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This glossary includes terms commonly used in evangelical worship and publications and is presented here to augment the definitions listed in Appendix A.
Accepting Christ; Born Again; Conversion; New Birth; Salvation; Saved. A conscious and climactic act of believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that His sacrificial death for our sin holds the power to free us from the guilt, domination, and punishment of sin.
Addiction. A chemical and/or psychological need to use tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs.
Adoption. The process of reinstating us in the favor of God as a brother of Jesus Christ and the son of God.
Age of accountability. The age beyond which a child will be held responsible for his/her relationship with Christ.
Altar. A railing at the front of the church, between the platform and the pews, which is used as a place of prayer.
Altar Call; Altar Invitation. The part of the service when worshippers are invited to come forward and kneel at the altar for prayer.
Anoint. The prayer of healing by a minister, usually accompanied by touching oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) on the brow amid a chorus of oral prayer.
Baby Christian. The term used for a person who has recently accepted Jesus Christ as a personal savior.
Backslide. According to Wesleyan doctrine, the ability to fall from the born-again state because of sinning, as illustrated in Ezekiel 18:21-24.
Baptized in the Spirit. According to Pentecostal doctrine, a special filling of the Holy Spirit usually associated with the gift of speaking in unlearned languages.
Baptism, adult. Complete immersion as a testimony of the fact that Christ has washed away all sin.
Baptism, infant. Bringing a baby or young child before the altar for sprinkling with water; replaced by "infant dedication" in many evangelical churches.
Benediction. The concluding prayer in a worship service.
Book store. A retail outlet which specializes in Bibles and Christian music, literature, and gifts.
Bulletin. A folder which includes the order of service and a listing of activities.
Camp meeting. A series of outdoor revival services held in a rustic setting.
Calvinist. The school of evangelical thought developed by John Calvin which is characterized by the following concepts: (a) God has already decided (predestined) who will be saved and who will be lost and there is nothing we can do to change that; (b) a Christian is filled by the Holy Spirit when born again instead of in a separate act of sanctification; (c) all Christians sin daily in word, thought, and deed, and must ask for daily forgiveness; (d) if a born-again believer returns to a life of sin, that person will not go to Hell if death or the rapture comes before repentance; and (e) he/she is eternally secure. Major denominations: the various branches of the Baptist Church.
Canon. The sacred writings which have been accepted as the official books of the Bible.
Charismatic. See "Pentecostal".
Christian. A person who has been born again and who is living according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Comforter. A term for the Holy Spirit found in the King James version of the Bible.
Communion. A symbolic re-enactment of the Last Passover Supper when Jesus shared bread and wine with His disciples the evening before He was crucified. The Last Supper was simultaneously the last celebration of Passover and the first celebration of Communion.
Concordance. A word index of Bible verses.
Conference, district. All the churches of one denomination within a given geographic area.
Congregational singing. The part of a worship service when everyone sings together.
Consecration. Consciously turning your life over to Christ.
Conviction. A state of anxiety brought on by the Holy Spirit, associated with the knowledge that there is a need to accept Christ and achieve forgiveness for sins.
Dedication, church. A special service for consecrating facilities to the service of God.
Dedication, infant. A special service when parents bring a baby to the altar and promise they will train him/her in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Demons. The fallen angels who were thrown out of Heaven with Satan for rebellion against God; from the ancient word da, meaning the "knowing ones" .
Demon possession. The presence of one or more Satanic demons within the body and mind of a human being.
Denomination. A group of churches held together with a form of central government.
Devotions. Personal daily prayer and Bible reading.
Doctrine. A statement of what the Bible teaches and the church believes.
Eternal security. According to Calvinist doctrine, the inability of a born-again believer to miss Heaven because of sinning.
Evangelical. Any religious activity with an emphasis on encouraging others to accept Jesus Christ.
Evangelism. The act or process of encouraging persons to accept Christ.
Evangelist. A minister who makes a career of preaching in revivals and camp meetings.
Faith. Accepting the teaching of the Bible as fact even without "proof".
Family altar. A time when the family has devotions together, including Bible reading and prayer.
Free moral agency; will. The ability to choose good or evil without direct intervention by God or Satan.
Full-gospel. To be associated with Pentecostal activities, as in "Full-Gospel Business Men's Association".
Fundamentalist. A media term for any person or group with a strong commitment to a religious belief; evangelical.
God, the Father. The Chief of the Godhead who is holy, all powerful, all knowing, and present everywhere.
God, the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Godhead revealed to us on the day of Pentecost.
God, the Son. The second person of the Godhead who came to earth to die as a sin sacrifice for us.
Gospel music. Christian songs with an evangelical emphasis.
Gospels. The first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
Greek. The language in which most of the original New Testament was written.
Healing. The power of God to alleviate physical problems.
Heaven. The literal place reserved for the eternal joy of all persons saved by the blood of The Lamb.
Hebrew. The language in which the original Old Testament was written.
Hell. The literal place reserved for the eternal punishment of Satan, demons, and sinners.
Hypocrite. A person who appears to talk better than he or she lives.
Inspiration. God's blessing on the Bible's authors which enabled them to write what they wrote.
Intercessory prayer. Praying for someone else.
Invocation. The opening prayer of a service, calling in the Holy Spirit.
Justification. Total forgiveness by God.
King James Version. A popular translation of the Bible completed in 1611.
Lamb of God. The title Jesus carries in heaven because He died for our sins.
Liturgy. Any form of worship.
Living Bible. A modern language paraphrase of the Bible published by Tyndale House.
Manual. A book of denominational doctrine and regulations.
Membership. Vowing to accept a denomination's doctrine and live by its regulations.
Message. The presentation of the sermon by the pastor or evangelist.
Minister. The spiritual and administrative leader of a local church.
Missionary. A person who serves the Lord in another country as minister, doctor, nurse, teacher.
New Testament. The second section of the Bible which contains the new contract we have with God.
NIV. New International Version, a popular modern language translation of the Bible published by Zondervan.
Offering. Putting money in the plate when it is passed.
Offertory. Music which is played during the offering.
Old Testament. The first section of the Bible which contains the old contract with God.
Pauline Epistles. Letters which the Apostle Paul wrote to his new churches.
Pentecostal. The school of evangelical thought developed around the fact that on the first day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given, the observers were able to hear Peter preach in their native languages. Pentecostal, or charismatic, doctrine is characterized by the following concepts: (a) the Christian should be baptized in the Holy Spirit after being born again, and (b) a Christian who is baptized in the Holy Spirit will receive special gifts such as the ability to speak in unlearned languages (tongues), interpret a message given in tongues, and/or pray for the sick with the "laying on of hands". The modern Pentecostal movement grew out of the three-year Azusa Street (Los Angeles) revival which began in 1906. Major denominations: Assemblies of God, United Pentecostal Church, Foursquare Church. Many non-Pentecostal churches have pockets of charismatic worshippers, including denominations not usually associated with Evangelicals.
Plan of Salvation. God's accepting animal deaths and then Christ's death as payment for man's sin.
Platform. The raised area at the front of the church.
Prayer. Talking to God.
Prayer Service. A mid-week service devoted to prayer and Bible study.
Predestination. According to Calvinist doctrine, the fact that God has already decided who will go to Heaven and who will go to Hell.
Protestant. A Christian who is not a Catholic. Martin Luther was the orignal protestant because he protested against the evils of the organized religion of his day.
Pulpit. The lectern at which the minister stands.
Quarterly. A study guide for Sunday school classes which is issued every three months.
Rally. A special service for promoting a specific aspect of the church's program.
Rapture; Second Coming. The unannounced return of Jesus to take all Christians to heaven to be with Him forever.
Regeneration. Being born again.
Responsive reading. A leader and a group taking turns reading verses of scripture.
Restitution. After salvation, paying back what is owed and asking forgiveness where needed.
Revival. A series of services with an emphasis on spiritual growth and evangelism.
Sacrifice. The death of animals in the Old Testament and Jesus Christ in the New Testament because God requires the death penalty for sin.
Sanctification. According to Wesleyan doctrine, a second (after being born again), definite, instantaneous work of grace which removes the inbred carnal nature through an act of the Holy Spirit, thereby making it less likely for the believer to sin again.
Sanctuary. The portion of a church building used for worship services.
Satan; Devil. The primary evil supernatural being who wants everyone to sin and go to hell forever where he will be.
Scripture. The writings in the Bible.
Seekers. Persons who come forward for prayer during an altar invitation.
Sin. A willful violation of God's laws as set forth in the Bible.
Standards. Bible based guidelines developed by a denomination regarding behavior and interaction.
Sunday School. A Christian education program which meets for an hour each Sunday morning.
Temptation. An urge to do something wrong as brought on by Satan and his demons.
Testimony. A public statement of having accepted Jesus Christ as a personal savior.
Text. A portion of scripture used by a minister as the basis for a sermon.
Tithing. Paying ten percent of personal income to the work of the Lord.
Tongues. Speaking in unlearned languages. See "Pentecostal".
Trinity. The Godhead made of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Tureen dinner. A fellowship meal comprised of casseroles brought by the participants. Also known as "potluck supper."
Vacation Bible School. A summer Christian education program lasting one or two weeks.
Vestibule. The foyer or entryway of a church building.
Wesleyan. The school of evangelical thought developed by John Wesley which is characterized by the following concepts: (a) the Christian should be sanctified by a filling of the Holy Spirit after being born again; (b) a Christian who is sanctified is better equipped to resist Satan's temptations to sin, and (c) if a born-again believer returns to a life of sin (backslides), that person will go to Hell if death or the rapture comes before repentance. Major denominations: Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyan Church. Persons who follow the Wesleyan doctrine are also known as Arminians.
Witness. Telling another person about how to accept Jesus Christ as a personal savior.
Youth for Christ. A Christ centered youth organization for high school students.
Youth Society or youth group. A church's program for young people.
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