Church
Christianity can be overwhelming at first. Knowing where to start may seem impossible if you haven't grown up in the faith. There are many different churches and denominations. Within these denominations, they practice various sacraments and ceremonies as well. Within the same denomination, there are liberal and conservative Pastors. Each Pastor makes their church unique, even if it is within the same denomination as another church. Some denominations have Elders, while others have Bishops, both of these being officials in the church.
Various churches begin at different times. Some have service multiple times a day for those who can't make it in the morning. Many churches hold singing and praising before their sermon. Some churches have live bands and choirs, while others have a simple piano or audio system. During this time, the church calls upon the Holy Spirit, inviting Him into the sanctuary and praising God. During service, some churches have children's programs for young kids to attend while adults stay in the sanctuary to engage in the main sermons. These all depend on each individual church and what resources they have available to them. Churches also hold Bible studies, prayer meetings, and other weekly events. You must pray for God's guidance regarding which church to attend. If you attend a church and don't feel comfortable there, don't give up, instead, try another church. Churches of the same denomination will be different based on the people that go to them.
When you first go to church, you should expect a warm welcome and assistance in figuring out the church's operations. Church begins with prayers, announcements, and praise. An offering or tithing plate is typically passed around. However, some churches have them in a fixed place on the way into the sanctuary. Some Churches have Bibles, tithing envelopes, and hymn books in the back of the pew in front of you. While other churches have chairs instead of pews and require you to bring your own Bible. The main sermon will then be preached to the members lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to even 2 hours. After the sermon, there may be a time for baptisms or partaking of the Lord's Supper "Communion." Partaking in the Lord's Supper varies greatly between Christians. Some do it weekly, monthly, or yearly. At times, this may happen before service as well. Below explains our beliefs about what the Lord's Supper and Baptism are.
Baptism
Baptism is the proclamation of faith after someone is saved by Jesus. The prerequisite to baptism is to be born again as a believer in Christ. When you are baptized, you symbolically take your old sinful self down "under the water," washing it away and coming back up a new creation.
Baptism can be done in a church tank, river, lake, ocean, pool, and any body of water deep enough for the person to be submerged. Before being immersed in the water, the Priest or fellow friend in Christ performing the baptism should acknowledge, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." This is how Jesus taught the Disciples in the Great Commission. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19 NIV).
Lords Supper
The Lord's Supper is the coming together of Christians to remember Jesus and what He has done for us. By taking communion, we eat bread and drink wine resembling Christ's body and blood. This act is a remembrance of Jesus and seals us in the new covenant with Christ consecrating us to His service.
This sacrament can vary slightly between denominations. Communion may be every Sunday, once a month, or a couple of times a year. Scripture does not instruct us exactly how often to observe it. Some churches offer real pieces of baked bread and wine. While others have small crackers and grape juice in disposable cups. It is the act that is what is important. The coming together of Christ's church to remember what He has done for us and to acknowledge our commitment to the covenant we share with Christ.
Church Denominations
Denominations are "different branches of Christianity." There are many differences in how they are governed. However, it is crucial to understand before exploring denominational differences that Jesus clearly states in the Bible faith in Him is the only way to receive eternal life. For example, in John 14:6, "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast" (NIV), and Romans 3:23-25, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood to be received by faith" (NIV).
Christianity emphasizes that our relationship, repentance, and trust in Jesus gives us eternal life as a gift from Him—not trying to work your way into Heaven by rules set in religious systems. It is clear in the Bible that being saved is not of ourselves but simply a gift from God. As you grow more in your faith and become exposed to more things, you will begin to find a ton of various ideas through different denominations. What is important to understand is that theologians are humans, and we make mistakes. Certain things in the Bible are not completely presented to us, and speculation can become dangerous when we try to add things to the Bible. This is where division and "church politics" come into play. It is important to avoid dividing the church and to instead focus on how our hearts seek a relationship with Jesus. Everything comes into place when you follow Jesus with all of your heart seeking His truth.
Below is a list of some common Christian Denominations and what sets them apart.
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism became prominent in the twentieth century. This denomination brings attention to the Holy Spirit's work within the believer's life. The name is taken from the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. Pentecostalism believes in a second work of grace from the Holy Spirit. Believers first receive salvation and sanctification. The second work of grace is when the Holy Spirit indwells within their body, empowering them to speak in tongues, and receive other gifts which allow them to live the most perfect human life possible.
Orthodox
Orthodox churches believe in teaching the true doctrine free from man-made additions. They believe the Holy Spirit has guided them to continue the original teachings of the Apostles and the first-century church. They also believe that Jesus is present in the Lord's Supper bread and wine rather than the bread and wine being seen as symbolic. They follow seven sacraments.
Baptist
There are a lot of different Baptist denominations, and it would be wrong to summarize all of them up together. However, what makes Baptists unique is their early church views of Baptism. They believe that Baptism can only be valid if the believer has already found faith.
Lutheran
Started by Martin Luther, Lutherans opposed Roman Catholicism by challenging their doctrines consisting of works-based salvation and exclusive priesthood and wanted to remove their "Romish" influence from Christianity. Luther did not believe in the Catholic traditions as a way to save you and held salvation by grace through faith as the only way to be saved.
Methodist
The Methodist denomination began under the guidance of John Wesley. They reject much of Calvinism's emphasis on God's sovereignty with salvation and stress the Arminianism viewpoint of free will. Many Methodist denominations reject the inerrancy of the Bible, meaning they do not believe the Bible is infallible or free from error. To them, defending doctrine is not as important as living a good life which they believe the Holy Spirit purifies them from all of their sins through faith and obedience. This is not true for all Methodists denominations, as John Wesley himself believed in the infallibility of the Scripture.
Presbyterian
Originating from both John Calvin and John Knox, Presbyterians got their name from "presbuteros," meaning elder, since elders govern the church. Presbyterians traditionally accept the infallibility of Scripture and follow Calvinism's five points, "see Reformed" with an emphasis on God's sovereignty. They also follow the Westminster Confession of Faith. "Click here to access an external website to read Westminster Confession of Faith."
Reformed
John Calvin lays claim to being the most influential figure in the Swiss Reformation. Reformed theology emphasizes the 5 points of Calvinism, also known as "TULIP." Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. Emphasis is placed on the sovereignty of God. Most Reformed denominations reject premillennialism, "the 1,000-year reign of Christ happening at the beginning of His second coming."
Mennonite
Mennonites came from the reformation and are descendants of Anabaptists. Many know of them as Amish. They live simple lives abstaining from the world. They dress modestly and are generally nonviolent. In some denominations, they practice foot washing; however, they all believe that only adults may be baptized and those baptized as infants must be rebaptized.
Catholic
Before diving into the Catholic denomination, it is crucial to put a disclaimer. We have remained unbiased in explaining the different aspects that set apart denominations. However, it would be unjust for us to explain the Catholic tradition without giving a warning in case any are led astray into their beliefs. When Jesus came, He made a point that good works do not grant you salvation. That salvation through faith and trust in Him is the only way to receive eternal life. We do not believe or condone any of these distinct ideas that are mentioned below. With that being said, we will look at Catholic beliefs.
The Pope is the head of the Catholic church. He holds the title of "infallibility," meaning that his interpretation of Scripture is incapable of error. This gives the Pope a monopoly on what he thinks is correct, and the church has to accept what he says. This is impossible as Scripture tells us, "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10), and "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Because of sin, no man can be perfect. Their Bible also includes the Apocrypha, which are writings not considered genuine or infallible, and are not included in the Bible because there are errors within them. They also believe that Baptism removes original sin without the need for repentance, and this can be done in infants who don't have a concept of grace. If you are an impure Catholic, you will spend time suffering in purgatory before entering Heaven. The Virgin Mary was sinless and remained a virgin till she was taken to Heaven. At times, she is prayed to instead of God. Many of these things are non-Biblical.
Conclusion
After reading through the main denominational branches, it is important to know that there are many sub-branches within each of these denominations that have their own unique names. It can be at times hard to find which one fits you best as some denominations overlap beliefs as well as sub-denominations varying in belief. There are many additional beliefs that are not included within this short summary. We only tried to highlight the main areas. On your search to find a church, it is important not to idolize a denomination but to find fellowship with others to share in the body of Christ with. If you want to learn more about denominations, this information was gathered from Ron Rhodes book "The complete Guide To Christian Denominations."