The word 教堂 is formed by combining two characters: 教, which carries the core idea of "teaching" or "doctrine", specifically referring to religious teaching here, and 堂, which denotes a "hall" or "large building for a specific public purpose". The compound fuses these concepts together, creating a new meaning that is essentially "the hall for religious doctrine", perfectly capturing the concept of a church as both a physical place and an institution for worship.