Serve

The Altar Guild is a lay ministry that serves God in His house by preparing the Sanctuary for worship. Members maintain and care for the sacred vessels, altar linens, and vestments, according to the procedures and traditions of the Church. The Altar Guild functions “behind the scenes” before and after each service, offering humble service to the clergy and congregation by helping worship run smoothly and beautifully. The Altar Guild might be for you if you would like to (1) serve in a quiet yet important way, (2) be involved but don’t feel comfortable “up front”, or (3) learn more about the elements and symbolism of the liturgy. 

The Altar Party serves at the Lord's Table alongside the Celebrant (priest celebrating communion) and other clergy in worship. This team includes Acolytes (altar servers) who serve by bearing the cross (Crucifer), the candles (Torch Bearer), or carrying incense (Thurifer) during worship. Additional roles include helping administer Communion (Chalice or Flagon Bearer), and reading the Psalm. If you are interested in serving the Lord by filling one of these liturgical duties, participating in the ancient rituals that orient our hearts toward Christ, this team may be for you.

With training, these volunteers run the soundboard, recording equipment, and the power point during worship services. They aid in the service by ensuring the liturgy and worship lyrics are accessible, regardless of people’s familiarity with liturgy. This also aids in making the sermons available for listening after the service.

Getting the most from any building depends on the careful observance of maintaining it. There may be a misconception out there that you have to be “handy” or a specialist to be a Maintenance Team member. This is definitely an asset, but so are people who can identify needs, be available to coordinate or supervise work (especially during the work week), lend a helping hand, run errands, like painting, don’t mind climbing a ladder, and who are capable of getting a little dirty from time to time. Our goal is to have several people on hand who are familiar with all aspects of the church building, and we’ll get you up to speed!  This team also seeks to glorify God through the appearance of the church’s yard and being a good neighbor to the residents of our community.

Our Family Ministry team endeavors to come alongside our parents as they raise their children to grow deeper roots in Christ, providing reinforcement to the catechesis that they are doing in their home. Each of our catechetical programs are oriented towards meeting the child with love and instruction at whatever stage they are at in their spiritual development. The ultimate goal of our Family Ministries is to give intentional instruction to our children, helping them participate in, reflect on, and cultivate their life in Christ. Toward this end, you can serve on this team as either a Catechist or an aide to the Catechist in any of the below age ranges.

Nursery (0 - 4) & Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (3 - 7)
Participating in their Life in Christ  | Our Nursery and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd programs are focused on helping our children participate in their life in the body of Christ. Through the rhythms of prayer, worship, contemplation, and fellowship, our children will be introduced to their life in Christ and will begin to lay down the fertile soil in which that life will be able to flourish.

Junior Catechesis (7 - 12)
Reflecting on their Life in Christ  | Our Junior Catechesis program is aimed at helping our children grow in their knowledge and understanding of their life in Christ. They will continue to participate in those life-giving rhythms, but will now be guided toward deeper understanding, to think and ask questions about the faith that they have received. They will begin to receive instruction in the foundations of the Christian faith, including the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and they will begin the preparatory steps for confirmation. 

Youth Catechesis (12 - 18)
Cultivating their Life in Christ  | Our Youth Catechesis program is a place where our children will take those rhythms of participation, coupled with a deepened understanding of their faith, and will begin to cultivate maturity in the practice of their life in Christ. This includes helping our children understand what it looks like to walk faithfully amidst the challenges of their current circumstances and to continue to deepen their roots through the study of Scripture, Theology, and Apologetics.

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine. . . . He will swallow up death forever” (Isaiah 25:6). Throughout history the Church has marked certain days to celebrate, remember, and rejoice in God's character, kindness, and abundance through feasting. These Feast days also anticipate the final endless Feast we will enjoy in the age to come, when death is swallowed up forever. The Feast Team at Christ Church exists to plan, coordinate, and host these celebrations for the wider church family. If you have a knack for event planning, cooking, or just enjoy a good feast, consider reaching out to learn more about how you might serve on this team. 

The Flower Team’s primary purpose is to provide fresh flowers for the altar every Sunday and to provide floral decorations for special services and occasions throughout the year. It truly is a ministry to provide a beautiful arrangement on the Lord’s Day, to both honor Him and to bless the parishioners. It has become, for each of us, a meditative, holy experience as we each in turn spend our time in the church to prepare the arrangements and place them in the sanctuary. There is no special talent needed, just a love for the Lord and a love for flowers! 

The Hospitality Team is composed of energetic and dedicated volunteers who enjoy sharing food, coffee, and camaraderie with their brothers and sisters in Christ, and especially with those who are visiting Christ Church. Our primary responsibility is to prepare Sunday morning coffee, drinks, and snacks after the worship service.  

Christ Church musicians have a heart for honoring God through music and enjoy working in a team environment. Our musical requirements change with the seasons of the Church year. If you are proficient in a musical instrument or can sing well, we would love to speak with you about the possibility of serving on the team.

This team prays for the needs of the church and leads the church in prayer. Members of this team pray with people on Sundays during our service, and receive regular training in this area. 

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 25:11

You can expect to hear a word from God at every Christ Church worship service. As Christians, we believe that God speaks through his Word, the Bible. We place a tremendous emphasis on hearing and receiving the Word of God from both clergy AND lay readers who make up our Christ Church Reader Team. If you serve on the Reader Team, you have a special opportunity to ponder scripture during your preparation time and then to share the assigned Old or New Testament scriptures from the pulpit during our worship services.

The Setup and Breakdown Crew prepares the church grounds on a Sunday morning as well as packs up following Hospitality. This includes parking signs, cones, and the hospitality tent and tables. On a given Sunday you would either be assigned to setup OR breakdown, making it a max of a 30 minute time commitment. 

Our Welcome Team is at the forefront of Christ Church’s outreach to our community. Our team not only enthusiastically welcomes all the wonderful folks who already attend Christ Church, but also seeks to leave a lasting positive impression on all our visitors. Being a first-time visitor to a church can be an intimidating experience and our greeter team plays a critical role in helping all feel comfortable when worshiping with us on Sunday mornings. Jesus said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). God brings our guests to Christ Church for a reason and we seek to honor this gift.