Key Terms and Concepts: Confirm Your Faith
A printable PDF of these terms and concepts is available at the bottom of this page.
Advent: a season of preparation for Christ’s promised coming; begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas
Altar: a ceremonial table on which ancient Israelites offered sacrifices to God. Today Christian congregations use altars to represent the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf and the grace that Christ offers through Holy Communion.
Ash Wednesday: the first day of Lent. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the tradition of placing ashes on one's forehead as a sign of repentance. (Repentance is an important theme during the Lenten season.)
Affusion: a method of baptism in which the pastor pours water on the head of the person being baptized
Aspersion: a method of baptism in which the pastor gently sprinkles water on the head of the person being baptized
Baptism: an initiation into Christ’s body the church, involving being ritually cleansed by water
Baptismal Font: the basin of water used in baptism by aspersion (sprinkling) and affusion (pouring)
Believer’s Baptism: baptizing only persons who are old enough to make a personal faith commitment. Baptists, Anabaptists (including Mennonite and Amish), and Churches of Christ practice believer’s baptism.
Christian Perfection: see “Sanctification”
Christmas: celebration of Jesus’ birth. The Christmas season lasts from Christmas Eve until January 5, the day before Epiphany.
Communion Elements: the bread and wine (or juice) used in Holy Communion
Communion Rail: where worshipers kneel before God during the celebration of Holy Communion
Compassion: caring for the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of others
Covenant Discipleship Groups: a small group of Christians who meet together frequently to offer one another support and accountability, with a focus on devotion, worship, compassion, and justice
Discernment: a process of prayer, study, and reflection for the purpose of making decisions and knowing God’s will
Devotion: private or small-group activities that draw us into Scripture, focus our attention on prayer, and help us be mindful of God’s presence
Easter: celebrates Christ’s resurrection. The Easter season is from Easter Sunday until Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter.
Epiphany: January 6, the day on which Christians celebrate the visit of the magi (or wise men)
Eucharist: literally means “thanksgiving”; a name for the sacrament of Holy Communion
Experience: the occasions when we sense God’s presence in our lives; one of the four “sides” of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral
Holiness: being empowered by the Holy Spirit to be fully devoted to God and to live one’s life according to God’s will
Immersion: a method of baptism in which the person being baptized is completely covered (or immersed) in water
Infant Baptism: baptizing infants and small children because baptism is a work of God’s grace, and God’s grace is present in one’s life even before one is aware of it. The United Methodist Church affirms and practices infant baptism, as do the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and Presbyterian Churches.
Intinction: the act of dipping Communion bread into the cup
Justice: seeking peace and wholeness for all people and all of God’s creation, making God’s kingdom present on earth
Justifying Grace: the grace that brings us into right relationship with God. Our responsibility is to respond to God’s grace in faith and make a decision to follow Christ.
Lectionary: a guide for worship that proscribes certain Scripture readings for each Sunday throughout the Christian year; many United Methodist congregations use the Revised Common Lectionary, which usually suggests an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, a Gospel reading, and an epistle reading (from one of the New Testament letters) for each week.
Lent: recalls Jesus’ 40-day temptation in the wilderness and journey toward Jerusalem and the cross. The 40 days (not including Sundays) of Lent begin with Ash Wednesday and continue through Holy Week.
Liturgy: a pattern of worship
Ordinary Time: a time to reflect on doing the work of God’s kingdom and growing spiritually. Ordinary Time falls between Pentecost and the beginning of Advent.
Paraments: decorations in a sanctuary or worship space in colors that correspond to the seasons of the Christian year
Pentecost: commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the church. Pentecost is the fiftieth day after Easter.
Prevenient Grace: the grace of God that is present in our lives before we are aware of it. God constantly seeks us through other people, through our experiences, and through our consciences.
Pulpit: the podium from which the pastor addresses the congregation
Reason: our God-given ability to think and use logic; one of the four “sides” of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.
Sacrament: the rite ordained by Jesus Christ, through which we experience God’s grace
Sanctification: being holy and completely in tune with God’s will
Sanctifying Grace: the grace through which God transforms us into the persons whom God wants us to be
Scripture: the Bible, our foundational document, important for our lives today and containing “all things necessary to salvation” (The Articles of Religion of The Methodist Church); one of the four “sides” of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral
Season After Epiphany: celebrates Christ’s divinity (frankincense), royalty (gold), and sacrifice (myrrh—used for anointing and embalming the dead). This season begins on Epiphany (January 6) and continues until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Tradition: the witness of faithful Christians who have answered God’s call in the centuries since the Old and New Testaments were written and compiled; one of the four “sides” of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral
Wesleyan Quadrilateral: the four tools of Christian discernment that John Wesley used to make difficult decisions and to draw conclusions on complex issues. The four tools are Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.
Worship: the means by which a community of faith praises and gives thanks to God, confesses their sins, partakes in the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, and receives guidance and nourishment from the Holy Spirit
