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Baptists believe that when they worship through praise and prayer they are offering themselves to God in thanks for His love. God and His people speak with each other through worship. It is seen as a dialogue and worship is non-liturgical (not set). It is much less structured than Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Christian services.

There is no Baptist authority that tells people how to worship. All decisions are made by the members of each local Baptist church.

Although they have ordained ministers, Baptists believe in the Priesthood of Believers, which means that every member has a capacity to interpret the Bible and minister to other people. The ordained minister is an equal member of the community who carries out the responsibilities given by the congregation. The minister or a lay person may lead a Baptist service.

Features of worship

• Worship centres on the Bible - reading the Bible, hearing preaching on it or discussing it.
• Most churches include hymns or worship songs in the service.
• The Lord's Supper is usually celebrated once a month.
• Some churches have a special part for children to become involved. Drama, dance or multimedia may be used to bring the message of a Bible passage to life.
• The Baptist Union of Great Britain has published a book, Gathering for Worship, which gives guidance and prayers that can be used by local churches.
• The Bible is the focus of the Baptist Church and is often placed at the front and in the centre of the building. It is said of this Church, ‘everything flows from the Word of God’.

Baptists see church worship as an opportunity to speak about the gospel to those present that have not yet made a full commitment to faith in Jesus.

Order of service in a Baptist Church

In the Baptist Church there is no set pattern for how the weekly service must be conducted. However, for practical reasons many Baptist Church services follow a routine which people become familiar with.

Opening and Welcome – to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable.

Reading from the Bible – to settle and quieten people’s hearts as they come to worship God. This is a time for reflection on the promises of God as well as serving as a call to worship.

Singing – to praise God and to worship Him through song.

Prayer – to worship God, confess sins, to give thanks and to ask God to meet the believer's needs and the needs of others.

Announcements and offering – to let people know what is going on in the life of the church over the following week. The offering helps the work of the church and allows the church to support others financially.

This Church worships in a simple building so that the money offerings can be used to take the gospel to other parts of the country and the world

Address to Children – a short interactive talk for the children before they leave for children’s church.

Bible Reading – the reading of God’s Word, this provides the basis for the sermon.

Sermon – the teaching of God’s Word to encourage and comfort as well as to provide guidance and instruction.

Closing hymn – the hymn of response to the sermon/message preached.

Sometimes Communion will follow the service – this involves taking bread and wine to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus.