LEAD WORSHIP
To adapt to the changing times, St. Paul's is trying a worship experiment. Instead of scheduling every worship leadership role, we're leaving some roles open. Anyone attending worship that day is welcome to volunteer—yes, even you!
The following roles will be unscheduled, filled by anyone who wants to help lead that service:
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readers,
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intercessors (Prayers of the People),
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ushers,
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and acolytes (crucifers, servers, and torches).
There is a posterboard in the back of the church with colored nametags on it. But instead of names, it will have roles. The back of each tag will have a description of the role. The acolyte tags are blue with CRUCIFER, SERVER, and two TORCH ones. If you're open to carrying the cross that day, you grab the blue CRUCIFER tag. Before the service, meet the rest of the leadership team in the sacristy.
Below are the details for each role.
Lectors/Readers
Read the daily Bible readings from the pulpit.
One lector 8am:
Read the Psalm, Old Testament reading, and New Testament reading. At Morning Prayer, they also read the Gospel.
Two lectors at 10:15am:
The first reader reads the Psalm and Old Testament reading. The second reader reads the New Testament reading. At Morning Prayer, they also read the Gospel.
Before the service begins, read the texts through a few times so that you can make sense of them when you read them aloud. To read the texts ahead of time, find them at the Lectionary Page.
Ushers
Greet people and help the service run smoothly.
Hand out bulletins and greet people as they arrive. Count the number of attendees during the service and fill out the attendance form.
During Eucharist services:
At 10:15am, bring the bread and wine to the altar.
Pass the offertory plates through the pews and bring them forward. Then put the altar railing and cushions in place. Guide each pew to the altar during Eucharist.
Intercessors
Lead the Prayers of the People from the pulpit.
Read the Prayers of the People from the pulpit. The notebook containing the prayers should be obtained from the sacristy before the service begins for review and practice.
Acolytes
Crucifers, servers, and torches are the hands and feet of the liturgy.
Crucifer: Carry cross to lead worship leaders into church, to the middle of church for the gospel (Eucharist only), and out of the church in the end.
Two torches (10:15 only): Carry lit candle and follow crucifer into church, to the middle of church for gospel (Eucharist only), and out of the church in the end.
Server (Eucharist services only): Carry gold gospel book into church and to middle of church for Rev. Helena to read the gospel. After announcements, meet Rev. Helena at altar to help her set the altar for Eucharist. At 10:15am, they also receive the bread and wine from the ushers and hand it to Rev. Helena over the altar.
Is this really going to work?
We don't know. It's an experiment!
Our volunteers who make worship happen are tired. We have fewer people for each role than we had in the past. Rev. Helena and the vestry thought that combining to one service took away too much of the different character of the two worship times. We're excited to be able to preserve that.
We're trusting that each person who values worship at St. Paul's will step forward from time to time to help us create it.
We're excited to try out this new model with you.
Read more about the process by which we came to this decision here.