Pentecostal Questions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hope1960
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

Hope1960

Guest
I passed by a Pentecostal Church today in my area and was wondering about it.
Can anybody tell me about this religion? How long are their services? What do they do there? Do they handle snakes? Speak in tongues? Do that healing thing where a person stands in front and is touched on the forehead and falls backwards?

Honest questions.
 
I went to a Pentecostal youth group as a teen with some friends for a few years and sometimes attended their services. The services were longer than Mass because the pastor will speak for a long time and then there is an hour of worship which is Christian songs. I remember the services going from about 10am- noon. Everyone raises their hands and sings along, some people go up to the front and get blessed (?), some people ‘speak in tongues’ during this time. The band has drums and electric guitars.
Didn’t see any snakes! Some ladies went to the front and fainted a few times.
The Church was quite wealthy so they had a cafe inside the church and after the service everyone would go grab some drinks and snacks. I don’t remember anything that was really said during the services now many years later. I’m guessing other Pentecostal churches vary, but this is what I remember.
 
The answers to those questions might vary from one Pentecostal Church to another, especially depending on region.
 
I was raised in a Pentecostal home so I can tell you a little about my experience.
Services usually are very long (more than 2 hours) and noisy (some pentecostal pastors apparently believe that shouting pleases God…).
The service usually begins with some gospel song that remembers pop rock or hip hop, then the pastor ask for donations and says that God will bless the ones who help the church.
It follows with an endless praise of the State of Israel and people “praying in tongues”.
The sermon is usually an hour long, with poor biblical exegesis and with the pastor interrupting it to pray in tongues and ask for more donations.
After that the service finally ends.
As I went through this all my childhood so I’m really surprised I didn’t become a committed atheist.
Remember I’m talking about my experience, there may be other Pentecostals churches who are not that bad but don’t count me in looking for them.
 
Last edited:
There is a lot of variation in Pentecostal practice. From no longer than a Catholic Mass to 3 or 4 hours, it can vary. I’m sure they will tell you what they do there, if you call and ask them.

Same with healings, tongues speaking and other manifestations- if you live in a rural area or the church you are looking at is in the ghetto- you are more likely to get a lot more of that.

Snake Handling? Probably not, unless you live way back in the woods of Kentucky or West Virginia.
 
Hope1960 said:
Do that healing thing where a person stands in front and is touched on the forehead and falls backwards?
Click to expand...
That happened at the service I went to in northeastern North Carolina when I was in high school.

About 30 years ago the youth groups in my area traded services over a period of a few months in the spirit of ecumenism. So we United Methodists went to the Pentecostal Holiness Church one night. Pretty much everything here was what went on - lots of preaching, asking for money, loud music, tongues, we got the full experience. The people were as nice as they could be and did make us feel welcome, but by the time everything was in full swing we all felt a bit out of our depth. (I do remember one guy saying, “If they bring out the snakes I’m running for the van”, and as rattlers and moccasins are native to that area, I think I’d have followed him - if I hadn’t beaten him out the door. I still remember who said that to this day.)

There was a LOT going on, it was loud, and it seemed disorganized, but it was also like everyone knew what was going on.

I do remember “that healing thing” (that’s pretty much how I remember it in my head).

Don’t misunderstand me, none of us were rude. We knew better and we were good kids. But it wasn’t anything any of us had ever experienced before, and as I remember our youth group minister did a great job of talking us through the experience at our next meeting. But he’s just awesome that way. I’m still friends with him after all these years! ❤️
 
Last edited:
Some pentecoastals used to be very strict, in a puritannical sense outside their charismatic services. As in no drinks, coffee, gambling, dancing, secular music,and so on. (I’m not Pentecoastal, just reporting from ”across the denominational road”)
If that’s an issue for you, maybe shop around for another congregation?
 
Hi
Assemblies of God: Church service 1 1/2 hr long. Maybe 2hrs. Praise songs for approx an hour. NIce band. We clap w music. The congregation breaks into harmony w/o training. Yes: praying in tongues, which Catholics can do. CHARISMSTIC CATHOLIC. Falling down is SLAYING IN THE SPIRIT. One feels a warmth enter your body as the Holy Spirit enters you. You can force yourself awake but WHY! We are in communion with God. Healing prayer=YES!
Never snakes. Some churches can get rowdy w clapping and shouting. Some slain in the Spirit roll on the floor.( HOLY ROLLERS) Somr Pentecostal churches can be peaceful. I enjoyed my time there.
A new Baby and need for Baptism brought me back. But the Holy Spirit is still w me.
In Christ’s Love
Tweedlealice
 
Hope1960 said:
I passed by a Pentecostal Church today in my area and was wondering about it.
Click to expand...
Pentecostal here.
Hope1960 said:
Can anybody tell me about this religion?
Click to expand...
There is a fair amount of variety. It would help if you could tell us the name of the church. There are several large denominations and many smaller denominations and groups. Each is similar but they are also unique.

The major Trinitarian denominations (i.e. those that believe in the Trinity) are:

Assemblies of God
Church of God in Christ
Church of God
Church of God of Prophecy
Pentecostal Holiness
Pentecostal Church of God
Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church

The Oneness denominations (those that reject the Trinity) are:

United Pentecostal Church
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
 
Hope1960 said:
How long are their services?
Click to expand...
Could be an hour, 2 hours, or basically all Sunday with a break for dinner. Depends on the particular church and the particular “tradition” they are coming from.

My Sunday service lasts from 10:30 to 12:30 or 1:00. We’re not really sure when it will end because each service is different.
Hope1960 said:
What do they do there?
Click to expand...
A typical service layout would be this:

Pre-service (many church’s will have a Sunday school)
Opening prayer

About 30 minutes for singing (traditional churches will play hymns and/or gospel songs, contemporary churches will play modern worship music, think Hillsong, with a praise team and band). You would see people raising their hands, singing or just standing quietly. During this time, depending on how “free” the church is, there may be people praying at the front of the church (the “altar”), there may be people crying or “shouting” (screaming and dancing in the aisles). There also may be praying in tongues or singing in tongues sprinkled throughout the service. However, keep in mind that in many Pentecostal churches you will see none of this highly emotional behavior.

Tithes and offering will be collected, a minister will probably offer some words at this point and prayer and then there will be singing while the collection occurs

There is often a point during the singing when congregants will be told to greet people. In some churches, you’re encouraged to walk around the church and hug people.

As a transition from the singing to the preaching, there may be special singing from talented church members.

The pastor or guest minister preaches the sermon on a particular Bible text or series of texts (it may be part of a sermon series or just topical or he might have felt an impression to preach on a particular topic). At the end, there will usually be some sort of offer to respond. If its an evangelistic sermon, people will be invited to come forward to pray for salvation and conversion. If its a sermon on healing, people may be invited to come forward for healing prayer and anointing with oil. If its a sermon on the Holy Spirit, people may be invited to pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

There will be a closing prayer and a dismissal.

Some churches have a “children’s church” ministry that operates during the sermon. It’s supposed to provide age appropriate religious instruction, thought I’m sure if done poorly it just devolves into play time.

Pentecostal churches do not have Holy Communion every Sunday. Some do it monthly, quarterly or yearly. Baptism times vary but all Pentecostals believe in Believer’s baptism by immersion. Infants will be dedicated to God either during the main service or in a special service after the main service ends.
 
Last edited:
Hope1960 said:
Do they handle snakes?
Click to expand...
The only Pentecostals who handle snakes are very isolated congregations in Appalachia who have a highly literal interpretation of Mark 16:18. This practice is seen by most Pentecostals as dangerous and unnecessary.
Hope1960 said:
Speak in tongues?
Click to expand...
Many do. We believe it is the “initial physical evidence” of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (which is a separate experience from what we call the new birth or conversion). For most Pentecostal churches, speaking in tongues isn’t a requirement to be a Christian. It just gives you another way to pray and worship God.
Hope1960 said:
Do that healing thing where a person stands in front and is touched on the forehead and falls backwards?
Click to expand...
Pentecostals believe strongly in divine healing and many of us take James 5:14-16 seriously. So, there will be much prayer for healing in Pentecostal churches. We are also a very physical religion, so we believe in touching those we pray for because it creates a “point of contact”, going so far as to pray over and anoint strips of cloth so that our loved ones in the hospital or military will have something physical to carry with them.

However, you need not be touched by a preacher to fall down. That is called being “slain in the Spirit”, and there are many reasons why this might happen. One reason is because they have sought prayer for healing and are overwhelmed physically with the power of God.

Another common reason is conviction of sin. Those who are being converted often feel the convicting power of God on them and as they work out their salvation their bodies react in physical ways.
 
Last edited:
Pup7 said:
That happened at the service I went to in northeastern North Carolina when I was in high school.

About 30 years ago the youth groups in my area traded services over a period of a few months in the spirit of ecumenism. So we United Methodists went to the Pentecostal Holiness Church one night. Pretty much everything here was what went on - lots of preaching, asking for money, loud music, tongues, we got the full experience. The people were as nice as they could be and did make us feel welcome, but by the time everything was in full swing we all felt a bit out of our depth. (I do remember one guy saying, “If they bring out the snakes I’m running for the van”, and as rattlers and moccasins are native to that area, I think I’d have followed him - if I hadn’t beaten him out the door. I still remember who said that to this day.)

There was a LOT going on, it was loud, and it seemed disorganized, but it was also like everyone knew what was going on.

I do remember “that healing thing” (that’s pretty much how I remember it in my head).

Don’t misunderstand me, none of us were rude. We knew better and we were good kids. But it wasn’t anything any of us had ever experienced before, and as I remember our youth group minister did a great job of talking us through the experience at our next meeting. But he’s just awesome that way. I’m still friends with him after all these years! ❤️
Click to expand...
Tbh,the Pentecostal faith scares me a little bit.
 
One of my previous churches was Pentecostal. Services lasted ~90 minutes. services were pretty fluid, but the general pattern was an introductory prayer followed by worship. Offering after that then children would go to Sunday school and a sermon (homily) for everyone else, normally ~30 minutes. After the sermon there was normally an alter call for people who wanted prayer and a final song or two. Tea and coffee was available afterwards.

Communion was done sporadically, from memory every month or two. Bread was used (not wafers) and ‘wine’ (never alcoholic) served in small individual cups, not a chalice.

As everyone else has stated above, Pentecostalism is a broad brush. Each church will be different.
 
Naeb said:
they had a cafe inside the church
Click to expand...
I’ve never been to a Pentecostal church, but have heard that if you want to experience the full effect it’s best to be wired on caffeine before the service. 🙂
 
Pentecostals are keen to get your emotions flowing. Loud music, soft music, emotional lyrics, constant choruses and preaching. The pastor is centre-stage, the band and “worship team”, set the aesthetic. Often, the churches are built like performance halls, opera houses, or theatres. Older ones are more traditionally built, like a congregational meeting house or an old Salvation Army hall.

I am the organist for a parish in the city. I arrive at 10am every Sunday, we begin at 10:30, and end usually around 11:45. The Pentecostal church, which is about a ten minute car ride away, also begins at 10:30. When I don’t have to go home immediately, I might get dinner with a few friends or stay around and help with some things at the parish. I’ve been driving home around 2pm and only witness the first few cars leaving then. Other times, I’ve been driving past around 12:30 and the parking lot will be empty. I guess it depends on the Sunday.

With that said, Pentecostals do not always have communion or baptisms. Sometimes, they arrange a set Sunday for baptisms - for example, and these are longer services, because people could be getting “re-baptised”, babies could be getting “dedicated”, etc. From what a few of my friends have told me, a Pentecostal communion service is shorter because the communion is the focal point of the service.

Like so many holiness denominations, where there is no set liturgical tradition, every service will vary from spot to spot. Many churches have two on Sunday, as we do as well - Mass and Vespers, or Evensong. I think their morning services are centralized on worship, and their evening services for thanksgiving and testimony times.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top