What to expect at a Non-denominational church

A non-denominational church is an independent Christian congregation that belongs to no denomination — no bishop, no convention, no regional body. It answers to its own leadership and its own members. Non-denominational is now one of the fastest-growing categories in North Carolina, and it covers an unusually wide range: some are theologically indistinguishable from a Baptist church, others are charismatic, and others were planted by a network like Acts 29 or the Vineyard.

• A single Sunday service, usually 70 to 90 minutes, sometimes repeated two or three times in a morning.
• Contemporary worship music — a band, projected lyrics, dimmed lights — in the large majority of these churches.
• A sermon of 30 to 45 minutes, usually practical in tone and often part of a multi-week series.
• Coffee, name tags, and a welcome desk. Many of these churches are built around the assumption that visitors arrive knowing nothing.

Read the full Non-denominational guide — beliefs, worship, and common questions →