Preparation (usher captain)

Consider how many ushers you’ll need. Two are enough for most services. You’ll want four for heavily attended services.

Inform the church office who will be ushering by the end of the day Wednesday so that the names can be printed in the order of worship.

Before the Service

Arrive at the church at least one half-hour before the service begins.

Check with the Pastor for special requirements.

If the order of worship bulletins are not in the last pew, get them from the church office.

Leave a few bulletins on the cabinet in the sacristy.

Get the offering plates from the cabinet in the sacristy. The key is hanging behind the cabinet on the left side. You will need two offering plates for two ushers, and four plates for four ushers.

Turn on the public address system.  Open the door of the large black metal box on the rear wall of the music office.  Turn on the power switch at the lower right.  Ensure that the pulpit and lectern microphones are working.

Get the headsets from the music office. Ensure that they all work. Replace batteries from the supply in the music office as necessary. Put half of the headsets in the front left pew near the door to the sacristy and the rest in the rear right pew near the center aisle.

Check that the altar candles are both at least two inches in length. Light them 15 minutes before the start of the service. Matches and a lighter are on the windowsill in the sacristy. Replacement candles and wicks for the lighter are in the cabinet in the sacristy.

Switch on the light in the memorial bookcase in the narthex, open the case with the key from the drawer of the table in the Dangerfield Room, and turn one page.

Ensure that there are a few hospitality cards on each of the hooks in the pews. Replenish as necessary from the supply in the cabinet in the sacristy.

Greet people as they arrive, and give them bulletins.

During the Service

Close the doors to the sanctuary as the choir is processing.

Leave some bulletins on the last pew for latecomers.

Count the entire congregation, including children, choirs, pastor, and organist.

Record the number and the weather in the notebook in the drawer of the table in the Dangerfield Room.

Offering procedure:

• Walk down the center aisle with plates when the pastor says “The offering will now be taken”.
• Pass the plates, pew by pew, staying even with each other.
• Wait at the rear until the Pastor stands and gestures for congregation to rise.
• Walk to the front and hand the plates to the pastor.
• Remain through the Doxology.

Pay attention for special circumstances such as an illness.

After the Service

Extinguish the altar candles.

Collection processing procedure:

• Find the deposit bag. There should be three keys on its keychain: one for the bag, one for the Rockport National Bank night depository, and one for the wooden donations box on the partition in the narthex.
• Find two deposit slips.
• Check the children’s collection box for offerings deposited there.
• Check the box in the narthex for offerings deposited there.
• Take the offering plates and any offerings from the boxes into the music office. Count the cash offering. Find a helper, and ask him or her to check your count. Record the totals on two deposit slips. Record the totals for the box in the narthex separately. Both you and your helper should sign both deposit slips.
• Put the cash offering, one deposit slip, and all checks and pledge envelopes in the deposit bag. Close the deposit bag, remove the key, and ensure that it is secure.
• Deposit the bag in the Rockport National Bank night depository.
• Return the keys, any completed hospitality cards, and the other cash deposit slip to the church.

Return the offering plates to the sacristy, lock the door, and return the key to its hook.

Tidy the pews, put hymnals back, and pick up trash and discarded orders of worship.

Ensure that all headsets are turned off. Put them back in the music office.

Turn off the public address system.

Turn off the light in the Memorial Bookcase in the narthex.