How to Pass Time in Church

Read your Bible. This way you get the spiritual blessing even if the sermon/homily is dull. Even if you're not spiritual (but have to go to church out of respect for your family, etc), the Bible does have some interesting historical aspects to it, especially if it's an abridged/modernized language version. There are plenty of very engaging sections related to war, betrayal, etc.

Observe your pew mates. Is there someone new in church today that you could make friends with?

Sketch. Draw pictures. You may want to take a small blank page diary to church for this purpose. (You could draw on the church bulletin, but please do not draw in a songbook or on the offering envelopes.)

Write an outline of the sermon. A small notebook will do nicely for this purpose, and you have the dual benefit of being able to remember the sermon later.

Make a tally of how many times the pastor uses a specific word, such as "God" or "Salvation" or "Lord" during the sermon.

Take small, quiet, craft projects to complete during church. Be aware that you will need to do any paper cutting in advance, as scissors make noise when you cut paper. Some "church crafts" that might be appropriate are:

• Ribbon Bookmarks. These are quiet, easy to make, and don't take long, so if the sermon gets interesting, you can just quietly put it away.
• Jute Jewelry. This is another quiet craft that can be easily stowed in your purse.
• Origami. The only caution here is to do any paper cutting in advance and take care when folding not to crinkle the paper. (makes noise)

Take a Bible Felts set with you to church. Sit next to a small child. You can use the excuse of amusing the child / keeping the child quiet to play with the child and the felt set!

Look out the windows and count birds, leaves, clouds, etc.

Write notes to your friend and/or text a buddy.

Pay attention. You can learn a lot from a minister/preacher and that can help you in your walk with the Lord. A great use of time would be to write notes in a notebook about the sermon, or you can highlight verses in your Bible. It makes it easier to find key verses.

Sit with your friends, even if you're older or a teen. Sitting with your friends makes it more fun and meaningful.

Research what it is like to live in another country as a Christian. Compare it and/or think about how different it is to your usual life. This enables you to understand that going to Church in some countries is nearly impossible, or is simply unheard of and you will begin to understand just how blessed you are in your life.