Grab a bulletin - note the appropriate seating times that have been marked (~) in the bulletin.

Locate the offering plates.

Prior to the beginning of the service:

Perform the duty that the deacon has given you::

• Front door - Greet arriving worshippers with a smile and graciously open the front door for them. You do not need to hand out bulletins while doing this. At 5 minutes before the start of worship, come back inside.

• Rear door - Greet arriving worshippers with a smile and graciously open the rear door for them. You do not need to hand out bulletins while doing this.  Keep an eye on handicapped worshippers arriving, and assist them in getting out of their cars, in through the handicapped entrance, up the steps, etc.  as necessary. At 5 minutes before the start of worship, come back inside to the narthex.

• Hand out bulletins - Stand inside the narthex and hand out bulletins. Smile, make eye contact, greet people by name.

• Help with seating in the sanctuary -  As the sanctuary fills, it is very important to help late-arriving worshippers to find a seat. "Walk the aisle" that you have been assigned, keeping an eye out for where there are "blocks of seats".  As worshippers arrive at the rear, indicate to them that you can help them, and lead them to a vacant space into which their group will fit.  Make sure you are aware of reserved seating and do not seat.  If necessary, communicate with the head deacon when your "area" is completely filled up, or when there are no more "large group" vacant  spaces, as appropriate. Be tactful but assertive in asking people to move over to make room for others. 

• Balcony - for services during which the balcony is used, you may be asked to help out up there.  You should assist arriving worshippers in finding seats and keep an eye on how much space is available.  Let the head usher know if/when the balcony gets "full".  You can cut through the sound room behind the balcony to easily get from side to side.

• John Knox room - for special services during which the John Knox Room is used, you may be asked to help out there.  You should assist arriving worshippers in finding seats and keep an eye on how much space is available.  Let the head usher know if/when the John Knox room gets "full".  Help in setting up additional chairs out into the Cheatham reception center if necessary.

Assist the deacons in locating the whereabouts of a doctor at each service and point out his or her location to the entire Ushering Staff.  

When the children exit to children's church:

You may be called upon to assist in the process of getting children from the sanctuary to children's church. 

 This may involve walking up the right aisle to ensure that all of the children have exited the sanctuary and close the door, or walking from the narthex to the cheatham reception center to the rear hall to make sure children exiting the sanctuary into the narthex get to the rear hall safely.  

The children's church helpers will meet everyone in the rear hall and lead the children to the appropriate children's church location.  Make sure that no child gets "left behind" or lost.

The Offering:

You will most likely be asked to help with the offering, either in the main sanctuary, or in the balcony.

Main Sanctuary - 

• The deacons will lead you up the center aisle.  

• They will walk around to the outside aisles and you will be on the center aisle. 

• Simply pass the plates back and forth.  

• Always make eye contact with your partner when you are ready to take a plate from one row and move it to the next, so every row gets one and only one pass of the plate.  

• Count the worshippers on the rows for which the plate is coming toward you.  If you are uncomfortable with attempting to count while passing the plate, just mention it to the deacons - they'll count everyone.

• Meet your partner at the rear of the sanctuary and get into position to return to the front of the sanctuary.

• The deacon will ask you for your count and give you a bulletin open to the offertory prayer to place in your plate so you can participate in the prayer.

• The deacons will lead you up the aisle at the appropriate time.  When you all arrive at the front, the deacons will "part ways", making space for you to step into a line with them. Hold your place until the deacon motions to you.

• At the appropriate time, the deacon will turn to you to receive your plate.  Place it on top of the deacon plate, and wait while the deacons place the plates on the table.

• As the deacons are coming back down the steps , turn around to face the congregation, and begin walking, leading the deacons back to the rear of the sanctuary.

Balcony - 

• Wait at the entrances to the balcony until the ushers below begin to pass the plates. 

• Walk down your aisle to the front of the balcony.

• Pass the plate to the "side sections" first, working your way to the rear of the balcony.

• Return to the front of the balcony, and then pass the plate with your partner through the center section of the balcony.

• Count the worshippers in your side section, and  worshippers in the center on the rows for which the plate is coming toward you.

• Return to the narthex.  A deacon will help you empty your plate into one of their plates and ask you for your count.

After the Service:

The deacons will have gone back into the sanctuary to remove the offering plates. You have two "final" responsibilities - greeting worshippers on the way out, and cleaning up the sanctuary.

Greeting exiting worshippers - 

• While worshippers are exiting the sanctuary, "hang out" in the sides of the narthex, down the hall toward the Cheatham Reception Center, or outside on the front porch for a few minutes:

• If someone is obviously a visitor, introduce yourself and tell them you're glad they attended.

• Make point to introduce yourself to at least two other people that you do not know.  Don't worry about embarassing yourself with someone who's a member that you don't know - you and them both will benefit from meeting someone else they heretofore were not acquainted with.

• After a couple or three conversations, return to the sanctuary for cleanup.

Cleaning up the Sanctuary - 

• Walk through the sanctuary, visually inspecting each row to make sure things are "in order" for the next service:

• Pick up any bulletins or other trash left behind by worshippers and throw it in a trash can.

• Return hymnals. Bibles, and pencils to their racks.

• Look for bulletins or other stuff that people have "stuffed" into the hymn racks.

• If you find a personal item that has been left in the sanctuary, take it back to the 'lost and found', which is located on the coat rack in the rear church hall across from the copier room.  If you find something that is valuable enough that leaving it there is not warranted, locate a church staff member or deacon and give it to them .

• Make sure the balcony gets cleaned up if it was in use.

Finally, return your nametag to the appropriate box in the narthex closet so it'll be there for you next time.