Ministry Openings at St. Michael's

Altar Guild
The Altar Guild is made up of men and women in charge of caring for the altar and everything necessary for worship services. They are in charge of setting up for all services. We currently have 3 people serving in this ministry but volunteers are always welcome. It takes a minimal amount of time, except when preparing for special occasions, as well as cleaning up after those occasions. The person in charge, Nani Banks at this time, provides a written report for the annual reports. If you are interested in volunteering for this ministry, please write your name and contact information below. The following people are available to answer any of your questions about this ministry; Nani Banks, Martha Waller,René Westa-Lusk.

Lay Reader (Lector)
One function of lay readers is to read the lessons in services. We currently have 3 regular services; Wednesday Evening Prayer/Holy Communion, English-speaking Sunday morning Holy Communion at 10 am, and Spanish speaking Sunday morning Holy Communion at noon. There are 2 lessons in each service that the lay reader reads as well as lead the psalms at our Sunday services. Richard Hendricks is currently responsible for the scheduling of lay readers for all services. The lay reader should be able to stand in front of the church at the lectern and read slowly and clearly the lessons of the day. The lectern has a microphone, but in case it is not working, you may also need to be able to project your voice for the entire church to hear. If you are interested in joining our team of readers, please register below with contact information and feel free to speak to Padre Jorge, Deacon Cathy, or Richard for more information.

Acolyte
Acolyte means assistant or follower and Samuel is one of the first examples of a priest's assistant. Your job as an acolyte is to assist the celebrant (the priest, deacon, or Eucharistic minister in charge of a worship service). They are in charge of lighting the candles before the service, carrying the cross or when there are 2 available to serve, carrying the torches. We currently have 3 regular services; Wednesday Evening Prayer/Holy Communion, English-speaking Holy Communion Sunday Morning at 10 am, and Spanish-speaking Holy Communion Sunday Morning at Noon that they can be called to serve at. This is a ministry that needs training and those who serve can be anyone who has been baptized and is old enough and mature enough to behave appropriately at the altar. We currently do not have anyone serving in this ministry, but if you are interested in doing so, please speak to Deacon Cathy or Father Jorge.

Eucharistic Minister
A Eucharistic Minister leads the procession at the beginning of the service carrying the cross if he/she does not have an acolyte or carries the Gospel book if he does not have a deacon. They then continue to assist in the service by leading the prayers of the people when a Deacon is not present and assist the deacon or priest in preparing and cleaning the altar for Communion. They serve the chalice when a Deacon is not present or if more than one Chalice is needed. They also ring the bell during communion and recess out of the church carrying the cross. They are in charge of leading our evening prayer service until the time of Holy Communion and, in the event that a deacon or priest is not available, they can be called upon to lead the Morning Prayer on Sunday morning. To serve in this ministry, one must be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church and receive training under the priest in charge and then obtain licensure from the Bishop. We currently only have 2 authorized Eucharistic Ministers, so if you are interested in this ministry, please feel free to speak with Father Jorge or Deacon Cathy.

Ushers
Ushers play an important role in ensuring that our service is welcoming, comfortable and runs smoothly for members and visitors. Responsibilities include greeting and directing members and visitors, assisting with seating, handing out service bulletins, collecting offerings, asking newcomers to sign our guest book, providing assistance to those in need, providing information about the church, unlocking and giving direction to location of the bathrooms and the parish hall, maintaining order during the service, preparing the sanctuary before and after the service by making sure the pews are clear and clean, and counting the collection after the service. We currently have 3 regular services; Wednesday Evening Prayer/Holy Communion, English-speaking Sunday Morning Holy Communion at 10 am, and Spanish-speaking Sunday Morning Holy Communion at Noon that they may serve at. We do not have anyone in this ministry and we are praying that some people who may be interested will come forward.

Sunday School Teachers
This is a ministry that I am sure many of us have been a part of in one way or another. Either we have children who need to be taught or we have a desire to teach children or we simply want children to have the opportunity to learn about Jesus. We currently do not have Sunday school. We hope and pray that this can be an added ministry to St. Michael's in 2024. WE'VE GOT THE
KIDS! Plus, if we have a place for kids to attend, more will come. What we need are people willing to serve. It takes a willingness to work with active children, possibly be creative and imaginative, and have a lot of patience. If we can put together a team, a rotation can be done where you will only be needed 1 or 2 times a month so that you are not always missing Sunday service. Our goal is for children to start in the classroom until the time in the service with the passing of peace. This is when you will come in with the children and join your family for the communion portion of our service. This allows the baptized to participate and awakens desire
in those contemplating baptism. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Deacon Cathy.