Usher Serving Instructions

Transcription

1 Usher Serving Instructions The Usher is an important Worship Service Volunteer 2 nd tier greeters Representative of SOTH Welcome all who attend be a friendly presence and smile and say Good morning If you know the person, greet them by name Treat strangers as friends Help to identify visitors Answer questions location of nursery, restrooms, etc. The usher cabinet is located outside the sanctuary across from the Welcome Center Located in Narthex across from Welcome Center Name tags located here Count Sheets Candle lighters (also located on the Welcome Center) Offering/Collection Plates Wooden Plate Red Resource binder with Usher Responsibilities / Holiday Information / Updates Incident Reports (located in a manila folder) Before Worship Services 1. Arrive at least minutes before the service is to begin. 2. Put on your nametag. 3. Open center Sanctuary doors before 8:30 a.m. service. 4. Ensure that the offering (wine/hosts) is located on the Usher cabinet. 5. Locate and hand out bulletins. The basket is on the Usher Cabinet or Welcome Center. Note: The Sun. 8:30 a.m. bulletin is different than 10:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., full bulletins are located on the Welcome Center. Ushers are just handing out the blue and yellow sheet. There are no assigned ushers on Monday. Only the 8:30 service is currently using a bulletin cover which is printed in-house. 6. Check the order of the worship service in bulletin for when the offering occurs. 7. Light the large prayer candle on the candle lighting table in the right back corner of the Sanctuary. 8. Happily greet those entering sanctuary (by name if you know them) and hand them a bulletin. If you begin to run low on bulletins, give one per couple. 9. If sanctuary is full, help people find seats. Ask people to move together to seat more people. Note: Rarely (holidays or multiple baptismal Sundays) we might still need to set up a few chairs to the back of the sanctuary and then into the Narthex.

2 IMPORTANT PRE-SERVICE DUTIES 3-5 minutes before service starts Usher walks up and down the aisles in Sanctuary to view open spots and ask people to move to center of pews This Usher will then signal to an Usher in the back to bring guests to available seats. The Usher ushers folks to open spots, including chairs positioned by side windows and in the back of the Sanctuary by the sound board. The Pastor or member of Praise Band may announce for folks to move together right before service 10. NOTE: If there is no acolyte or crucifer, the ushers may need to light the candles on the altar before worship. Check to see if the worship assistant has lit the candles. (Note: there are no acolytes/crucifers during the summer months) 11. Please kindly ask all worshippers to enjoy their beverages prior to entering the sanctuary. Children may still have their sippy cups and cheerios/snacks. During Worship Services Conversations in the Narthex can be heard in the sanctuary. Please ask anyone talking in the Narthex to move into another room or down the fellowship hall. Please remember that your conversations can also be heard! 1. Count all in attendance (including those helping in the service and in the nursery.) It is best to do this during announcements before children go to Children's Church. Remember to write down the number on count sheet! 2. Doors Doors in the back are open before service for 8:30am and closed before service at 10:30am for band rehearsal. o Exception at 8:30am: Close the doors before service, typically the third Sunday of the month when the Gospel Quartet is rehearsing. Close the doors before the reading of the lesson Ushers should remain in Narthex during entire service to follow safety protocol and to watch crowd and front / office doors Check on strangers entering church (leaving suspicious packages, entering coat area, going into office, etc.), guide latecomers to a seat, and check nursery to see if there is a problem: Are things under control? Do any parents need to be paged? Does Amy Cichon need to be contacted? Occasionally a visitor may enter and ask for a handout Ask them to have a seat to wait to talk with the Pastor or come back If time permits, one usher may opt to take a walk outside in the parking lot to scan for suspicious cars There have been instances of thieves stealing from unopened cars during church worship services (this has not happened at SOTH). When possible, open doors for people entering and exiting mid-service to prevent the door from banging Open the doors after Communion or during the closing hymn Walk back down to the Nursery again after Communion to ensure that everything is running smoothly Inform Children s Church Leader when sermon is finished. 4. Dimming the Lights/Sound: The control panel by the votive candles in the back of the Sanctuary dims / turns off only the Sanctuary lights The control panel behind the sound board dims both the lights in the Sanctuary and

3 the Narthex simultaneously. This control panel also completely turns the lights off. Work with the Sound Board volunteers to ensure who will operate this control for services where it is needed Duties involving these controls are performed mostly at holiday services, but may occasionally be needed for video clips or special announcements. Alert sound board volunteers to turn the volume up or down in the Narthex 3 5. Collect offering: Plates are located on the Usher cabinet. Enter Sanctuary through center aisle. Hand one offering plate to first person in front pew. Walk over to the side aisle and hand offering plate to first person in the pew. Collect from the center pews front to back. Help pass plates between the two sections. Ask for help from congregation to hand off plates, if needed. Recollect the plates from the side pews. (Remember to collect from the musicians and choir.) Meet back in the Narthex Quickly empty all plates into the collection bag and place on the wooden plate. 6. Before the offertory song ends: Ushers bring the gifts (bread/hosts and wine) and the offering plate to the altar Hold wine chalice with one hand supporting underneath the cup and the other hand holding the cup firmly Go right up to the bottom of the step Bow to the altar to show respect and hand items (bread and wine first) to the Pastor or Worship Assistant Return to Narthex to prepare for Communion 1 st Sunday: Place center rail piece and kneeler in after the offering and presentation of gifts at both Sunday services. Remove both pieces following communion. 7. Direct communicants according to directions for 8:30 and 10:30 only. (See Communion Pattern page) 6:30 Monday: No ushers are used. After Both Worship Services 1. Place Welcome Center stool outside Sanctuary doors and place the bulletin basket there to collect used bulletins as people file out. Having the recycle basket in this position prevents a crowd around the Welcome Center and open access to visitors. 2. Remove offering from altar and place in zipped bag in the Sacristy. The bags are located next to the safe in the Sacristy. Place the bags in the safe. Make sure that the money drops! Never do without at least 2 ushers present. 3. Separate the Connection cards from the money and place them in the labeled box on the table across from the safe in the Sacristy. 4. Extinguish any candles left burning. Return name badge to Usher cabinet. 5. Cover the baptismal font and turn off switch underneath following the 10:30 a.m. service. 6. Straighten up pews and remove any bulletins or other items left behind. 7. Return name badge to Usher cabinet. 8. After the 8:30 a.m. service, take the recycled basket into the copy room and bring out the 10:30 a.m. bulletins. After 10:30 a.m., leftover and used bulletins should be placed on the counter in

4 the office copy room for staff to recycle. 4 Revdr5/17

5 Communion Pattern 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. GENERAL COMMUNION PROCESS Direct communicants: Begin with Center sections Communicants exit their pews from the aisle to the right and return via the opposite/left aisle. Side sections: Communicants exit their pews also on the right and return on the opposite aisle. Alert Communion Assistants of folks who may need communion delivered to their pew. Remember to commune the Acolyte and Crucifer when they are serving (go to them and show them to the line) and the Choir and Band members Ushers commune after all have communed. Communion at the Rail: Currently occurs the first Sunday of the month Complete the following after offering brought up and before returning to Narthex Place center rail piece and kneeler in after the offering and presentation of the gifts at both Sunday services (these items are up at the rail) Remove both pieces following the completion of Communion Right side pews go to the Far right side of communion rail and fill rail to the center point Left side pews start in the middle and work their way to the Far left side of the communion rail There is room for about 12 communicants on each half. Keep this in mind as you release pews for communion (try not to split up families). If all in a pew cannot fit at one time, instruct them to stand at the front of the aisle until room is made available. Station one usher in the middle front as a visual to direct the flow to each side of the rail. Intinction Communion: 8:30 a.m. Worship Service 2 Intinction Usher Pattern: One usher handles the right pew sections, dismissing the right center section and then going to the far right section Right side pews go to Right side communion station One usher handles the left pew sections, dismissing the left center, then going to the far left Left side pews go to Left side communion station 10:30 a.m. Worship Service 4 Intinction Usher Pattern - 4 stations will be used: 3 ushers serve; occasionally there are 4 When 4 are assigned, one will be a Communion Usher and remain seated in their pew, assisting only when needed for offering plate (if necessary) and communion dismissal duties. A Youth volunteer is assigned at certain times of the year If a 4 th is not assigned but needed, recruit a volunteer from the congregation Each Usher takes a pew section Right side pews go to Right side communion stations Left side pews go to Left side communion stations The Praise Band will usher themselves Remember to commune the Acolyte and Crucifer (when they serve during the school year only); Go to them and guide them to the communion line. Revdr 5/17

6 In Case of Emergency 6 Dial 911 Telephone Locations #1 Main Office #2 Conference Room #3 Becky's Desk #4 Deb s Office #5 Pastor Jay/Pastor Matt's Office #6 Kitchen #7 Fellowship Hall (Note: Phone is 911 and answer only - no personal calls) Fire Alarm & Extinguisher Locations Note: The whole building is equipped with a sprinkling system #1 Located in wall at main Front Entrance Includes Fire Alarm and AED Defibrillation Unit #2 Located near exit door in Sanctuary Includes Fire Alarm #3 Located outside Nursery Door Phone activated for 911 Emergency calls only #4 Located on east wall of Kitchen First Aid Kit Located Above #5 Located in wall on west side Sunday School Entrance Fire Alarm Located next to North Storage Room Door (off Fellowship Hall) EXITS #1 East Sanctuary Wall #2 Front Entrance #3 Fellowship Hall (2 exits): West Hallway & North Storage Room Emergency Escape Procedures and Routes Guide Located in Usher Cabinet and Posted in Select Church Areas Lock Down Floor Plan Located in Usher Cabinet Incident Reports - Located in a file folder in the Usher Cabinet. After emergency incident, complete and file in the church office (see attached sample report). Revdr 5/17

7 Shepherd of the Hills Incident Report Form 7 Date/Time of Incident: / Reported By: Nature of Incident: People Involved: Injuries or Medical Conditions: Actions Taken: Authorities Notified (Circle all appropriate) None 911 Sheriff Fire Ambulance Other (Diagram if helpful): Signature: