Furniture
Pulpit
The pulpit is often the most prominent feature in a Protestant church. It is usually at the front and in the centre (it may be off-centre in a Church of Ireland). It is usually raised so that it can be easily seen. It is from the pulpit that the minster or pastor will preach the sermon. It is in the centre to symbolise that the Bible is the central authority in the Church.
In the Presbyterian Church the pulpit may have a pulpit fall. This is a piece of cloth that hangs over the front. It may have the symbol of a burning bush. This is because a burning bush is the location at which MosesThe man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. was appointed by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The cloth will have the words Arden Sed Virens, meaning 'burning but not consumed'. This symbolises the Church shining out for Jesus, but not burning out.
Communion table
This is the table from which Holy CommunionA service celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ involving the sharing of the bread and wine (body and blood of Christ) in church. is served. It is usually beside or in front of the pulpit, though at a lower level. This is because everything in the Church, including communion, flows from the word of God.
The table is often plain with a verse inscribed on the front of it. Communion is a simple act before God, remembering the death of Jesus. Protestants believe that Jesus commanded Christians to celebrate communion just as he had celebrated it with his disciples at the Last SupperThe meal that Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died where he gave them bread and wine to symbolise his body and blood..
In the Church of Ireland the communion table, often called the altar, is a large elaborate wooden table. It is raised on a platform to show the importance of the sacrament An outward sign of an invisible and inward blessing by God, for example, baptism and Eucharist. . It usually has a rail around it so that people can come forward and kneel to receive communion.
The table faces east to symbolise the rising of the sun, representing the rising of the Jesus. It also faces east towards Jerusalem, where Jesus died.
Baptismal font
This is a small wooden or stone structure used for baptism. Presbyterians believe in infant baptism, and so it only needs to hold a little water for the minister to pour or sprinkle on the childâs head.
In the Church of Ireland it is often located near to the door. This reminds the congregation that the child enters the Church spiritually through baptism, just as a person enters the church building physically through the door.
Baptismal pool
Baptists believe that baptismCeremony where a person is initiated into Christian life. It involves immersion in water, or the sprinkling or pouring of water. is an outward sign of an inward change. It is a sign that someone has become a Christian. Baptists believe that only Christians can be baptised - baptism is a command of Jesus, and in the Bible it was only believers in Jesus who could be baptised.
Those being baptised should be fully immersed. Therefore, Baptist churches have a large tank in their churches for this purpose.