Homework Help : More parts of a church

Question 2: What are the different parts of a church building?

• Answer 2

•     The nave is the main long central part of the church which leads up from the big door (the West door,) to the altar: its name comes from the latin word navis which means ship, and the roof looks a bit like the bottom of a ship and was sometimes built by ship builders (Some people say that the Christian church is like a ship of faith which carries its members towards God.) During the service the priests and the people who serve the bread and wine (servers) and the choir walk along the central aisle (the path between the seats,) of the nave in a procession behind the cross.

• At one end of the nave is a screen, called the rood screen. This separates the part of the church where the altar rests (the chancel,) from the rest. Hidden behind the rood screen in Saffron Walden is an organ loft, where the organist sits. He can see the choir below through a closed circuit t.v.

• On either side of the chancel (the area behind the rood screen) are chapels: the South chapel and the North chapel. These are places of quiet prayer or may be used to store things during the preparation for the service. In Saint Mary's there is also a little chapel on the right of the nave which is a chapel of remembrance to help people grieving for people they love who have died.  The communion rail in this chapel is shaped like a crocus which is the symbol of Saffron Walden.

   

  

• The tower is the tall square part of the church which holds the bells.
• In Victorian times a new spire (steeple) was added to St Mary's, Saffron Walden. This was a tall, pointed structure, which was added to the top of the tower so that the church could be seen above the roof tops and from far away. The church is in the shape of a cross with two small rooms sticking out from the nave at the sides: In Saint Mary's Saffron Walden these rooms are used for dressing the priests and the choir and are called vestries. They lead to the North and South doors. The windows are sometimes made of stained glass and show pictures of bible stories. They were sometimes paid for by the families of people who had died, as a memorial to them. We hope you will be able to visit us and see the church for yourself.

  See also Plan of a church

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  Question 2a and Answer 2a

  Question 2a: Why are some churches built in the cruciform shape, and why are more modern churches being built in other shapes for example circles?

  Answer 2a:

  "Cruciform" means "in the shape of a cross".  Medieval churches were built primarily for the celebration of communion, which is a reminder of the death of Jesus.  This is why the cross is central to the church building.  Nowadays church architects also consider that the building will be used for many other activities and services. For some of these, it is an advantage to be able to sit round in a circle. 

  The circle is also an important symbol because it has no beginning or end.  This is like the eternity of God.

  Interestingly, there are also a few medieval churches built in a circular shape.  These are called "Round Churches." There is one in Cambridge.  They were built after the Crusades, by knights who had seen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.  This is one of the oldest churches in the world and has a central section which is round.

  See also Plan of a church

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