Duties and Responsibilities

1. Be faithful in worship and communion attendance, and at Bible Study.
2. Be trained for this important ministry function.
3. Be stationed and ready to serve no later than 7:45 am for the 8:00 am (Blended Service); 9:15 am for the 9:30 am (Traditional Service); and 10:45 am for the 11:00 am (Praise Service).
4. Dresses cleanly and neatly, showing respect due the occasion. Do not let dress present an image of disrespect or irreverence. Ties and jackets are desired, but not required.
5. The Usher Team Captain should check with Pastor for any special instruction concerning the worship service.
6. Follow the instructions and requests on the Usher Checklist.
7. See the Liturgical Date is posted on the Hymn Boards, along with any necessary hymn numbers (8:00 am Ushering Team).
8. Changes the candle in the Chancel Eternal Candle (8:00 am Ushering Team).
9. Turns on all Sanctuary, Worship Entrance Area (Narthex), Hallway and Cross lights – make sure all Worship Entrance doors are unlocked.
10. Warmly greet all worshipers, offering them a smile, a handshake/hug, and a bulletin – in particular greet warmly and all Worship Guests, and usher them to their preferred seating before offering them a bulletin.
11. Assists worshippers in seating if the service is “full” by locating empty seating spaces and ushering them to these spaces.
12. Assists Late-comers (those arriving after the Pastoral greetings/Opening Hymn or Liturgy by ushering them a seat to avoid distractions – those arriving late should never be seated during the Confession and Forgiveness, any prayers, or the Reading of the Lessons).
13. Completes the Usher Report Form midway through the worship service.
14. “Walks the building” at least twice during the worship service, especially checking the Sunday School area, the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen area – during the first “walk through”, get a Nursery Count to add to the Usher Report Form.
15. Brings the Prayer Request Book forward during the Sermon Hymn (or post Sermon Hymn) and places it opened on the Altar.
16. Gathers the offering at the time designated by the Bulletin (Worship Folder) and/or a Pastoral announcement – after receiving the Offerings, brings them forward and present them to the acolyte or the Pastor.
17. For the 8:00 am and 9:30 am Usher Teams, immediately following the Dismissal (which concludes the worship service), two ushers process down to dismiss the congregation pew-by-pew unless otherwise annotated in the Worship Bulletin.
18. Distributes materials designated for worshipers who are leaving the worship area.
19. Pulls out the first page of the Friendship Pad from each pew (including the Transept Area and the Balcony), and attach sheets to the Usher Report Forms.
20. Picks up and throw away any loose items on the pews and the floor; returns the Friendship Pads/Hymnals/Bibles to the pew racks; straightens up the pews, removing any loose paper, etc.; put up what needs to be put up – throws out what needs to be thrown away!
21. Return the Prayer Request Book from the Chancel Credenza to the stand in the Worship Lobby area.
22. Straighten up the Usher Table – recycle old bulletins and inserts by putting them into the proper containers.
23. Place the completed Usher Report Form and the Friendship Pads sheets in the Parish Administrator’s Office Door Pocket.
24. Lights and Heat/AC:
    • 8:00 am and 9:30 am Services: Leave the lights and heat/AC turned on.
    • 11:00 am: Turn off all Sanctuary lights, the Cross Lights, and the Narthex and Balcony lights; the heat should be turned down to 55 degrees – the AC should be up to 85 degrees.

For Holy Communion Distribution: Regular Distribution of Communion

1. At the appropriate time as designated in the Bulletin (Worship Folder), three Ushers, along with the two Communion Assistants, will proceed to the front of the Sanctuary to the Communion Railing and kneel to receive the Lord’s Supper along with the acolytes.
2. After receiving the Lord’s Supper and being dismissed by the Pastor, the ushers shall take their designated positions:
   1. One of the three ushers shall serve as the “Point Man”. The “Point Man” will position himself at the bottom of the Chancel steps and direct the lines of communicants forward. The “Point Man” will also keep a count of those who come forward to receive Holy Communion, and add that count to the Usher Report Form. .
   2. The other two Ushers direct communicants forward from the pews, allowing approximately 7/8 persons per table.
   3. The Ushers should direct a new table of communicants forward as soon as the Communion Assistant begins to administer the wine (the individual cups) to the communing table. Please do not the table – send the next table forward immediately to line up to receive the sacrament.
   4. As the communing table is dismissed, the “Point Man” turns and directs the next table forward to the side that is leaving. Please do not wait for the dismissed table to exit completely, but send the next communing table forward as the dismissed table is leaving. This process continues until all have communed.
3. The Ushers should notify the “Point Man” about any persons who desire the sacrament be brought to their pew. When the last table is communed, the Communion Assistant will ask the Point Man” and the Ushers to direct them to communicants who wish to receive the sacrament.
4. After the Pastor and Communion Assistants have communed, the Communion Assistants will join the “point Man” and the Ushers at the bottom step of the Chancel, and will exit the down the center aisle to the Narthex.

For Holy Communion Distribution: Continuous Flow Distribution

1. At the appropriate time as designated in the Bulletin (Worship Folder), two Ushers, along with the five Communion Assistants, will proceed to the front of the Sanctuary, with the Communion Assistants going to the Communion Railing and kneel to receive the Communion elements for distribution. The Ushers stop at the first pew on each side of the Sanctuary.
2. After the Communion Assistants have taken their positions with the communion elements, the two Ushers will direct communicants to go forward to receive the sacrament – since this is continuous flow, please do not allow a lag to develop – keep the communicants coming! A “Point Man” is not needed for continuous flow communion.
3. The Ushers will keep a count of those communing from their side of the Sanctuary, and add the total count to the Ushers Report Form.
4. The first Communion Assistant Team which has completed distribution of the sacrament to the congregation will be directed by the Ushers to any person who desire that the sacrament be brought to their pew.
5. After those who desire communion at the pew have been communed, the Ushers and the Communion Assistants shall at the Communion Railing to receive the Sacrament. After the Ushers and the Communion Assistants have communed, they will exit down the center aisle to the Narthex.