Church Visitor Guides

• Going to Church for the First TimeWhat happens when you walk in, what you will be asked to do (very little), and how to feel at ease the first Sunday you visit a new church.
• What to Wear to ChurchThe short answer is clean, modest and comfortable. The longer answer depends on the tradition and the congregation, so here is what to expect at each.
• How Long Is a Church Service?Most Sunday services in the United States last about an hour, but the range runs from a 30-minute weekday Mass to a three-hour Pentecostal or Orthodox celebration.
• How to Choose a ChurchEight questions that help you narrow a long list of local churches to a few worth visiting, and how to get the most out of those visits.
• Christian Denominations ExplainedThe main Christian traditions you will find in the United States, how they came to be, and what actually differs when you visit on a Sunday.

• What to Expect at Catholic MassThe Mass follows the same order in every Catholic parish in the world, so once you know its shape, you can follow it anywhere.
• What to Expect at a Lutheran Church ServiceLutheran worship keeps much of the ancient liturgy, sung hymns and the sacraments, with preaching on God's grace at its heart.
• What to Expect at a Presbyterian or Reformed ChurchPresbyterian and Reformed churches put the reading and preaching of the Bible at the center of a reverent, well-ordered service.
• What to Expect at a Non-Denominational ChurchContemporary music, a practical sermon, coffee in the lobby and jeans in the pews: what a typical non-denominational service is like.
• What to Expect at a Baptist Church ServiceBaptist churches are built around preaching from the Bible, congregational singing and a warm welcome, with every congregation running its own affairs.
• What to Expect at a Methodist Church ServiceMethodist worship is warm and hymn-filled, with a communion table open to everyone and a long tradition of serving the wider community.
• What to Expect at an Episcopal or Anglican ChurchEpiscopal worship follows the Book of Common Prayer: beautiful, ancient words and a weekly Eucharist, in a church that welcomes questions.
• What to Expect at a Pentecostal Church ServiceLively music, heartfelt prayer and a strong sense that God is at work in the room: Pentecostal worship is expressive, and visitors are free to take part as much or as little as they like.
• What to Expect at a Church of Christ ServiceVoices without instruments and the Lord's Supper every Sunday: the Churches of Christ aim to worship the way the first Christians did.
• What to Expect at a Nazarene or Holiness ChurchHoliness churches combine warm evangelical worship with John Wesley's call to a life wholly devoted to God, and they are known for their welcome.
• What to Expect at an Orthodox ChurchChanting, candles, icons and incense: the Orthodox Divine Liturgy has changed little in over a thousand years, and visitors are welcome to come and see.
• What to Expect at a Seventh-day Adventist ChurchAdventists worship on Saturday, the seventh day, with a morning of Bible study, worship and, very often, lunch together.
• What to Expect at a Latter-day Saints ServiceSunday meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are led entirely by local members, and any visitor is welcome at the meetinghouse.
• What to Expect at a Synagogue ServiceSynagogues welcome guests of every faith. A little preparation helps you follow Shabbat services, whose customs vary from one movement to another.