Baptist worship
BaptistA member of the Baptist Church, or a Christian who practices believers' baptism. 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 worshipA church service which does not follow a set text or ritual. This type of worship is often called 'spontaneous' or 'charismatic' in nature.. It is much less structured than Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church is a community of baptised believers in Christ that is led by the Pope. The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope has special authority that descends from Jesus himself., AnglicanChurches that were formed as the British Empire spread to nations across the world based themselves on the model of the Church of England. They linked themselves together as a community of Churches known as the Anglican Communion. and Orthodox ChristianA Christian, especially found in eastern Europe, who rejected the idea of the Bishop of Rome being the sole leader of the Christian Church. 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 ordainTo appoint (of priest, vicar, minister or rabbi). ministers, Baptists believe in the Priesthood of Believers, which means that every member has a right to interpret the BibleThe holy book of Christians split into two sections: Old Testament and New Testament. 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 ministerA person with spiritual leadership of a community. More commonly used in free churches. or a lay personMember of a church who are not ordained, eg those who are not priests or ministers. 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 hymnA religious song giving praise and worship to God. or worship songs in the service.
- The Lord's SupperAlternative term for Eucharist in some Churches. The Eucharist is a ceremony commemorating the Last Supper shared by Jesus with his disciples (in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed). is usually celebrated once a month.
- Some churches have a special part for children to become involved. Drama, dance or multimediaThe use of several types of media outputs from a computer in order to give the user a richer and more interesting experience. 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, that gives guidance and prayers that can be used by local churches.
Baptists see Church worship as an opportunity to speak about the gospelThe teachings of Jesus and the apostles. to those present that have not yet made a full commitment to faith in Jesus.