altar call
Come forward moment
An altar call is an invitation during a Christian church service for congregants to come forward to the altar area, typically to make a public commitment to faith, seek prayer, or rededicate themselves spiritually.
Common in evangelical and revivalist traditions, the altar call usually comes at the sermon's end: Several people responded to the altar call.
The practice emphasizes public declaration of private spiritual decisions.
- sawdust trailFloor of tent meetings
- tent revivalOutdoor religious gathering under canvas
- repentanceRemorseful rejection of past wrongs
- come forwardApproach to speak up
- convictionFirmly held belief
sinner's prayer · salvation · conversion · surrender · baptism · crusade · prayer · revival · public confession · Billy Graham · guilt · grace · sermon · praise music · redemption · evangelism · laying on of hands · kneeling
- churchnave, pew, pews, altar, altars
- church activitiesSunday school, Bible study, church camp, church socials, church picnic
- church lifechurch attendance, worship service, prayer group, youth group, church music
- worshippraying, congregational prayer, adoration, praise God, evening prayer
- ProtestantismLutheran, Protestantism, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian
- American ProtestantismBaptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopalian
altar callprivate prayer
Solitary communion with deity
silent meditation · personal devotion · quiet time · secret prayer · private confession
altar callexcommunication
Formal barring from sacraments
shunning · church discipline · disfellowship · dismissal · closing hymn
altar callEucharist
Sacramental bread and wine