USHERING AT ADVENT LUTHERAN CHURCH

Revised 3-18-10

USHERS DUTIES-The primary duty is to assist members of the congregation and visitors to find adequate seating if required. Other duties are as follows:

  1. BEFORE THE SERVICE:
  2. Ushers should be at the church 20 minutes prior to the beginning of the service.
  3. Open all four sanctuary doors to allow good traffic flow prior to the service.
  4. Locate the food basket (in usher closet) and set it by the old font near the sanctuary doors. Please note: if the basket is heavy, set some of the contents aside to lighten for carrying to the altar.
  5. Locate, if required, the Service Bulletins (SB) and the Communion of Saints (CS) sheets prior to the service. Most of the time they are placed in the Ushers’ closet or in the teller room. Double check to be sure you are handing out the correct service time.
  6. At each service there will be several large print bulletins for worshippers as needed. Place a large print SB on each chair at the Altar. These are used by the Pastors and the service assistants.
  7. Ushers are to pass out the SB and the CS. It is also important that the Ushers should greet members and visitors with a smile and by name if they know.
  8. Should there be a service when the bulletins are short, please ask family members if they would be willing to share.
  1. DURING THE SERVICE:
  2. DOORS. Just prior to the beginning of the service the music prelude will begin. At that time, the doors to the sanctuary should be closed.
  3. LATE COMERS. Ushers are to seat late-comers. However, late-comers should not be seated during a prayer or the reading of the Gospel unless they are unable to stand. Hold others at the door of the sanctuary until it is finished.
  4. COMMUNION OF SAINTS SHEETS. Ushers collect these sheets form the end of each row during the announcements and put them in the usher closet in the appropriate box.
  5. COUNT. Ushers are to take the count of the service attendance. This count is to include Altar personnel, congregation, nursery, chapel/”cry” room, choir and musicians, ushers, etc. Attendance sheets are provided in the Ushers’ closet. The results are to be noted.
  6. CHILDREN. For security reasons, an adult should escort any children who leave the sanctuary during the service. If the child is not escorted, one of the ushers should leave the sanctuary with the child to ensure his/her safety until returning to the sanctuary.
  7. AWARENESS. Be alert to any unexpected situations involving people’s health and safety. This includes any unusual activity in the Narthex, Gathering Room or parking lot.
  8. COLLECTION. Ushers will take the collection at the appropriate time. Two will go to the Altar from the center aisle to get the offering plates from the acolyte. Two others will collect on the side aisles from the plates that are passed to them.
  9. TO THE ALTAR. When the collection is complete one Usher will take all four plates and another will carry the food basket. The Ushers will follow the Altar Guild (AG) people to the Altar.
  10. AT THE ALTAR. The Pastor’s assistant will receive the bread and wine. The AG will step aside and the Ushers will step forward to give the offering plates and food basket. As soon as they are received the Ushers will immediately return back up the aisle together. Please note: If the AG remain at the Altar then the communion will be continuous.
  11. COMMUNION. Communion is either at the Altar rail or continuous. The Ushers must know which so that they can properly start the line. There are several ways to determine which:
  1. Ask the Pastor
  2. Check to see if there are communion cups at the Altar. If yes, then the communion will be at the rail. If not, communion will be continuous.
  3. If the AG remain at the Altar when they take the bread and wine and do not recede with the Ushers then it will be continuous. If they do, it will be at the rail.
  4. GOING TO THE RAIL. When communion is at the rail, the lead Usher will send communicants starting at the right rail. The left rail is usually occupied by the Pastor and his assistants. The Usher should start sending as soon as the Pastor and his assistants have received communion or just before. The Pastors prefer that we start sending so that the rail is full even before they are ready. The Usher is to send 10 at a time to the rail. Maybe, if there are children the rail may hold up to 12. Please note that most families want to commune together which means at times the Usher may send fewer than 10. Other Ushers will direct communicants to the center aisle in queue for the lead Usher. To make the flow of communicants timely, keep at least 10 in each queue at all times on both sides. When the center aisles are completed, the choir will usually commune next. The side ushers should watch for timing to release the side pews as quickly as possible.
  5. SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. Ushers should watch for communicants needing special assistance in negotiating the steps, particularly if the handrails are not in place. The ushers at the two sides should be close enough to the steps to help with the exiting communicants when needed. Also be aware that some members will not attempt the steps, but should be directed to the left side to wait for the Pastor to bring communion down the steps to them. At times there will be individuals wanting to commune that will not come to the front. Ask if they would like to have communion brought to them and alert the Pastor to do so at the end of communion at the altar.
  6. CONTINUOUS. When the communion is continuous, the Ushers are to direct the communicants to the two center queues and maintain them moving at the same rate as the communion without having it snake throughout the church.
  1. AFTER THE SERVICE.

A.Prepare for the end of the service by placing the gray tub near the baptismal font at the back of the sanctuary to collect the bulletins and inserts for recycling.

B.Open the four doors when the recessional hymn is being sung.

C.Go through the pews and clean up anything that was left by the congregation.

D.Take the food basket contents to the kitchen and replace the basket by the old font near the sanctuary doors.

E.The Tellers will retrieve the offering plates.

*CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE. Small candles are provided at the door of the sanctuary as the people enter. These candles should be available prior to the services. An Usher will turn down the sanctuary lights as per instruction.

Long tapers(candles) should be available in the Ushers closet or may already be on the front pew. During the candlelight portion of the service, four Ushers will go to the Altar to have the tapers lit. Two Ushers will go up the center aisle and light the candle of the person close to the aisle. The same for the two side aisle Ushers, unless other instructions are given.

After the service the lights are to be turned up and the candles collected.

*ADVENT SEASON. Additional ushers are needed for the Wednesday night services.

*EASTER. Additional Ushers are needed from Ash Wednesday and each Wednesday thereafter until EASTER. Also, Ushers are needed for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Please be prepared.

*FUNERALS. Check with the head usher for correct protocol.

**NOTES

  1. Head Usher. A head Usher is selected for each Usher team. This person will, if needed, assign the duties. Also, he is the one who is to receive any communication or requests from other church members.
  2. Usher Attire. Ushers should dress appropriately to represent Advent as worship leaders to both the members and the visitors.

Thank you for serving.

Tom Ness

Dick Wentzel