Worship Team


The Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church Worship Team, under the leadership of the Church Session, is dedicated to providing spiritual growth of our congregation through organized worship. The Worship Team is responsible for all aspects of worship except for the selection of the Scripture Lessons to be read, the selection of hymns to be sung and the Message (Sermon). These components are the responsibility of the Pastor.

The Worship Team must function cohesively to ensure that our worship services are spiritually relevant, dynamic, and inclusive of the needs of the greater community. It is also important that the Worship Team coordinate closely with the Pastor, Church Secretary, Custodian and other Session "Teams" to ensure our efforts support the Church’s biblical vision and purpose. As currently structured, the worship team is subdivided into smaller teams who provide the following components of our worship program:

Sanctuary Guild:

The Sanctuary Guild is a team of faithful servants who maintain and enhance our physical spaces of worship (e.g. the Sanctuary). Their principle responsibility is to ensure that the Sanctuary is prepared for all worship occasions, including special services for baptisms, weddings or funerals. Duties include ensuring the cleanliness and upkeep of the property (bibles, hymnals, pews, candles, pulpit, baptismal font etc), decorating the Sanctuary with flowers or other decorations appropriate to the season, performing the duties of the Sacristan (preparing the elements for the Lord's Supper), changing of the Sanctuary Paraments to the appropriate liturgical season colors, and addressing any special needs communicated by the Pastor or Worship Team. A sign-up sheet is posted in the Church Hallway for anyone interested in serving.

   

Lay Readers:

Lay Readers are individuals who feel called to serve the Lord through participation in our worship services. They primarily assist the Pastor and may lead the congregation in the "Prayer of the Day", read our First Scripture Lesson, receive the Tithes and Offerings and lead the congregation in our Offertory Prayer. In services where we are celebrating the Lord's Supper, the Lay Readers may also assist the Pastor in distributing the elements to the Servers. A sign-up sheet is posted in the Church Hallway for anyone interested in serving as a lay reader. Detailed instructions for lay readers are also available from any member of our Worship Team.

   

Acolytes:

The acolytes are willing servants from within our congregation who assist the Pastor and enhance our worship services by lighting and extinguishing the Sanctuary candles. While the acolytes are typically children or adolescents, anyone may participate.

   

Greeters and Ushers:

Volunteers from our congregation support a rotating schedule for serving as Greeters and Ushers. Greeters "Greet" worshipers and distribute our worship bulletins as congregants enter our Narthex. The work of the Greeters can not be understated - particularly in welcoming visitors and helping them find their way into the building and Sanctuary. Ushers are responsible for assisting members in and out of the Sanctuary, collecting the Tithes and Offerings during worship, and collecting the Fellowship Pads following worship. Ushers also assist the Sanctuary Guild in preparing the Sanctuary for the next worship service.

   

Communion Servers:

Communion Servers "serve" the elements (bread and grape juice) to our congregation during celebrations of the Lord’s Supper. In accordance with Church Polity, serving in this capacity is reserved for members of the GSPC.

   

Children's Time Leaders:

Time is dedicated in our worship services specifically for the inclusion of children. Children’s Time Leaders assist in our services by preparing a brief message to be presented to the children of the congregation. The children’s message is intended to be a simplified, informal and participative version of the Scripture Message for the day.