YOUR FIRST VISIT TO AN ORTHODOX CHURCH
A Welcome Guide for Visitors
Perhaps you are entering an Orthodox church for the first time. You may be a Christian from another tradition, someone exploring Christianity, or simply curious about Orthodox worship. You may already know something about the Orthodox Church, or almost nothing at all. Either way, you are welcome.
At first, Orthodox worship may seem unfamiliar. You will see icons and candles, hear chanting and ancient prayers, smell incense, and notice people making the sign of the Cross, bowing, and venerating icons. Much of what you encounter has been part of Christian worship for many centuries, and it may take time for its meaning to become clear.
This page is intended to help you understand what you are seeing and experiencing and to make your first visits a little easier. But you do not need to understand everything at once. Orthodoxy is not something that can be learned in a single visit—or only from a book.
Begin simply. Come and see. Observe. Listen. Pray as you are able. Allow yourself time to encounter the worship of the Church and, through it, to discover the faith and life that it expresses.
1. What Is the Orthodox Church?
The Orthodox Church is the historic Christian Church that has preserved and handed down the faith, worship, and spiritual life received from Christ through His Apostles. For nearly two thousand years, this faith has been lived and transmitted from one generation to another through Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, the Eucharist, prayer, and the teaching of the Fathers and Saints.
The word “Orthodox” comes from Greek and is commonly understood to mean both “right belief” and “right worship.” These two belong together: what the Church believes is expressed in how she prays, and her worship reveals the faith she confesses.
Orthodox Christianity is not the religion of one particular nation, culture, or ethnic group. Although the Church took root in many ancient Christian lands—including the Middle East, Greece, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and beyond—her message is universal. Christ sent His Apostles to make disciples of “all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
Today, Orthodox Christians live and worship throughout the world. Orthodox communities are also growing across Southeast Asia, including in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and other countries of the region. Whatever our language, nationality, or background, we are called to the same faith and to the same life in Christ.
2. What Happens at an Orthodox Service?
The principal service on Sundays and feast days is the Divine Liturgy. It is the Church gathered together to worship God, to hear His Word, to pray for the living and the departed, and above all to celebrate the Holy Eucharist—the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood.
The Divine Liturgy has been celebrated by Christians in its essential form since the early centuries of the Church. Although its prayers and ceremonies developed over time, its basic pattern is ancient and deeply rooted in the worship of the early Christian community.
During the Liturgy, you will encounter prayers, hymns, and psalms; readings from Holy Scripture; a sermon or homily; prayers for the Church and the world; the offering of bread and wine and the Eucharistic prayer; and Holy Communion.
The Liturgy is not a performance with the priest and choir as performers and the congregation as an audience. It is the common prayer of the whole Church. Everyone present is called to participate attentively.
As a visitor, however, you should not feel that you must imitate everything others are doing. It is perfectly appropriate simply to stand or sit quietly, listen, observe, and pray.
You may also notice that the service is not always conducted in a single language. This is especially common in Southeast Asia, where an Orthodox parish may bring together people of many nationalities. Depending on the parish, you may hear English together with Russian, Church Slavonic, Thai, Khmer, Greek, or other languages.
This diversity is not unusual for the Orthodox Church. From the beginning, the Gospel has been proclaimed among different peoples and in different languages. Whatever language is being used, the Divine Liturgy remains the common worship of one Church gathered around Christ.
3. Practical Guidance for Your First Visit
If this is your first time in an Orthodox church, do not worry about knowing what to do. No one expects a visitor to understand every prayer, gesture, or custom. You are welcome simply to observe and participate as much as you feel comfortable.
Every Orthodox parish also has its own local customs. You do not need to know all of them before your first visit. If you are uncertain, simply observe those around you or ask someone for help.
When should I arrive?
If possible, arrive about 5–10 minutes before the service begins. This will give you time to enter, become familiar with the church, and find a place without feeling rushed. If you arrive after the service has begun, you may still enter quietly.
Shoes
In many Orthodox churches in Southeast Asia, it is customary to remove your shoes before entering the church, following the local culture. There will usually be a place near the entrance where shoes can be left. If you are uncertain, simply see what others are doing.
What should I wear?
There is no need for special clothing. We simply ask everyone to dress modestly and respectfully, as is appropriate for a place of worship. Visitors are not expected to adopt unfamiliar cultural forms of dress.
Where should I stand or sit?
Orthodox Christians traditionally stand for much of the Divine Liturgy, although many churches also provide chairs or benches. Visitors may sit when necessary. If you are unsure what to do, simply follow the congregation—or remain where you are comfortable.
Do I need to make the sign of the Cross or bow?
You will see Orthodox Christians making the sign of the Cross, bowing, lighting candles, and venerating icons. These are expressions of prayer and devotion, not requirements for visitors. You are welcome simply to observe until you understand their meaning better.
May I light a candle?
Yes. Visitors are generally welcome to light a candle and offer a quiet prayer. If you are unsure where candles are placed, simply ask someone nearby.
Do I have to kiss the icons?
Orthodox Christians venerate icons as a way of showing love and honor to Christ and His Saints, but visitors are not expected to do so. You may simply stand before an icon quietly or pass by respectfully.
May I receive Holy Communion?
Holy Communion is ordinarily received by baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves according to the practice of the Church. If you are not Orthodox, please remain in your place during Communion.
This is not intended as a judgment or rejection of visitors. Communion expresses full sacramental unity in the faith and life of the Orthodox Church. We explain this more fully later on this page.
Mobile phones
Please silence your phone before the service begins. If you need to make or answer a call, it is best to step outside the church.
Conversation
The church is a place of prayer. Before and during the service, please keep conversation to a minimum and speak quietly when necessary, especially during the reading of Holy Scripture, the sermon, and the Eucharistic prayers.
Photography and video
Practices concerning photography and video vary from parish to parish. If you would like to take photographs, it is best to ask first. Please avoid flash photography and try not to move around the church in a way that might distract others during worship.
Children
Children are an important part of the Church and are welcome at the services. Orthodox children participate in the worship of the Church from a very young age, so you may see them moving around, approaching icons, or occasionally making some noise.
Parents naturally try to avoid unnecessary disruption, but a certain amount of movement and sound from young children is a normal part of parish life. Their presence is not regarded as an interruption to worship.
What if I make a mistake?
Do not worry. There are many customs in Orthodox worship, and even Orthodox practice can vary somewhat from place to place. Nobody expects a first-time visitor to know them all.
Most importantly, do not spend the entire service worrying about whether you are standing, bowing, or moving at the right moment. Look, listen, and pray. Give yourself time. The meaning of Orthodox worship becomes clearer through experience.
4. Why Do We Use Icons?
Icons are sacred images of Christ, the Mother of God, the angels and saints, and events from Holy Scripture and the life of the Church. They are found throughout Orthodox churches and have an important place in Orthodox prayer and worship.
Orthodox Christians do not worship icons. Worship belongs to God alone. Rather, we venerate icons—that is, we show them reverence and honor because of the person they represent. As the Church teaches, the honor given to the image passes to the person depicted.
This is why you may see Orthodox Christians bow before an icon, kiss it, or light a candle nearby. They are not worshipping wood and paint. These outward gestures express love and reverence toward Christ and His saints, much as we may treat a photograph of someone we love with particular affection—not because the photograph is the person, but because it brings that person to mind.
Icons also express something fundamental about the Christian faith: God truly entered human history. The eternal Son of God became genuinely human in Jesus Christ. He could be seen, touched, and heard. Because the Son of God truly took visible human flesh, He can also be represented in a visible image.
For this reason, the icon is closely connected with the mystery of the Incarnation. When we look upon an icon of Christ, we are reminded that Christianity is not merely a set of spiritual ideas. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God came among us as a real man, at a real moment in history, so that humanity might be brought into communion with Him.
Icons therefore do more than decorate an Orthodox church. They proclaim the Gospel visually and remind us that in Christ, heaven and earth have been brought together.
5. Why Do We Use Incense?
Incense has been part of biblical worship since ancient times. In the Psalms we pray: “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2, ESV). In the Book of Revelation, incense again appears as an image of the prayers of the saints rising before God (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4).
The Orthodox Church continues this ancient biblical practice. During worship, the priest or deacon censes the altar, the holy objects, the icons, the church, the clergy, and the people. The rising and fragrant smoke is a visible reminder of our prayers ascending to God.
But incense is also an expression of honor and reverence. We cense the altar and the icons because they are dedicated to God and connected with His holy presence. We also cense the people gathered for worship because every human person is created in the image of God, and the faithful themselves are called to become living temples of the Holy Spirit.
Incense therefore engages another of our senses in worship. We do not worship God only with our thoughts or words, but with our whole being. The sight of icons and candles, the sound of chanting, the fragrance of incense, our bows and the sign of the Cross—all remind us that the whole person, body and soul, is called to worship God.
6. Why Do We Make the Sign of the Cross?
The Cross stands at the heart of the Christian faith. Through His death on the Cross and His Resurrection, Christ conquered sin and death and opened for us the way to eternal life.
Orthodox Christians therefore make the sign of the Cross frequently in prayer and worship. It is a simple gesture, but it expresses the central mysteries of our faith. As we say or remember the words “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” we confess our faith in the Holy Trinity. By tracing the Cross over ourselves, we confess our faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for our salvation.
The sign of the Cross is therefore both a profession of faith and a physical prayer. It reminds us that we belong to Christ and that our whole life—body and soul—is placed under His Cross.
Orthodox Christians normally make the sign of the Cross by joining the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of the right hand, symbolizing the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. The other two fingers are folded toward the palm, traditionally recalling the two natures of Christ, divine and human. We then touch the forehead, the chest, the right shoulder, and the left shoulder.
During an Orthodox service, you will see people make the sign of the Cross at many different moments. There is no need for a first-time visitor to imitate every gesture. You may simply observe, and as you become more familiar with Orthodox worship, its meaning and rhythm will gradually become clearer.
7. Holy Communion
Holy Communion, or the Holy Eucharist, is at the very heart of Orthodox Christian life. Orthodox Christians believe that in the Eucharist we truly receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, given to us for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. It is not simply a symbol or a general expression of Christian fellowship.
To receive Holy Communion also expresses that we are fully united in the faith and sacramental life of the Orthodox Church. For this reason, Communion is ordinarily received only by baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves according to the practice of the Church.
If you are visiting and are not an Orthodox Christian, please do not approach the chalice for Holy Communion. You may simply remain in your place while others receive.
This is not intended as a rejection of visitors or as a judgment on the sincerity of anyone’s Christian faith. It reflects the Orthodox understanding that Communion is both union with Christ and communion with His Church. Receiving from the same chalice expresses a unity of faith and life that already exists.
If you would like to learn more about the Eucharist, or if you are interested in becoming Orthodox and one day receiving Holy Communion, please speak with the priest. He will be glad to explain the Church’s teaching and guide you further.
8. What About the Bread Given After the Service?
You may notice people receiving small pieces of blessed bread after Holy Communion or at the end of the Divine Liturgy. This bread is called antidoron, a Greek word meaning “instead of the Gifts.”
During the preparation for the Divine Liturgy, bread is offered for the celebration of the Eucharist. A portion is set apart to become the Holy Eucharist, while the remaining blessed bread is cut into small pieces and distributed as antidoron.
Antidoron is not Holy Communion. It is blessed bread, received with reverence as a blessing from the Church. Traditionally, it was given to those who had participated in the Liturgy but had not received the Eucharist.
In many Orthodox parishes today, visitors and non-Orthodox Christians are also welcome to receive antidoron. If it is offered to you, you may receive it respectfully and eat it. There is no obligation to do so.
Practices may vary slightly from parish to parish, so if you are uncertain, simply follow the local custom or ask the priest.
9. Stay After the Service
In many Orthodox parishes, Sunday does not end when the Divine Liturgy is over. People often remain together afterward for coffee or tea, refreshments, or a shared meal.
This time together is an important part of parish life. The Church is not only a place where people come for a service and then immediately leave. It is a community gathered around Christ, and sharing food and conversation gives us an opportunity to know one another and welcome those who are new.
If you are visiting, please feel free to stay. You do not need to know anyone beforehand, and you do not need a special invitation. Have something to eat or drink, meet some of the people of the parish, and take your time.
It is also a good opportunity to introduce yourself to the priest. If you have questions about something you saw or heard during the service, about the Orthodox faith, or about becoming part of the Church, please feel free to ask.
You are our guest, and we are glad that you came.
10. Meet the Priest
If you are curious about the Orthodox faith, one of the best things you can do is simply speak with the priest.
The priest’s ministry is not limited to conducting services. He is there to teach, to listen, to pray with people, and to offer spiritual guidance. He can also help explain things that may seem unfamiliar or confusing when you first encounter Orthodox Christianity.
If you have questions about God, Christianity, the Orthodox Church, Holy Scripture, prayer, worship, Baptism, marriage, or anything you have seen or heard during the service, please feel free to approach him. No question is too simple, and speaking with a priest does not imply any commitment to become Orthodox.
Sunday mornings can be busy, particularly immediately before and after the Divine Liturgy. If the priest does not have enough time to speak with you properly, do not hesitate to ask when you might meet or talk at another time.
And if you are beginning to think more seriously about the Orthodox faith, tell him. He can help you understand what the next steps might be and accompany you as you explore the life of the Church.
You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin the conversation.
11. Orthodoxy in Southeast Asia
Orthodox Christianity has a relatively small but growing presence in Southeast Asia. Today, Orthodox parishes and communities can be found across the region, bringing together people of different languages, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds.
Some Orthodox Christians here come from countries where the Orthodox Church has been present for many centuries. Others are local people who have discovered the Orthodox faith and chosen to make it their own. Increasingly, parish communities reflect both realities.
The Orthodox Church does not ask a person to exchange one nationality or culture for another. To become Orthodox is not to become Russian, Greek, Romanian, Serbian, or culturally Eastern European. It is to become united with Christ and His Church.
From the beginning, Christianity has crossed the boundaries of language and culture. At Pentecost, the Apostles proclaimed the Gospel in many languages, so that people from different nations could hear “the wonderful works of God” in their own tongues (Acts 2:11). The same principle remains important today.
The Church therefore seeks to proclaim and live the Orthodox faith among the peoples of Southeast Asia while respecting their languages, cultures, histories, and societies. The Orthodox faith does not need to become less Orthodox in order to take root in a new culture. Rather, the unchanging faith of the Church can be expressed and lived authentically within different peoples and languages.
This process takes time. Local translations, local clergy and church workers, catechesis, parish communities, and the gradual development of an indigenous Orthodox Christian life are all part of allowing the faith to take genuine root.
There is no foreigner in the Church of Christ. The Orthodox faith is for every people, every language, and every nation.
12. If You Are Thinking About Becoming Orthodox
Perhaps your visit is simply out of curiosity. Or perhaps something in Orthodox worship or teaching has awakened a deeper interest in you. If you find yourself wondering whether the Orthodox Church might become your spiritual home, the first step is very simple: speak with the priest.
Becoming Orthodox is not simply a matter of attending a few services, agreeing with a list of teachings, or signing a form. It is a journey of faith, prayer, learning, and preparation that leads a person more deeply into life with Christ and His Church.
The priest will normally encourage you to attend the services regularly and become familiar with the life of the parish. You may then begin a period of catechism—instruction and preparation in the Orthodox Christian faith.
During this time, you will learn about God ; our Jesus Christ and His saving work; Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition; the Church and her worship; prayer and the spiritual life; the Holy Sacraments; the Mother of God and the saints; Christian morality and the commandments of Christ; and what it means to live as an Orthodox Christian in everyday life.
But catechism is more than a course of religious instruction. The goal is not simply to know about Orthodoxy, but gradually to begin living the Orthodox Christian life. This means learning to pray, participating in the worship of the Church, reading Scripture, asking questions, examining your life in the light of the Gospel, and becoming part of a Christian community.
There is no need to rush. People come to the Church from very different backgrounds, and each person’s journey is somewhat different. Questions are expected, and serious questions should be welcomed.
If, after a period of preparation, you freely desire to enter the Orthodox Church, the priest will explain the appropriate next steps. Depending on your circumstances, reception into the Church takes place through Holy Baptism and Chrismation, or according to the manner prescribed by the Church for those who have previously received Christian Baptism.
Becoming Orthodox is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning of a life of repentance, prayer, communion with God, and growth in Christ.
So if you are interested, begin simply: come to the services, pray, ask questions, and speak with the priest.
13. A Word About the Internet
The internet can be a valuable place to learn about Orthodox Christianity. There are excellent websites, lectures, books, podcasts, and videos that can help you explore the faith and answer many questions.
At the same time, not everything labeled “Orthodox” represents the teaching or spirit of the Orthodox Church equally well. Online you will encounter official Church resources and serious theological teaching, but also personal opinions, heated debates, polemics, cultural or political commentary, and sometimes information that is simply inaccurate.
This can be especially confusing for someone encountering Orthodoxy for the first time. Different Orthodox writers or speakers may emphasize different things, and disagreements on the internet can sometimes make relatively minor questions appear more important than they actually are.
Try not to build your entire understanding of Orthodoxy from social media, discussion forums, or individual personalities. If something you encounter online troubles or confuses you—or seems to contradict what you have heard in church—ask the priest. He can help you distinguish between the established teaching of the Church, legitimate differences of practice or theological opinion, and someone’s personal interpretation.
Most importantly, remember that Orthodoxy is a life to be lived, not simply information to be consumed. The Church is best understood through prayer and worship, Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Church, participation in an actual parish community, and gradually learning to live the Christian life.
Use the internet as a resource, but do not let it become a substitute for the Church itself.
14. Continuing Your Visit
One visit can introduce you to Orthodox Christianity, but it cannot show you everything. Some things that seem unfamiliar at first only begin to make sense with time.
If something has touched your heart or awakened your curiosity, come again. There is no need to understand everything before you return.
Listen to the prayers. Read the Gospel. Watch how the Church worships. Ask questions. Speak with the priest. Meet the people of the parish. Above all, give yourself time to experience the life of the Church rather than trying to understand it all at once.
Gradually, what first seemed unfamiliar begins to become familiar. The icons, incense, chanting, gestures, prayers, fasting, feasts, and Sacraments begin to be seen not as separate customs, but as parts of one way of life centered on Jesus Christ.
Orthodoxy is ultimately not something that can be understood from the outside alone. It invites us to encounter Christ in the worship, faith, prayer, and common life of His Church.
When the Apostle Philip told Nathanael that he had found the Messiah, Nathanael was doubtful. Philip did not offer him a long argument. He simply said:
“Come and see.”
John 1:46
That invitation remains.
Come and see.
