“What does that
church word mean?”

Church terms for new Christians, A to Z

Every term is tagged with where you are likely to hear it. Use the letters to jump.

A

AccountabilityMen's group

Giving one or two trusted men permission to ask you hard questions, and answering honestly.

World English Bible“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,” (James 5:16)

Altar callSunday sermon

An invitation at the end of a service to come forward to pray or make a commitment.

AmenPrayer time

Hebrew for roughly “truly” or “so be it.” Said at the end of a prayer.

B

BaptismCommunion or baptism

Water as the sign of joining the faith. Some churches baptize infants, others only those old enough to choose; some sprinkle, others immerse.

World English Bible“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:19)

Born againSunday sermon

A new start that God gives, not one you earn. The phrase comes from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. The World English Bible translates it “born anew.”

World English Bible“unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.” (John 3:3)

C

Communion (Lord's Supper, Eucharist)Communion or baptism

Bread and wine or juice taken in memory of Jesus' death. Churches understand it differently (see the comparison below). Unsure? Passing the plate along is fine.

World English Bible“Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

D

Devotional (or “devo”)Men's group

A short daily reading: usually one verse plus a few paragraphs on what it means today.

Doing life togetherMen's group

Friendship that keeps going outside the meeting: meals, help moving, texts on bad days.

F

FellowshipMen's group

Shared life among Christians. In practice, often the coffee and food after the service.

World English Bible“They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

G

GospelSunday sermon

“Good news.” Jesus died for sins, was buried, and was raised. Also the name for the four books about his life.

World English Bible“that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

GraceSunday sermon

Kindness from God that you did not earn and cannot pay back.

World English Bible“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8)

H

Hedge of protectionPrayer time

A request that God would guard someone from harm, borrowing a picture from the book of Job.

World English Bible“Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side?” (Job 1:10)

I

Iron sharpens ironMen's group

Men helping each other get better by honest friction.

World English Bible“Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.” (Proverbs 27:17)

J

JustifiedSunday sermon

Declared right with God. How this connects to the rest of the Christian life was one of the big questions of the Reformation, and traditions still explain it differently.

World English Bible“being justified freely by his grace” (Romans 3:24)

L

Lift upPrayer time

To pray for someone. “Let's lift up his mom's surgery” means “let's pray for it.”

O

OfferingCommunion or baptism

Money collected during the service. Visitors are not expected to give.

On my heartPrayer time

Something a person keeps thinking about and believes God may want them to notice or act on.

P

Pray overPrayer time

Praying for someone in person, sometimes with a hand on the shoulder. You can always decline.

Q

Quiet timeMen's group

A regular time alone to read the Bible and pray, usually daily.

World English Bible“Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.” (Mark 1:35)

R

RepentSunday sermon

To turn around: a change of mind that shows up as a change of direction.

World English Bible“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,” (Acts 3:19)

S

Sacrament / ordinanceCommunion or baptism

Two words for practices like baptism and communion. “Ordinance” is common in Baptist and many nondenominational churches and stresses obeying Jesus' command.

SavedSunday sermon

Rescued from sin and brought into God's family. Churches describe it as a moment, a process, or both.

SanctificationSunday sermon

The slow, lifelong work of becoming more like Jesus.

SeasonMen's group

A stretch of life: “a hard season.” It implies it will not last forever.

T

TestimonyMen's group

Your story of coming to faith, or of something God has done.

The WordSunday sermon

Usually the Bible. In John 1 it is a title for Jesus himself.

World English Bible“The Word became flesh and lived among us.” (John 1:14)

TitheCommunion or baptism

Giving a tenth of your income, from the Old Testament. Many churches teach generous giving rather than a strict ten percent.

Traveling merciesPrayer time

A prayer for safety on a trip.

U

Unspoken requestPrayer time

“Please pray for something, but I'm not sharing details.” The polite response is to pray and not ask.