Christianity Practises key terms

worship

acts of religious praise, honour or devotion

liturgical worship

a church service that follows a set structure or ritual

non-liturgical worship

a service that does not follow a set text or ritual

informal worship

a type of non-liturgical worship, sometimes 'spontaneous' or 'charismatic' in nature

private worship

when a believer praises or honours God on his or her own

prayer

communicating with God, either silently or through words of praise, thanksgiving or confession, or requests for God's help or guidance

set prayers

prayers that have been written down and said more than once by more than one person, for example the Lord's Prayer

informal prayer

prayer that is made up by an individual using his or her own words

Nonconformist

an English Protestant who does not conform to the doctrines or practises of the established Church of England

the Lord's Prayer

the prayer taught to the disciples by Jesus; also known as the 'Our Father'

sacraments

rites and rituals through which the believer receives a special gift of grace; for Catholics, Anglicans and many Protestants, sacraments are 'outward signs' of 'inward grace'

baptism

the ritual through which people become members of the Church; baptism involves the use of water as a symbol of the washing away of sin

believers' baptism

initiation into the Church, by immersion in water, of people old enough to understand the ceremony/rite and willing to live a Christian life

infant baptism

the ritual through which babies and young children become members of the Church, where promises are taken on their behalf by adults; the infant is free from sin and introduced to the saving love of God and the support of the Christian community

Holy Communion (Eucharist)

a service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine; also called Eucharist, Mass, the Lord's Supper, the Breaking of Bread, and the Divine Liturgy

Eucharist

from a Greek word meaning 'thanksgiving'; a service of thanksgiving in which the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated using bread and wine

pilgrimage

a journey by a believer to a holy site for religious reasons; pilgrimage is itself an act of worship and devotion

festivals

a day or period of celebration for religious reasons

Christmas

the day commemorating the incarnation, the birth of Jesus; also the season of 12 days ending with the Epiphany (when Christians remember the visit of the wise men)

Easter

the religious season celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead; it starts on Easter Day and finishes with the feast of Pentecost

Church

1. the holy people of God, also called the Body of Christ, among whom Christ is present and active. 2. a building in which Christians worship

agape

a word used in the Bible that describes selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love

mission

the vocation or calling of a religious organisation or individual to go out into the world and spread their faith

The Great Commission

Jesus' instruction to his followers that they should spread his teachings to all the nations of the world

missionary

a person sent on a religious mission, especially to promote Christianity in a foreign country through preaching or charitable work

evangelism

spreading the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness

convert

someone who has decided to become commited to a religion and change his or her religious faith

reconciliation

a sacrament in the Catholic Church; also, the restoring of harmony after relationships have been broken down

persecution

hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race, or political or religious beliefs