Room Setup

(1 person)

• Uncover the piano, place the cover in the closet at the back of the room.
  
  
• If the hymns are not printed in the bulletin, distribute hymnals (every other chair).
  
  
• Turn on the lights and fans (if needed)
  
  
• Place the bulletins on the music stand near the sound cabinet.
  
  
• Turn the sound system on. Power switch is inside the transparent door.
  
  
• After the service, turn off lights, fans, and sound.

Greeters

(2 persons)

• Arrive 15 minutes before the service is scheduled to start.
  
  
• Put on a greeter nametag (located in a basket on the hymnal cart in the closet).
  
  
• Stand at the sanctuary doorway and greet everyone.
  
  
• At the end of the pianist's prelude, close the sanctuary doors.
  
  
• Pass the offering plates at the appropriate time in the service.
  
  

Liturgist

• You should receive a bulletin via mail or email in the week preceding the service, showing the liturgy of the day. It's helpful to look at the scripture readings in advance, resolve pronunciation questions, etc.
  
  
• During the service you'll read the liturgist's section of the liturgy and direct the congregation at the appropriate times. Typically this includes the Call to Worship, Assurance of Pardon, Passing of the Peace, and the Prayer of Dedication after the offering.
  
  
• You may wish to arrive early enough to check in with the pastor for clarification or last -minute adjustments of reading plans or other information about the service
  
  
  
     

Children's Message

• Develop a single concept related to the scripture of the day or the
  theme or events of the day. Contact the pastor with questions. Your message should be brief (approximately 5 minutes) and not too complicated - consider a single theme or idea and expand on it.
  
  
• Use inclusive language and images.
  
  
• If using a children's book, tell the story. Use pictures from a
  book only if necessary or very helpful to illustrate your point.
  
  
• Please use a microphone so that the entire congregation can hear
  your message to the children. We have a wireless microphone specially for the children's message. It's attached to a nametag cord, that just slips over your head. It's located near the sound cabinet, and you can pick it up when you come into the sanctuary. A button on the top turns it on and off.
  
  
• Use props and visuals whenever possible.
  
  
• Repeat (summarize) children's answers/comments so the congregation
  will know what has been said and can share in the experience with you and the children.
  
  
• Please pray briefly with the children at the end of your message. A
  simple sentence or two is enough. This helps children understand that prayer is a natural part of even small events and it is a good role model for them to experience people other than the pastor praying.
  
  
• Feel free to use a chair or a stool to deliver your message if that
  is more comfortable.
  

Communion Servers

• Before Sunday morning, please confer with other servers to decide who will bring an unsliced loaf of bread, cut in half, not quite all the way through.
  
  
• Arrive 30 minutes prior to the service to prepare the Eucharist Elements.
  
  
• Fill two trays of communion glasses: half the glasses in each tray should be filled with wine and half with white grape juice.  Serving items are in the lower cupboard to 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.
  
  
• Before the service, place the trays of individual glasses, bread on plate, covered with napkin, pitcher 1/3 full of wine, 1 empty chalice and a napkin for each chalice on the communion table.
  
  
• When the pastor gives the signal, the Communion Preparers will go to the altar, to serve and receive Communion.
  
  
• After the service, place communion cups in dishwasher rack and cover with wire holders. Wash and dry trays and chalices and pitcher and bread plate. Return items to cupboard, except: leave trays out to finish drying without covers.
  
  
• Take towels and napkins home to be laundered and 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.]

Communion Prayers

Thank you for this ministry of prayer to the congregation on Communion Sundays.  Please come forward with the Communion Servers to receive communion first and then take your place in the back of the sanctuary.  While you are waiting for folks to come and pray with you, please hold the entire congregation in prayer as we partake of communion.

Children's Duties