How early do you arrive at church before the service begins?

For me, it's at least 45 minutes before the service begins, I'm already in church and as I'm attending a small church (on average, weekly attendance is below 60 people; including children), the pews are quite empty even a minute before the service starts - less than 5 people. Most of the people start to walk in 10 minutes after the service begins. As I am controlling the powerpoint presentation, my seat is away from the congregation, I can see people walking in when the liturgist is completing the Opening Prayer (just before the Praise and Worship session). Most interestingly, the ushers arrive 15 minutes after the service starts. Feeling rather sad seeing this....

Usually 1 hour before service I talk to people enjoying the atmosphere seems like I'm perpetually smiling.

Because I'm in the music team, the group rule is being there 30 mins before service.

Not to be "snarky," but I hope people understands that the "service" begins when we leave church..........just saying

(Matthew 28:19)

This depends entirely on what I'm involved in. Main stage music is two hours early, kids music is an hour, adult bible class is an hour. If I don't have any commitments out of those three, usually about 10-15 mins early.

I generally attend a Sunday evening service at 6pm. There are around 50-60 people (it varies). I like sitting towards the front, good Lutheran that I am. That said, I've become a bit sloppy with my arrival times. I usually get there 5-10mins beforehand, but sometimes I'm a few minutes late. After the service, many of us head down to the pastor's house (his manse is on the church block) for dinner and more fellowship. The night is over by about 9:30pm.

It depends on how soon my wife get's ready, which can be anywhere from 15 minutes early to 15 minutes late. The first 30 minutes is singing. We stay 15-30 minutes after the service visiting with other church members.

I'll try to arrive fifteen minutes before the choir rehearses. The choir rehearses 30-45 minutes before church starts. If the choir isn't singing, I try to arrive 15 minutes before church starts.

I have to be at church a half hour before because I'm a head of the preschool classrooms.

I'm not sure to understand the situation,
in sense what are you really talking about...
I get the words, I know that you're talking
about the Church, that you've a responsibility
etc...
But for the rest like the whole message in fact,
I'm not sure to understand in general,

For me it depend on the fellowship of the church. I recently moved and have tried a couple of churches. The first church was a larger church. I understand that in a larger church everyone will not know one another. But I found it strange that people did not seem to be visiting much before the service. Many would find their seats allowing plenty of room between each other until the spaces were filled in. The church was biblically based and the pastor delivered good and helpful messages. though I attended on a few times, other than the obligatory head nod and "hi", no one reached out to me or introduced themselves.

The next church was much smaller by comparison. By the end of my first visit I had met too many people to remember. I have decide to regularly attend the smaller church and I am happy to say the introductions and fellowship has only increased.

Sorry. I found a way to make a short story long. I like to go to church with plenty of time for coffee and fellowship with others to touch base on weekly events, concerns and praises. It also helps me to exercise and practice name and face recognition of the people I have met.

Well, people arriving before the service starts are the pastor, myself, the chairman + family, the worship leaders + musician, and liturgist + interpreter (sometimes, the interpreter arrives < 5 minutes before the service starts). People arriving after the service had started about 10 minutes later; this include the ushers. The pastor had made several announcements that service starts at 9am, not 9.30am but still people arrive later. He's thinking of changing the service time to begin at 9.30am but he shook his head and said, "People will come at 9.45am instead"

for me at least 30-45 minutes I like to get my seat, collect my thoughts , pray , etc,,

Ah I understand now!

Once a congregational mtg helped the people decide what time and why they considered just right. After that more people came 'on time' but when there were late comers again, a reminder, also asking did they decide to make the time a half hour later, helped.