Façade. The “face” of a church (or any building), especially the main front of the structure which is generally on the western side of churches and faces the street – although large churches may have more than one façade, e.g., the side entrances at the end of each transept.
Narthex. Greek for “enclosure.” The narthex is an entryway or gathering room leading into a church. This area is sometimes also referred to as a “vestibule” or “foyer.” In the narthex people often gather before and after Divine Service to greet each other.
The nave is the main part of the church where the congregation (the people who come to worship) sit. The aisles are the sides of the church which may run along the side of the nave. The transept, if there is one, is an area which crosses the nave near the top of the church.
Head of the Church is a title given in the New Testament to Jesus. In Catholic ecclesiology, Jesus Christ is called the invisible Head or the Heavenly Head, while the Pope is called the visible Head or the Earthly Head. Therefore, the Pope is often unofficially called the Vicar of Christ by the faithful.
Façade. The façade or "west front" is the most ornate part of the exterior with the processional doors, often three in number, and often richly decorated with sculpture, marble or stone tracery. The façade often has a large window, sometimes a rose window or an impressive sculptural group as its central feature.
What is the biggest issue we face in the church today?
Where does the church face?
Abstract. The orientation of Christian churches reflects the historically documented concepts that one should turn eastward to pray and the architectural and liturgical principle that temples and churches should be constructed facing east (often specified as equinoctial east).
The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir has the largest height-to-width ratio, 3.6:1, of any medieval church. Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but was halted in the years around 1560, unfinished.
Such are cardinals, nuncios, delegates, patriarchs, primates, metropolitans, archbishops, vicars-general, archdeacons, deans, parish priests, and curates. This hierarchy in the wider sense is called hierarchia jurisdictionis, because the persons in question have actual power in the Church.
There are four basic essentials that sort of create the structure for this institution. They are the reasons why the church was called out of the world and why they assemble together. We often call these elements the four pillars of the church: Teaching, Fellowship, Worship, and Evangelism.
We can understand this better through the three states of the Church. Traditionally, these three states have been referred to as the Church Militant, Church Suffering (also known as Church Penitent or Church Expectant) and Church Triumphant.
The top of a dome is the "crown". The inner side of a dome is called the "intrados" and the outer side is called the "extrados". As with arches, the "springing" of a dome is the base level from which the dome rises and the "haunch" is the part that lies roughly halfway between the base and the top.
What do you call the structure at the top of a church?
A pointed cone shape on top of a building is called a spire, especially when it rises from the roof of a church. The part of a church roof that rises above a city skyline or a village's rolling hills, pointing sharply up toward the sky, is its spire. Many church spires have a cross at the very top.
The sanctuary symbolizes heaven. The Nave: The main body of the church where the congregation gathers. The Narthex: The lobby or “gathering space” outside of the church proper. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel: The chapel where the tabernacle is located for the faithful to come and pray.
Within church architecture, orientation is an arrangement by which the point of main interest in the interior is towards the east (Latin: oriens). The east end is where the altar is placed, often within an apse. The façade and main entrance are accordingly at the west end. Cathedral oriented to the east.
The Church of England believes in the “threefold order of ministry”, which means there are three types of clergy: deacons, priests and bishops. You can be a priest only once you have been ordained a deacon, and you can become a bishop only if you have been ordained a priest.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the Cenacle (the site of the Last Supper) in Jerusalem was the "first Christian church." The Dura-Europos church in Syria is the oldest surviving church building in the world, while the archaeological remains of both the Aqaba Church and the Megiddo church have been considered to ...
What is the main largest central section of this church called?
nave, central and principal part of a Christian church, extending from the entrance (the narthex) to the transepts (transverse aisle crossing the nave in front of the sanctuary in a cruciform church) or, in the absence of transepts, to the chancel (area around the altar).
Jesus is supreme over all. Scripture says that God gave Jesus “as head over all things to the church, which is his body” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Jesus is head of the Church because of his primary role in our creation and our redemption.
Traditionally churches are constructed so that during the celebration of the morning liturgy the priest and congregation face towards the rising sun, a symbol of Christ and the Second Coming. However, frequently the building cannot be built to match liturgical direction.
The sanctuary is the area at the front of the church where the altar and cross are located, and the area around it that is usually raised. Also included are the priest's chair and altar servers' seats. Usually, but not always, the lectern where the readings are proclaimed is within the sanctuary.
