First time church goers will observe a conduct and a format within the church that they have probably not seen anywhere else. Church has a traditional format of worship time, prayer, sermon and then fellowship, which lifelong church goers are very familiar with. But to an outsider, this weekly practice may seem strange and unfamiliar. There are, however, very particular reasons and traditions behind these practices that inform how they are carried out today.
Worship time in church is created by music. Music is very important to Christians. There are many verses in scripture that discuss music as a universal way of praising God. Scripture often refers to angels and other celestial bodies praising God through worship. Many people who have had near death experiences claim to have experienced music along with heaven’s presence. Christians spend time worshiping God with music in church because it is a very fitting way of expressing emotion over God. God moves Christians, and arguably every person, in a way that nothing else does. Music can express this joyful feeling in a way that words alone cannot.
The congregation will come together in prayer several times during the service. This is another integral part of the Christian church. Christians pray as a congregation together to collectively connect with God. Scripture says that when believers gather together to praise and commune with God, his presence will be there among them. Christians address God as if he were in the room because the bible informs them that he is, in fact, in the room. The strength of his presence also depends on how openly he is being invited in. It is not unusual to hear Christians pray in tongues, which is a language spoken from the heart when the holy spirit moves within someone, rather than a learned language. It is also common for Christians to place their hands on one another when they are praying for someone. This is familiar to most Christians, but most are also aware and respectful of the fact that this does not appeal to many people.
The sermon is delivered by the pastor of the church. Sermons are informed interpretations of scripture, meant to inspire the congregation toward a more Godly existence and to help them to understand how God operates.