First Impressions Team

March 5, 2023 – April 30, 2023

March 5	Tom Sparks
March 12	Walt Hilsbos
March 19	Mike Benedetta
March 26	Eric Hurst
April 2	Tom Sparks
April 9	Walt Hilsbos
April 16	Mike Benedetta
April 23	Eric Hurst
April 30	Tom Sparks

Guidelines for Greeting / Ushering

THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB of the Greeter/Usher is to make worshipers feel welcome. This is ESPECIALLY important with visitors/newcomers. Some of the things to do to accomplish this are:

• Give a friendly greeting to worshipers as they enter.
• Offer worshipers a bulletin and any other hand-outs for the day.
• Make sure they know to pick up a Communion cup.
• Be ready to help people, especially visitors, newcomers, late comers, to find a seat, as unobtrusively as possible.
• Help visitors/newcomers find any needed facilities, i.e., classrooms, nursery, restrooms, etc.
• Don’t be distracted from your main job by visiting or doing church business. The most important thing in the world for you that half hour or 20 minutes before the service is greeting people and serving them.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT JOB of the Greeter/Usher is to help the worship service to move as smoothly as possible so there will as few distractions as possible for the worshipers.

• Encourage people congregating in the lobby to move along so that entering worshipers can move unhindered to their places in the sanctuary.
• Gently remind people in the lobby to get quiet once the service starts.
• Hold people in the lobby so they do not enter during prayers, Scripture readings, or solos.
• Help keep order in the sanctuary by being alert to meet any emergency needs during the
  service. Be on your toes at all times. Ushers should be more aware of everything going on in
  the service than anyone else in the building. Some of the situations that might arise are fire,
  someone falling, someone becoming ill, someone becoming disoriented, someone becoming
  disorderly. Of course, there are other possibilities. Try to know who in the congregation has
  special training, especially medical, to help deal with these situations.

 

OTHER POINTS TO REMEMBER:

• Be in the lobby (narthex) at least 20 minutes before the starting time for the service.
• If you cannot serve when you are scheduled, please swap with someone, or contact Adam or Walt Hilsbos as soon as possible.
• REMEMBER, if you are alert, prayerful, joyful, and reverent in your serving, you will add much to other’s
  appreciation of the worship hour.