** for the PDF version of the Usher’s
Guide, click here **
There are two report times
when ushering:
— Orthros(at Church by 8:50 a.m.)
— Divine Liturgy (at Church by 9:50 a.m.)
° Please wear the lapel tag identifying you as
a member of the Parish Council.
° During Orthros and Liturgy, please remain in
the Narthex, with one usher stationed at the Pangari (candle stand).
Greet people warmly as they enter and encourage newcomers to sign
the Guest Register. Remember, there is no better source of public
relations than a warm welcome at the door. Even though greeting
people after they enter the Church is important, keep the conversations
to a minimum. Excessive or loud talking in the Narthex can easily
interrupt the worship of those sitting in the back of the Church
and can even distract Father.
° Toward the end of Orthros, Father will cense
the entire Church. After he finishes, rope off the center aisle.
° Rope off the first pew only if there is a Memorial
Service. Otherwise, encourage people to sit up front.
° Remove candles before they burn down completely
into the sand. A metal canister, located underneath the center of
the candle stand, has been provided for the disposal of used candles.
° When the Doxology begins, turn on the lights
and chandeliers in the Church.
° See below for Guidelines
for Respectful Worship for times when no one should be moving
about and ushers should make people wait in the Narthex. To observe
respectful worship guidelines, they should not enter the Church
until that segment is completed.
° At the Great Entrance, take the rope off the
center aisle to allow the procession to pass.
° At Communion, let children and the choir go
first, then release the people in an orderly fashion, one pew at
a time, front to rear of the Church as per Fathers instructions
to the congregation. Try to stay in tandem as you move from the
front to the rear of the church.
° The collection trays should be passed after
the close of the Liturgy. Don’t forget the upstairs loft.
° Make a conscious effort to welcome visitors
during Fellowship Hour.
° At the conclusion of services, the person assigned
to Close must be sure to secure the buildings and gates when
everyone is gone. Please doublecheck that the inside lights and
especially the upper loft lights in the Church are turned off. Extinguish
all candles; lock the outside metal gates and then the main doors.
All monies should have been transferred by the counting teams.
**If you are unable to be at Church when scheduled,
it is yourresponsibility to get in touch with another Parish Council
member to be your replacement.**
Probably the most important duty that we each have
as worshippers attending church services is to do all that is in
our power to see that a proper decorum and atmosphere is maintained
so that all of the congregation is able to pray sincerely, peacefully
and meaningfully.
It is with this fact in mind that we have set forth
the following guidelines:
Upon entering the Church, at all times, but especially
during services an individual should remember that he or she is
in the House of God. Reverence and good manners are required so
as not to disturb those who are already engaged in prayer, but,
even more importantly, as an expression of sincere faith and awareness
of the presence of the Lord. No irrelevant conversations should
take place, either in the Narthex or in any part of the Church.
According to actual church service procedures, each
and every member of the congregation is required to be seated in
the pews at the beginning of the service. It is only by leniency
that anyone is allowed to enter the Church once the services have
begun. As leaders of the community it behooves us not to take undue
advantage of this leniency. We need to set the example.
There are several parts of the service during which
no one should be moving about. Wherever a person happens to be at
these moments, he or she should stop and stand reverently, until
the proper time to proceed. These parts of the service are:
° The Procession of the Priest and Altar Boys with the
Gospel
° The reading of the Gospel and Epistle
° The Cherubic Hymn and the Great Procession of the Priest and Altar
Boys with the Holy Gifts
° The recitation of the Nicene Creed (in which the entire congregation
should participate)
° The prayers of the consecration of the Holy Gifts
° The Sermon
One basic rule to follow is that, whenever the Priest
is facing the people or outside of the Altar, either with the censer
or giving the blessing, everyone should stand wherever they are.
Please remember that the Parish Council members and
the ushering staff are required to keep order during services, and
all should follow their instructions at all times.
Before Liturgy:
°Light candles above icons in Narthex
°Clean icons in Narthex
°Pull empty red candles from solea and return to narthex.
Throw away inserts & refill red glass with new candle insert
and place in the pangari.
During Liturgy:
°Keep candle supplies full in pangari
°Oversee lit candles. Remember: these represent peoples’
prayers rising up to heaven, so let them burn as long as possible.
°Unhook rope during procession
°Send note to Fr. Dean in altar if visitors sign in
°Lean Communion lines
°Give change for candle donations
°Bundle $1 bills in $20’s with rubber bands
°Put donations in appropriate blue bags (Stewardship, Candles,
Tray, Other)
After Liturgy:
°Pass trays (remember choir loft)
°Dismiss congregation
°Clean narthex candles, sift sand, flatten and impress cross
°Blow out candles above icons (and at base of stairs on other
side of door, St. Nicholas)
°Clean pews, straighten books: Liturgy book, Bible, with Creeds
in front, Liturgy book
°Lock stairwell door to church school classrooms
°Check windows in aisles to make sure they are locked
°Close golden gates at entry to church
°Lock church front door
°Turn off lights
Doors to lock:
°Fr. Dean & Jillian’s office
°Bookkeeper’s office
°Fence to office porch
°Kitchen door downstairs. **This door often gets left open by
extending the deadbolt. It may LOOK closed, but be sure to check
it**
°Back hall door
°Large gate on 12th
°Large gate on E. Howell
°Small gate to parking lot
°Small gate to handicap parking
°Back doors to church
°Back gates to church **VERIFY EVERYONE IS OUT OF THE CHURCH
and then lock the gates. If not, you may lock someone in with no
way of exiting.**
°Set alarm
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