Did you know that pews are a fairly recent addition to a church sanctuary or nave? And what is the church narthex and where is it found? What's the difference between a pulpit, lecturn, or ambo? Ambo? What on earth is an ambo? Where is the chancel?
From the top:
Originally, Christians stood for worship and in eastern churches, they still do. Placing the long, backed bench in the sanctuary (or nave) was an innovation of western medieval Christianity and Protestants borrowed the idea from the Roman Catholic Church.
In today's usage, both sanctuary and nave are terms for the area where the congregation is seated. The chancel is the area in front of the church, usually up three steps from the nave, where the pulpit, lecturn, altar and often the choir are located.
The narthex is the entryway or foyer of the church.
Some churches have two speakers stands in the front. One, usually on the left, is the pulpit where the minister stands to deliver the sermon and (historically) read the gospel lesson. The second, on the right, is called the lecturn. It is used by lay people to read the scripture lessons (but not the gospel), make announcements, or lead prayers. If there is only one speaker's stand and it is placed in the center, in front of the altar, it is called the ambo.
Strange but true:
The wall of the church behind the altar is always called the east wall, no matter which direction it is actually in. Grace Church's "east wall" is actually in the south! In the past, all churches faced east.
