RELG 402 - World's Living Religions
Visit to a Church
The visit is an option - it is not a requirement of the Course, but it will probably be very helpful for understanding people who have different religious traditions.
A visit to another religion or denomination is similar to a cross-cultural exchange.
Be prepared to encounter differences in world-view, religious practice, music, language, standards of dress.
Be prepared to exercise tact, politeness, flexibility and patience.
One of the goals of this course is to understand religions as they are lived and practiced by real communities. This assignment provides an opportunity to move beyond the textbook and class notes, by experiencing a Christian worship service and reflecting on your experience.
The assignment is designed to help you develop skills in observation, description, analysis, and self-reflection while engaging respectfully with a religious tradition other than your own.
If you decide to visit a church
Locating and contacting a church to visit is part of the assignment. Anyone moving to a new location faces this problem also, and it will be part of your experience.
You should attend a live, in-person worship service, at a Church which is of a different tradition to the ones with which you are familiar.
Before attending, you should decide on the type of church you wish to attend - liturgical? pentecostal? charismatic? reformed? Baptist? Eastern Orthodox? New Religious Movement? Hispanic? Black? White? inter-racial?
What are the reasons for your choice(s)?
Research the various churches in your area. (InterNet, Yellow Pages, Newspaper Religion Page, Church notice boards, etc.)
When you have decided on a Church for the visit, try to contact the Church office to determine whether visitors are welcome and whether any advance arrangements are necessary.
Make sure you know the Street Address, Phone Number, Day and Time of the service, and name of the Pastor
When attending the church - Upon arrival, introduce yourself to a greeter if there appears to be one, and follow his/her instructions.
Do not take notes during the visit, but allow yourself to experience the visit, and try to take part in the service as far as is comfortable for you.
As soon as possible after the visit, take time to make notes on the following questions:
- How easy was it to find the church?
- What did the church look like from the outside?
- How was the worship space arranged? (chancel? choir? baptistery? font? seating? aisle(s)?
- What objects or symbols did you observe? (Cross, Bible, altar, communion table, lectern, pulpit, choir, statues, windows, pictures, banners, Stations of the Cross, Holy Water stoup, incense, etc.)
- How was the service organized and directed? (bulletin, prayer book, hymnal, slide projector, worship leader, etc.)
- What was the sequence of events during the service?
- Was there one main leader for the service, or did different people lead different parts of the service?
- How was scripture used during the service?
- What was one of the main themes of the sermon?
- What languages were used?
- How were the prayers conducted?
- Was there music? What types of music were used? Soloist? Choir? Congregational participation? Chanting? Traditional Hymns? Contemporary worship songs?
- How did participants interact with one another?
- How did the congregation react during the service? (standing, sitting, kneeling, clapping, verbal interjections, etc.)
- Were there times for hospitality, instruction, or celebration?
- Was provision made for families with small children?
- What did you observe about the demographics of the congregation?
- What were your interactions with members of the church?
- What surprised you?
- What challenged you?
- What questions emerged from the experience?
For your Essay, you should describe the visit in enough detail that a reader who was not present could visualize the experience. Your essay should be based on your notes, and should include:
- Your reasons for choosing that particular church
- How you prepared for the visit
- The Name, address, and denomination of the church visited
- Date and time of the service
- Type of service attended
- Approximate length of the service
- The name of the Pastor or other leader
- Your first impressions upon arrival
- The order of worship
- The role of scripture
- The role of music (if any)
- A theme from the Sermon (if any)
- Your interactions with members of the church
- Your personal reflections on the visit
Copyright © 2026 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
