Note: This is a Scanned copy and we will be working on correcting the errors from the scan for 2002. Patience please!
7.Assign
ushers to take a head count, on each side plus balcony. The choir should
be counted as they proceed in from the narthex. Report the count on
the
proper reporting card, depositing the card in the collection plate.
8.A
chairman, or designated usher, must remain in the narthex throughout the
service. Emergencies do arise, and people
come in and out during the service.
9.In
case of an emergency, there is a cordless telephone in the balcony at the
audio/sound technician station. Get the telephone, take it to the narthex,
and call 911, staying on the telephone as requested to direct responders
to the emergency. Do not place call standing near the sound equipment since
it may effect sound in the sanctuary, all equipment being remote. Have
an usher notice the duty office secretary of the emergency.
10.Designate
the ushers to take up the plate collection, and the collection position,
that is, front, back, or balcony; (also Chapel or Fellowship Hall on overflow
Sundays).
11.Place
additional chairs up front or on side as required. The chairs are stored
either in the halt outside of the chapel or in the narthex. Fire Department
Regulations permit only one chair at the end of the pew row in the outside
aisle, and two rows of chairs up front. No chairs may be placed in the
center aisle. Do not put chairs in the narthex. The Fire Marshall permits
one row of chairs at the front of the narthex, not to be back beyond an
imaginary line across between the side doors. This will require anyone
sitting in the chair to be very close to the front cabinet and usually
unable to see over the window into the sanctuary. Therefore, it is best
to simply not put the few chairs permitted in the narthex. At the end of
the service, during the last hymn, remove the chairs from the side aisles,
being sure to tell the person who has been sitting there that the chair
is being removed. Hymnals for extra chairs are in the bookcases at each
side of narthex by the outside doors.
12.The
needlepoint usher badges are located in drawer on left side of narthex.
The color to be used is the color on the lectern.
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13.Unlock all wooden
outside doors in the narthex, both doors of each set. Only one door is
used for greeting people. Both doors are unlocked so they can be easily
pushed open in case of fire.
14.Lighters
or matches for the Acolytes are in
the left hand drawer of the table on the left side of the Narthex. You
may need to help the Acolytes with lighting the wicks of their candle lighters.
This should be done during the Concerns of the Congregation.
Ushers
The
chairman will assign you to an aisle for assisting the congregation in
seating. As someone approaches, you should smile, say “good morning”, and
ask “where would you like to sit?” Lead the person to the indicated area, giving
them a bulletin as they are seated. It is desired to give out the bulletin
as they are seated,
not at the narthex as they are greeted. As you seat people, try to
get them to move to the center.
2.Each
time you go up or down the aisle, try to
spot empty spaces for assisting the next person. The short pews hold eight
people and the
long pews ten people with comfortable sitting. You should not try to
squeeze more than two additional people in the row and in
the winter when coats are worn,
thiswill not
even be possible. When pews are crowded,
go down side aisle and ask
people to move in to the center.
This works better than asking in center aisle for person to move to the outside..
3.The
side windows should not be opened unless it has been confirmed that the air conditioning
is not operating. If you do open a window, tell anyone sitting at the end
of the pew row nearby that they should close the window if it becomes too
cool. This shows your concern for their comfort. Please try to
keep from opening the windows as the noise that comes in from street traffic can be
very disturbing.
&The
Chairman will designate which ushers are to be on the plate committee each
Sunday. Four ushers go to the front at the proper time, two abreast. The
leading two step
aside upon reaching the altar railing and the back two step up in the middle.
After
you have received the plate from the chairman, the chairman will nod, indicating
that lou should turn to the outside and proceed
to take up the collection. The outside ushers go the outside aisle. The
center aisle usher should start the collection on the first permanent row
to assure the outside usher having time to work around pillars. If there
is only one row of temporary chairs up front, the outside usher should
take up collection from this row as he goes to the outside aisle.
The
center aisle usher must control the plate rotation, in particular making
sure the plate is not started across a row before the outside usher has
time to maneuver around the pillar post and be in a position to receive
the plate. After taking up collection, andat
the proper time, the four will take the plates back to the altar. Again, the
lead ushers step aside for the back two to come between. In giving the
plates to the ministers, put your plate on top of any the minister may
already have in hand, not to bottom of stack. After presenting the plates
and upon the minister's nod return, you should turn to
the center and the original back two will lead from the altar, the two
ushers standing at side falling in behind. In going up to or back from
the altar, please walk at a brisk pace, being careful of the steps. Do
not stand in the door to take plates forward until all four
ushers are ready.
The organist can only
see the door and when ushers are in the door, assumes ushers are ready
to come forward.
5.The
plate collection .at 11:00 service may be different in that we may use
two sets of ushers, each collecting one half of the sanctuary. The back
ushers start at the first short row by the third pillar and the front ushers
stop at the last long row before the third post. The back ushers start
down the aisle with those going to the front to receive plates, but have
they plates with them, stopping at their starting position, standing still
upon arrival, and then starting collection when the front ushers start.
The back outside ushers go down to the proper place, with their plates,
also waiting to start when the front ushers start. The center aisle usher
should start with the first short row. Their plates will be carried to
the altar by the four front ushers. Only four ushers go to the altar, each
carrying two plates
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6.The
balcony requires two plate
collectors. The seats to each side should be collected first, from the
front to the back. After the sides have been collected breach individual
usher, go back down to the front
and work the center seats together from the front to the back. The balcony
plates should be consolidated into the downstairs plates for taking the
collection to the front.
7.Persons
may be seated from the aisles
once the minister begins the “Concerns of the Congregations.: Late arrivals
may be seated from the side aisles following the processional.
8.It
is requested that those ushers sitting with their families upon completion
of the usher duties arrange to
sit on the outside aisle. Please do not come back down the center aisle
once the minister has started prayers or the sermon.
9.At
the end of the service, the designated chairman or usher who has remained
in the narthex during the service should open both thecenter
aisle and the side aisle doors into the narthex. This will normally be
during the final hymn. Also, chairs should be removed from side aisles
at this time if so directed by the chairman. They may be needed at later
service, so left in place.. In addition, open the outside doors as some
elderly are not strong enough to both hold the door open and negotiate
steps. After the service, close the outside doors to conserve heat and/or
air conditioning.
10.Try
and note where any medical
physician you may know is sitting, so you will be prepared should an emergency
arise during the service and a doctor be needed. The medical profession
has been requested to identify’ themselves to the chairman.
11.We
have emergency assistance available. The office secretary should be notified.
A stretcher is mounted on the wall in the ball from the sanctuary to
the office, beside the door going to the pulpit and choir. Resuscitation
equipment, first aid kit, and
blanket are located
in the bottom of file cabinet on the right in
the narthex. Fire extinguishers are mounted near the steps to choir loft
(organ side) in halt outside office (near the stretcher) and in the Narthex.
The Chairman will direct ushers as to additional action required.
12.Rest
Rooms — male,
female, unisex, and handicapped facilities are located in the hall opposite
the library and outside the office. A water fountain is located in the
hall outside of the office.
13.Handicap
ramps are located at the steps near the chapel outside doors, coming from
Queens Road. Large print hymnals are in the narthex next to extra collection
plates. Please ask persons using them to return hymnals after the service.
14.Please
remember that when you are in
the narthex during the service you are very visible from the pulpit and
choir. YOUr moving around, or allowing others to move around, can be
very disturbing to the minister and choir. Also, your voice carries up
the stairs.
15.Nursery
and Worship Care is provided for 8:30,
9:00,
and 11:00 services in the Snyder Education Building as follows:
Infants
through walking - Room
104
This
room is in the basement, Queens
Road
side.:
Walkers
through Age 4 - Room
211
These
rooms are on the first floor, Queens Road side,
At
the 8:30 and S
~00 services, children 1-4 years. old should be directed to Room 211, and
infants to Room 104. At the 11:00 service, they stay in their own Sunday
School class for extended session. Visitors should be directed to rooms
down the hail in front of the office to find room for proper age. Over
age four, the child is expected to go to church
Greeters:
FAs
someone comes in the door, extend your hand for a handshake. You should
then say a friendly greeting, such as ‘good morning” or “glad to have you
with us”. Say what makes you comfortable in making a friendly greeting.
2.Weather
permitting, you should block open the door so that you can be seen, and
the person entering can get around the safety railing.
3.If
the door is closed, you should not attempt to open the door into someone
approaching. Wait for
4
them
to open the door. The problem is that you must be careful not to open the
door suddenly on someone coming up the steps around the safety hand railing
and risk knocking them down.
4.The
Greeters should stay at the door until the first
indicated
break in the bulletin for ushers to seat those arriving late. This is usually
at the second hymn. You may then go sit down, telling the chairman that
you are leaving. You maybe needed for assistance in the plate collection.
Issuance of Hearing
Assistance Receivers
The Hearing Assistive
Receivers are
stored in a
case on the lower shelf
of the table on the Providence Road side of the Narthex. The receivers
consist of a device about the size of a Walkman style radio receiver, which
can be. clipped to a person's clothing or held in the hand, and a
Stetoclips dual ear
set with a wire running from the receiver to the
ear set.
The following
procedure is suggested to be followed at ‘all services where the Sound
System is being operated.
1.The
Usher Chair or his designated usher will remove thecase
with assistive devices fromthe lower
shelf and place
on the top shelf of the table.
Take one of the alcohol swabs and wipe
- off
each of the stetoclips ear pieces. Then wipe off the ear
pieces with a Kleenex. This
will be
•
done before each service.
person
requesting a device uses a hearing aid, it probably will have to be removed
for best reception.
4.Record
on the sheet with the receiver number and name
requesting the device.
case
the date, of the person
2.Upon
request from a person attending a service, remove one of the assistive
hearing devices from the caseand plug
in the cord
from the stetoclips
ear set to the assistive hearing device. Be sure that the plug is fully
inserted into the receiver since there is a positive lock for the cord
so that it will not pull out.
3.Explain
to the person requesting the device how the volume
control on the personal
receiver operates. It
has ~ volume wheel which has an off position and numbers
on it. The higher the number the louder
the reception will be. Each person using the devices can set the volume
control at the level which suits them best. If the
5.‘Check
with the sound technician to be sure that they know the assistive hearing
devices have been issued.
6.After
the service,. collect the devices and record
on the sheet that the devices have been returned. Check to see that
the volume control has been turnedoff.
If the devices are not
returned, please give a note to the duty secretary that the devices were
not returned so that she can notify Carla Cornelius.
7.Return
the assistive devices case to the Cabinet.
January,
1999