![]() One of the most common fears they express is doing something “wrong”. An untrained usher is an unhappy usherīelieve it or not, but the volunteers in our churches actually want us to tell them what to do. My little story illustrates a number of key points about usher training:ġ. Fortunately for us, “that guy” not only made room for us, but also helpfully mentioned that the children had already been dismissed for Sunday School and that he would be happy to personally escort them to their classrooms. She was obviously embarrassed and frustrated at the situation and eventually found a spot a little closer and said that we could “ask that guy to make a little more room”. Unfortunately, she seemed to be under the orders of never point and never abandon your post. I eventually turned back to the usher and asked her to clarify. Since there were a couple hundred people in the room, the “guy in the blue shirt” and the spaces that accompanied him were more elusive that I would have hoped. The usher who met us just as we entered apologetically stammered that there wasn’t much room and then vaguely gestured that the might be a space “somewhere over by the guy in the blue shirt”. My family and I had arrived late (I’ll place my rant about accurate service times on church signage somewhere else) and tried to sneak in the back to find a seat. Life experiences and some review and discussion will provide them with most of the knowledge they need.I had an enlightening experience while visiting another church the other week. They do not need extensive training to be reasonably effective. They need to know what to look for and what to do if they see something of concern. Our ushers and greeters must be knowledgeable. The task for greeters and ushers is to keep these realities in mind as they look for even small ways to plan and prepare for an emergency. In either case, ushers may not be able to contact every guest. ![]() If there is more than one service, some people will arrive as others are leaving.Īn usher’s post may be in the sanctuary and focused on seating people, or it may be at the front door or in the lobby, busy with greeting, conversing, and handing out materials. The lobby, or greeting area (if you have one), may be packed with people of all ages. Members and guests may roam around the lobby or wander down halls. People arrive early and late and in groups and alone. When people gather for worship, things are rarely as organized as they might be in some other meetings: You must be realistic about your congregational environment. Meanwhile, others are so concerned that they are tense and on edge all the time. Some ushers are so unconcerned or busy talking to their friends that they are rarely aware of what is happening around them. These two approaches (greeter and guardian) must be balanced between the need to provide a feeling of welcome and openness with being watchful and appropriately wary. ![]() For some of our volunteers on Sunday morning, their challenge is to fulfill the dual roles of greeter and guardian. You are not expected to do it all yourself or act as a police officer or security guard, but you are expected to continuously observe people and the environment, assess the situation to see if there is danger, and respond appropriately. ![]() Greeters, ushers, ministers, teachers, and staff all share responsibility for the safety and security of the congregation.
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