Church Glossary

• 95 Theses Covered in: Martin Luther and the 95 Theses

• Act of Contrition An act of contrition is a prayer that acknowledges sin, expresses sorrow to God, asks for forgiveness, and expresses resolve to turn from wrongdoing; Catholics commonly say it after confession.
• Advent Covered in: What Is Advent? Traditions and Meaning
• Advent wreath An Advent wreath is a circular arrangement of evergreen branches with four seasonal candles, used in many Christian churches during Advent to mark the Sundays leading to Christmas.
• Aimee Semple McPherson Covered in: The Foursquare Church and Aimee Semple McPherson
• Alexander Campbell / Barton Stone Covered in: The Restoration Movement: History of Churches of Christ and Christian Churches
• All Hallows' Eve All Hallows' Eve is October 31, the evening before All Saints' Day, when Christians remember the saints; in American culture the night is now known as Halloween.
• All Saints' Day Covered in: All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
• All Souls' Day Covered in: All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
• Alpha and Omega Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used in Christian worship and sacred art to name Christ as the beginning and the end of all things.
• Altar An altar is a sacred table or platform used in Christian worship for the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper and for prayer, found in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and many Protestant churches.
• Altar call An altar call is an invitation, common in revival-style worship services, for people to come forward to confess faith in Jesus Christ, rededicate their lives, or request prayer from the church.
• Amen Amen is a worship word meaning “so be it” that Christians commonly speak or sing at the end of prayers and hymns, and that also appears in Jewish liturgical responses.
• Anabaptist Covered in: Who Are the Anabaptists? History and Beliefs
• Annulment An annulment is a formal church ruling that a marriage was never valid, ending it without a divorce and clearing a spouse to remarry in the church.
• Anointing of the Sick The Anointing of the Sick is a Christian pastoral rite in which blessed oil is applied to a sick person with prayer, especially for physical healing, spiritual grace, and readiness for death.
• Anointing with oil Anointing with oil is the Christian practice of applying oil to a person while praying for God’s presence, healing, consecration, or a particular ministry.
• Apocrypha Covered in: Catholic vs Protestant Bible: Why the Number of Books Differs
• Arminianism Covered in: Calvinism vs Arminianism Explained
• Armor Bearer An armor bearer is a pastor’s lay aide, especially in Black and Pentecostal congregations, who carries the Bible or robes, provides water, manages the pastor’s schedule, and prays for the pastor.
• Ascension Day Ascension Day is the Christian holy day observed on the fortieth day of Easter, always a Thursday, commemorating Jesus’ ascent into heaven and his return to the Father.
• Ash Wednesday Covered in: What Is Ash Wednesday?
• Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is the teaching that the Virgin Mary was taken bodily into heaven, defined as dogma by Roman Catholics and commemorated as the Dormition in Orthodox churches.
• Azusa Street Revival Covered in: The Azusa Street Revival of 1906

• Baby dedication A baby dedication is a Christian ceremony in which parents present an infant to God and the congregation, vow to raise the child in faith, and receive prayer for the child and family.
• Baptism Baptism is the Christian rite or ordinance in which water is applied to a person as an outward sign of faith, entry into the church, forgiveness of sin, or new life in Christ.
• Baptismal font A baptismal font is a church basin or vessel that holds water for baptism, used for infant baptisms by pouring or sprinkling and, in some congregations, as a vessel for immersion.
• Baptistry A baptistry is the room or designated area of a Christian church where its baptismal font or pool is located and the rite of baptism is performed.
• Bar / Bat Mitzvah Covered in: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Explained
• Believer's baptism Covered in: Infant Baptism vs Believer's Baptism
• Bell Tower A bell tower is a church structure that houses one or more bells for gathering worshipers, marking services or celebrations, and sometimes sounding the hours.
• Benediction A benediction is the blessing pronounced by a minister or worship leader, usually at the end of a Christian worship service, asking God to bless, protect, guide, and send the congregation.
• Bible study Covered in: Church Small Groups: What They Are and How to Join One
• Bishop Covered in: What Is a Bishop?
• Black church Covered in: The History of the Black Church in America
• Born again Covered in: What Does "Born Again" Mean?

• Call to worship A call to worship is the opening summons that invites a congregation to worship, usually at the start of a service; it may be a pastor’s welcome, a spoken invitation to sing or pray, or a liturgical opening.
• Calvinism Covered in: John Calvin and Calvinism Explained
• Camp meeting Covered in: Camp Meetings and Tent Revivals in America
• Candlemas Candlemas is the February 2 feast of Jesus’s presentation in the Temple, also called the Presentation of the Lord, often marked by Scripture readings, prayer, and the blessing of candles.
• Canonization Covered in: Saints in Christianity: Who They Are and How They Are Made
• Cathedral A cathedral is the principal church of a diocese and the place associated with its bishop’s official seat, distinguished by that role rather than by size, age, or appearance.
• Celebration of life A celebration of life is a church or synagogue service that gives thanks for and remembers a person’s life, especially at a funeral or memorial, through readings, prayers, stories, music, and blessings.
• Chalice A chalice is a cup used in Christian worship to hold the wine served at the Eucharist, Communion, or Lord’s Supper, especially in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and many Methodist churches.
• Chancel A chancel is the area in a church surrounding or containing the altar, often raised and set apart for clergy, choir, and the celebration of worship.
• Charismatic movement Covered in: The Charismatic Movement Explained
• Chi-Rho The Chi-Rho is a Christian monogram formed by superimposing the Greek letters chi and rho, the first two letters of Christos, to identify Jesus Christ.
• Christ the King Sunday Christ the King Sunday is the final Sunday of the Christian liturgical year, when many churches proclaim Jesus Christ as king and look forward to the beginning of Advent.
• Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is December 24, the day before Christmas, when many Christian churches hold worship services that read Scripture, sing carols, celebrate Communion, and use candlelight.
• Church membership Covered in: How to Become a Member of a Church
• Church Mother A church mother is an honored woman in some Black churches who provides spiritual leadership, prayer, mentoring, fellowship, and community care, often as a leader on a Mothers’ Board.
• Church plant Covered in: What Is a Church Plant?
• Closed communion Closed communion is a church policy limiting who may receive the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, usually to baptized members who are in good standing and meet the congregation’s requirements.
• Committal service A committal service is the part of a Christian funeral in which the deceased's body or ashes are placed in the grave, tomb, or columbarium as the congregation commits the person to God and prays for resurrection.
• Communion / Eucharist / Lord's Supper Covered in: Communion, Eucharist or Lord's Supper: What Each Church Believes
• Communion wafer A communion wafer is the small, round, unleavened bread used for the Eucharist or Lord's Supper in many Christian churches, distributed to worshipers as a sign of Christ's body and sacrifice.
• Confirmation Covered in: What Is Confirmation?
• Confirmation name A confirmation name is a Christian name associated with a saint, chosen or received during confirmation—especially in the Catholic Church—and sometimes added to a person’s baptismal name.
• Congregational polity Covered in: How Churches Are Governed: Episcopal, Presbyterian and Congregational
• Consubstantiation Consubstantiation is the Reformed teaching that Christ's body and blood are truly present in the Eucharist without the substance of the bread and wine changing; Lutherans reject the term and speak of sacramental union.
• Contemporary worship Contemporary worship is a Christian worship style featuring modern music, accessible language, and often an informal service led by a worship team, especially common in evangelical, Pentecostal, and nondenominational congregations.
• Corpus Christi Corpus Christi is a Christian feast honoring the Body of Christ, with special focus on the institution of the Eucharist and Christ’s presence in consecrated bread and wine.
• Council of Nicaea Covered in: The Council of Nicaea (325) and the Nicene Creed
• Counter-Reformation Covered in: The Catholic Counter-Reformation
• Creed Covered in: The Nicene Creed: Text and Meaning
• Cross vs. Crucifix Cross vs. Crucifix refers to the difference between a cross symbol and a crucifix, an image of Jesus shown crucified on the cross.
• Crucifix A crucifix is a representation of Jesus crucified on a cross, usually in wood or metal; it is used in Christian worship, devotional practice, and sacred art, especially in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.

• Deacon Covered in: What Does a Deacon Do?
• Denomination Covered in: What Is a Christian Denomination?
• Deuterocanonical books Covered in: Catholic vs Protestant Bible: Why the Number of Books Differs
• Diocese Covered in: Parishes, Dioceses and Archdioceses: How the Catholic Church Is Organized
• Divine Liturgy The Divine Liturgy is the principal Eucharistic service used especially by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, combining Scripture, prayers, music, Communion, and the final blessing.
• Divine Mercy Chaplet The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a rosary-like Christian prayer associated with Saint Faustina Kowalska, combining five decades of traditional prayers with repeated petitions for mercy and trust in God.
• Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy Sunday is the Roman Catholic Sunday after Easter, dedicated to Christ's mercy and marked by the Gospel of John 20:19-31 and, in many parishes, the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
• Doxology A doxology is a short expression of praise to God, often sung or recited at the end of a worship service, hymn, psalm, or prayer.

• Easter Sunday Covered in: Easter at Church: Traditions by Denomination
• Easter Triduum The Easter Triduum is the three-day Christian observance of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, centered on Christ’s Last Supper, suffering, death, burial, and resurrection.
• Easter Vigil An Easter Vigil is a Christian service held on Holy Saturday evening that anticipates Easter Sunday, often including Scripture, prayer, candle lighting, baptism, and Communion.
• Eastern Catholic / Uniate Covered in: Eastern Catholic Churches: Byzantine, Maronite and Other Rites in America
• Elder Covered in: What Are Church Elders?
• Epiphany Covered in: What Is Epiphany? The Feast of the Three Kings
• Episcopal polity Covered in: How Churches Are Governed: Episcopal, Presbyterian and Congregational
• Eucharistic Adoration Eucharistic Adoration is the prayer and worship of the consecrated bread and wine, which Catholics believe becomes the body and blood of Christ, most often before the Blessed Sacrament displayed in a monstrance or reserved in the tabernacle.
• Evensong Evensong is an evening service of prayer and praise, especially associated with Anglican and Episcopal churches, that typically includes psalms, Scripture readings, hymns, and prayers.

• Fasting Fasting is a period of going without food for prayer, repentance, or preparation for a holy day, as practiced by Catholics, Orthodox Christians, many Protestants, and Seventh-day Adventists.
• Feast day A feast day is a designated day in the church year when Christians commemorate a saint, a mystery of Christ’s life, the Holy Spirit, or another sacred person or event.
• Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the December 12 Catholic observance honoring Mary as the Virgin of Guadalupe, associated with her 1531 apparitions to Juan Diego at Tepeyac near Mexico City.
• Feast of the Annunciation The Feast of the Annunciation is the March 25 observance commemorating Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would conceive Jesus, celebrated by Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Eastern Orthodox Christians.
• Fellowship hall A fellowship hall is a church multipurpose room or adjacent building where congregations gather for meals, classes, meetings, celebrations, hospitality, and other community activities.
• First Communion Covered in: First Communion: What It Is and How to Prepare
• Foot washing Foot washing is a Christian worship rite used in some churches, where people wash another person’s feet in remembrance of Jesus and as a sign of humble service.
• Funeral Mass A Funeral Mass, also called a Requiem Mass, is a Christian worship service for a deceased person, especially in Catholic and Anglican traditions, that typically includes Scripture, prayer, the Eucharist, and final commendation.

• Genuflection Genuflection is a gesture of Christian reverence in which a worshiper bends one knee and touches it to the floor, usually before an altar or during a liturgical service.
• Godparent / sponsor Covered in: What Do Godparents Do?
• Good Friday Good Friday is the Christian holy day on the Friday before Easter that commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion and death, marked in many churches by Scripture readings, prayer, fasting, Communion, and veneration of the cross.
• Great Awakenings Covered in: The First Great Awakening
• Great Schism Covered in: The Great Schism of 1054

• Hallelujah Hallelujah is a biblical word of praise meaning “Praise the Lord,” used in Christian Scripture, speech, hymns, and liturgy as an acclamation of God’s goodness and salvation.
• High Church and Low Church High Church and Low Church are labels chiefly used for Anglican and Episcopal worship styles: “high” stresses ceremonial and liturgical forms, while “low” stresses simpler worship, preaching, and congregational participation.
• Holiness movement Covered in: The Holiness Movement Explained
• Holy Days of Obligation Covered in: Catholic Holy Days of Obligation
• Holy Orders Holy Orders is the name for ordained ministry, especially the offices of bishops, priests, and deacons, in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches.
• Holy Saturday Holy Saturday is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when Christians remember Christ’s death and await the celebration of his Resurrection; many churches observe it through prayer, Scripture, and the Easter Vigil.
• Holy water Holy water is water blessed or consecrated for religious use, especially sprinkling worshippers, blessing objects, and marking sacred occasions. Catholics and Orthodox Christians use it widely; some Episcopalians, Anglicans, and Lutherans also employ it in baptism, worship, or dedications.
• Holy Week Covered in: Holy Week Explained: Palm Sunday to Easter
• Homegoing Service A homegoing service is a funeral service in the Black church tradition that celebrates the deceased's life, affirms their faith, and describes their passage from death to heaven.
• Homily A homily is a talk given during Christian worship that explains a Scripture reading or teaches the faith, especially in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some liturgical Protestant churches.
• Hosanna Hosanna is a liturgical word of praise meaning “Save now!” that Christians sing or shout in worship, especially in Palm Sunday crowds and in the phrase “Hosanna in the highest.”
• Host The Host is the consecrated bread used in the Eucharist, or Communion, especially in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and many Lutheran churches.
• House church Covered in: House Churches Explained
• Hussites / Moravians Covered in: The Moravian Church: History and Beliefs
• Hymnal A hymnal is a book of hymns used for congregational singing, usually containing words and music and sometimes psalms, service directions, and material arranged for the church year.

• Ichthys Ichthys is the ancient Christian fish symbol, formed by two crossing arcs, that identifies Jesus and the faith; nicknamed the “Jesus fish,” it appears on church buildings, artwork, and clothing today.
• Icon Covered in: Orthodox Icons Explained
• Iconostasis An iconostasis is a fixed, icon-covered screen or partition that separates the sanctuary from the nave, with doors or openings used by the clergy and in some traditions by worshipers.
• IHS IHS is a Christogram formed from the first three Greek letters of Jesus’ name, used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and some other Protestant churches as a sign of Christ.
• Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that Mary, mother of Jesus, was conceived without original sin; Roman Catholic churches mark it with a feast on December 8.
• Infant baptism / christening Covered in: Baptizing Your Baby: How Christening Works in Each Church
• INRI INRI is the Latin abbreviation for “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum,” meaning “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” the title John’s Gospel says Pilate placed on the cross.

• Jesus Movement Covered in: The Jesus Movement of the 1960s and 70s
• John Calvin Covered in: John Calvin and Calvinism Explained
• John Wesley Covered in: John Wesley: The Founder of Methodism
• Julian Calendar The Julian Calendar is a 365.25-day solar calendar; some Eastern Orthodox churches retain it for fixed feasts and currently observe Christmas on January 7 in the Gregorian calendar.

• Kyrie eleison Kyrie eleison is an ancient Greek Christian prayer meaning “O Lord, have mercy,” sung or spoken in many liturgical services as a petition for mercy, forgiveness, and grace during worship.

• Last Rites The Last Rites are the prayers and sacraments for a dying or gravely ill person, including confession, anointing, Holy Communion, and a final commendation.
• Latin Mass Covered in: The Traditional Latin Mass Explained
• Laying on of hands The laying on of hands is a Christian ritual gesture in which a minister or designated participant places a hand on a person’s head or shoulders while praying for blessing, healing, spiritual oversight, or service.
• Lectio Divina Lectio divina is a Christian practice of praying with Scripture by reading slowly, reflecting, praying, and resting in contemplative silence with God.
• Lectionary Covered in: The Lectionary: How Churches Choose Sunday's Readings
• Lent Covered in: What Is Lent? Meaning, Dates and Traditions
• Liturgical calendar Covered in: The Liturgical Calendar Explained
• Liturgical colors Covered in: Liturgical Colors and What They Mean
• Liturgy Liturgy is the ordered form of a church's public worship: its set prayers, Scripture readings, hymns, gestures, and Communion, especially in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions.
• Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours is a structured Christian prayer cycle of psalms, Scripture readings, petitions, and hymns arranged for the canonical hours of the day.
• Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer is Jesus' model prayer, recorded in Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4, asking God for his kingdom, daily provision, forgiveness, and protection from evil.

• Maranatha Maranatha is an Aramaic Christian acclamation translated as Come, Lord or Our Lord, come, expressing the hope that Jesus Christ will return; churches often use it in prayer, song, or worship.
• Mardi Gras Mardi Gras is the final Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins, in many Western Christian traditions; it is also called Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday and is associated with preparation for fasting.
• Martin Luther Covered in: Martin Luther and the 95 Theses
• Mary, mother of Jesus Covered in: Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the Christian Traditions
• Mass Mass is the Roman Catholic Church’s principal form of communal worship, centered on the Eucharist and including Scripture readings, prayers, the consecration of bread and wine, and Communion.
• Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday is the Christian observance on the Thursday before Easter, associated with the Last Supper, Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet, and, in some traditions, the beginning of the Easter Triduum.
• Meetinghouse Covered in: Latter-day Saint Temples vs Meetinghouses: What's the Difference?
• Megachurch Covered in: Megachurches in America: History and How They Work
• Memorial service A memorial service is a Christian gathering that honors a person who has died, using Scripture, prayer, music, and reflections on their life.
• Minister Covered in: Pastor, Priest, Minister, Reverend: What's the Difference?
• Missal A missal is a liturgical book containing the ordered prayers and rubrics for celebrating Mass, especially the Eucharistic Prayers, and it commonly stands at the altar during the service.
• Monstrance A monstrance is an ornate church vessel used to display the consecrated Eucharistic host for adoration, most closely associated with Catholic worship and also used in some Anglican and Lutheran churches.

• Narthex Covered in: Parts of a Church Building: Nave, Altar, Narthex and More
• Nave Covered in: Parts of a Church Building: Nave, Altar, Narthex and More
• Novena A novena is a nine-day period of prayer and devotion focused on a particular intention or held in preparation for a feast or sacred observance.
• Novus Ordo Novus Ordo, short for Novus Ordo Missae, is the revised Roman Catholic order of Mass promulgated in 1969 and used in most U.S. Catholic parishes since 1970.

• Offering An offering is a gift given during worship for a church’s ministry and charitable work; in some liturgical services, the term also refers to the bread and wine presented for the Eucharist.
• Offertory An offertory is the hymn, anthem, or spoken portion of a Christian worship service associated with the offering, especially the collection and, in some traditions, the preparation of bread and wine for the Eucharist.
• Online church Covered in: Online Church: How Livestreamed Worship Became Normal
• Open communion Open communion is a church practice of inviting eligible Christians from outside the local congregation to receive Communion, the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper.
• Order of Service An order of service is a church’s printed or announced sequence for a worship service, showing worshipers what will happen, what will be said or sung, and when to stand, sit, or kneel.
• Ordinance An ordinance is a church-administered religious rite or ceremony; many Protestant churches use the term especially for baptism and the Lord’s Supper, while Jewish communities also use it for commanded religious laws and practices.
• Ordinary Time Ordinary Time is the long stretch of the church year outside Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, when churches follow a weekly cycle of Scripture readings and use green for the season.
• Ordination Ordination is a church’s formal act of authorizing a person for ministry, usually through prayer, Scripture, and the laying on of hands, with Catholics and many other traditions treating it as a sacrament or sacred mystery.
• Oriental Orthodox Covered in: Oriental Orthodox Churches: Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian and Syriac

• Palm Sunday Palm Sunday is the Christian observance on the Sunday before Easter that commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, marked by palm branches, processions, Passion readings, and congregational worship.
• Pascha (Orthodox Easter) Covered in: Why Is Orthodox Easter on a Different Date?
• Passing of the Peace The Passing of the Peace, also called the Sign of Peace in the Catholic Mass, is a liturgical greeting in which worshipers exchange a handshake, verbal greeting, or other sign of fellowship with people nearby.
• Pastor Covered in: Pastor, Priest, Minister, Reverend: What's the Difference?
• Pentecost Covered in: What Is Pentecost Sunday?
• Pew A pew is a long bench used to seat worshippers in a church, usually arranged in rows facing the altar or pulpit.
• Pilgrims Covered in: The Puritans and Pilgrims: Religion in Early New England
• Praise and worship Praise and worship is a Christian term for a congregation’s sung and spoken expressions of praise, faith, and prayerful devotion to God.
• Prayer book / Book of Common Prayer Covered in: The Book of Common Prayer Explained
• Presbyterian polity Covered in: How Churches Are Governed: Episcopal, Presbyterian and Congregational
• Priest Covered in: Pastor, Priest, Minister, Reverend: What's the Difference?
• Primitivism (Primitive Baptists etc.) Covered in: Primitive Baptists: Beliefs, Worship and History
• Protestant Reformation Covered in: The Protestant Reformation Explained
• Pulpit A pulpit is an elevated platform or enclosed stand from which a minister preaches during worship, most commonly in Protestant and other Christian churches.
• Puritans Covered in: The Puritans and Pilgrims: Religion in Early New England

• Rapture Covered in: The Rapture and the End Times: What Different Churches Believe
• RCIA (OCIA) RCIA (OCIA) is the Roman Catholic process that prepares adults for full Church membership through prayer, catechesis, and the sacraments of initiation they need.
• Reconciliation / Penance / Confession Covered in: Confession in Christianity: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Practices
• Reform / Conservative / Orthodox / Reconstructionist Covered in: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Explained
• Reformation Day Covered in: What Is Reformation Day?
• Relic A relic is a physical object associated with a saint, holy person, or sacred event, honored in Christian traditions as a tangible connection to that person or event.
• Reverend Covered in: How to Address Clergy: Father, Pastor, Reverend and More
• Revival Revival is spiritual awakening or renewal in Christian life; the term can also refer to evangelistic meetings featuring preaching, prayer, worship, and an invitation to make or deepen a Christian commitment.
• Rosary A rosary is a structured Christian prayer and the strand of beads used to count it, especially in Catholic churches; the prayer repeats the Hail Mary in five decades while reflecting on mysteries of faith.
• Rosary beads Rosary beads are a string of small beads used to count prayers in the Catholic rosary and similar devotional cycles, with larger separator beads, a centerpiece, and a pendant cross.

• Sabbath Covered in: Why Do Adventists Worship on Saturday?
• Sacrament A sacrament is a solemn Christian rite through which a church teaches that God’s grace is given or affirmed, often tracing the rite to Jesus Christ.
• Sacristy A sacristy is a church workroom near the sanctuary where vestments, altar linens, books, vessels, oils, and other items for worship are stored and prepared.
• Salvation Covered in: Salvation in Christianity: How Different Churches Understand It
• Sanctuary A sanctuary is the part of a church set apart for worship, usually the area around the altar or the main room where the congregation gathers for services.
• Scapular A scapular is a religious garment: in Catholic devotional use, two small cloth panels connected by a cord and worn over the shoulders, and in monastic use, a broad sleeveless outer garment.
• Selah Selah is a Hebrew word found in the Bible, commonly used as a cue for a pause, reflection, or music during readings and chants, though its original meaning remains uncertain.
• Sermon A sermon is a talk based on Scripture or religious teaching, usually delivered by clergy or an authorized speaker as part of a worship service.
• Seven sacraments Covered in: The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church
• Shabbat Covered in: What Is Shabbat? The Jewish Sabbath Explained
• Shrove Tuesday Shrove Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, observed in many Western Christian traditions as the last day before Lent and associated with pancakes, carnival celebrations, and services marking the approaching fast.
• Shul / Temple / Synagogue Covered in: Synagogue, Temple or Shul? Jewish Houses of Worship Explained
• Sign of the Cross Covered in: The Sign of the Cross: Meaning and How to Make It
• Slain in the Spirit Slain in the Spirit is a Charismatic and Pentecostal term for a worshipper overcome by the Holy Spirit during a service, often falling or lying still on the floor while others pray.
• Small group / life group / cell group Covered in: Church Small Groups: What They Are and How to Join One
• Social Gospel Covered in: The Social Gospel Movement
• Speaking in tongues Covered in: Speaking in Tongues: What It Is and Which Churches Practice It
• St. Nicholas Day St. Nicholas Day is the December 6 church-year feast of St. Nicholas of Myra, a fourth-century bishop remembered for generosity and honored in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and many Protestant traditions.
• St. Patrick's Day St. Patrick's Day is the March 17 Christian feast day honoring St. Patrick, a fifth-century missionary bishop whom the Catholic Church honors as a Doctor of the Church, marked by Scripture, prayer, and Irish traditions.
• St. Valentine's Day St. Valentine's Day is a February 14 observance associated with an early Christian martyr named Valentine, remembered in Catholic martyrology and Orthodox calendars and often celebrated with blessings for couples and acts of charity.
• Stained glass Stained glass is a window made from pieces of colored glass, traditionally joined with lead strips and now also with copper foil, to create pictures, symbols, and patterns that admit filtered light.
• Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross are a 14-part Christian devotion that follows Jesus Christ from his condemnation and carrying of the cross through his death and burial, usually observed during Lent.
• Steeple A steeple is the tower rising above a church building, often topped by a spire and used to house bells that ring to mark worship services and the hours.
• Sunday School Covered in: Sunday School: History and What It Is Today
• Sunrise service A sunrise service is an early-morning Christian worship gathering held near or around dawn, most commonly on Easter Sunday and sometimes on Christmas, New Year's Day, or other holy days.

• Tabernacle A tabernacle may be the portable sanctuary in Exodus, the secure cabinet where Catholics reserve the Eucharist, or a large Latter-day Saint meeting building; the meaning depends on the church.
• Tent revival Covered in: Camp Meetings and Tent Revivals in America
• Testimony Testimony is a spoken witness, often a personal account of faith or conversion, shared aloud during worship, a revival, or another church gathering.
• Tithe Covered in: Tithing Explained: What It Is and How Churches Teach It
• Transubstantiation Transubstantiation is the Catholic doctrine that the substance of bread and wine becomes Christ's Body and Blood at the Eucharist while the appearances of bread and wine remain unchanged.
• Trinity Covered in: The Trinity Explained
• Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost, when Christians worship God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and reflect on the doctrine of the Trinity.
• Twelve Days of Christmas The Twelve Days of Christmas are the Christian observance from December 25 through January 5, counting Christmas Day as day one and ending with Epiphany.

• Vacation Bible School Covered in: Vacation Bible School: What It Is and How It Works
• Vespers Vespers is the evening prayer service used in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and other liturgical Christian traditions, traditionally associated with sunset and featuring psalms, Scripture, hymns, and prayers.
• Visitation Visitation is a purposeful ministry visit by a pastor or church team to members for prayer and support, especially the sick and homebound; some church calendars also use it for the observance of Mary's visit to Elizabeth.
• Votive candle A votive candle is a small candle lit as an act of Christian devotion, usually before an altar, icon, or sacred image, with a prayer or intention attached to it.

• Wake A wake is a pre-funeral gathering where people remember someone who has died; in Catholic usage, the Vigil for the Deceased is a religious wake held for prayer and remembrance.
• Ward and stake Covered in: Wards, Stakes and Branches: How Latter-day Saint Congregations Work
• Watch Night Service A Watch Night service is a late-night church gathering on December 31 for prayer, worship, reflection, and sometimes Communion, rooted in Methodist practice and Black churches' Freedom's Eve observance.
• Wednesday night service A Wednesday night service is a Christian congregation’s midweek gathering, usually held on Wednesday evening for prayer, Bible study, and worship, especially in Baptist and evangelical churches.
• Westminster Confession Covered in: The Westminster Confession of Faith: A Plain-English Guide

• Yom Kippur Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is observed on the tenth day of Tishrei, beginning at sunset the preceding evening and marked by fasting, prayer, repentance, and seeking forgiveness.