Serving at the 9:00 Service

Before Sunday

Lectors

Practice your reading out loud. Decide how you will pronounce proper nouns. Feel free to consult alternative translations of your biblical texts (see references for online options) to clarify meaning.

Intercessors

Compose your prayers ahead of time. Here are some guidelines.

15-20 Minutes before the Service:

Head Deacon, Lector, and Intercessor

Lectors: bring your printout of the inclusive-language version of your Bible reading up to the reading desk and leave it there so it will be ready when it's time for you to read. Also check the bulletin and make sure you understand which texts you are to read (e.g., sometimes the second lesson is omitted).

Hosts:

If the Parish Administrator is not already doing so, make the coffee. You will need one AirPot of regular coffee, one of decaf, and one of hot water for the Fireside Room (unless there is no Morning Forum that day) and one of each for the Alumni/ae Room. Set out cups, teabags, stirrers, sweeteners, and milk. The nonperishables are in the cabinets upstairs, and in a blue storage locker downstairs. The milk is in the small refrigerator in the kitchenette.
If you brought refreshments, set them out.

The head deacon divides the following additional tasks among the deacons present. If the head deacon is absent, late, or busy, other deacons should feel free to get started on the work that needs to be done.

Make sure all assigned deacons are present; recruit replacements if they are not.
If the service includes communion, recruit additional deacons if necessary. Six people are needed in all, including the pastors and the assisting minister. Seven is ideal.
Check in with the presiding minister to receive any special instructions for the day.
Welcome visitors and hand out bulletins, including kids' bulletins for children. Encourage people who want to chat to use the Alumni/ae Room so that the entrance to the sanctuary remains clear (it's less intimidating to newcomers, as well as quieter, that way).
If someone enters who might not be able to come up into the chancel for communion -- someone on crutches, for example -- ask them directly if they would like communion brought to them. If so, encourage them to sit in the front.
Unless there is an acolyte (which is rare, and which would be indicated in the bulletin), light candles in the chancel. (Exceptions: on All Saints' Sunday and during Advent, some of the chancel candles are lighted during the service itself rather than beforehand. Ask the presiding minister for clarification.) If there are candles around the Mary statue, light those too.
Make sure the numbers on the hymn boards in the sanctuary correspond to the numbers printed in the bulletin; if they don't, change them. (Note: in August 2002, the hymn boards were taken down, so this task will no longer apply unless/until they are put back up.)
Decide who will collect the offering. Usually only two people are needed, but if there is a big crowd, four works better.
Once the prelude begins, close the doors to the sanctuary to minimize noise, and hold them open for people who want to enter.

During the Service

Reading the Lessons

Go up to the reading desk as the congregation is seated to hear the readings. If there are two lectors, both should come forward at this time (and both should return to the pews after the second lesson).
Stand at the reading desk and read strongly and slowly. You do not need to turn the microphone on; it will be on already.
After the first lesson, say something like "Here ends the first lesson" and sit down in the chair next to the reading desk. After the congregation or cantor reads or chants the psalm, stand up again, read the second lesson, say something like "Here ends the second lesson," and return to your seat in the pew.

Praying the Intercessory Prayers

Stand away from but facing the center of the congregation, so that as many people as possible are in front of you (and can hear you).
Pause before giving the cue for the congregation's response (typically "Lord, in your mercy" or "Bless we the Lord"); pause again before reading the next petition.

Collecting the Offering

As the sharing of the peace comes to an end, retrieve the offering baskets from the small table at the back of the sanctuary.
When the offertory music begins, go all the way to the front of the nave, turn around, and pause for a moment before starting to collect the offering, even if no one is seated in the front pews. This gives people time to find their wallets or offering envelopes.
If four deacons are collecting the offering, all four should go down the center aisle. Two should then cross to the side aisles after they reach the front.
After taking the offering, consolidate the money into one basket and form the "offering procession". One deacon holds the offering basket, one the flagon (silver pitcher) from the table at the back of the sanctuary, one the bread basket, and one nothing. Stand in pairs in the center aisle, far enough forward to be visible to someone in the choir loft, and wait until the offertory music is over.

Preparing for Communion

While the congregation sings the offertory response, bring the offering basket, flagon, and bread basket from the table at the back of the sanctuary. Either hand these items to the pastor or assisting minister or place them directly on the table altar.
If you want to take grape juice rather than wine when you yourself commune, pick up a little glass cup on your way down the aisle. Place it on the table where the offering rests during communion.
Stand in a horseshoe shape around the table altar, two deacons on each side. Don't stand too far back.
After the offertory prayer, the assisting minister may hand the offering basket to you. If this occurs, bring the basket to the empty little shelf against the wall on the right side of the chancel (just past the door to the vestry, toward the back), and return to your place in the horseshoe.
After the Eucharistic prayer, while the congregation is singing the Agnus Dei ("Lamb of God"), the two deacons nearest the side table should carry the chalices on the side table to the assisting minister at the altar. Start with the empty chalices so that the assisting minister can get started pouring wine into them. It's important to do this as soon as the music starts, because the assisting minister doesn't have much time to get everything ready.
Otherwise, stay put and wait for the assisting minister to hand you a cup to distribute.
During this time, tell one of the pastors about any people who will need to receive communion in the pew.

Serving Communion

During communion, the pastors distribute the bread. Deacons follow the pastors and distribute wine from the common cups and pouring chalices. When distributing wine, say, "The blood of Christ, shed for you."
If you are distributing from a common cup, use the purificator (white cloth) to wipe the rim of the chalice, inside and out. Wipe away from the section of rim that you offer the next person.
Hold the cup low to encourage people to hold it themselves. Also, when people are communing by intinction (dipping bread into wine), make sure you hold the cup low enough that they can see what they are doing.
Children who wish to receive wine will usually be holding a small cup. If they aren't, ask the parent for guidance. When in doubt, offer wine.
If a piece of bread falls into the wine (when someone is communing by intinction), use the silver spoon on the altar to fish it out.

After Communion

Once the congregation has communed, place the elements (bread and wine) on the table altar and return to the horseshoe shape so that the deacons and pastors can commune.
If you brought your own small glass to receive grape juice, retrieve it now.
In the horseshoe, receive bread and wine from the person on your right (usually) and then give it to the person on your left. One of the pastors usually begins.
When it is time for the clearing of the altar--sometimes during the post-communion canticle, sometimes before--the assisting minister will hand you several elements. Bring them into the sacristy.

Post-Communion Clean-Up

This may be done immediately or after the service has ended. If you do it immediately, be sure to close the doors so your noise won't disturb the worship. Typically, the lector and intercessor take care of this so that the hosts can oversee the coffee hour.
Put used altar linens in the basket on the counter.
Pour wine from the common cups onto the ground (outside).
Pour wine from the pouring chalice into the flagon (since it has not touched lips, it can be served at the next service).
Leave the other pouring chalice (with the grape juice) and the flagon as they are.
Collect used glasses from both sacristies. Also check the trays; sometimes people put their used cups there by mistake.
Wash and dry the common cups, pouring chalice for wine, and the individual glasses.
Return individual glasses to the trays. Leave the other items in the sacristy to be set up for the next service.

After the Service

Bring the full offering basket to the office. If no one is in the office, give the basket to someone who can place the money in the safe, such as Ed Bucher or Susan Worst.
Extinguish the candles. To avoid getting molten wax on the altar cloth, lift the small candles that sit on the table altar before blowing them out.
Tidy the pews. Collect bulletins left behind and toss or recycle them. Put hymnals back in the racks.
If you are feeling extremely diligent, make sure that there are "welcome" cards and sharpened pencils in the holders in all of the pews. (Extras are in the church office.) This is particularly useful before holidays and at the beginning of the academic year, when many visitors will be present.
If you are the intercessor, return any reusable handouts you received to the church office, as well as a copy of your prayers.

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Page last updated: 03/08/03
sworst@world.std.com