What is the difference between a Chapel and a Church?

[Antoneo]

Is the difference in the physical size of the building or perhaps the number of members? Are there any other differences? Do Protestants have similar distinctions or is this only a Roman Catholic thing?

 

[FoBoT]

the chapel is part of the church

the church is the whole building, back rooms, restrooms, the whole thing

the chapel is the main part of the church where services are held, that one big room where the preacher does the preaching

at least in my experience this is the case, some religions might name things differently

 

[glen]

A chapel is a place of worship inside of a larger building, be it a church or Cathedral, or a non-sectarian institution such as a hospital.
In a church it will have a separate Alter to distinguish it from the main church.

 

[Lola]

i found that a chapel is in a larger CHURCH, often a seperate littler part of a whole.
does that help? I think a chapel can be nondeominational. Think about a chapel at a hospital.

 

[Antoneo]

Interesting... my parents go to a place called a "Chapel" but there is only one building, or the "Church".
There was some talk within the community about changing the status of the "chapel" into that of a Church...

 

[Peetoeng]

Or a temple?

 

[Jzero]

I always thought it was a small "church" in another building, or a non-denominational place of worship.

The vocabulary I have known is thus:
A "church" is the entire building. Meeting rooms, choir rooms, multi-purpose rooms were all part of the church.
The "narthex" is the area just outside the nave (the place of worship).
The "nave" is the area in which the congregation sits and worships (often mis-labelled the sanctuary).
The "sanctuary" or "chancel" is the holiest part of the church. The area surrounding the altar, and it is usually separated from the nave by means of a railing or partition.

I know these terms apply to protestant churches, and I'm fairly certain they also apply to Catholic and Orthodox.

Non-Christian and smaller sects, of course, use different vocabularies.

 

[Beau]

A place of worship that is smaller than and subordinate to a church.
A place of worship in an institution, such as a prison, college, or hospital.
A recess or room in a church set apart for special or small services.
A place of worship for those not belonging to an established church.