While most churches welcome visitors no matter the time of year, summer is a great time for curious people to give church a try. Many churches offer various fun activities throughout the summer, such as day camps for kids and family outings on the weekends. Whether your goal is to give organized religion a try or return to a faith you once held, allow summer to inspire you.
As you look for a church in your area that will allow you to follow this inspiration, you’ll probably see various Protestant denominations. Before visiting, learn what the most popular Protestant denominations are and what they believe so you can find a good fit.
Southern Baptist
With over 16 million members in North America, the Southern Baptist church is the most popular Protestant denomination. Despite the name, you can find these churches across the US, not just in the South. These churches are all part of the Southern Baptist Convention, which acts as a regulatory body over the individual churches.
The most important regulations are the spiritual beliefs taught in the churches. Southern Baptists believe that the Bible is literal and contains no errors. They also believe that a personal belief in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. The Baptist in the name gives away their major belief in full-submersion baptism. While there are many other beliefs you’ll discover within a Southern Baptist church, these are some of the most important ones to know before visiting.
United Methodist
Although there are only about half as many United Methodists as there are Southern Baptists, your town probably still has a United Methodist Church. This denomination also has a general conference, which includes different branches similar to the US government, such as executives known as bishops and a judicial council.
The most important teachings of the United Methodist Church are surprisingly simple: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God. These teachings come from the Bible, and United Methodists share the belief in the Trinity and the real person of Jesus with many other Protestant denominations. They focus heavily on local and global mission work, evangelizing people and providing humanitarian aid.
Church of God in Christ
The third-largest and most popular Protestant denomination is the Church of God in Christ, a branch of the Pentecostal denomination. It is the largest black Pentecostal denomination and the second-largest all-black group in the US.
The Church of God in Christ believes God inspired the Bible and treats it as the only authority. While it shares the belief in the Trinity with many other Protestants as well as the necessity of salvation, there are some differences. Most notably, it believes that the Holy Ghost will baptize a newly saved person and cause them to speak in a foreign, heavenly language. It also believes in divine healing and miracles. Keep an open mind to prepare yourself for your first church service in this or another denomination.
While there are many Protestant denominations you can pick from when visiting a church, the three above are the most popular and easiest to find. If you try one church denomination and don’t like it, that’s OK. You can still accomplish your goal and grow spiritually at a different church.
