Places of Worship

PURPOSE

• to support local commnity
• calm and spiritual
• safe
• strength and power
• tal tower points to heaven
• place to study and worship
• Where people get married
• provides a meeting place

EXTERNAL FEATURES

• Tall tower design (points to heaven & symbolises that prayers go to heaven)
• Large door ways
• stand out design
• Stain glass windows
• Arches

Some demoninations believe that:

• The church is about the people not the building
• Money shouldn't be spent on the building but instead should go to charities
• A simple cross is sufficent enough to show it is a place of worship
• Allows focus on God and own prayers
• Less distractions
• Original and similar to early church
• Represents the simplicity of God 

HOWEVER others belive that:

• The church should have tall towers and steeples that point to heaven to stand out from other buidlings as something special that can be recognised even by non- believers
• It is important that the external features reflect what goes on inside i.e. tall towers= prayers & worship rising up to heaven
• Buildings should be grand to symbolize that God is great and powerful (buildings should reflect who God is)

• Whole church is focused on the sanctury which is: the alter, pulpit and lecturn

• Lecturn is where the Word of God is proclaimed and readings from the scriptures are read- helps members to PUBLICALLY worship God as it allows everyone to hear the Word of God
• Altar is where the bread and wine isconsencreated and offered to God. It is a plac of sacrifice where praise is given to God
• Pulpit is where the priest preaches (sometimes lecturn and pulpit are same thing)
• Stained Glass Windows which make the church a worthy place to worship God as they brighten up God's house

• Statues are used for PRIVATE worship as they help people to pray as people can ask their favourite saint to intercede for them
• Tabernacle keeps consecarted hosts. Many like to pray quietly infront of it as they belive christ is fully present in the consecrated host
• Lady altar is a side altar dedicated to Mary- encouraged RC to offer devotion to Mary

RC

• Gold candlesticks & crucifix
• stained glass windows
• carved wooden pews
• stautes of saints 
• altar covered in gold embroided cloth
• painted ceiling
• priest wearing colourful vestments

C of E

• Woden candle sticks & crucifix
• clear windows
• plain wooden pews
• simple wooden table as altar
• stone flag floors
• Minister wears black & white 

EXTERNAL FEATURES 

• brightly coloured 
• gold
• domes/ cupola ( 1 dome = 1 God, 7 domes = 7 sacraments, 33 domes = Jesus' age when teaching)
• Square or rectangle shape is a Noah's ark representation- saved noah = church will save us 
• imposing/ large/ fairytale
• domes represent ceilings of heaven

ORTHODOX means RIGHT BELIEF

INTERNAL FEATURES

• Iconostasis- screen covered in icons- represents the divison between heaven & earth
• Icon- religious images of Jesus, Mary, the Angels or saints 
• Nave- where all the congregation stand. Seperates men and women to show equality before God
• Sanctuary- contains the altar- only priest & deacons can enter
• Altar- also called a royal throne or table, removed from normal person's sight
• Round doors- closed for most of the service, exept from 3 moments which reflect heaven and earth coming closer together
• Candle stands- represents the light that led the jews through the wildness to the promised land
• Pantokrator- picture on the dome of the creater of the universe

EXTERNAL FEATURES

• often v. simple + simple in design
• sometimes have a board/ sign outside stating the church
• often have arch shaped windows
• large door

SIMILARITIES WITH ANGLICAN 

• most hold communion services
• most have an altar and pulpit
• both have the feel of a place of worship

DIFFERENCES

• flexible seating
• no communion every day
• no set liturgy or practices
• sometimes no ordained minister

Quaker

• helps friends to worship as it has plain interior with no statues which help them to reflect on own lives and pray without distractions
• atmosphere is informal and room is laid out with compfy chairs to they are calm and relaxed when focusing on God

Baptist

• pulpit- focal point- where people preach and read from the bible
• flexible seating- people can focus on readings
• plain church- so people don't get distracted and can focus on preaching
• maybe has a single large cross
• no statues
• banners and falgs
• bapistery (pool)

• more formal than baptist
• mainly bible- based worship = pulpit and lecturn are important
• singing is essential so there is lots of music 
• communion service once or twice a month so communion table normally near pulpit area
• baptisimal font or bowl somewhere prominent
• church built so as many people can be near the front as possible so often there are seating son balocnies overlooking the pulpit

A journey by a christian to a holy site i.e. Lourdes

Why do christians go on a pilgrimage?

• to restore order in their lives 
• to help strengthen their faith
• as a way of thanking God for something they received
• to seek spiritual, physical or emotional healing
• to care for the sick and handicapped who want to go on a pilgrimage but cannot go on their own
• as an act of prayer and devotion
• to be with God
• enjoyment
• knowledge
• community
• spiritual journey

The Holy Land

• go to see where jesus walked
• see the empety tomb
• swim in the lake galilee
• they do all this to strengthen their faith

• BETHLEHEM- where Jesus was born&laid in a manger. Where God revealed his love for humanity
• SEA OF GALILEE- scene of Jesus' major teachings- christians see em selves as disciples
• GETHSEMANE- where Jesus was arrested- join in prayer
• CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE- where Jesus died and the tomb where he rose- christians can focus on the central event in christian faith
• THE VIA DOLOROSA- route taken fom Pilate's palace to Gologotha- join in suffering

The Impact:

• feel close to Jesus
• See things in a different way

AGREE

• see important sites in christian history
• to be closer with God and strengthen their faith
• help understand faith fuly as seeing real places like bethlehem and the via dolorosa
• helps put christianity into context

DISAGREE

• money should be spent on chairty instead
• it is not required unlike the muslim pilgrimages
• disabled and ill may not be able to go
• too expensive for some people
• church doesn't teach it 

• Marian shrine in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City
• most visited catholic pilgrimage site and world's 3rd most- visited sacred site
• Some pilgrims crawl on knees for miles as they approach the basillica
• Belive virgin can cure any sickness, alcoholics go there &promise not to drink instead of AA
• millions flock there on 12 Dec- feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe

EVENTS

• Mary appeared infront of Juan Diego, local peasant, & asked for a church to be built on the Hill of Tepeyac in her honour
• Archbishop did not believe him but Mary kept re- appearing, insisting him to keep on trying
• Archbishop told Juan to prove it - Mary said she would on Monday
• on monday, Juan's uncle was ill & was on death bed so he chose another route around the hill to avoid being delayed by Mary
• Mary intercepted him and asked where he was going (4th apparation) and Mary asked him "am i not here, I who am your mother?"- (words became inscribed over main enterance of Basillica)
• Mary cured his uncle and since then millions visit to se the miraculous image on the peasants cloak which contained the eveidence the Archbishop wanted

• Lady told Bernadette to dig a spring whcih had healing qualities
• asked for a church to be built there

ACTIVITIES

• candle- light procession 
• stations of cross in the hills
• attend mass in basilica or church
• bathe in water from spring
• regular service for the sick
• priest avaliable for confesion
• visit the home of Bernadette

A visit to lourdes may help pilgrims in faith as if they know someone who is sick or are sick themselves, they can light a candle & sick can bathe in spring which has healing qualities. Also by visitng Bernadettes house, pilgrims can feel closer to Lourdes history which can strengthen their faith.

• gives people hope and strengthen in their livfes to deal with problems at home
• helps people to discover themselves
• helps people to find God again and value him in a new way
• helps people help others i.e. helping a disabled person go on pilgrimage
• helps christians feel like God accepts them
• drags people out of comfort zones

No need to go out of UK?

• costs more to go aborad- money could go to charity
• good pilgrimge sites in uk i.e. Walsingham

HOWEVER

• most visited sites are abroad
• pilgrimage is a journey and can be in any country
• places like Jerusalem help strengthen faith& make it more real
• places like Lourdes help disabled people come together and feel less alone