How You Can Get Involved
Opportunities for participation in the life of the parish abound. We exercise our Christian vocations in different ways depending on our interests and our talents and skills. We may want to do things we are already good at, or we may want to learn about something new.
The first step is coming and worshiping with us, joining your body and voice to the celebration of the Sacraments and the round of services. Sing out, come to coffee hour after each Sunday Mass, introduce yourself to the clergy and to other people. Come back! After you feel comfortable and feel settled, really as soon as you want to, you can volunteer to do other things.We also hope that you will formally join the parish and become a member.
Ministries and outreach. We have a number of programs, including our long running Soup Kitchen, that are always looking for people. For information about outreach, click here or contact Laural Bishop by e-mail.
Liturgical service. With such a full celebration of the divine services, we are always looking to find people willing to read lessons and serve at the altar as acolytes. The liturgy is only really complete with the participation of all the people, so the more who serve, the more those at the altar are a representative of the congregation as a whole. For more about our liturgy, click here. Please contact the Rector by e-mail if you wish to read or serve at the altar.
*Lector: On Sundays at each Mass, three lessons are read. The first lesson, usually from the Old Testament, is always read by a layperson from the congregation. Public speaking experience is not necessary and the Rector will lead workshops on reading from time to time. All that is required is a desire to serve.
*Altar Servers. The celebration of the liturgy is expressed in its fullest when we have lots of servers doing their various jobs. Servers are needed to carry the Cross and candlesticks in procession, swing the censer as the minister of incense (this person is called the thurifer), and serve as master of ceremonies and sub-deacon. You do not need previous experience and we will train you up starting with simplest of the duties. Acolytes gather a few times a year to rehearse and go over the liturgy.
Hospitality. You can participate in our ministry of hospitality by serving as an usher or greeter or by helping out with coffee hour.
*Ushers and greeters. Those working at the back of the church to welcome old and new faces alike are the front line of our ministry of hospitality. If you are interested in ushering please contact Helen Jarvis.
*Coffee hour hosts. Coffee hour volunteers provide beverages and snacks after Mass, helping to continue our fellowship after the service is over.
Educational Programs for Adults and Children. Information about our education programs can be found here.
Be creative. If you have an idea of how you would like to get involved, participate, do something with and for the parish, just get in touch with one of the clergy or vestry or any of the people mentioned above. Our contacts are here.