Unlike church services where a principal focus of gathering was to listen to the message of the preacher, Gullah praise services followed a structure based in the collective worship and contribution of members of the congregation. Praise houses (also called prays houses) were small song and meeting houses that dotted the plantations upon which they were built. Praise houses allowed community members to meet more frequently throughout the week, and only make the long journey to church on Sundays. Saint Helena Island was once home to more than twenty of these praise houses. Today, only three are still standing.

As Gracie talks about in "Praise House," Gullah style praise house worship began with the lining of the hymn, call-and-response singing that depended upon memory and that required the initiation of a given hymn or spiritual by a song leader. In the place of a piano or organ, bodily percussion was the main accompaniment. Clapping or stomping, with the aid of a large walking stick occasionally, kept a main floor beat for a song. This distributed and interactive form of worship allowed for the congregation to "feel the spirit" of the moment through the musical influence of multiple participants.

Regardless of the geographical and social differences within Gullah cultures, there remained common rituals and beliefs pertaining to funeral services. These funeral practices were referred to as a "Home Going," signifying an emphasis on return and rebirth. A Home Going emphasized both separation from the physical realm and the continuation of a spiritual journey. Funeral services were held outside during the evening after work or other tasks. The later hour set aside for these services allowed for all members of the community to gather together during times of mourning. Spirituals sung during funeral services, such as "Beyond de Sky," melded profound sorrow with the uplifting hope associated with returning home to God.

Enslaved African-Americans also had to cope with high mortality rates among children. Home Going ceremonies thus served as rites of protection for the young as much as they were passing rituals for the deceased. As Gracie Gadson describes in "Home Going," babies were passed over the coffin of the deceased to form a guardian bond between the child and the person passing. Though this ritual is not practiced today, some of the beliefs that informed these services, such as faith in a close communion between children and ancestors, still flourish in the culture.