Church (building): Difference between revisions

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			:''This article is about the concept/term "Church". For other uses, see ].''
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	], ].]]
	:''This article is about buildings used for religion worship. For other uses of the term, see ].''

			== Definition ==
	A '''Church''' is a building used for prayer, worship, or other public religious services, usually referring specifically to those for ] worship.
			A '''Church''' is widely known as a building used for public religious services, usually referring specifically to those for ] worship. It also popularly refers to the group/body of persons that share faith based in ]. All other uses extend from this (]) and related contexts.

	== Development ==
	]]]
	The first Christians were, like ], ] resident in Israel who worshiped on occasion in the ] and weekly in local synagogues. Temple worship was a ritual involving sacrifice, occasionally including the sacrifice of animals in atonement for sin, offered to ] until Jesus became the final sacrificial offering on ]. The ] includes many references to Jesus visiting the Temple, the first time as an infant with his parents.

			== Origin (Ref. NKJV Bible) ==
	The early history of the synagogue is obscure, but it seems to be an institution developed for public Jewish worship during the ] when the Jews did not have access to the Jerusalem Temple for ritual sacrifice. Instead, they developed a daily and weekly service of readings from the ] 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 ] 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.
			The concept started in the ], by a man called ], the penultimate character, a ] from ]. He used this term "Church" (ref. ] - 1557) which was governmental/political, used in ways such as: "]", assembly, congregation or council of common objective. Literally meaning a "]", see ], ]. It is a team that worked together to resolve a problem faced by the wider community or society, it was not a "building".

	Jesus himself participated in this sort of service as a reader and commentator (see ] 4: 16-24) and his followers probably remained worshippers in synagogues in some cities. However, following the destruction of the ] in ], the new Christian movement and Judaism increasingly parted ways. The Church became overwhelmingly Gentile sometime in the second century.

			In the ], the term was never used before this, Jesus used the term "]" on many other occations (e.g. Mark 14:49) (ref. ] - 2413), but this use of "church" was something clearly disparate. Matt 16:18 "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.".
	== Church architecture ==
	] in ].]]
	:''Main article: ]''

	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 ].

	The Syrian city of ] on the West bank of the Euphrates was an outpost town between the ] and ] 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 ]. Thus were preserved and securely dated the earliest decorated church and a ] 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 ].

	''See also ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ].''

	== Ecological churches ==
	As there is a trend toward ], churches running on ] are being set up. The first church running on solar energy is St Oliver Plunkett's Church in ].

	==See also==
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	==External links==
	{{wiktionary\|church}}
	* from the ]
	*
	*

	<!--Do not add links to your local church here. They will be deleted.
	This section is only for information on Churches in the widest sense.
	See ] for our policy on external links.-->

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Revision as of 22:57, 28 October 2006

This article is about the concept/term "Church". For other uses, see Church (disambiguation).

Part of a series on

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Christadelphians Iglesia ni Cristo Irvingians Jehovah's Witnesses Latter Day Saints Members Church of God International The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The New Church (Swedenborgian) Unitarians and Universalists

Definition

A Church is widely known as a building used for public religious services, usually referring specifically to those for Christian worship. It also popularly refers to the group/body of persons that share faith based in Christianity. All other uses extend from this (Judeo-Christian) and related contexts.

Origin (Ref. NKJV Bible)

The concept started in the Bible, by a man called Jesus, the penultimate character, a Hebrew from Nazareth. He used this term "Church" (ref. Strong's Concordance - 1557) which was governmental/political, used in ways such as: "Ecclesia", assembly, congregation or council of common objective. Literally meaning a "convocation", see Ecclesia (Church), Ecclesia (ancient Athens). It is a team that worked together to resolve a problem faced by the wider community or society, it was not a "building".

In the Bible, the term was never used before this, Jesus used the term "temple" on many other occations (e.g. Mark 14:49) (ref. Strong's Concordance - 2413), but this use of "church" was something clearly disparate. Matt 16:18 "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.".