the universe has given them a message for others. Programmed worship includes many elements similar to Protestant services, such as a sermon and hymns. Many programmed meetings also include a time during the service for silent, expectant waiting and messages from the participants.
Common features
Vocal music is traditionally sung by a
choir or the
congregation
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship.
Congregation may also refer to:
*Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship
*Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...
(or a mixture of the two), usually accompanied by an
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
. Sometimes other instruments such as piano, classical instruments, or modern band instruments may be part of the service, especially in churches influenced by the
contemporary worship movement. Some churches are equipped with state-of-the-art
multi-media equipment to add to the worship experience. The congregation may sing along in
hymnals or words to hymns and worship songs may be displayed on a screen. More liturgical denominations may have the words to specific prayers written in a
missalette or
prayer book
A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them ar ...
, which the congregation follows.
Though the majority of services are still conducted in church buildings designed specifically for that purpose, some services take place in "store front" or temporary settings.
[Helmuth Berking, Silke Steets, Jochen Schwenk, ''Religious Pluralism and the City: Inquiries into Postsecular Urbanism'', Bloomsbury Publishing, UK, 2018, p. 78][George Thomas Kurian, Mark A. Lamport, ''Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, Volume 5'', Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2016, p. 1359] For those unable to attend a service in a church building a burgeoning
televangelism and radio ministry provides broadcasts of services. A number of websites have been set up as "cyber-churches" to provide a virtual worship space free to anyone on the internet.
Church services are often planned and led by a single pastor or a small group of
elders or may follow a format laid out by the dictates of the denomination. Some churches are "lay led" with members of the congregation taking turns guiding the service or simply following format that has evolved over time between the active members. But most commonly, the pastor will preach a sermon (which may cover a specific topic, or as part of a book of the Bible which is being covered over a period of time). Depending on the church, a public invitation follows whereby people are encouraged to become Christians, present themselves as candidates for baptism or to join the congregation (if members elsewhere), or for other purposes.
A few begin their church services with the ringing of a
bell (or a
number of bells); a current trend is to have an introductory video which serves as a "countdown" to the beginning of the service. The service usually involves the singing of
hymns, reading of
scripture verses and possibly a
psalm, and a
sermon. If the church follows a
lectionary, the sermon will often be about the scripture
lections assigned to that day.
Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
ic churches have usually
Holy Communion either every Sunday or several Sundays a month. Less liturgical congregations tend to place a greater emphasis on the sermon.
Many churches will take up a collection of money (
offertory) during the service. The rationale for this is taken from , , and . But some churches eschew this practice in favor of voluntary anonymous donations for which a box or plate may be set up by the entrance, or return-address envelopes may be provided that worshippers may take with them. Offering through the Internet has become a common practice in many evangelical churches.
On occasion, some churches will also arrange a second collection, typically occurring after Communion, for a specific good cause or purpose.
Some churches offer
Sunday school classes.
These will often be for younger children, and may take place during the whole of the service (while the adults are in church), or the children may be present for the beginning of the service and at a prearranged point leave the service to go to Sunday school. Some churches have adult Sunday school either before or after the main worship service.
Following the service, there will often be an opportunity for fellowship in the
church hall
A church hall or parish hall is a room or building associated with a church, generally for community and charitable use. or other convenient place. This provides the members of the congregation a chance to socialize with each other and to greet visitors or new members. Coffee or other refreshments may be served.
Types of church service
Church services take many forms, and set liturgies may have different names. Services typically include:
*Regular Sunday services. These are a part of most traditions.
Holy Communion may be celebrated at some or all of these; often it is included either once a month or once a quarter. A few denominations have their main weekly services on Saturday rather than Sunday. Larger churches often tend to have several services each Sunday; often two or three in the morning and one or two in the late afternoon or evening, as well as on Saturdays. Some churches have begun to provide religious services conducted through internet technology, for benefit of those who cannot attend for health or other reasons, or who may want to preview the church before attending in person.
*Midweek services. Again, Holy Communion can be part of these, either on every occasion or on a regular basis.
*Holiday services. Treated like a regular Sunday service, but made more specific for the day.
*
Weddings. These are normally separate services, rather than being incorporated into a regular service, but may be either.
*
Funerals. These are always separate services.
*
Baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
s. These may be incorporated into a regular service, or separate.
*
Confirmation. This is normally incorporated into a regular Sunday service, which will also include communion. It was traditionally the
first Communion of the confirmee, but more recently, children are invited to communion in some denominations, whether confirmed or not.
*
Ordination of clergy. New bishops, elders, priests and deacons are usually ordained or installed generally in a solemn but celebratory ceremony on Saturday or Sunday generally open to the public either by their own superior or another approved senior minister with ordination powers either at the area headquarters church or the cathedral or another church agreed upon by those to be ordained and the ordaining ministers. Ordination of bishops or elders may require consecration by more than one individual and have a more limited audience.
*
First Communion. Children may celebrate Communion for the first time.
*Opening of new churches or church buildings.
*Dedication of new
missionaries or those about to be sent on new missions.
Places of worship
Places of worship are usually called "churches" or "
chapels". Some services take place in theaters, schools or multipurpose rooms, rented for Sunday only.
[Annabelle Caillou]
Vivre grâce aux dons et au bénévolat
ledevoir.com, Canada, November 10, 2018
Groups
IFES
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1987. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the organization provides assistance and support for elections and electoral stakeholders in ...
are groups of Evangelical students coming together on campuses in 150 countries around the world to share their ideas on the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...
.
Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International
The Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) is a fellowship of lay businessmen. Its main purpose is to bring interest to the Christian gospel. Theologically, the organization has its roots in Pentecostalism.
The headquarters ...
meetings are held in restaurants or hotels and Christian businessmen talk about their faith.
[Vinson Synan, Amos Yong, ''Global Renewal Christianity: Europe and North America Spirit-Empowered Movements: Past, Present and Future'', Charisma Media, USA, 2017, p. 26]
See also
*
Church attendance
*
Church membership
*
Christian liturgy
*
Canonical hours
**
Compline
*
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate ...
*
Divine Service (Lutheran)
*
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
*
Easter Vigil
*
Mass (liturgy)
Mass is the main Eucharistic liturgy, liturgical service in many forms of Western Christianity. The term ''Mass'' is commonly used in the Catholic Church, in the Western Rite Orthodoxy, Western Rite Orthodox, in Old Catholic Church, Old Cathol ...
*
Morning Prayer (Anglican)
*
Carol service
References
Notes
Citations
External links
*
*
*
Church Service: Nowadays Practice vs. First Century's Practice
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Worship (evangelicalism)
Evangelical ecclesiology
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