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CHECKLIST OF DEACONS’ DUTIES (updated
Arrival:
1. Arrive at church,
one half hour (30 minutes) prior to service start time.
2. Open doors at all
three entrances of the church:
Outside Things:
3. In Winter, clear
ice and snow from outside steps and sidewalks. Apply melting agent as needed. Additional
supplies located in boiler room, basement.
4. Put American flag
out on front pole and remember to remove at end of day.
Preparing for
Worship:
5. Make sure
all lights are on: exterior as needed, interior sanctuary and hallways.
6. Post hymn numbers
on the two hymn boards in sanctuary. Numbers are in closet cabinet. When removing previous
numbers, please file correctly at the time.
7. Check bulletin for
altar flowers: the flowers may be on the stairs by glass doors or in altar guild room
(sacristy). Place in brass vases on altar on corner to keep sacrament symbols visible.
Occasionally, there may be more flowers (special, wedding, or funerals) use good judgment
and additional plant stands are in the altar guild room.
8. Greet our
worshippers as they arrive. If visitors are present guide them to nursery for smaller
children and infants, show them coat racks. Give them a worship bulletin. If they are
visiting, try to connect them with Pastor.
9. Encourage guests to
sign the register book for name, address and phone number.
10. Try to order the table in the narthex under the Ascension
window. There are always many items there for people to touch, take, look through, and to
sign up for.
11. Invite
families with smaller children to the video racks for borrowing tapes. There is NO charge
we ask tapes to be returned within seven days.
12 .If a baptism is
scheduled (check your newsletter, or call the church office), family and the extended
family may sit anywhere in the sanctuary. Sometimes their guests will need your help to
locate their friends. The assisting minister will escort the family forward in the
service.
13. Be sure we
have four offering plates on the credence (small table to the left of the altar).
In Building Stuff:
14. During the summer month, turn on ceiling fans and open
windows, as needed. There is a ceiling exhaust fan which may need to be turned on.
15. After 8:30 a.m. service, offering should be secured in
deacons’ cabinet and then brought out prior to
16. If people get up to excuse themselves during the service,
politely ask them if they are alright (there may be a medical need) Phones are in the
offices and the basement by the restrooms.
17. Be alert of outside noise from hallways or basement. Check it
out. If youth are unsupervised,
they need to rejoin worship or return to nursery, not roam the halls.
18. Counting--—attendees at worship, both services for
reporting on time sheet;
19. Secure doors by locking (parking lot and
20. Communion services: direct worshippers to center aisle with
approx. 12 members per table brought forward. Deacons will need to assist members at
stairs. Deacons can ask non-communing members if they would like pastor to bring to them.
Traffic flow: junior choir, first, when in season; then transept, (side pews), then center
pews.
20. Nursery (Childcare): you may be confronted for an adult to be
present in the nursery. Please talk with team members before asking possible man or woman
from the congregation. Recommend that an adult be present with our teens in the room.
Assisting Ministers:
1. Each team will
share the responsibility with those of their team. Please keep the church office informed
for church publications.
2. The church office
will provide the Jubilate prayers for assisting ministers in their church office
mailboxes. This will enable ministers to review prior to service.
3. Remember to check
Intercom for baptisms, etc. In spite of that, baptisms do “present” themselves,
so please understand.
4. Microphone: you
will have a wireless microphone, please use it; place it under your robe, there
will be two switches, turn both on for amplification; you may have a great projection
voice, BUT the radio needs it and you will not have to yell to project, you can be more
relaxed and conversational. If the battery is low, Pastor has a tester and replacement
batteries in his office. When pastor is on vacation, his microphone will
be in his mailbox by the church office.
5. Baptismal
services: please guide the family/individual forward for sacrament; they will receive
notebooks with the liturgy in, they will not need hymnals, your role—be present and
light and present the candle and greet them in the liturgy and share the peace with the
family. Remain up front for the prayers following the Sacrament.
6. Assisting ministers
offer the prayers for the people in worship every Sunday. The first petition may be done
at the communion rail and the second and remaining petitions at the altar. Please keep you
mike on for the prayers.
7. Holy Communion:
after the offering has been received by acolyte/or yourself, proceed with pastor to altar
and close the portal. During the offering time while pastor does the announcements, you
may remove veils and lids from communion vessels and pour the wine into the common cup for
the Consecration. Stand next to Pastor during the Thanksgiving liturgy portion of service.
There is an offertory prayer and a post communion prayer for you to offer for all of us.
Please bring your hymnal forward with you and the Jubilate and NOW insert for prayers. You
will also be used for the distribution of the wine via the individual glasses. When you
are able, indicate with each table grouping for communion, how many need the common cup.
Pastor will be unable to see who will want it. Assisting minister will exit will Pastor
Don during closing hymn. Occasionally, Pastor may alter the service based upon time and
service needs. For members less ambulatory, pastor will return to the pews. When there is
only one to be communed, pastor will carry both elements to the communicant. When there is
more than one, please come out with Pastor to commune our members.
8. Please do not be
intimidated. Be relaxed, humble, respectful, flexible.
After
the Service:
1. The building:
a. Turn off light,
straighten hymnals in pews, remove old bulletins;
b. Make sure all
candles are out;
c. Place extra
bulletins (3-5) in box on coat rack; save all bulletins that are useable for
evening worship and absentees.
d. Remove flag from
outside;
e. Lock all doors;
f. Remove
attendance sheets and place in pastor’s mailbox by office.
2. The offering count and records:
a. Use sheets found in
the “deacon” mailbox by office;
b. Make 2 copies: 1
for office and I for financial secretary.
c. There may be monies
for AAL, youth funds, Memorials, etc. which are NOT operating fund monies. They are
directed differently. Do not place in general operating deposit funds. AAL channels
through Sheryl Doerzbacher or Pastor Don. Memorial through the Memorial treasurer at that
time. Youth fund-raising through the youth chairperson, Linda Soulliere or Pastor Don.
(Moneys for Director of Family Life Ministries.)
All paper documentation for the above should be also duplicated
and shared
with the Financial Secretary. Originals should be passed through
the church
office.
3. Special Papers and records:
a. Whenever surveys or
response sheets are in the bulletins or other means for members to complete and turn in,
please place these order sheets, etc. in the Pastor’s mailbox by the office. The
Pastor will direct the sheets to the appropriate people.