Just like going to a theatre or concert, where you sit or position yourself will have an effect on your perception of the service. Some places are better positioned for listening to every word that is preached, while some are good for a surround view of the whole church. Furthermore, some places in church are good for texting and other “unholy” activities.

Let’s examine the common seating positions in church that people prefer and their features-



1) The “front-benchers”

These are the people who sit at the front of the church for the full effect of the priest’s preaching. They want to receive as much spiritual words as possible. However, not all of these people are holy- some of them sit at the front to be noticed by the whole church (maybe to showcase their elegant Sunday dressing!). There is however a downside to this- the priest can make an example of you in front of the whole church!



2) The “middlemen” (and women)

These people make the bulk of the congregation. Many of them sit at the middle because they want to hear the preaching but not at the full glare of the priest or the rest of the congregation, of which the front-benchers are subjected to. Some of these people are in the middle of the church because they didn’t come early enough to get front row seats. However, this is usually the best place to sit because one will have a well rounded view of the church without much compromise towards hearing what is being preached. Also, if the church has air-conditioning (AC), one would not be too cold because of the insulation from the people sitting in the front and the back. Unfortunately, if the church is hot, one will feel most of the heat but it shouldn’t be too bad if one thinks of it as “Holy Ghost Fire”.



3) The “back-benchers”

These are the people who sit at the back of the church. All the “cool guys” sit here. This includes the “texters”, the “pingers”, the latecomers, the “sleepers” and the “i-was-dragged to-church-people”. To be fair, there are people who really come to church to worship but they just have a preference for sitting at the back. The back is perfect for those who need to text or do something if the preaching is really boring.



4) The “window-watchers”

These are the people who usually prefer to sit at the windows of the church. They either sit by the windows for ventilation/cooling or to see what’s happening outside. Unfortunately, window-watchers can be at the end of serious sunburn if they are unlucky to have the sun out at an angle that allows it to shine through the windows.



5) The “balcony VIP’s”

Some churches have balconies positioned at either sides of the church or at the back. Some people prefer the relaxed view of the balcony. These people enjoy the limited seating available on the balcony and appreciate the exquisite eagle-eye view of the whole landscape of the inside of the church. The balconies usually have speakers because of the long distance from it to the pulpit. The balcony is a good seating position for those who like to look at what others are wearing to church.



6) The “not-choir sitters”

These are the people who prefer to sit near the choir but are not part of the choir. They must like the angelic singing or are aspiring to be part of it. Some of the people might be into the music instruments and not the voice of the choir. Some people actually come to church just for the music.




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