Members of the Welcoming Ministry provide a friendly greeting to everyone arriving at church on Sunday mornings, with a special emphasis on welcoming and orienting guests and visitors.
Greeters respond to the needs of newcomers before and after the service, which may include making name tags, offering to take them to the nursery or Children’s Chapel, providing a newcomer packet, escorting them to coffee hour, introducing them to other parishioners, and answering any and all questions.
Ushers welcome those
attending the service, provide and explain service leaflets, and help to seat those
who need assistance. During
the worship service, the ushers carry the elements to the altar, take
up the collection, and guide parishioners to the altar for communion.
There are no special skills or abilities needed to become a member of this ministry, other than a genuine desire to listen and respond to the needs of those who are new among us. Greeters and ushers arrive 15 minutes before the start of the service, and stay afterward to accompany newcomers who want to attend coffee hour. We are actively seeking new members so that we can provide teams at each service.
Participating in this vital ministry may bring some surprises, as we are reminded in Hebrews 13:1-2: “Let mutual love continue: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
