Typical length by tradition
| Tradition | Typical Sunday service |
|---|---|
| Catholic Mass | About 1 hour (weekday Mass 30 minutes) |
| Episcopal / Anglican | 60 to 75 minutes; the early said service is shorter |
| Lutheran | About 1 hour |
| Methodist | About 1 hour |
| Presbyterian / Reformed | 60 to 75 minutes |
| Baptist | 60 to 90 minutes; often 2 hours or more in Black Baptist churches |
| Non-denominational / evangelical | 70 to 90 minutes |
| Church of Christ | About 1 hour |
| Pentecostal | 90 minutes to 2 hours or more |
| Orthodox Divine Liturgy | 90 minutes to 2 hours |
| Seventh-day Adventist (Saturday) | About 1 hour of Sabbath School, then about 1 hour 15 minutes of worship |
| Latter-day Saints | 2 hours: sacrament meeting, then classes |
| Synagogue, Shabbat morning | 1.5 hours (Reform) to 3 hours (Conservative and Orthodox) |
Why some services run longer
- Music. Contemporary churches often sing for 20 to 30 minutes; Pentecostal and gospel services can sing for much longer.
- The sermon. A Catholic homily is often 10 minutes; an evangelical or Baptist sermon is usually 30 to 45 minutes.
- Communion. Services with communion every week, or on the first Sunday of the month, run a little longer.
- Special days. Baptisms, Christmas, Holy Week and Easter services are longer. The Easter Vigil can last two to three hours.
Typical start times
The most common Sunday start times in our directory are 10:00, 10:30 and 11:00 AM, followed by 9:00 and 9:30 AM. Many churches hold two or three services, often an earlier traditional one and a later contemporary one, and Catholic parishes usually add a Saturday evening vigil Mass. Use our service times finder to see which churches near you have a service at the time that suits you.
Before and after
Plan on 10 to 15 minutes to arrive and settle in, and allow time afterwards if you want to stay for coffee. Many churches also hold a Sunday school or Bible class for all ages before or after the main service.