Reader Duties

1. The reading of scripture during worship is an important and much appreciated offering of time and talent.

2. Scripture passages for the coming week are usually printed in the announcements on Sunday.

3. The minister or presider at worship will contact you on Thursday or Friday to confirm the passages that will be used in worship on Sunday.

4. You will be given an opportunity to prepare introductions giving some context and background for each reading, or the minister or worship presider will prepare introductions for you. The preparation of introductions is a very helpful exercise in knowing more about the passage you will be reading. However, the choice to give your own introductions or use those provided to you, is completely up to you.

5. Please read through the passages ahead of time and make sure you understand the general sense of the passage as well as the pronunciation for any words that may be unfamiliar. You may use whatever translation of the Bible you prefer, but if you would like some guidance, please contact the minister or presider.

6. Please come forward at the appropriate time in worship (usually following the song after “Learning with Children”) . Give the introduction and then read the passage. Please speak clearly into the pulpit microphone.

7. The Responsive Psalm or Reading will be led by a member of the choir or some other reader. You may sit on the chair behind the pulpit while it is being led. 

8. Following each reading, or at the end of all the readings, you may speak one of the following options:

• Hear what the spirit is saying to the church.

• The word of God. (The congregation will respond: Thanks be to God.)

• God give us wisdom and knowledge so that we may know the truth that is in these words.

9. Please return to your seat after you are finished reading.

Candlelighting Duties

1. Thank you for offering to be a candlelighter during worship
   
   

2. Lighting the candles for worship is one of the ways that younger members of the congregation can help out.
   
   

3. There is a candle lighter in the A/V room. It has a wick in it that can be lit with a lighter or a match. The flame can be controlled by a slider which makes the wick longer or shorter. Be careful not to make the flame too big and be careful that you don't slide the slider down so far that the flame goes out before you are able to light the candles.
   
   

4. During the announcements at the beginning of the worship service, please ask an older person to help you to light the candle lighter, and move to the A/V room beside the pulpit.
   
   

5. During the quiet time at the beginning of worship you will be announced as the candle lighter. Come out of the A/V room with the lit candle lighter. The minister or worship presider will help you to light the candles on the communion table. There are two of them.
   
   

6. When both candles have been lit, please slide the slider down so that the flame goes out.
   
   

7. Please leave the candle lighter in the A/V room and return to your seat.

Opening Host Duties

On the Sunday before it's your turn to open, obtain the keys from the CLAM mail slot in the office or from the person who opened the Sunday before you. (Check the sign-up sheet sitting on the table underneath the bulletin board.)

On the day you are opening, arrive at the church by 10:15. The following duties may have already been done, but please check.

•  Lights are on in the coat room.
•  Doors for upstairs classrooms are unlocked.
•  Doors for downstairs rooms are open (choir room, nursery, Sunday School supply room, Audio/Video Room - the little room connected to the auditorium, office/photocopy room, kitchen, and the kitchen storage room - the last room on the left side of the kitchen).
•  Lights on in the kitchen. The switch is located on the right side of the kitchen  above the dishwasher.
•  Lights on in the sanctuary. (We usually don’t have all the lights on for worship. The switches to use are marked with a green dot, while the switch that we don’t use is marked with a red dot. Most of the switches are behind the piano. There is also a set of switches just inside the main doors to the auditorium. These are also marked. One switch is backwards, so the green dot is below the switch. In addition, the other switch which controls the “west pot lights” (under the balcony) is quite difficult to get working, so please don’t worry if you can’t get these lights to come on or stay on!)
• The stage is usually set up but if something is missing, check in the storage room behind the curtain. (There should be a pulpit, communion table, baptismal font & two chairs / four chairs if it is Communion Sunday.)
  

• Place the banner on the communion table. It is located on the shelf of the communion table. Place the two white candles on either side of the communion table. The candles are in the A/V room. The large bible is to be opened and faces the congregation. Place the offering plates on either side of the communion table. The offering plates might be on the shelf of the communion table or on the desk in the office.. Put the Peace Candle and a small candle to light it on the communion table. The Peace Candle and lighting candle are stored on the shelf at the back of the pulpit.
•  Put the microphone on the floor stand in front of the pulpit for announcements. Turn the sound system power on in the A/V room. Instructions for turning on the sound system are on the front of the sound system.
•  Prepare the candle lighting apparatus which is in the A/V room. The wick should be sticking out about 2 cm and matches or a lighter should be available.
•  Set up the piano by removing the cover and putting it in the A/V room. Move the piano away from the wall about 2 feet.
•  If not already in place, obtain a small table from the kitchen and cover it with the green tablecloth from Tanzania, visitors sign in book, Canadian Tire money milk can, copies of the Mandate magazine, and any other items that may be on the hymn book cart and should be placed on the table. All of the other aforementioned items will be on the hymn book cart or in the A/V room
•  Obtain the refreshment trolleys from the kitchen storage room (the last door on the left). Juice crystals, coffee, filters, stir sticks, tea bags, sugar & whitener are on the shelf in that room. Tea pots and coffee carafes (if not on the trolley) are in the cupboard below the coffee maker. Switch the coffee maker on. If the light doesn't turn on, then plug it in!! Run a pot of water through the coffee maker first to ensure the water reservoir is full. Put juice in the fridge or make the juice. Juice jugs are in the cupboard to the left of the sink.
•  Make a pot of decaffeinated coffee and a pot of regular coffee and fill the carafes. Boil the tea kettle so that it will be warm after worship so that tea can be made quickly.
•  Turn the dishwasher on so the water will be hot after church.

That's all for now.

• At 11:45, return to the kitchen and re-boil the kettle for tea. Plug in the kettle using the outlet by the microwave. Do not use the outlet that the coffee maker is plugged into or the breaker will blow. If you need to turn the breaker back on, it is on the left side of the kitchen across from the microwave) Make one pot of tea. Extra cups and glasses are in the cupboard above the sink.
•  Roll the trolleys out after church is over.
•  Pass the key to the next person on the sign- up sheet or return it to the CLAM mail slot in the office

 Thanks for supporting the life and work of our church.

Closing Host Duties

1. Wash dishes, using the dishwasher, air dry for a few minutes and put back on the trolley in the locked kitchen pantry room. If there are dishes from Communion, wash them by hand. Please leave the kitchen clean and tidy.

2. Put used bulletins (which the greeter should have placed on top of the hymn book cart) into the "recycle" box by the photocopier in the outer office. Tidy the top of the hymn book rack, leaving the red binder for counting the attendance, the guest book, any pertinent pamphlets or copies of Mandate Magazine etc. and the tablecloth for the table (which is beside the piano during worship). Neatly store any other items that were on the table and which we use weekly or will use the following week. eg Canadian Tire can, boxes of envelopes, donation receipt envelopes etc.
   

3. Turn the sound system off. Carefully loop the microphone cords and hang on the metal hanger in the A/V room. Store the microphones on the shelf beside the CD player. Leave the podium cord connected to the microphone on the pulpit. Disconnect the cord at the first extension connector cord. Store the remaining pulpit microphone cord on a shelf under the pulpit. Loop the connecting cord and hang it with the other microphone cords on the metal hanger in the A/V room.
   

4. Store the altar candles on the bookcase in the A/V room. Store the Peace Candle under the pulpit.
   

5. Store the altar Bible on the top shelf at the back of the communion table. Store the Bible closed.
   

6. Fold and store the plastic table cover under the communion table.
   

7. Fold or roll the quilted communion table cover and place it on the bottom shelf of the communion table.
   

8. Empty water from the baptism font if there has been baptism.
   

9. Roll the piano back to the wall. If present, store the piano lamp in the A/V room on the shelf with the candles. Place the piano cover on the piano with the United Church crest facing out.
   

10. Check that the bathrooms are reasonably tidy.
    

11. Turn the dishwasher off so that the water drains out of it. Unplug the coffeemaker.
    

12. Turn out the lights and lock the auditorium door if you have a key. If you do not have a key please let the security guard know that you have finished and are ready to leave the building so that he/she can come and lock up. The security guard's office is in the Northern United Place apartment lobby. You can see the office through the door beside the stairwell in the main lobby.
    
    

    Leave our place of worship and service ready to go into your week knowing that God blesses you!

GREETING DUTIES

1. Please arrive between 10:15 am and 10:30 am
   

2. Please wear a name tag.
   

3. Ensure the offering plates are placed on the steps in front of the communion table
   

4.  If you are alone, please ask someone to help you collect and present the offering.
   

5. Place the guest book and magazines on the side table.
   

6. Put the bulletin in the hymn book, leaving it sticking out so that it can seen. . In addition, using about ten (10) of the “Large Print - Words Only” hymn books, please look up the hymn/song that is used after “Learning with Children” and stack the open books on the steps in front of the pulpit for use by the children.
   

7. Welcome those coming to church and hand out the hymn books and bulletins.
   

8. Just prior to the beginning of worship move the hymn book cart into the auditorium. Leave a few hymn books with bulletins including inserts for late arrivers.
   

9. Choose a seat near the door, control access, and encourage late arrivers and others NOT to cross in front of the congregation.
   

10. With your helper, receive and present the offering by bringing it from the back of the auditorium to the communion table at the front. Remain standing at the front until the Doxology (music) is finished. Place the offering on the communion table or on the steps in front of the communion table. You should discuss placement with your partner before it happens.
    

11. After the service, put away the hymn books, stack any returned bulletins on top of the cart and then return the cart to the audio visual room beside the auditorium.
    

    Thank you for your participation.

Setup for Communion
(First Sunday of the Month – September - June)

1. Arrive at the church by 10:30. Ensure servers are aware of the routine, they can meet with you for a few minutes.
   

2. Get the key for the Kitchen Communion Cupboard from the choir room bulletin board.
   

3. Place the white communion tablecloth on the communion table and cover with the plastic cover, and place the communion candles on the plastic. The big bible is stored under the table.
   

4. Place two extra chairs (four total) behind the Communion Table and place hymn books under these chairs..
   

5. Place a kitchen trolley at the back of the church. Cover it with a table cloth and set out the communion dishes and elements. (Bread and rice crackers on plate, grape juice in pitcher, goblet, 2 bowls, extra plate). The grape juice is kept in the church storage cupboard in the kitchen. The communion bread should have been provided by one of the communion bread bakers.
   

6. Immediately after the service remove the communion dishes from the Communion Table so they don’t get broken.
   

7. Break up the bread and transfer the remaining elements to a regular plate and pitcher, and add them to the coffee trolley.
   

8. Wash the communion dishes. Put the tablecloths and plastic and dishes back in the Communion Cupboard and lock it. Return the key to the choir room bulletin board.

1. The servers go to the back of the church during the offering. Following the offering takers, they bring the elements and the dishes to the front and place them on the Communion Table, and then sit on chairs behind the communion table. They should bring their bulletin, hymn book and communion booklet with them.
   

2. The communion presider will give each pair of servers a plate of bread and a bowl of juice. The servers will serve the choir first, then the congregation.
   

3. After serving the congregation, the servers will serve each other – one set of servers should place the bread and juice back on the communion table. The servers will serve each other in turn. Following this the plate with bread and the bowl with juice are returned to the communion table.
   

4. Return to your seats behind the communion table. You may return to your seats during the singing of the final hymn.