As well as the Catholic Church, we had to go to another church that wasn’t our own and I chose to go to Rochdale Baptist Church. Simply because I have heard that it is a good church and Baptist churches I don’t know much about so i liked the idea of the new experience. This church looked like a regular church. Not many pictures or icons. It was just plain and bare. When I walked through the doors there was a sense of warmth, and happiness to brighten up the plain scenery. Everyone was extremely welcoming and laid back. The service was just like any other service I had been to it was easily understood. It didn’t even feel like I was in a Baptist church. The following paragraphs are background information about the Baptist church and how the people do things.
Baptists are a group of Christian denominations, churches, and individuals who subscribe to a theology of believer's baptism , salvation through faith alone, Scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice, and the autonomy of the local church. They practice baptism by immersion. Baptists recognize two ministerial offices, pastors and deacons. Baptist churches are widely considered to be Protestants, though some Baptists disavow this identity. Most Baptist churches or individuals identify with evangelicalism or fundamentalism while a minor embrace modernist views of Scripture.
Diverse from their beginning, those identifying as Baptists today differ widely from one another in what they believe, how they worship, their attitudes toward other Christians, and their understanding of what is important in Christian discipleship.
Many Baptists trace their denomination's origins to the early church, a period when the church consisted of committed believers who were baptized upon confession of faith as adults. Baptist beginnings have also been traced to medieval sects who protested against prevailing baptismal theory and practice, and to the Anabaptist's of the Continental Reformation, especially in Zurich.
The Baptists are one of the largest Protestant Free Church denominations. As indicated by their name, the primary Baptist distinctive is their practice of believer's baptism and corresponding rejection of infant baptism. Most Baptists are evangelical in doctrine, but Baptist beliefs can vary due to the congregational governance system that gives freedom to individual local Baptist churches. Historically, Baptists have played a key role in encouraging religious freedom and separation of church and state.
The term "Baptist" refers to a person who believes in the adult "baptism of believers" in Jesus. In other words, Baptists are those who claim a personal faith in Christ alone for salvation, which also reject the baptism of infants, believing that only adult believers in Jesus, (or those at least old enough to actually understand about trusting in Christ), should be baptized. They also do not believe that baptism itself saves them from their sins.
Depending upon the tradition to which they belong, the shape of Advent services might follow a similar route year by year or, with liturgical series such as that used by the Anglican Church follow a three year cycle of readings.
The themes most often used for the four weeks of Advent are Hope, Peace, Joy and Love; or God's people, the Old Testament Prophets, John the Baptist and Mary. However, the choice of themes is not limited to the usual or comfortable, and with a little forward planning there are many ways in which the approach to Christmas can be tackled imaginatively, and bring out different truths about God's amazing love and Grace.
Those in the congregation are just as likely to sing out with joy and praise as any choir member. There are always instrumentalist whether it be a lone pianist or a well practiced orchestra. The choir may be made up of several members who love to sing or seventy members who sound like the angels around God's throne. It may be a quartet, a trio, a duet, or a soloist who sings the "special" just before the pastor comes to the pulpit. Baptists take the preparation of hearts to receive God's truths as very serious business.
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