Contact Person Job Description
The job of contact person is that of hospitality, the committee is extending
hospitality to each person who offers their time and talent to leading a
Wednesday worship service. That said, here’s the practical bits…
- Contact the preacher/presider a month in advance (if possible).
- Be sure the preacher/presider has access to the guidelines for worship.
- Highlight areas in the guidelines that require advance coordination –
especially music.
- Remind folks that the choir director and the accompanist would like to
know selections at two weeks in advance, particularly if there are special
requests.
- Find out what assistance the preacher/presider requires. Do they want a
liturgist? Do they want to fill the various slots in the service themselves,
or do they want you to do that? [This may entail simply finding a reader or
it may mean planning the service apart from the sermon.]
- Find out how the person planning the worship service would like to have
the chapel seating arranged. If necessary enlist help from the
maintenance staff to get the chairs arranged as needed.
- The contact person is not expected to do everything the preacher/presider
does not want to do – but is expected to see that everything necessary is
done.
- A week or so in advance check back with the preacher/presider and to be
sure that everything is taken care of.
- Normally the preacher/presider is expected to provide the bulletin – if
they would like it copied here, it must be camera ready and in Maine Hall by
the Monday prior to worship.
- You may offer to type and copy the bulletin –as a courtesy – but you
are not required to do that.
- Double-check that all ‘slots’ are filled-- acolyte (if desired to
light the candles), reader(s), liturgist (person/s to lead prayers…), two
people to take up the collection, etc.
- Put a glass of water in the pulpit for the preacher; let the preacher know
that the pulpit can be lowered or raised & adjust as necessary.
- It is a kindness to make sure that the pulpit bible is marked by ribbons
& also with sticky notes (that are located in the back of the lectern
– write the correct citation on the sticky note and put it at the
beginning of the reading)
- Make guests aware of the ‘usual’ protocol i.e. sitting for the
postlude; being in the front or by the door to greet people after the
service…
- If it is the first Wednesday of the month, be sure that all is set up
according to the presider’s wishes for communion. Remember that the Friar’s
Bakery (947-3770) will provide us with the bread – just let them know the
Friday before the service and the bread can be picked up Wednesday morning.
Work with the sacristans to be sure that the communion table is brought
forward and set for the service. (and put back after the service). Be sure
that the presider knows to let the congregation know whether it is wine or
grape juice in the cup. Ideally this would be printed in the bulletin and
also spoken at the service.
- Be available to have lunch in the Commons with the guest
preacher/presider.
- Write a thank you note to guest preacher/presiders within a week of the
service.
- Anything else you can think of to make this service of worship go as
smoothly as possible – check with sacristans
as needed.
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