What to expect at a Assemblies of God church

The Assemblies of God is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States, formed in 1914 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Its churches expect the gifts of the Holy Spirit — speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing prayer — to be part of ordinary Christian life rather than a thing that ended with the first century. Congregations own their property and call their own pastors, while belonging to a district; North Carolina's churches sit in the North Carolina District. From the road an AG church often looks like any contemporary evangelical church, and the difference shows up in what happens during the service.

• Contemporary worship music led by a band, typically 25 to 40 minutes and longer than in most evangelical churches — the singing is part of the point, not a warm-up.
• A sermon of 30 to 45 minutes, often practical and delivered with energy.
• An invitation at the end to come forward for prayer. People will pray with you, sometimes with a hand on your shoulder, and nobody will make you.
• Speaking in tongues may occur, usually during prayer or worship. In an orderly service it is followed by an interpretation. It is not directed at you and requires nothing from you.

Read the full Assemblies of God guide — beliefs, worship, and common questions →