Appendix B Usher Guidelines

1. General information

        Ushers should dress appropriately and have pen and paper available to record attendance and make notes regarding information a parishioner wishes to pass to the pastor.

        Magnetic "Usher" badges are located in the usher cabinet for all ushers to wear.

        Each service should have one individual of the usher corps designated as the lead usher.

        Ushers need to know the location of the defibrillator in case it is needed. A list of CPR certified persons and an AED algorithm are in the usher cabinet in the narthex.

        Assisted hearing devices are located in the usher cabinet and should be distributed as needed.

        If you are unable to usher when scheduled, please find a replacement and let the usher coordinator know of the change. If you cannot reach your coordinator, please contact the church office.

2. Before service

        Arrive at least 15 minutes before service.

        Place a bulletin in the chairs behind the altar for the acolyte and lay associate.

        Rope off both ends of the last three rows of seats before a regular or special service begins.

        Ushers greet worshipers, distribute bulletins, children’s bulletins, and assist with seating.

        For regular services there will be two scheduled ushers and up to three (two aisle and one mezzanine) collection volunteers. The scheduled ushers will recruit volunteers, provide bulletins and assist with seating as needed.

        For special services (Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, etc.) there will be four scheduled ushers and one mezzanine collection volunteer.

Two ushers will distribute bulletins in the narthex and two ushers will distribute bulletins and assist with seating as needed.

        Once the pastor walks toward the pulpit, the ushers will remove the center and side aisle ropes to the last three rows of seats and close the center doors just before the service begins.

        1^st service when the choir is in session, ushers need to insure that there is an offering plate placed in the choir loft on the western most end so that the choir can do there own collection. Their offering will be picked up by the Acolyte and joined with the rest of the offering when brought forward by the lead usher.

3. During service

        Ushers seat late arrivals, count attendance, collect the offering and direct parishioners to communion.

        Please ask late arrivals to wait for a transition in the service, a hymn or the first lesson, before entering and remind them to wait quietly. Late parishioners will enter the last three rows from the side aisles as the center doors to the sanctuary are to remain closed. One of the ushers could sit in the mezzanine if it is being used.

4. Attendance

        Counting of attendance is done during the reading of the first & second lessons.

        The mezzanine usher, or if none any usher, should count attendance in the sanctuary from the mezzanine in a non-obtrusive manner. 

        Ushers may count from the mezzanine and then include from the main level the count in all rows not visible from the mezzanine.

        8 am service ushers should count the choir in total. 10:30 am ushers should only count six people for the choir no matter how many are there.

        The nursery may deliver their count to the ushers.

        Write down the date, service and total attendance and leave it in an offering plate.

5. The Offering

        Collecting the offering requires several people. If there are only two ushers, two parishioners will need to be recruited and if the mezzanine is in use one additional parishioner for the mezzanine. The collection ushers work in teams of two, one team for each side of the church and one team for the mezzanine.

        The left side aisle usher and the two center aisle ushers begin by taking an offering plate to the front of the church. The right side usher will have two plates if the right transept of seats is being used.

        Two ushers walk up the center aisle and one walks up each side aisle. The choir will not need a collection plate passed as they will pass their own and may give it to the left aisle usher.

        The right side aisle usher will give the first row of transept seats a plate and indicate that they pass the plate amongst themselves and the right side aisle usher will retrieve it as the ushers are completing their pass backwards.

        Ushers in the center aisle give the offering plates to the front rows; ushers in the side aisles begin with the second row. The parishioners pass the offering plate along the row. When it arrives at the end of the row, the usher takes the plate, skips a row, and offers it to the following row. In this way the offering plates pass across the pews and back with the ushers helping at the turns.

        If the mezzanine is in use the volunteer will pass the offering plate and bring it to the lower level staircase for retrieval by the right aisle usher.

        When completed all ushers gather in the rear center aisle for collection of plates. One usher may take up to four offering plates up the center aisle to the acolyte. If greater than four offering plates are needed, two ushers should divide the plates and take them up the center aisle to the acolyte and lay associate. Allow the acolyte and lay associate to take the plates to the altar.

6. Directing to Communion

        There will be two communion stations for communion services. The stations will be approached by parishioners via the center aisle.

        As the assistants are receiving communion:

o       one usher will direct the right transept parishioners from their first row to the rear of the church where they will walk behind the last row of seats to the center aisle and wait.

o       if the mezzanine is being used, that usher will direct this group to walk behind the last row of seats to the center aisle and wait.

o       if the choir is seated in the choir loft an usher will lead the choir from the rear choir entrance to the rear of the church where they will walk behind the last row of seats to the center aisle and wait.

        Once the communion assistants are taking their stations, the ushers will release the parishioners up the center aisle to both left and right stations to provide balance.

        Once space allows, the center aisle ushers, starting at the back of the sanctuary, will release one center aisle row at a time to receive communion and will continue releasing one row at a time as space allows.

        The lead usher keeps track of those parishioners who wish to receive communion but are unable to walk to the front.

        After all rows and ushers have received communion, the lead usher will direct the pastor or communion station assistants to those who were unable to go up for communion.

7. After the service

        At the end of service, ushers open the inner and outer doors then stand at the inner center doors to greet parishioners and collect bulletins or encourage bulletins be taken home.

        All listening devices should be collected, turned off and stored in the usher cabinet device tray.

        Once the church has emptied, ushers walk through each row of pews to pick up trash and generally tidy the sanctuary for the next service, e.g., straighten the hymnals, liturgies, envelopes and drawing paper in each row, and replenish as needed. It’s preferred that each pew back have a green hymnal then two blue hymnals with two liturgies then another green hymnal.

        Place the green "sign in" notebooks on the seat nearest the center aisle.

        Rope off the last three pews.

        Return the usher badges, bulletins and bulletin trays to the cabinet.

        Make sure that the cabinet area is clean and tidy.

Last Service Ushers

        Close the center aisle inner doors.

        Store the visitors sign-up and member badge carts within the narthex.

   Close and lock the outer doors, insuring that the left door is latched top and bottom before leaving.