Lesson 25 – Church Vocabulary
Unit 3: Compartiendo la Fe | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I’ll take it | me lo llevo |
| the change (money) | el cambio |
| hardworking | trabajador/a |
| there are 40 children | hay cuarenta niños |
| I have to go | tengo que ir |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name key roles and positions in a Spanish-speaking church
- Name the parts of a church service
- Talk about what happens at church
- Navigate a church visit with vocabulary confidence
New Vocabulary: People in the Church
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| el pastor / la pastora | el pahs-TOR / lah pahs-TOH-rah | the pastor |
| el anciano | el ahn-SYAH-noh | the elder |
| el diácono / la diaconisa | el DYAH-koh-noh | the deacon / deaconess |
| el líder | el LEE-dehr | the leader |
| el maestro / la maestra | the teacher | |
| el miembro | el MYEHM-broh | the member |
| el creyente | el kreh-YEHN-teh | the believer |
| el hermano / la hermana | brother / sister (in faith) | |
| el visitante | el vee-see-TAHN-teh | the visitor |
| el misionero / la misionera | missionary | |
| el predicador | the preacher | |
| el adorador | the worshipper | |
| el voluntario | the volunteer |
New Vocabulary: Church Service
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| el culto | el KOOL-toh | the worship service |
| el servicio | el sehr-VEE-syoh | the service |
| la alabanza | lah ah-lah-BAHN-sah | praise / worship music |
| la adoración | lah ah-doh-rah-SYOHN | worship |
| la oración | lah oh-rah-SYOHN | prayer |
| el sermón | el sehr-MON | the sermon |
| la predicación | the preaching | |
| la Biblia | lah BEE-blyah | the Bible |
| el versículo | el vehr-SEE-koo-loh | the Bible verse |
| la ofrenda | lah oh-FREHN-dah | the offering |
| el diezmo | el DYEHS-moh | the tithe |
| la Santa Cena / la Comunión | the Lord’s Supper / Communion | |
| el bautismo | el bow-TEES-moh | baptism |
| la congregación | the congregation | |
| la escuela dominical | Sunday school |
New Vocabulary: Parts of the Church Building
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el templo / la iglesia | the church building |
| el santuario | the sanctuary |
| el altar | the altar |
| el púlpito | the pulpit |
| el coro | the choir / choir area |
| el salón de reuniones | the fellowship hall |
| el salón de niños | the children’s room |
| el estacionamiento | the parking lot |
Grammar Focus: What Happens at Church — Present Tense in Context
Use the present tense verbs from Lesson 20 to describe church activities:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Adoramos a Dios. | We worship God. |
| Cantamos himnos y coros. | We sing hymns and worship songs. |
| El pastor predica la Palabra. | The pastor preaches the Word. |
| Oramos juntos. | We pray together. |
| Leemos la Biblia. | We read the Bible. |
| Recibimos la ofrenda. | We receive the offering. |
| Celebramos la Santa Cena. | We celebrate the Lord’s Supper. |
| Los niños van a la escuela dominical. | The children go to Sunday school. |
| Los hermanos se saludan. | The brothers and sisters greet each other. |
Story: El Domingo en la Iglesia (Sunday at the Church)
Es la primera vez que Marcos asiste al culto de la Iglesia Evangélica del Barrio. Él describe lo que ve y siente.
“La iglesia no tiene bancos, sino sillas plásticas. Pero cuando empieza la alabanza, el espacio se llena de algo que no tiene nombre en ningún idioma. Las personas cantan con todo el corazón — los ancianos, los jóvenes, los niños. Una señora mayor llora mientras adora. Un niño de cinco años levanta sus manos como si hubiera hecho eso toda la vida.
El pastor predica con una Biblia vieja y subrayada. No usa tecnología — solo la Palabra y el poder del Espíritu. Cuando invita a la congregación a orar, todos oran en voz alta al mismo tiempo. Al principio me confundí, pero luego entendí: cada uno habla con Dios directamente, sin turno, sin micrófono.
Hoy aprendí que la iglesia no es el edificio. La iglesia son los creyentes.”
(It’s Marcos’s first time attending the service… “The church has no pews, only plastic chairs. But when praise begins, the space fills with something that has no name in any language… The pastor preaches with an old, underlined Bible. He uses no technology — only the Word and the power of the Spirit… Today I learned that the church is not the building. The church is the believers.”)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Qué tipo de asientos tiene la iglesia? (What kind of seating does the church have?)
- ¿Qué hace el pastor para predicar? (What does the pastor use to preach?)
- ¿Qué aprendió Marcos? (What did Marcos learn?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Imagine you’re describing your church visit to someone back home. Say:
- The type of service (culto) — how long, what happened
- The pastor or leader — use describing words
- The music / worship (alabanza)
- The congregation — how many people, what they were like
- One thing that surprised you or moved you
Use at least 10 vocabulary words from this lesson.
Cultural Note
Evangelical vs. Catholic terminology: The word iglesia means “church” in both Catholic and Protestant/Evangelical contexts. However, Evangelical Christians in Latin America often use templo or iglesia evangélica to distinguish themselves. The word católico is used openly. In many communities, identifying as evangélico (Evangelical/Protestant) rather than católico carries social significance — some families have experienced tension over religious conversion. Be aware, be sensitive, and ask the local pastor for guidance on how to introduce yourself and your denomination (or non-denomination).
Oración
“Yo estuve alegre con los que me decían: A la casa de Jehová iremos.” (I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”) — Salmos 122:1
Vamos a la casa de Jehová. Say it. Mean it.
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