Religious services; how long?

[Mercy]

Mercy, I grew up in the A/G church, there isn't one where we live now so go to independent christian church. We really like it but miss my old church. My gr. grandfather, and grandfather were a/g pastors. My uncle is a/g pastor in california.

Nala... we joined the A/G church about 19 years ago, my DH are ex-Catholics. We love our church, my DH is the worship leader there.

 

[Galahad]

Methodist here. An hour to an hour and 15 minutes here. Had a pastor once that said the most important things he learned in seminary about giving a sermon were:

1) Speak Loudly
2) Speak about Jesus
3) Speak for 20 minutes

 

[frndshpcptn]

Saturday morning services at my Conservative Jewish temple are about 3 hours...

 

[cats mom]

Sunday services for the LDS church (Mormons) run 3 hours.

 

[Buckalew11]

45 mins to 1 hour. Rare to go over. I wouldn't last that long. My attention span is TOO short.

 

[pozey]

I grew up going to a Baptist church. Services almost always lasted from 11:00 - 12:00. Usually got out right at noon.

Converted to the Lutheran church when I got married. Services last about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Again, we generally get out right at noon.

Like others, I would have a hard time sitting through services that lasted any longer.

 

[frndshpcptn]

Please don't falme...but I always thought it was so much easier for my friends to sit trhough Church services than for me to sit through Temple services. They are MUCH shorter - 3 hours for a kid (or teen) was really hard.

Services would start at 9 AM and we would be there through lunch (although if there was a bar/bat mitzvah that week then th family ould provide a really nice catered meal after services).

Also - many people also go Friday night to service to welcome in the sabbath.

 

[Hannathy]

Our services are about 1 hr give or take a few minutes. Sometimes the Pastor if he is quick will be leaving after 10:30 serice before the kids from choir practice who go to 11:40. I think the real lesson learned for your Daughter is call ahead of going somewhere! What a shock I hope you weren't at a parking meter. You are a good Mom.

 

[Talking Hands]

Baptist and Worship Service is 1 1/2 hours (give or take), small group 1 1/2 hours and sometimes the deaf ministry has a meeting after for about an hour so a total of 4 hours on Sunday and on WEdnesday we go from 5:30 to 9 including supper.

 

[feenie]

Our services typically start at 10 and end around 12. Some weeks we are done sooner, some weeks we go over. I think it all depends on how God is moving and if there is anything special going on.
We usually have 45 minutes or so of praise/worship then 10 min of greeting/tithe, then we have the message and often an alter call.
Most of the kids go to Kids church, so they don't have to worry about sitting still and being good for all that time.

 

[pearlieq]

Methodist here. An hour to an hour and 15 minutes here. Had a pastor once that said the most important things he learned in seminary about giving a sermon were:

1) Speak Loudly
2) Speak about Jesus
3) Speak for 20 minutes

Yup! Like clockwork!

Our United Methodist services started at 10:30 and almost always ended at 12:00, give or take 15 minutes.

I can't imagine going much longer--wow!

 

[JoyG]

Did you sit through the Sunday School and Church service and not realize it?

Our Sunday School goes 1 hour 15 min.
Then the church service is 1 hour 15min.
This is a Baptist congregation.

The churches that I've been to that have been predominately African American have seemed to have longer services. When I was a kid I used to attend one that have a regular service length of 3-4 hours.

Joy

 

[Aurora63]

At my old Lutheran church, I think the services wenvt for about 1 hr, maybe a little longer. But to me they seemed to go on for much longer!

 

[nliedel]

An hour, almost on the dot. We are re-emerging Episcopalians.

 

[AuntieM03]

I go to a large non-denominational church. We have 3 services at 8:30, 10:15 and noon, so they have to get them out on time. The 8:30 service gets out at about 9:45.

 

[Moonmom]

Did they feed you lunch?

That's exactly what my DH asked when I called we realized they it was 1pm and they hadn't even gotten to the sermon yet! We took a quick break out to the car where I had some chocolate/peanut butter power bars stashed; called DH to let him know I hadn't been abducted by aliens or snuck or Disney without him; looked in vain for a door that would lead to know.. a bathroom! .. then we went back in.
It was a Baptist church that we went to. As a kid I always went to the Episcopal church. I always remember it being less than an hour. I figured this would be the same. NOT!
Thanks for everyone's replies! So this WAS unusually long! There were kids there; and they were terrific. There was a little boy, about 4 years old, sitting to my daughter's left, that was so adorable with his little suit and tie. Unless they had some secret we didn't know about.. we never saw him getting up to "go" anywhere!
Never heard any whining or crying... unless they did it during the singing!
It actually was a very enjoyable experience... just very, very long.

Linda

 

[binny]

ouch.. about an hour here... or at least by the time we drop the kids off, get coffee and visit with people and get our bulletins...



I think it would officially be an hour and 15 minutes otherwise

 

[Catzeyes]

I am Lutheran and our services last an hour.

 

[Keli]

I'm pentecostal and our sunday school is about 1 hour and our church service is about 1.5 hours or so just depending on how the Lord leads. We don't have an official end time.

 

[aunt2brant]

Don't ask me I'm Pentecostal. I have seen church last all day long. From 10:45 to 2:00 would be getting out early for us.

me too...I am Church of God, sometimes we have altar calls that last 2-3 hours, you never know what time you will leave church. last night, chuuch began at 5 and was over sometime after 8:30