Worship Committee
The Worship Committee meets with the Congregational Life Committee and is responsible for assisting with worship each Sunday as well as special services during the church year. You can participate in the work of this committee by attending our monthly meetings together, taking part in the music program, being an usher, greeter, sound technician, liturgist, or helping in preparation for special services. Elders, both current and past, may serve communion.
Liturgist
The liturgist assists the pastor in the opening of worship. In order to be effective in leading worship a liturgist needs to be comfortable with the materials to be used as well as with the reasons for its use in the service. Reading material to oneself is not adequate preparation for leading worship. The material needs to be read out loud until it is alive and familiar. It is helpful for this rehearsal to occur in the sanctuary in order to become comfortable with that space. Please arrive in the Sanctuary at least 15 minutes before worship to go over any last minute changes with the pastor.
These are the parts of the worship the Liturgist is responsible for:
Welcome & Announcements
These are printed and available in the pulpit before worship, follow these announcements and do not read from the bulletin. After completing the liturgists
section of the announcements, you may sit for the Pastor’s announcements and prelude.
Call to Worship
The Call to Worship is lively and joyous. Your voice and facial expressions will set the tone for the congregation’s worship experience.
Confession
In light of the Call to Worship and opening hymn of praise which remind us of who God is, the corporate body recognizes its need
to confess to God that it has failed to live up to the demands of our great God. Yet it is only because God is also a loving and
forgiving God that we are free honestly to confess our sin. The Call to Confession reminding the congregation of this is included in the bulletin.
Follow with the Prayer of Confession. It is important to speak slowly and clearly, timing your speech to match the congregation.
The time for Silent Confession is very important and should not be skipped over. Silence can be uncomfortable for a nervous liturgist, if this is the case don’t hesitate to count SILENTLY to 15.
Assurance of Forgiveness
That God forgives again and again and presents us with new beginnings is overwhelmingly good news. The liturgist declares this news,
and the declaration in tone should reflect the joy in hearing such good news. There is no need to announce “assurance of forgiveness” -
just proclaim it in a way that makes it vital.
During the Gloria Patri please return to your seat with the congregation.
Usher/Greeter
Ushers are extremely important in conveying friendliness and hospitality to worshipers—both regular worshipers and guests. You set the tone by often offering the first welcome and what you do contributes immensely to the orderliness of the service. Families are welcome to usher together. If you cannot usher on a particular day for which you signed up, please ask someone else and contact the church office so the bulletin can be updated for that service.
Before the Service:
• Arrive 20-25 minutes prior to start of service.
• Turn on lights in the Sanctuary, if necessary. The switches for the main Sanctuary lights are located on the wall in the
closet near the Almer St. entrance doors.
• Retrieve bulletins from church office mailbox. Make sure there are bulletins on the table at the Almer St. entrance to the
Sanctuary.
• Tidy up both entry ways. Remove or arrange any papers that make the space look messy.
• Check for and remove from Sanctuary miscellaneous papers.
• Greet and distribute bulletins to all those who enter the Sanctuary. Tell smaller children about worship bags and books
located in the corner of the Sanctuary.
Greeting and Receiving the Congregation
• Greet by name when possible. If you don’t know someone, introduce yourself by name and get other person’s name. Shake hands if offered.
• If a new person is worshipping with us, offer to escort them to a pew near other worshippers. Introduce the new person to a few
people sitting around them. Offer to answer any questions they have about worship. Invite them to stay after worship for coffee
fellowship.
• Be alert for guests that may need assistance in finding where to hang coats, where the nursery is, where the restrooms are,
where they can get a glass of water, where the Parlor is, etc.
• Assist any persons with disabilities.
During the Service
• Close the green doors during the Prelude, in case of any late comers.
• During the first hymn one usher walks up and down the aisles to collect prayer cards and hands them to the pastor.
• Before worship decide on one person to take an attendance count. All adults, children, choir, organist, lay personnel, and pastors are to be included in the total count. Record the attendance on
the form slip and include it with any cards or slips that worshipers may fill out and return these to the secretary’s mail box in the office.
• Know where the fire extinguishers are.
• Quietly greet and direct latecomers into the Sanctuary.
• Collect offering at appropriate time.**
After the Service
• Clean all pews—recycle bulletins left in pews or pew racks.
• Gather up attendance sheets, guest sheets, etc. and place in secretary’s mail box.
• Empty water glass at pulpit.
• Check for lost items and if any are found, bring to the secretary’s office and leave a note.
• Turn off lights, fans, sound system, shut windows, etc. if necessary.
• Return the attendance count slip to the Secretary box in the office.
Nursery Attendants
Nursery Attendants
Nursery is available for children of preschool age and younger. Our nursery is located in the basement, below the sanctuary.
Two individuals must be in the room at all times with the children. Please arrive in the room 15- 20 minutes before worship.
If no children arrive 5 minutes after worship has begun, you are free to return to the sanctuary. If any parents desire to have
their children in the nursery after worship has begun and the nursery attendant has left, the parent must stay with their child.
Communion Preparation
Communion Preparers help to provide a meaningful worship experience for all those who participate in communion by preparing the communion elements. Their responsibilities include purchasing bread and grape juice before the service. Slice the bread into small cubes and fill the cups with juice. Prepare the elements for the pastor by having a small loaf of bread cut half way through, and grape juice in the silver pitcher. Be sure the white linen is on the table and arrange the elements.
Arrive at least 60 minutes before the service to set up communion. If you need to set up on Saturday afternoon, make sure all the bread is securely wrapped to avoid staleness.
Communion Server
Only current or former elders or deacons may serve as communion servers. Communion Servers help to provide a meaningful worship experience for all those who participate in communion. Communion is served at First Presbyterian Church the first Sunday of the month and other special services. Please meet with the Pastor in her office 15 minutes before worship. During worship come forward following the Words of Institution and stand in front of the steps. The Pastor will serve you and then you will hang on to the plate. The last server to receive communion is responsible for serving the pastor and making sure the organist also receives communion. Pass the bread plate and cup tray during a passing service and share words with the person you hand it to (“The Body of Christ given for you” This is the cup of Salvation”) When the congregation has been served return the elements to the front where the Pastor will place them on the table.
Following the service clean up the communion table and set aside remaining bread and grape juice for the pastor to take for home communion. Then clean plates, chalices and pitchers and return to storage. Further instructions are available in the small kitchen.
Acolyte
At the start of the service, after announcements, and the prelude has begun light the candle lighter and walk down to light the Christ Candle. Watch for the vent blowing air, hold the lighter to the side in order to avoid it blowing out. At the end of the service during the Song of Response walk back with the unlit candle lighter, light it from the Christ Candle and extinguish the candle. Process out with the pastor, walking at a slow pace to the center sanctuary doors.
Audio/ Video System
The Audio/ Video volunteer provides sound control for the pastors, choir, musicians and special speakers and operates the video camera that records our service. They are responsible for arriving 15 minutes before worship to turn on the sound system. Ask the organist if there is a musician that would like a sound check or needs a tape/ CD played for accompaniment. Set up the video camera in the back of the sanctuary. Cue up video and audio tapes to record the service. At the end of the service break down video equipment and turn off sound system. Training is available to explain all the details involved.
Flowers in the Sanctuary
Flower in the sanctuary draw in the beauty of God’s creation to the worship space. Forms are available to make a donation for flower in the name of a loved one or special occasion. It is also necessary to have someone who coordinates the donations with the flower shop and pastors.
** Collecting the Offering **
Three ushers at the beginning of the offertory walk down retrieve the offering plates from the minister. Turn around, with two ushers going to the right and one to the left. The procedure is for the far left and right sections to pass the plate down the pew to the other usher. In the middle section if the row is full pass it down for the other usher to retrieve. If there are only one or two people in a pew go to them, hold out a plate, but do not pass it. Return to the back of the sanctuary and at the beginning of the Doxology walk forward, the pastor will collect the plates and signal for you to return to your seats.