Christ 2R Culture

CrossWinds - Usher Job Description

I am grateful to have you as an usher! You are one of the first impressions many will have of CrossWinds. Your role is important! Below are suggestions on how to make your role a success.

Arrive early. Stay Late. If you are an usher for the first service, arrive no later than 7:55 AM for the 8:15 AM service. Serve until at least 5 minutes after the service starts at 8:20 AM. If you are an usher for the second service, be at your post by 9:30 AM. Serve until 10:05 AM. If people continue arriving after the service begins, stay a few minutes longer to help worshipers find their seats.

Wear your name tag. You have a preprinted name tag on a lanyard in the storage closet next to the east entrance doors of the worship space. Wear your name tag while on duty and return it to the closet after the service.

Stand just inside the main entry doors. There are east, west, and center doors. Stand inside one of those entries.

Offer bulletins. Offer bulletins with sermon inserts inside of them to those entering. Leave extra bulletins and sermon inserts on the shelf inside the entry.

Shake a hand and use a smile. Shake a hand, and use your best smile. Look people in the eye and tell them you are thankful they came.

Observe your section for open seating. If guests are hesitant when they arrive, offer seating assistance. Do not offer help with seating during prayer or Scripture reading.

Close doors when the service begins. If you see people arriving after the service begins, hold open the door to let them inside.

What about a visitor? If you sense someone might be new, simply say, “How long have you been coming to CrossWinds?” If they have children, let them know that children grade 5 and under will be dismissed before the sermon for age-appropriate teaching. If they have an infant or toddler, ask if they know about the nursery. If they would like help bringing a child to the nursery, ask a regular to walk them there and help them check in their children. Ideally, the greeters should have done this, but sometimes people slip past them.

What are welcome bags? We have welcome bags for visitors. These are found in the “Information” area. The Greeters are in charge of giving one per family. If a new individual/family does not have a welcome bag because the greeters missed them, take note of where they sit and offer them a welcome bag after the service. Give only one welcome bag per family. The welcome bag contains:
  • Start Here Letter from Pastor Kurt
  • CrossWinds Annual report trifold.
  • CrossWinds 7 Core Values
  • What is the Gospel? pamphlet
  • A welcome gift that is a coffee mug (in the winter) or water bottle (in the summer).
Pitch in if needed. If you notice nobody serving as an usher at a service, step in and assume the role. Sometimes people forget they signed up or they are running late. Any way we can help one another is appreciated.

Clean up after the service. At the end of a service, walk through the pews in your section to ensure all trash is removed. If there are completed prayer or visitor cards, gather them and place them on the desk of the administrative assistant in the office.

What if I am out of town and cannot serve? If you know ahead of time you will be gone, you can add block-out dates so schedulers know you cannot serve. You can do that in the Planning Center app or on the Church Center app. In the Church Center app, simply tap your profile picture in the upper right-hand corner. Once in your profile, click the action button on the upper right side of the screen. That will allow you to block out dates. It also allows you to email your team leader if you have questions or experience a sudden change of plans.

What is the head usher job? The head usher job is the same as a regular usher with additional responsibilities. The head usher takes a headcount of the service. Wait until before the sermon to ensure you have a complete number. Also count the people in the foyer and those in the nursery. Enter that number in the Headcounts app at the iPad kept at the Information Center. If you have the Headcounts app on your phone, that is an alternate way to enter the data. The head usher is in charge of making sure other ushers are at the doors. If no one is serving, it is their job to recruit. If the room is too hot or cold, the head usher can adjust the thermostats. The thermostats are controlled by an app on Pastor Kurt’s phone as well as the phones of the office administrators. The head usher will also have access to this app on their phone. If the temperature needs to be adjusted, it can be adjusted via the app or by the faceplate on the room thermostats. In the event of an issue of health or safety, the head usher is in charge unless they delegate that responsibility.

As you can see, serving as an usher is an important job.

Thank you for helping CrossWinds reach people with Jesus,

Pastor Kurt
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