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CHURCH SERVING DUTIES for  SAINT NICHOLAS PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS and USHERS

ARRIVING AT CHURCH

1.  Group leader (to be determined by group or may be the first person listed in group) is to arrive at the Church no later than 9:15 a.m. on Sunday mornings. It is preferable, however, to be at the Church at 9:00 a.m. because often some people arrive early. For Services other than Sunday morning, group members should be at the Church at least 20 minutes (preferable one-half hour) before services begin. All group members should take directions from the group leader.

2.   All group members (other than leader) are to arrive at the Church no later than 9:30 a.m. Since there are many duties to perform before Church Services begin, it is advisable and preferable that all group members be at the Church by 9:15 a.m. For Services other than Sunday mornings, please see above.

3.   Phone group members if they have not arrived by 9:30 a.m.

4.   Select other ushers from other groups if needed, or persons from the congregation if needed.

5.   Check with the Priest before and during each (and all ) Church Service to see if help is needed or if any special arrangements are to be made that day (or evening) and for various instructions.

PRELIMINARY DUTIES

1.   Unlock the front and back doors of the Narthex entrances (Main St. side and courtyard side) with the special key that can be found near the doors. DO NOT UNLOCK THE SINGLE DOOR AT THE BACK OF THE EDUCATIONAL BUILDING. All PERSONS COMING TO Church Services on Sundays, weekdays and evenings should enter through the Narthex doors – front and back.

2.   Light the following:

a. the hanging kandili over the Icon in the Narthex

            b one small candle and place it in the sand

            c. the kandili on the shelf in front of the servicemen’s and servicewomen’s memorial plaque

            d. the large and small kandilia in the Church proper

3.   Turn on the lights at daytime Services as follows:

            a. in the hallway leading down to the lower level,

            b. the Narthex dome lights and other Narthex lights,

            c. in the hallway of the Church Office and the light in the cloak room,

            d. the lights in the Church proper (back of Church, 3 chandeliers and side lights, stained glass window light at back of right side aisle.

4.   Lighting at evening Services should be left as we find them or turned on as the Priest advises.

5.   LEAVE THERMOSTATS FOR HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING AS YOU FIND THEM.
Change the temperature or fan settings only as advised. Sometimes windows should be opened.
Open then when necessary.

6.   Check candles, kandilia and other supplies and replenish as needed.

7.   Secure the Bulletins and make arrangements so that ALL persons entering the Church will receive a Bulletin.

DUTIES INSIDE THE CHURCH PROPER

1.   Rope off the center aisle at the beginning of all Services, including the Sunday Orthros.

2.   At least one person must be stationed and positioned at each of the three aisles AT ALL TIMES.

3.   NO ONE, including ushers, is to proceed down the center aisle, except for the kissing of the   Gospel during the Orthros, receiving Holy Communion, Antidoron, etc.  After the kissing of the Gospel in the Orthros, the rope should be re-hooked. Also, NO ONE is to proceed down the side aisles during the following:

      a. when the Priest is using or about to use the censer

      b. whenever the Priest is facing or about to face the congregation

      c. during the Small Entrance and Great Entrance of the Divine Liturgy or any Entrance of any Service or when the Small or Great Entrance (or any Entrance) is about to begin, or during the Sunday morning Orthros

      d. in the Divine Liturgy, from the beginning of the Epistle Reading THROUGH THE CONCLUSION of the Gospel Reading, and while any reading is taking place when the reader is facing the congregation and when the Gospel is being read from inside the Altar during the Sunday morning Orthros

      e. from the Great Entrance until the congregation has risen from kneeling (Divine Liturgy)

      f. during the Lord’s Prayer

      g. anytime the Priest is addressing the congregation

PLEASE, Parish Council Members and Ushers, know what is happening in the Divine Liturgy and other services, and when, so that you may comply with a – g above. Please do all you can to learn the Divine Liturgy and when this is done, you will successfully anticipate “what and when” without any difficulty, and therefore, usher effectively and properly.

4.  Ushers and /or worshippers should bring kandilia to the Iconostasion or the kandili fixtures, but please, only up to and just before the beginning of the Epistle Reading (Divine Liturgy), and NOT during any of the items a-g, #3 above. Once the Epislte Reading has begun, all kandilia should be placed on the sills of either one of the two rear windows in the Church proper. If a worshipper insists on having the kandili brought up to the front after the Epistle Reading has begun, do not argue. However, this should not be allowed – if at all possible – the items a – g in #3 above.

5.  SEATING  The one pew in the back of Church should be used only by the elderly and parents with babies and/or toddlers. Other worshippers should proceed to their pews (be ushered) from the SIDE aisles only, as the center aisle will already have been roped off when Services first begin. All worshippers should be directed to the side aisle, firmly directed if necessary. Ask the people already in their pews to please move over toward the center aisle so that seating may be more orderly. Some people will do this – others will not. The center aisle should not be used for seating except in cases when a worshipper is not physically able to go around to the side aisle to be seated.

6.  COMMUNION All persons who are to receive Holy Communion should proceed down the center aisle. At this time, the center aisle rope is to be unhooked, but re-hooked immediately after Holy Communion is ended. Ushers are to assist mothers with babies (and with toddlers), the elderly and handicapped up to and onto the Solea and to the Chalice and off the Solea. Persons who have received Holy Communion should return to their pews down the side steps and from the side aisles. There should be an usher at each of the three step ways at the Solea in order to help people up and down. The steps should be manned at all times during Holy Communion. Therefore, it is

advisable to have more than three ushers helping. At times, when necessary, the Priest will come down to the steps to give Holy Communion to persons who cannot get up the steps.

7.   BABIES AND TOTS when Parishioners with babies and tots enter the Church, suggest that they take their little one to the Nursery. If this suggestion is not accepted, suggest that they sit in the back pew – and explain why you are suggesting this – so that in the event that the baby or tot causes the prayers of others in the congregation to be disturbed, it will be easier to take the baby or tot out of the church until the crying or noise stops. If the baby or tot continuously, or on and off, disturbs the worshipping congregation, and the parent ignores the required solemnity of our Services, as that he or she take the baby or tot out of the Church until the child quiets down.

8.   COLLECTIONS four ushers, two abreast, shall proceed down the center aisle to the first row of pews nearest the Altar. The two front ushers will not have a collection basket, and will not stop, but will continue to each of the outside aisles. The last two ushers will have one basket each and begin passing them from the center aisle. Baskets shall be passed with ushers facing the Altar and hands clasped in front of them – when they can – as they await the baskets to reach them. Parishioners should pass the basket amongst themselves from one end of the pew to the other end. Ushers will then take the baskets and proceed with the new row of pews. The dignity and holiness of our Church must always be upheld and respected, regardless of the number of people in the Church. Baskets should also be passed in the back of the church, choir loft, Narthex, hallways, office, etc.

9.  DISTRIBUTION OF ANTIDORON, FLOWERS, ETC. At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the distribution of the Antidoron (at other times flowers, etc.) takes place. One usher should proceed down the center aisle and be available near the Priest in the event special instructions will be needed. At least two ushers should be in the rear of the Church in order to direct the people in the back of the Church, either in or out. In order to avoid congestion in the rear of the Church, the ushers in the rear should hold back the Sunday School classes (if possible) until the Choir members have come down from the choir loft and entered the Church center aisle, received their Antidoron and have exited the Church proper. Distribution order is as follows: 1) Cantors, 2) Altar Boys, 3) Choir Members, Sunday School classes, 4) people in the pews, 5) people standing in back of church (if they have not toddlers or they are not elderly). All persons receiving Antidoron (except Cantors and Altar Boys) should exit from the side aisle nearest them – including the Choir. Ushers are the last to receive Antidoron. Do your best and use proper judgment about the people who insist on remaining in the back of the Church. However, whatever system is decided upon, this should be the policy for every Service (except as noted next). When we have an overflow of people (Christmas, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, etc.) then, for safety reasons, and in order to avoid congestion, people in the back should receive Antidoron before the people in the pews.

END OF CHURCH DUTIES  Church duties of ushers will continue should there be a special or

added Service after the distribution of the Antidoron, such as a Trisagion Service, a Memorial Service, Churching of a mother and baby, etc.

DUTIES END, AND NOT BEFORE:

a) all the candles and kandilia everywhere in the Church, Narthex and Altar have been put out;

the lights and air conditioning turned off (air conditioning at times may have to stay on);

b) all doors are checked and locked (Main Street and Courtyard entrances, back door of educational building, side door leading to Altar from courtyard, elevator entrance and door in kitchen leading out to Main St.);

c) coffee urns and all other sources of fire have been turned off;

d) windows closed, checked and locked in the entire complex. Securing the Parish buildings is the responsibility of the group assigned.

The assigned group – ALL ITS MEMBERS – should be the last to leave the premises and should not pass of the responsibility to other Parishioners to secure the buildings.

DURING THE WEEK: When a group is assigned or scheduled for a Sunday, that same group is on duty the entire week and is to be present at every Church Service, Sacrament, etc. that will take place through the next Sunday.

ENTERING THE ALTAR  Only the Clergy, Cantors and Altar Boys should enter the Altar from the Church proper once Services have begun and during any and all Services, unless there is an emergency or unless there is a situation of urgent nature that the Priest should know about. Also, ushers and Council members should remember that it is not convenient for the Priest to communicate with them during any Church Service. Therefore, communication should take place before Services begin, (and once or twice during Services – as needed) and messages should be brought to the Altar only when most necessary, and if not an emergency, not through the Church proper. The basement stairway or intercom should be used when trying to communicate with the Altar.

WHEN KANDILIA BREAK  Should kandilia glasses break or flame up during any Service, ushers should immediately proceed down a side aisle to eliminate any possible cause for fire.

MONEY TRANSACTIONS Transactions regarding money, receipts, etc. should be handled at the direction of the Council Officers and conducted ONLY in the Office, NOT IN THE NARTHEX. If the Office is closed during services, transactions can be handled before and/or after Services.

ROAMERS People roaming about the Church buildings and people congregating in the Narthex during Services should be directed to the Church proper. Ushers should, first, by their own example, strongly discourage and bring to an end “socializing,” unnecessary congregating and talking in the Narthex during all Services. The Narthex is a part of the Church, and as the Church proper is respected as the House of the Lord – a Holy Place, so must the Narthex be respected as part of the House of our Lord especially while Services are being held.

GREETING PEOPLE Greeting the people as they come into the Narthex is also a duty of the ushers.  Make people feel welcome. Be warm, sincere, pleasant, nice and above all, SMILE! If you know that they are newcomers, please try to get their names and addresses. They may be prospective members. First impressions – good ones – go a long way in the successful mission of a Parish. However, always keep in mind the solemnity and the respect that is required in the Narthex.

SNOW AND ICE When necessary, steps and approaches into the Narthex – front and back – should be  free from snow, ice and debris. Often much debris is laying around. Debris is certainly not a proper sight for an entrance to the House of the Lord. Salt, chemicals, shovels, snow blower and brooms are available for this purpose. If ushers arrive on time or even earlier this can be taken care of more readily.

MEMORIAL SERVICES For one Memorial Service, reserve at least the front row pew on the right facing the Altar. For two Memorial Services, reserve also at least the front row pew on the left side facing the Altar. Use the ropes on the side aisles at these pews to reserve them. Escort or usher family or families having the Memorial Service(s) to the front pew from the side aisle. When the Memorial Service is concluded, an usher or ushers are to immediately come forward from the right side aisle to get the try of Kolyva and take it to the Narthex by way of the same aisle, then downstairs to make it ready for distribution during the fellowship hour.

DISTRIBUTION OF KOLYVA

A)  Use PLASTIC tub and scoop which is usually kept in the kitchen. Sometimes these items may be found in the candle closet. MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE TUB AND SCOOP – OR WHATEVER IS USED FOR THE KOLYVA – IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAN BEFORE USE!

B)  Fill little soufflé cups (or other containers if soufflé cups are not available), which are usually kept in the kitchen or candle closet, with Kolyva. Do not overfill. Overfilling creates messy floors and carpets. Place filled soufflé cups on table in fellowship hall so that people will take one during fellowship hour. Fill enough cups so that all persons will receive one.

C)  After use, the tub and scoop should be scrubbed and left in the kitchen (or return to the candle closet) CLEAN AND DRY. Also, the try which was brought by the family having the Memorial Service should be properly cleaned (probably not scrubbed as these trays are usually silver or other materials – check with the owner first) and returned to the owner BEFORE they leave the Church.

FINALLY

(a)  Always be nice and friendly to the worshippers and let them know in your own way that you care about them;

(b)  When in doubt ask.

(c)  Never place chairs in the Church or Narthex. They create a real hazard if people need to get out of the Church in a hurry.

Visiting church groups should be seated in the last two pews on the left side facing the altar.

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