Community of Hope UCC Worship Assistants Home

Children's Participation in our Worship

How To Help Serve Communion, Light the Candles, Ring the Bell

At Community of Hope

Serving Communion: (Children who serve communion should be 10 years old or older).

Remember that when we serve communion we are standing in Jesus’ place. We are the hosts at Jesus’ table and it’s important that all the servers take that very seriously.

When the pastor invites the servers to come forward, come to the front of the sanctuary behind the table. The pastor will hand you the bread, other people will hold the trays of cups and the chalice. You will be the first person to begin serving communion on either the right or the left side of the table. As you approach each person, you say “the body of Christ” or “the bread of life.”

Keep serving around the circle until everyone has been served and then return to the table to stand with the pastor until the next group of people comes forward. Repeat the above. When everyone in the congregation has been served, give your bread to the pastor. Then you will be served communion.

After all the servers have been served, return to your seat.

Lighting the Candles (Children who light candles must be at least 6 years old).

Before Worship,

Find the candle lighter and matches in the worship closet.
Sometime during the Prelude, have an adult light the candle lighter for you
Walk carefully up the center aisle and around to the back of the Communion table. There is a stool in the back so that you can reach the candles you are going to light. Do not light a candle if it’s too tall for you to reach, let your parent light any candles you can’t easily reach. Parents: please do not lift candles off their holders or bases, this can make things too tippy.
Blow the candle lighter out, put it on the table in the back of the sanctuary and go sit with your family.

After worship:

When we start to sing the closing hymn, go get the candle lighter.
Walk up the center aisle and put out all the candles.
Walk slowly to the back of the sanctuary and return the candle lighter to the worship cart.

Note for Parents: Before leaving worship on a Sunday when your child lights the candles, please be sure the candle lighter is in good working order for the next Sunday. If the wick is low, there are extra wicks available on the top shelf of the row of shelves on the back wall of the closet in a red box. Let Tisha know if you take the last wick from this box. If the wick is stuck inside the tube, or the lighter isn’t working for some other reason, please notify Tisha or Tom.

Ringing the Bell

Find the bell on the cart in the closet so you can begin ringing it by 10:10.
Walk throughout the Shalom room ringing the bell constantly for a minute or two.
Return the bell to where you found it on the cart in the closet.

If you cannot perform this duty, trade with someone,

then communicate the changes with Tisha and Tom (with a copy to me) by Thursday.

Please reply to me when you have read this message. Thanks from Tina

Hope UCC Communion Preparers

Before Sunday morning, decide who will bring the unsliced loaf of bread.

It should be cut in half, not quite all the way through.

*Before service, check with pastor to determine how many servers are needed.

1) Please arrive 30 minutes prior to the service to prepare Elements.

2) Fill two trays of communion glasses: White grape juice in the outer 2 rings and wine in the center. Serving items are in the lower cupboard at the right, next to the sink; juice and wine are in the refrigerator. Cloth napkins are in the cupboard above the sink or in the drawer next to the sink. In the cupboard with the pitcher and chalices there is a little white funnel with a plunger for filling the communion glasses.

3) Before the service, place all these on a table at the back of the room:

Trays of individual glasses

Bread on plate, covered with napkin

Pitcher, 2/3 full of wine

2 Chalices (one full of wine, one empty)

A napkin covering each chalice

4) After the Offertory, when the Doxology begins, Greeters will take offering plates to the Communion Table and one Greeter* will return to help serve.

Communion Preparers and one Greeter* will bring the Eucharist Elements to the Communion Table.

during the introductory readings and remarks, be seated, or stand at the side front until time to serve.

5) When the pastor gives the signal, all Communion servers* (preparers, one Greeter and a youth server*) will go to the Communion Table, to serve and receive the Eucharist Elements. Remember to serve the pray-ers and the pianist. (Howard prefers grape juice; ask other pianists.)

àUsually, Margaret Helming will take charge of the cleanup after Communion (#s 6,7,8) so you only have to help carry things to the kitchen and thank Margaret. (You will only have to do these things if Margaret is not present.)

6) After the service, place communion cups in dishwasher rack and cover with wire holders. (Do not run the dishwasher on Sundays.) Wash and dry trays, chalices, pitcher and bread plate. Return items to cupboard.

Exception: leave trays of glasses uncovered to finish drying.

7) Take towels and napkins home to be laundered.

8) Bring clean linens back. [Tip: after laundering, place linens in plastic bag in your car—next time you are at church it will be there.]

If you cannot perform this duty, trade with someone,

then communicate the changes with Tisha & Tom (with a copy to me) by Thursday.

Please reply to me when you have read this message. Thanks from Tina Eder

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Greeter Duties

Please arrive 20 minutes before the service begins.

1) Put on your own nametag and a Greeter tag (in a basket on the cart in the closet.)

2) Stand at the sanctuary doorway and greet everyone, keeping an eye open for new faces. (Welcomers will help with this.)

3) Listen for the bell, five minutes before service time. When it rings, strongly encourage members remaining in the Shalom Room to enter the sanctuary, and then close the doors. [If there’s no bell, check time, close doors at 10:13.]

4) Pass the Offering Plates at the appropriate time in the service.

If you cannot perform this duty, trade with someone, then communicate the changes with Tisha and Tom (with a copy to me) by Thursday Please reply to me when you have read this message. Thanks from Tina Eder ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope UCC Liturgist

During the week you can expect to receive an email from Tom Matthews containing a bulletin with all participants’ parts marked; it will also include the scripture readings. If you do not receive a bulletin or there is something wrong with the email, please call Tom, 824-1765 for assistance.

Most weeks the liturgist will lead the Call to Worship, Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon, Passing of the Peace, and the Prayer of Dedication after the offering. Liturgists also read the first scripture reading and invite the children forward for the Children’s story. There are occasional changes to this assignment but Tisha will notify you of those in advance of Sunday morning.

1) Practice the scripture reading; resolve any pronunciation questions by asking the pastor.

2) Arrive early enough on Sunday morning to check in briefly with pastor for clarification or last minute adjustments of reading plans or other information about the service.

3) Read sections of the liturgy assigned to you and direct the Congregation at the appropriate times during the service:

a. When leading the Call to Worship, please say; “Please stand as you are able and join me in the Call to Worship”

b. When there is a unison reading or prayer, it is helpful to lead the congregation into it by using a phrase like, “Let us read/pray together….”

c. Approach the Lectern during the last verse of the hymn preceding your

reading.

If this is a Combined MCC service, Scripture readings are shared: one by an Advent member, one by a Hope member. You will receive the portion of scripture you are to read sometime during the week. The pastors are the liturgists.

If you cannot perform this duty, trade with someone,

then communicate the changes with Tisha and Tom (with a copy to me) by Thursday.

Please reply to me when you have read this message. Thanks from Tina

Communion Pray-ers

Although there is no formal statement of duties for Pray-ers during Communion, it is presumed you know what you will be doing. If you have any questions, contact Tisha.

Decide before the service begins which place each of you will stand.

When the pastor calls the Communion Servers, you may go to your places to be ready for anyone who wants to have a time of prayer with you.

You may prefer to be among the very first to receive Communion before you go to the place where you will be praying with folks.

Or, if you prefer to wait until it is clear to you that no one else will want to have prayer with you, you may go to the Communion Table at that time to receive Communion.

If you cannot perform this duty, trade with someone,

then communicate the changes with Tisha and Tom (with a copy to me) by Thursday.

Please reply to me when you have read this message. Thanks Tina Eder

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Community of Hope Room Setup and Cleanup

The Art Team will dress the Communion Table with the cloth/s appropriate for the ecclesiastical season, and with candles.

Young people will be assigned to light and extinguish the candles (but it's a good idea to make sure they are ‘out’.)

Please bring flowers to dress the Communion Table.

Please arrive 20 minutes before service. If you need help, such as with distributing hymnals, either ask someone before Sunday, or ask someone nearby on Sunday.

1. If piano is still covered, remove cover; place it in closet.

2. Check bulletin to find out if hymnal is being used or if all hymns are printed in the bulletin. If hymnals will be used, place one on every other chair.

3. Place bulletins and announcements on music stand inside entrance, beyond the Greeters, with enough space around it so several people can gather and reach the materials.

4. If they're not already on, turn on lights and, when needed, fans (low).

5. Place signs referring to reserving back rows for families with small children:

~ one sign (with one long loop) hangs over the music stand with the bulletins,

~ the second sign (with two small loops) fits over the posts of a chair. Place it on a chair positioned directly in view of the main entrance.

6. SOMETHING NEW: (If it has not already been set this way.)

Remove a wooden chair from the normal pattern, leave a one-chair space at the end of the back row of the left-center section, next to the center aisle, in front of the small table there. One of our members needs the end-space for her walker next to the aisle. Place individual "reserved" signs (in a basket on the hymnbook cart) on the two chairs on the left of the space. The Greeters also received these instructions so they can direct Kathy and Robin to these special places for them when they arrive.

After the service:

Put away hymnals

“Neaten” the room: Pick up leftover bulletins, papers.

Cover piano

Turn off lights and fans.

Take your flowers (or give them to someone who needs them.)

This seemingly mundane--but vital--set of tasks makes the service go smoothly and thus makes worshippers more comfortable. Thank you!

If you cannot perform this duty, trade with another Welcomer, then communicate the changes with me, Tisha and Tom

Please reply to me when you have read this message. Thanks from Tina

Community of Hope Welcomers --Role Description

The Welcomer’s main responsibility is to focus on welcoming guests to our congregation on Sunday mornings. Each week there will be two welcomers assigned to notice our guests and help them feel welcomed in our building and in our worship service. Each welcomer agrees to be assigned for one month. Substitutions are your responsibility. Specific tasks are outlined below.

Before Worship

Arrive at the MCC by 9:55 a.m.
Make sure the guest book and guest nametags are set out on the table right outside the narthex. Alphabetize nametags so people can find theirs more easily.
As people arrive for worship, be aware of unfamiliar faces. Introduce yourself and engage guests in conversation. Suggested conversation starters might be: How did you hear about our church? Hello, I’m ____ I don’t believe we’ve met before.
Try to introduce guests to members of Community of Hope with whom they might have something in common (professionally, personally etc.)
Give each first-time guest one of our welcome packets.
Encourage each new guest to sign our guest book
Be sure that each guest has a nametag but don’t force someone to wear one if they’re not comfortable doing so.
Even if you don’t see unfamiliar faces, please refrain from doing too much “church business” when you’re acting as a welcomer.
Orient new people to the worship service. Make sure they find the bulletins, perhaps point out hymnals and answer any other questions they may have.
Orient new people to the MCC. This is especially important on MCC worship Sundays.
Orient people to the layout of the building, especially if they have children and may wonder where the nursery is or where to send their children for church school.

After Worship:

Make additional contact with guests, especially if they’re hanging around. This may be the best time to try and connect them with a member.
After guests have left, write the date of each guest’s visit on the back of their nametag.
Email the welcoming group with the names of guests and any helpful information you gleaned about them. Weekly emails will be kept in a log book.
Put away all Hope’s items pertaining to visitors into the place we’ll keep them this summer—to be decided. (If you are not told, ask.)
Go home! See you next Sunday.