Browse A–Z

The invitation to become a Christian by personally trusting and following Jesus — often the closing line of a sermon, a camp talk, or a conversation about faith.

A friend you regularly and honestly tell about your struggles, temptations, and goals, who encourages you and asks hard questions — so you're not fighting alone.

The four weeks before Christmas, kept as a season of waiting and preparation — for the celebration of Jesus' birth and for His return.

The moment at the end of a service when people are invited to come to the front to commit to faith, pray, or ask for help — usually while a song plays.

"Yes" or "I agree" — said at the end of prayers, and in some churches shouted mid-sermon to agree with the preacher.

Specially empowered or set apart by God for a task — and also, literally, having oil placed on one's forehead during prayer.

Making the case for Christian belief with reasons, evidence, and argument. Nothing to do with apologizing.

The first day of Lent, marked by a cross of ashes on the forehead as a sign of repentance and mortality — "remember that you are dust."

Confidence that one truly is saved and forgiven — the settled sense that your standing with God is secure.

How Jesus' death makes things right between God and people. Christians agree it does; they've written libraries on exactly how.

A ceremony in which parents publicly commit to raising their child in the Christian faith and the church promises to help — used by churches that don't baptize infants.

Drifting or falling away from faith and its practice after having committed to it — usually gradual, often temporary.

The water ceremony marking a person's entry into the Christian faith and the church. Some traditions baptize infants by sprinkling or pouring; others baptize believers by full immersion.

The closing blessing spoken over the congregation at the end of a service — often "The Lord bless you and keep you…" — sending people out with God's favor.

Mildly mocking labels for very zealous Christians — "Bible thumper" for the preachy, rule-quoting kind; "holy roller" (originally) for the loud, expressive Pentecostal kind.

Grateful and fortunate — recognizing good things in life as gifts from God rather than luck or achievement.

The church — all Christians together — pictured as one living organism with Jesus as the head and each believer as a part. Also, in Catholic and Orthodox use, the Eucharist itself.

Having become a Christian — described as a spiritual new beginning, from Jesus' words in John 3 that a person must be "born again."

The printed program handed out at the door with the order of service, hymn numbers, announcements, and prayer list — or its modern equivalent on a screen or app.

The opening words of a service — usually a psalm or scripture passage, often read responsively — that gather the congregation and begin worship.

A strong, lasting sense that God wants you to do something specific — a job, a place, a form of service — and that your life is meant for it.

A weekend or week away at a camp or conference center for worship, teaching, and community — for youth in summer, for adults on retreat — where a lot of Christians say their faith became real.

A summary of Christian teaching in question-and-answer form, used to instruct new believers and the young (catechism); and a person being instructed in preparation for baptism (catechumen).

"Universal" — as in the creeds' "holy catholic church," meaning the whole church of all times and places. Not the same as the Roman Catholic Church.

A required worship service at a Christian school or college — usually a few times a week — and also a small church or worship room inside a larger building (a hospital, a university, a mansion).

Living entirely inside Christian culture — Christian school, church, Christian friends, Christian music and media — with little contact with anyone else.

The evening service on December 24 — the best-attended of the year in many churches — with carols, the Christmas story from Luke 2, and, traditionally, "Silent Night" sung by candlelight at the end.

A church's formal process for confronting a member in serious, unrepentant sin — private conversation, then wider involvement, and, if it fails, removal from membership — with the aim of restoring them.

A brand-new church started from scratch — usually by a small team sent out by an established church, meeting in a school, storefront, or home until it grows.

Visiting different churches to find one that fits (shopping); or, moving from church to church without ever settling (hopping) — the second said with a slight frown.

The ritual of sharing bread and wine (or juice) in memory of Jesus' last meal with His disciples. The name, the meaning, and who may take it vary by tradition.

Telling one's sins to a priest and receiving God's forgiveness through him — a sacrament in Catholic and Orthodox practice, also available in Anglican and Lutheran churches.

The people who belong to and attend a particular church — the local community of believers, as distinct from the building or the denomination.

Two styles of worship service — contemporary (band, screens, modern songs, casual) and traditional (organ, hymns, liturgy, formal) — and the long, mostly friendly argument between them.

The uncomfortable inner sense that you're in the wrong and need to change — attributed by Christians to the Holy Spirit. Nothing to do with a courtroom.

Dating with marriage explicitly in view — often with families involved, boundaries agreed up front, and casual dating avoided — a practice revived in some evangelical circles in the 1990s.

A binding promise between God and people — with commitments on both sides — that structures the whole Bible: God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and the "new covenant" in Christ.

A short, formal summary of Christian belief, recited in worship — the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds are the oldest and are shared by nearly all Christians.

Set prayers — psalms, scripture readings, and prayers — said at fixed times through the day, in a pattern the church has kept for over 1,500 years.

The process of seriously re-examining one's Christian beliefs — questioning what one was taught, discarding some of it, sometimes all of it — and, in "exvangelical," the identity of those who've left evangelicalism specifically.

Freeing a person from demonic influence or spiritual bondage through prayer — taken very literally in some traditions and understood more broadly in others.

A named branch of Christianity with its own structure, beliefs, and churches (Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian). A non-denominational church is one that declines to belong to any of them.

Being trained in following Jesus — learning to think, pray, and live as a Christian, usually with the help of someone further along.

A church's official teaching on a topic — what it holds to be true about God, Jesus, salvation, the Bible, and the rest — organized, stated, and passed on.

Being deeply involved in each other's everyday lives as a church community — not just seeing each other on Sundays.

A short song or formula of praise to God, especially the one that begins "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," often sung when the offering is brought forward.

Church leadership roles from the New Testament. Elders typically oversee teaching and direction; deacons typically oversee practical care and service. The exact meaning varies widely by denomination.

The devil — a personal spiritual adversary Christians believe opposes God, works against people (especially believers), and strives to hinder God's work of bringing humanity into right relationship with Him.

January 6, the feast marking the arrival of the Magi to worship the infant Jesus — Christ revealed to the nations — and, in the Eastern church, the baptism of Christ. It ends the twelve days of Christmas.

Telling other people about Jesus with the hope they'll believe — from a quiet conversation with a friend to a stranger with a megaphone.

Careful reading and interpretation of a Bible passage — drawing out what it meant (exegesis) — and the principles and methods for doing that well (hermeneutics).

A formal rite of prayer to drive an evil spirit out of a person or place — in the Catholic Church, performed only by a priest with the bishop's permission and after other explanations are ruled out.

The story in Genesis 3 of humanity's first disobedience — Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit — and the brokenness of the world and human nature that Christians believe followed.

Going without food — or something else — for a set time as a spiritual practice, usually paired with prayer, to focus on God and express dependence on Him.

The ways Christians address God in prayer. "Father" is Jesus' own word; "Lord" is the most common; "Abba" is the Aramaic Jesus used, close to "Dad."

A day on the church calendar honoring a saint or an event in the life of Christ or Mary — marked with special readings, sometimes a Mass or Liturgy, and often, despite the name, no feast.

Christian friendship and community — the shared life of people in a church, from deep spiritual bonds to coffee after the service.

The church's multipurpose room — used for meals, classes, receptions, and events — usually with a kitchen attached and folding tables stacked against the wall.

"I had a strong inner sense that I should do this" — an impression Christians attribute to God's guidance through the Holy Spirit.

A deeper experience of God's presence and power in a person's life. Pentecostals see it as a distinct event after conversion, often marked by speaking in tongues; other traditions describe it as ongoing.

Asking God for a specific sign before making a decision — from the story of Gideon, who laid out a sheep's fleece and asked God to make it wet while the ground stayed dry.

Two physical gestures of reverence — a brief kneel on one knee toward the altar (genuflecting), and the hand motion touching forehead, chest, and shoulders (the sign of the cross).

To commit to following Jesus — turning your life over to Him — usually at a definite moment, often in response to an invitation at the end of a sermon or event.

A call-and-response affirmation used in church and conversation — "God is good!" answered by "All the time!" — expressing trust that God's character doesn't change with circumstances.

How Christians describe a sense of specific guidance from God — ranging from a strong impression to a vivid inner conviction. Almost never an audible voice.

The core Christian message — that God loves the world, Jesus lived, died, and rose to make things right, and anyone can be forgiven and made new.

God's undeserved kindness and forgiveness — receiving good you didn't earn and couldn't have.

Jesus' final instruction to His followers — to go to all nations, make disciples, baptize, and teach — and the reason Christians do missions and evangelism.

The volunteer at the church door whose job is to welcome people, hand out bulletins, and make visitors feel expected.

Be careful about emotional and romantic attachment — don't give your heart away too fast or to the wrong person. From Proverbs 4:23, mostly applied to dating.

"Praise the Lord" — a Hebrew exclamation kept untranslated in every Christian language. "Alleluia" is the Latin-influenced form used in liturgical churches.

A phrase meaning "I disagree with what you're doing, but I care about you as a person" — meant as a formula for combining moral conviction with love, and often heard very differently by the person it's said to.

A goodbye — "have a nice day" with a prayer folded in — wishing you God's favor. Common in the American South and in Black church culture.

A prayer asking God to keep someone safe from harm, pictured as an invisible barrier around them.

Two physical elements of liturgical worship: water blessed by a priest, used for blessings and for the sign of the cross on entering a church; and incense burned as a symbol of prayer rising to God.

The week before Easter, walking day by day through Jesus' last days — Palm Sunday (His entry into Jerusalem), Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper), Good Friday (the crucifixion), and Holy Saturday — ending at Easter.

A church song in the traditional form — several verses of poetry set to a tune, usually sung from a book with organ or piano, and often centuries old.

A sacred painted image of Christ, Mary, or a saint, made in a traditional style and honored — not worshipped — in Orthodox and some Catholic worship.

The traditional closing of a Christian prayer — praying on Jesus' authority and in line with His will, based on His promise to answer prayers made in His name.

Praying on behalf of someone else — asking God for another person's needs, rather than your own.

The opening prayer of a service, asking God to be present and bless the gathering. Also the opening prayer at civic events — a graduation, a council meeting, a game.

A short prayer — "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" — repeated slowly and continually, central to Orthodox spirituality.

A filler word that Christians use constantly in spontaneous, out-loud prayer — "Lord, we just ask that you'd just be with us."

Two stages of the Christian life in Protestant teaching — being declared right with God (justification, instant, by faith) and being made actually good over a lifetime (sanctification, gradual).

God's rule and reign — the realm where His will is done — which Jesus said is both already here and still coming. Not only the afterlife.

Placing a hand on someone's shoulder, head, or back while praying for them — for healing, blessing, commissioning, or ordination.

The roughly forty days before Easter, from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, kept as a season of repentance, fasting, and preparation — often by giving something up.

A Bible verse a person has adopted as personally meaningful — a motto, a promise, or a summary of their faith — often for years, and often printed on something.

Praying for someone — bringing their name and need before God. Nobody is physically lifted.

A set, repeated order of worship with written prayers, readings, and congregational responses, followed the same way every week.

The way a person most naturally gives and receives love — words, time, gifts, service, or touch — from a 1990s Christian marriage book that became a worldwide idea.

A special collection, given freely and beyond regular giving, for a specific person or cause — a guest speaker, a family in crisis, a missionary passing through.

To show active, tangible care for someone — hugs, meals, attention, help, presence — especially to people who need it.

Half-hearted about faith — going through the motions without commitment. The criticism comes from Revelation 3, where a church is told it's "neither hot nor cold."

The Catholic worship service, centered on the Eucharist — scripture readings, a homily, prayers, and communion, in a fixed order every time.

The Thursday before Easter, remembering the Last Supper — when Jesus washed His disciples' feet, instituted communion, and gave the "new commandment" to love one another. It opens the three holiest days of the year.

Formally joining a church — usually after a class, sometimes a vote, interview, or ceremony — as distinct from just attending.

A written statement of commitments — to attend, give, serve, live by the church's standards, and submit to its leadership — that some churches ask members to sign when they join.

An older or more experienced Christian who guides someone in their faith — meeting regularly, teaching, and taking an interest in their growth.

Any organized work of serving others in the church or in Jesus' name — from a food pantry to a choir to a career as a pastor. "My ministry" means the particular service someone does.

Christian work of sharing the faith and serving people in another culture or country — for a week (a mission trip), a few years, or a lifetime (a missionary).

An intense spiritual high — often at camp, a retreat, or a conference — when God feels close and everything is clear. "The valley" is what comes after.

One church with several locations — "campuses" — often sharing a sermon by video from the main site, with each campus having its own live band and pastor.

The entryway of a church, between the outside doors and the worship space. Which word a church uses tells you its tradition: narthex (liturgical), vestibule (older Protestant), foyer or lobby (modern).

An orientation for people new to a church — what it believes, how it works, how to get involved — often over a meal, and usually the first step toward membership.

Someone who identifies as Christian by background or culture — checks the box, celebrates the holidays — but isn't actively practicing or personally committed.

Money given to the church during or around the service. A tithe specifically means ten percent of income; an offering is any gift beyond or apart from that.

The two main sections of the Bible: the Old Testament (39 books in Protestant Bibles; the Jewish scriptures, before Jesus) and the New Testament (27 books: Jesus' life, the early church, and the apostles' letters).

Extremely enthusiastic about faith — often newly so, and often visibly.

An opportunity that appears (open door) or falls through (closed door), read as God's "yes" or "no" about a decision.

The long stretches of the church year that aren't a special season — after Epiphany until Lent, and after Pentecost until Advent — when the Sundays are simply numbered and the liturgical color is green.

The ceremony that formally makes someone a minister, pastor, priest, or deacon — with prayer and the laying on of hands, after the church has examined and approved them.

"Correctly believing" — in line with historic Christian teaching, especially the creeds. With a capital O, it means the Eastern Orthodox Church. Same problem as "catholic," one letter over.

Church activities aimed at people outside the church — service projects, community events, food drives, anything that meets neighbors where they are.

A Christian organization that isn't a church — campus ministries, relief agencies, mission boards, publishers, youth outreaches — working "alongside" the church to do things a single congregation can't.

A local Catholic, Anglican, or Orthodox church community and, traditionally, the geographic area it serves — everyone living within its boundaries belongs to it.

The moment in a church service when everyone turns and greets the people around them, usually with a handshake and the words "Peace be with you."

Collecting the offering by handing a plate, basket, or bag down each row for people to put money in — the traditional way churches gather gifts during the service.

The person who leads a church. The title depends on the tradition: Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans have priests; most Protestants have pastors or ministers; "Reverend" is a formal title for any of them.

The day, fifty days after Easter, when the Holy Spirit came upon the first Christians with wind and fire, and the church began — often called the church's birthday.

The idea that Christianity is knowing God personally — a living relationship with Jesus — rather than following rules, belonging to an institution, or attending services.

The long wooden bench in a traditional church, arranged in rows facing the front — where the congregation sits, and where families have sat in the same spot for generations.

A shared church meal where everyone brings a dish — the classic form of Christian community, held in the fellowship hall after the service.

The singing portion of a contemporary church service. Some distinguish praise (upbeat songs about what God has done) from worship (slower songs addressed to God directly).

A church's system for spreading an urgent prayer request quickly — once a telephone tree, now usually a group text or email — so that many people are praying within the hour.

Asking other people to pray for something specific in your life — a health scare, a job interview, a struggling family member.

Someone known for praying often, seriously, and persistently on behalf of others — the person you call when you need prayer that means business.

The standard Christian response to hard news — a promise to bring the person's situation to God in prayer.

Continuing to pray about something persistently — over days, weeks, or years — until it resolves or until you find peace about it.

The teaching that God chose, before time, who would come to faith. Christian traditions hold it in different forms, and the debate over how it fits with human freedom is very old.

Someone who left the faith or the family and came back — from Jesus' story of a son who squandered his inheritance, hit bottom, and was welcomed home by his father.

A guest preacher who fills in when a church's regular pastor is away — sick, on vacation, on sabbatical, or gone — and the arrangement by which churches find one.

The 1990s–2000s evangelical movement urging teenagers to pledge abstinence until marriage — with rings, rallies, books, and modesty teaching — and the wider culture it created, which many Christians have since critiqued.

A personal, daily time set aside for reading the Bible and praying — usually in the morning, usually alone.

Lifting one or both hands during singing or prayer as a physical expression of praise, surrender, or reaching toward God.

In some Protestant teaching, the moment when Christ returns and living believers are "caught up" to meet Him. More broadly, the cluster of beliefs about how history ends. Christians disagree widely on the details.

Turning away from wrongdoing and toward God — a change of mind and direction, not just feeling bad about something.

Two Catholic structured prayers. The Rosary is a set of prayers counted on beads while meditating on events in Jesus' life; a novena is a prayer repeated for nine days for a particular intention.

A ritual Christians believe carries God's grace through a physical sign — water, bread and wine, oil. Catholics and Orthodox count seven; most Protestants count two.

In Catholic and Orthodox use, a person officially recognized as holy and in heaven, who can be asked to pray for you. In the New Testament — and Protestant use — every Christian.

The main room where a church worships. "Sanctuary" signals a traditional church; "auditorium" or "worship center" signals a modern one. In Catholic use, the sanctuary is specifically the area around the altar.

Having become a Christian — trusting Jesus for forgiveness and being rescued from sin and its consequences.

The Bible — the collection of books Christians hold to be inspired by God and authoritative for faith and life. "Scripture" is the reverent word for it.

A phase of life — "a hard season," "a season of waiting" — understood as temporary and, in some way, God's timing. Duration unspecified.

Someone exploring Christianity who hasn't committed to it — the person a church hopes will walk in the door on Sunday.

Graduate school for pastors, priests, and ministers — usually a three-year Master of Divinity in Bible, theology, church history, and pastoral skills.

The talk the pastor or priest gives in a service, usually explaining and applying a Bible passage. "Homily" is the Catholic and Orthodox term and tends to be shorter; "message" is the modern evangelical one.

Leading by serving — putting the people you lead first, doing the humble tasks, and using authority for others' good rather than your own — modeled on Jesus washing His disciples' feet.

A church gathering for worship — typically on Sunday morning — with singing, prayer, scripture, a sermon, and sometimes communion, following a set order.

A one-armed hug from the side, keeping bodies apart — once taught in youth groups as the "appropriate" way for boys and girls to hug, and now mostly a joke Christians tell about themselves.

Anything that falls short of God's goodness — wrong actions, attitudes, or the underlying human condition of being turned away from God.

A short prayer some Christians say to mark the moment they commit to Jesus — admitting sin, asking forgiveness, and asking Him to take charge of their life. Often led line by line by a pastor or friend.

Falling backward, usually during prayer with laying on of hands, understood in charismatic churches as being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit's presence.

A regular gathering of roughly 6–15 people from a church who meet, often in someone's home, to talk about the Bible, pray for each other, and build friendships.

Teaching considered correct, healthy, and faithful to the Bible. "Unsound" is the polite theological word for teaching that isn't.

Two related phrases. "Speak life" means say encouraging, hopeful, building-up words; "speak truth" means say the honest, hard thing someone needs to hear — ideally "in love."

Praying or speaking in a language the speaker never learned, understood in Pentecostal and charismatic churches as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

A solo or small-group song performed during the service — as opposed to congregational singing — often during the offering or before the sermon.

The belief that there's an unseen conflict between God's kingdom and evil spiritual forces that touches everyday life, and that Christians are in it — fought with prayer, scripture, and faithfulness.

Managing money, time, abilities, and the earth as things that belong to God and are entrusted to you. Also, in practice, the name churches give the annual giving campaign.

A persistent sin, fear, lie, or destructive pattern that has become spiritually entrenched — hard to break because it's dug in.

Bible classes held at church on Sunday — for children during or before the service, and for adults in age- or topic-based groups.

How many missionaries and ministry workers fund their salaries — by asking friends, family, and churches to commit to regular monthly gifts.

The story of how someone became a Christian, or of something God has done in their life — told out loud to encourage others.

A prayer for a safe journey — asking God to protect someone while they travel.

The Christian belief that God is one God who exists eternally as three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — equal, distinct, and inseparable.

"Unequally yoked" (from 2 Corinthians 6) is the warning against a Christian marrying a non-Christian; "missionary dating" is the tongue-in-cheek name for dating someone in hopes of converting them.

A request for prayer about something the person doesn't want to describe — "please pray, but I'm not going to say what for."

A summer week of Bible camp for children, held at the church — mornings or evenings of songs, stories, crafts, games, and snacks, usually with an elaborate theme.

The system for locating passages in the Bible — book, chapter, verse, written "John 3:16" — and the small numbered units it divides the text into.

Orthodox evening prayer (Vespers), usually Saturday evening, and the main Sunday service (the Divine Liturgy), centered on the Eucharist — long, sung, standing, and ancient. Vespers also names evening prayer in Catholic and Anglican use.

How a person lives out their faith day to day — their ongoing relationship with God, as opposed to the moment they became a Christian.

A church service on New Year's Eve that prays the old year out and the new year in — with deep roots in the Black church, where it commemorates the night before the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.

The Bible — or, in John chapter 1, Jesus Himself. Context tells you which; most of the time in conversation it's the Bible.

A message someone believes God has given them, often for a specific person — a fact they couldn't have known, or an encouragement meant for you.

Honoring God — most often meaning the singing part of a church service, but also the whole service, and sometimes a person's entire way of living.

A modern church song, usually written in the last few decades and led by a band — simpler and more repetitive than a hymn, with a chorus and often a "bridge" that repeats and builds.

The band and singers who lead the music in a contemporary church service, and the person — often on staff — who directs them and chooses the songs.

A church's program for teenagers, usually meeting midweek, mixing games, food, a short Bible talk, and time with friends.

The adult on a church's staff in charge of the teen ministry — planning youth group, camps, and trips, teaching, and being a trusted adult to a lot of teenagers.