church

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship a place for public (especially Christian) worship

"the church was empty" a service conducted in a house of worship

"don't be late for church" the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local church

"our church is hosting a picnic next week" perform a special church rite or service for

"church a woman after childbirth"

This article is about the Christian buildings of worship. For other uses of the word, see Church !(disambiguation).''christianit y? A church building (or simply church) is a building used in ChristianityChristian worship. See also altar, altar rails, apse, confessional, dome, lych gate, nave, narthex, pew, pulpit, sanctuary.

Etymology - .]]The word "church" is derived through Middle EnglishMiddle and Old English languageOld English ''cirice, circe'' from the Greek languageGreek !κυρια κον (&# 948;ωμα)? ''Lord's (house)''. However, most English versions of the New Testament use the word "church" to translate ''ecclesia'' (Greek Ecclesia (ancient Athens)!ἐκκλη ;σία? "congregation, assembly", a word originally used without specific reference to religious gatherings). Although it appears to be a dissimilar word, the Scots languageScots and Scottish English word ''kirk'' actually has a related etymology, and is thus a cognate.In English, the word can be used in reference to a gathering of people for a religious meeting, but is sometimes used to refer to a building or group of buildings. It is also used to refer to a denomination that places the leadership of all congregations in a central location, such as the "Roman Catholic Church". It can also be used in an institutional sense to refer to all churches, such as "... the church today...."Although the Christian Bible says that the church is actually the body of believers, in Jewish times, the temple at Jerusalem held the presence of God in a place called the Holy of Holies. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit / presence of God dwells within each believer.

Origins of Christian places of worship - The architecture of Christian worship space grew out of the regular meetings of the followers of Christianity in house churchprivate houses and synagogues, and occasionally in catacombs when necessary. When either the size of the community outgrew the space or the complexity of the uses of the space outpaced the architectural adaptation of houses, buildings began to be built specifically for worship. This became much more feasible and common when Constantine I of the Roman EmpireConstantine stopped the Roman persecution of Christians by issuing the Edict of Milan in 311.

In the first century - The first Christians were, like Jesus, JudaismJews resident in Palestine who worshipped on occasion in the Temple in Jerusalem and weekly in local synagogues. Temple worship was a ritual involving sacrifice, occasionally including the sacrifice of animals in atonement for sin, offered to Yahweh. The New testament includes many references to Jesus visiting the Temple, the first time as an infant with his parents.The early history of the synagogue is controverted, but it seems to be an institution developed for public Jewish worship during the Babylonian captivity of JudahBabylonian captivity when the Jews did not have access to the Jerusalem Temple for ritual sacrifice. Instead, to give a rough summary, they developed a daily and weekly service of readings from the Torah or the prophets followed by commentary. This could be carried out in a house if the attendance was small enough, and in many towns of the Diaspora that was the case. In others more elaborate architectural settings developed, sometimes by converting a house and sometimes by converting a previously public building. The minimum requirements seem to have been a meeting room with adequate seating, a case for the Torah scrolls, and a raised platform for the reader and preacher. ]]Jesus himself participated in this sort of service as a reader and commentator (see Gospel of Luke 4: 16-24) and his followers probably remained worshippers in synagogues in some cities. However, following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70, the new Christian movement and Judaism increasingly parted ways. The Church became overwhelmingly Gentile sometime in the second century. For the history of how services take place within a church, see worship or do a search on any particular religious denomination that you might be interested in.

Early examples of church architecture - The Syrian city of Dura-Europos on the West bank of the Euphrates was an outpost town between the Roman EmpireRoman and Parthian empireParthian empires. During a siege by Parthian troops in A.D. 257 the buildings in the outermost blocks of the city grid were partially destroyed and filled with rubble to reinforce the city wall. Thus were preserved and securely dated the earliest decorated church and a synagogue decorated with extensive wall paintings. Both had been converted from earlier private buildings.The church at Dura Europos has a special room dedicated for baptisms with a large baptismal font.A common architecture for churches is the shape of a cross (a long central rectangle, with side rectangles, and a rectangle in front for the altar space or sanctuary). These churches also often have a dome or other large vaulted space in the interior to represent or draw attention to the heavens. Other common shapes for churches include a circle, to represent eternity, or an octagon or similar star shape, to represent the church's bringing light to the world. Another common feature is the spire, a tall tower on the "west" end of the church or over the crossing.

See also - ]]

Separation of church and state

Hagia Sophia

Eucharist

Baptism

Liturgy

Nicene Creed

Apostles' Creed

List of tallest church towers

List of churches

Places of worship

Compare -

Basilica

Cathedral

Monastery

Temple

Chapel

Parish

Particular church

House church

Stave church

Church in a pub

Storefront church

Double Church

External links -

goarch.org - Orthodox Art and Architecture

followchrist.info - The Church

soca.cjb.net - The Syrian Orthodox Church

st-takla.org - The Coptic Orthodox Church of EgyptCategory:Churches!*Category:Christianitycs:Koste lda:Kirkede:Kircheet:Kirik? !(pühakoda)es:Iglesiaeo:Eklezi ofr:Égliseid:Gerejait:Chiesah e:כנסי יהhu:Egyházla:Ecc lesianl:Kerknds:Karkja:教 ;会no:Kirkenn:Kyrkjepl:K ościółpt:Igreja sco:Kirksimple:Churchsv:Kyrkaz h:教堂

Christian web hosting by Hostingtruth.net
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http://www.hostingtruth.net/

Brazos Boys Gospel Quartet
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Mobile Inner City Ministry - Mobile Inner City Church of Christ
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http://www.fools4christ.com/

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Sarasota Baptist Church
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http://www.sarasotabaptist.com/

Pews, Chairs and Auditorium Seats from Worship Seating
Southern California representative offers pews, chairs, auditorium seats and pulpit furniture for worship settings. Read about the companies, view photos and find a partial list of installations.
http://www.worshipseating.com/

Chapaize
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http://www.chapaize.org/

Adventist Review
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http://www.adventistreview.org/

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http://www.thywordistruth.com/

Bigskytrust
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http://www.bigskytrust.org/

Anglican Parish of Coolangatta-Palm Beach
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http://www.sunnycrestbaptist.org/

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http://www.gracebaptistchurchslc.com/

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http://www.churchofnature.com/

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http://www.NiranamChurch.com

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Neumann Studios Stained Glass
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http://www.neumannstudios.com/

St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Putnam Valley, New York
Saint Luke's Lutheran Church is a warm, loving, family-friendly place to worship. Located in Putnam Valley, New York, our congregation has been serving the Lord and spreading the good news to its communities in the Putnam, Upper Westchester and Dutchess County areas (and beyond) for nearly 65 years. St. Luke's is a warm, inviting Christian community which prides itself on its commitment to families and people of all ages.
http://www.stlukesputnamvalley.org/

Faith Presbyterian Church
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http://www.faithpcusa.org/

Haywood Hills Baptist Church
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http://www.haywoodhills.net/

Christian Support
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http://www.christiansupport.org/

The LostStories Channel
Knowledge resource center harmonizing the truths discovered in the pursuit of philosophy, theology, history, science, the arts, and the humanities.
http://www.loststories.net/

www.FrankDupree.com
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http://www.frankdupree.com

Shultz Refinishing
Shultz Refinishing provides stripping and refinishing services to homeowners, businesses and institutions. We strip and refinish church pews, furniture, doors, shutters, windows and trim in our large shop. We also sell refinished furniture, antiques and refinishing supplies.
http://www.shultzrefinishing.com/

Living Waters Church, Olean, NY
Website for church in Olean, NY
http://www.living-waters.net/

2001 Translation - an American English Bible
A free online Bible in contemporary American English with linked word references. Old Testament based on Greek Septuagint.
http://www.2001translation.com/

Evangelical-Lutheran congregation Golm
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http://www.kirche-golm.de/

Calvary Chapel Garland, TX
Calvary Chapel of Garland, TX. Affiliated with Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, CA.
http://ccgarland.org/

Heaven's Gates & Hell's Flames
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Ipswich Community Church
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http://www.icchurch.co.uk/

Azuza StreetRiders
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KVBA Vision Broadcasting
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Fellowship Church of Englewood Florida
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http://fellowshipenglewood.com/

Kaslan Photography
Elegant, Unique Style, Affordable
http://www.kaslanphoto.com/

Bethel Bible Fellowship Church
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http://www.bethelbfc.org/

Servant of the Lord: Online!
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Christian Moms of Many Blessings
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http://www.cmomb.com/

New Hope Foursquare Church
A Place to Belong.
http://www.newhopefoursquare.org/

Christian City Church Amsterdam
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http://www.christiancitychurch.nl

www.capilano.org
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http://www.capilano.org/

Saint Takla Haymanot Coptic Orthodox Church - Alexandria, Egypt
An archive for all coptic history, Coptic Orthodox Links, Creed, Hymns, Galleries, Bible, Abgeya, Kids' Corner, Videos..
http://St-Takla.org

The German Artist Otto Flath
A page about the painter and woodcarver Otto Fath, who produced more than 3000 big Carvings and about 20.000 (!) paintings. More Information also at: http://www.venner-verlag.de
http://www.otto-flath.de/

Boston Worship Center
A progressive, evangelical church found in Boston's historic North End. We are a community of believers seeking to worship God through art, music, word and relationships. We work towards living out authentic faith in day to day life.
http://www.bostonworshipcenter.org

Sherman Church of Christ
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http://www.shermancoc.org/

World Sunday School
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http://www.worldsundayschool.com/

World Heritage Alert
Online magazine of threats to the worlds heritage places.
http://www.worldheritagealert.org

Cave Creek Church
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http://www.cavecreekchurch.org/

Hiscoming Ministries
Bible prophecy concerning these end times. Offers free cassette teaching tapes and sermon downloads. Our sister site: http://www.hiscomingministriesradio.com offers an Internet radio broadcasting 24/7. Great Christian music and Bible messages.
http://www.hiscomingministries.com/

The Advent of Dionysus - Online Book
A book with specific insight to the mysteries of this ancient myth, both its psychological ramifications and, modern day recurrence.
http://www.dionysus.org/

Unity Center in western North Carolina
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http://www.unitync.net/

Leoeventi - Weddings Italy Lake Maggiore Lake of Como
Your dream destination weddings in Italy (Northern) and in French Riviera Villas and castles. Weddings Italy organizes legal, catholic and protestant destination weddings in Italy Doesn't have to be as complicated as it might sound. LeoEventi is based in Turin
http://www.italywedding.org/

Ashton Christian Fellowship
A non-denominational, Bible believing church in Ashton, Idaho.
http://www.ashtonchristianfellowship.com/

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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http://www.pcusa.org/

Saints des derniers jours
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http://www.lds.org

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
official page
http://www.elca.org/

Family Search
Official LDS Genealogy site, search for your ancestors or submit your data for others to share.
http://www.familysearch.org

United Church of Christ
Official web site of the UCC. Includes faith testimonies, global ministries, and a means to find a church in a specific locality. Weekly news, mailing list, and discussion forums also included.
http://www.ucc.org/