We offer a complete selection of high-quality church candles for worship, holidays, and special services. From altar candles and paschal candles to advent sets, sanctuary lights, candlelight service candles, and votives, we'll have what you need!
Top Candles For Your Church
Most churches need candles across four categories: altar candles for weekly worship, seasonal candles for Advent and Easter, candlelight service candles for Christmas Eve, and baptism candles for ceremonies throughout the year. If your church has a permanent altar setup, oil-burning candles are worth considering for ongoing use. Start by identifying which services you hold regularly — that determines your baseline inventory — then add seasonal orders for Advent sets and a Paschal candle ahead of Easter.
Beeswax candles burn longer, drip less, and emit a natural honey scent; they're the traditional and liturgically preferred choice, especially for significant services like Easter Vigil and high-attendance Sundays. We carry both 100% beeswax and 51% beeswax options; the 51% blend gives you most of the quality benefits at a lower price point and is well-suited for regular weekly use. Paraffin candles are the most affordable option and burn cleanly — a practical choice for budget-conscious congregations or high-volume needs like candlelight services. If your church is liturgical or places high value on tradition, go beeswax for the altar. If budget is the priority, paraffin is a reliable and widely used option.
The four candles in church typically refer to the four Advent candles: three purple (violet) candles representing hope, peace, and love, and one pink (rose) candle for the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday). Some traditions use blue instead of purple. A fifth white Christ candle is lit in the center on Christmas Eve.
Church candles use beeswax or paraffin wax. Beeswax is the traditional and preferred choice for liturgical candles; it burns slowly, drips minimally, and has a natural honey scent. Paraffin is more affordable and widely used for disposable candles. Blended candles offer improved burn quality at a lower price than pure beeswax.
A Paschal candle is a large decorated white candle symbolizing the Risen Christ. It is lit at the Easter Vigil and burns throughout the 50-day Easter season. After Easter, it moves to the baptismal font and is lit during baptisms and placed near the coffin at funerals. Paschal candles typically stand 36 to 60 inches tall.
Church altar candle burn time depends on diameter and composition. A standard 1.5-inch diameter altar candle burns approximately 1 hour per inch of height — so a 12-inch candle provides roughly 12 hours of burn time. Beeswax candles burn longer and more evenly than paraffin. Factor burn rate into your ordering schedule accordingly.
Our Mission
At Concordia Supply, it is our mission to equip churches and ministry leaders with high-quality Christian resources that transform lives for Christ.
