Liturgical Ministries
If leading worship is of interest to you, there’s a way to get involved! Members of the parish serve as readers, ushers, prayer leaders, and help set up for and clean up after worship. A description of each of these ministries is found below, including a contact person. For more general questions about Worship, please contact Natalie Hala, [email protected]
Altar Guild and Flower Committee
Altar Guild members work in teams, helping to keep the sanctuary, chalices, vestments, candles and sacred linens ready for worship services each week. A small time commitment one weekend each month (90 minutes that Saturday and 30 to 40 minutes after a Sunday service) lets us serve God and build fun relationships that cross generations. Travel often? No problem! AG members readily swap weekends. Ours is an inclusive ministry of warmth, hospitality and teamwork. All adults and teens welcome! The Flower Committee is a separate unit within the Altar Guild that keeps the church in gorgeous greenery and blooms. Join us!
Contact:
Altar Guild: Deborah Franklin – [email protected]
Flower Committee: Joanne Squire – [email protected] or Steven Currier – [email protected]
Chalice Bearers
This lay ministry provides an opportunity to deepen your spiritual connections to St. Mary’s and make a commitment to your fellow parishioners by participating in the Communion service. In addition to offering the Chalice at Communion time and assisting the clergy at the Altar, other duties differ slightly at the 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services, ranging from reading the lessons and prayers of the people at 8:00 a.m. to carrying the cross and torches in the procession and at the reading of the Gospel at 11:00 a.m.. At the 9:00 a.m. service, you would offer the Chalice at Communion with no additional duties. Participation is usually once a month. Scheduling assures that your individual availability is taken into account. You will receive training before you begin this ministry.
Contact:Pam and Bob Bledsoe –[email protected]
Eucharistic Visitors bring the Word of God and Holy Communion to those who are homebound for any reason, such as illness, recent surgery or birth of a newborn. As Christ makes himself known through the Church, Eucharistic Visitors represent our faith community gathered together in prayer and thanksgiving. Training at a Diocesan workshop and individual instruction at St. Mary’s prepares those who respond to this call to ministry. Once trained, commitment is an occasional Sunday following a morning service.
Contact: Natalie Hala at [email protected].
Readers and Prayer Leaders
We would love for you to join our group of dedicated readers at the 9am and 11am services. Readers provide an important contribution to the worship service by reading the appointed Sunday readings, generally from the Old and New Testaments. Prayer leaders lead the Prayers of the People. No prior experience needed; we will arrange training before you start.
Contact: Natalie Hala at [email protected].
Ushers
Ushers greet newcomers and regular worshippers at St. Mary’s as welcoming hosts. We provide worship bulletins and guide congregants to their seats. We help newcomers become connected to the parish community. Ushering is a fantastic way to contribute your time and talent to the St. Mary’s community and is a minimal commitment of once per month at the service of your choice. We also ask for volunteers to assist at special services such as Christmas Eve and Easter. Ushering is a great way to meet people as you welcome them in the courtyard and assist in helping to make the services run smoothly to help create a worshipful atmosphere.
Contact: David Sullivan – [email protected] or 415-928-4989, or let any usher know!
