Cheer Team
Cheer Team is comprised of ushers, Counsellors and Hospitality teams
Ushers
A church usher is a person who helps ensure a smoothly running church service and who ministers to people in a variety of practical ways. The specific responsibilities of an usher vary with the church, but his duties usually include greeting people as they arrive for the service, assisting people with special needs, and collecting the offering. Some churches provide a pin or name tag of some kind to easily identify their ushers.
Before the church service starts, the ushers will often have the responsibility to check the thermostat, check the restrooms, make sure the hymnals are placed correctly, and prepare the bulletins for distribution. As the churchgoers arrive, the ushers will act as door keepers, greeting each person with a smile, shaking hands, and handing out bulletins. They are also available to answer visitors’ questions and extend extra help in seating those who need the assistance. Often, the ushers will escort people to the proper nursery or Sunday school classroom, especially if the church building is a large one.
During the church service, the ushers usually take part in some way. They are responsible to take up the church offering and make sure it is put in the proper place. In some churches, ushers also help with the Lord’s Table. Ushers have a goal of minimizing distractions during the music and sermon. Ushers stand ready to assist anyone in the congregation who might need help, to aid latecomers in finding a seat, and to inform those in the sanctuary of any urgent matters. Some churches appoint an usher or two to monitor the facility, including the parking lot, to prevent vandalism, theft or other wrong-doing.
Church ushers are well versed in emergency procedures. In case of an emergency, the ushers will take the lead in getting people to safety in an orderly manner.
After the service, ushers will again be at the door to greet the congregation as they leave and provide assistance as needed. In many churches, the ushers will then make sure that the sanctuary is tidy, the thermostat is adjusted, and the lights are shut off.
Although the position of “usher” is not mentioned in the Bible, ushers today provide an invaluable service to the local church body. In many ways, the ushers are the “face” of the church, the first ones that people see when they arrive and the last ones they see as they leave. It is important that an usher be friendly, honest, and willing to serve. It is an honourable position in the church, requiring integrity, cordiality, and wisdom.
The heart of an usher is the heart of a servant, and he does his work for his Lord Jesus – Colossians 3:24. A church usher has a true love for the people of the church and a desire to promote an atmosphere of reverence and worship in the house of God. An usher’s theme verse could very well be Psalm 84:10, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
Counsellors
Our lay Christian counsellors are volunteers trained in Christian counselling [they are not psychologists]. For this reason, they cannot counsel within the scope of any mental health diagnoses/ addictions/ major depression/ legal issues.
Our counsellors work within their skills to assist you to work through any life issues you may be facing. If they feel you need further assistance, they will recommend a referral for further care.
Hospitality Team: General Duties
- Oversee the working of all hospitality programmes and visitor care ministries.
- Coordinate the activities that involve hospitality and care ministries.
- To be alert to the needs of the church membership and ways to serve those needs.
- To develop a mission and vision statement for your team, if that will help guide your ministry.
The Welcome Experience for visitors
- Recruit and train church greeters.
- Recruit and train church ushers.
- Host a reception after the morning service.
- Staff and train volunteers for the visitor welcome centre.
- Review the communication materials for first-time visitors.
- How children are received for children’s church.
- Regularly review the facility for signage and navigation.
- Design and oversee the collection of church visitor contact information.
Help returning church visitors to connect
- Take care of repeat visitors
- Implement a system for contact after the first visit
- Audit your visitor-to-regular attender process to find out ways to make it better.
- Develop processes for getting and using the contact information.
- Track visitors who make multiple visits
- Care for new members
- Work with pastoral leadership to develop a follow-up gathering (e.g., meet the pastor).
- Find ways to help your visitors make new friends.
Welcome functions at special church events
- All areas of ministry requiring the use of the church kitchen (Setup, serve, clean up).
- Catering and Reception for installation of new pastors or great farewell of departing pastors.
- Prepare refreshments for church socials.
- Keep track of all supplies necessary for such events.
- Develop and maintain a written log of food quantities per number of people to develop a reasonable awareness of how much food is needed for functions.
- Train volunteers in the proper use of kitchen machinery (think food sanitation, cleanliness, health department issues, etc).
- Provide hospitality arrangements for visiting pastors, missionaries, and specially invited guests.
Member Care
Some hospitality committees may include other areas of member care:
- Arrange for meals for church families when needed (birth of baby, baby shower, death of loved one, health crisis).
- Light house cleaning for shut-in members or elderly members who need assistance.
- Transportation assistance for members who can’t drive themselves to appointments.
- Gifts for Pastor / Staff appreciation days or Christmas.
They get into item detail such as
- Who orders the paper products and other supplies.
- How to work with custodial staff in partnership with the Hospitality Team.
- Who reports to who to keep people informed.
- Processes for reimbursement and check writing duties.
- Who’s in charge of cleaning up, locking up, and other sorts of checklists.
- How to schedule the use of certain rooms and coordinate volunteers for those rooms.
Music Team
- Sound Engineers
- Band
- Vocalists
Admin Team
Office Management
The church administrator runs the day-to-day operations at the church. Duties include maintaining church records and personnel files, ordering and stocking office supplies, keeping computer files backed up and maintaining office equipment. The church administrator also takes on a supervisory and training role in ministries that have office assistants or volunteers. Other tasks include creating and distributing church bulletins and newsletters, updating employee and volunteer handbooks, and coordinating employee and volunteer work and vacation schedules.
Manage Church Facilities
Property management duties include overseeing the maintenance and security operations of church facilities and maintaining an inventory of supplies and equipment. Church administrators assist in scheduling meetings and events, renting out church equipment and enforcing church policies for facility use. In addition, they evaluate the church’s insurance needs and ensure that policies remain current.
Maintain Relationships
The church administrator is one of the church’s leaders and liaisons and should believe in and demonstrate the church’s teachings in her life and work. The administrator regularly coordinates with the pastor, church volunteers, committee members, wedding and funeral coordinators and other staff members. She must also maintain communication with parishioners and the local community both in person and through the church’s website and social media pages.
Financial Responsibilities
Administrators work closely with the church’s treasurer, accountant and other staff to ensure the church properly uses funds and meets financial obligations. The church administrator usually oversees payroll and keeps records of employee benefits, insurance and vacation time. They prepare and implement the church’s budget and help prepare financial statements. In addition, they track and record church income from donations and sales, deposit funds into church accounts, pay bills and maintain sufficient cash flow for the church. Administrators also ensure that tax documents are prepared and filed on time.
Care Groups
Home Cells are small groups of people who get together to pray, worship, read the Bible, grow spiritually, and become effective witnesses. A small group of people that develop and grow as Christians and eventually becomes leaders themselves. They prepare to reach their neighbourhood with the Gospel and make disciples for the Lord.