ELPC members and kids serve in various church positions
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ELPC front desk volunteers: THANK YOU!iSERVE

As each of us enter the building or call the church, we are greeted by one of two types of people. Most often, we have security staff that many of us know pretty well. However, throughout the week during the mid-day times we also have volunteers who help make ELPC an even more welcoming and smooth-running place by helping at the front desk. These folks provide an important service--they are Front Desk Hospitality Assistants. As an important aid to individuals and to our community, they provide assistance with hospitality and security by answering phones, providing directions, screening visitors and much more. In recent conversations with our current team, they used these words to describe their service experience: “learning, enjoying, belonging and connection.” Thank you Barbara, Frances, Kay and Jerry! They have found a fit for their interests, skills and schedule--let’s talk about what service opportunities might be a fit for you. Read below for opportunities!

Please take a moment to complete an iSERVE “Time and Talent Interest Inventory.” These quick forms are available in a paper copy on the table outside the east transep, or you can download a PDF. Return it to that table, to Wil Forrest’s folder in the office, or to Wil directly. We each have an important part of the gifts that together make up the whole for ELPC which is what serves our church, our community and our God. Share your part.

How do you want to use your gifts to serve God and to serve others? Contact Wil Forrest, Coordinator of the iSERVE ministry, at (412) 441-3800 x14, or , to discuss your options. An important first step is completing your Time and Talent Interest Inventory.

iServeHighlighted service opportunities:

Club 116 Dinner Provider

Do you like to cook and see many young folks enjoy your food?

  • Ministry: The Club 116 dinner provider prepares/purchases a meal for 40 youths at Club 116 on Wednesday evening and brings meal to ground floor of church about 4:30pm.  
  • Commitment: Any Wednesday afternoon starting September 19, 2012 through December 12, 2012. Time includes preparation, delivery and optional serving time.
  • Skills needed: Able to prepare & deliver large amount of food.

This important task needs to be done each week to allow for Club 116 to function and provides a delicious/nutritious meal for a community of young people from our ELPC community and church family. Contact Wil Forrest.

WeSERVE List Helper

Do you want to be a part of a ministry that is flexible and meets one-time needs?

  • Ministry: WeSERVE list helpers will be those who step up as a group of ready, willing and able servers who will respond to needs in the ELPC community. These folks will receive a brief notice periodically when assistance is needed and requested from the iSERVE ministry. These requests will be church, member and community related. Often they will be time-sensitive needs that could not be previously advertised / planned in advance.  
  • Commitment: Totally up to you!  Get on the list and when an opportunity to serve arises, if it fits your schedule and interest, then help out. If not, do nothing.
  • Skills needed: Varies, based on the individual task. Mainly a servant heart!

Consider being part of this new and important ministry that will enable us as a congregation to more nimbly and effectively respond to need in our church community. To get on the WeSERVE list, contact Wil Forrest.

Contact Wil Forrest (see above) to sign up.

Earlier highlighted service opportunities that are still open

Beadle

Do you respect God’s Word? Do you want to have a more active role in worship? On-the-job training. Can be every week or periodically.

  • Ministry: The Beadle meets in the Narthex before worship to put on a robe and pick up the chancel Bible. During the opening worship procession, the Beadle carries the Bible in, puts it on the pulpit and sits in the back of the chancel. At the end of the service, the Beadle takes the Bible and recesses back to the Narthex. This job is crucial for the ritual of worship. It is a great first time service opportunity.
  • Commitment: About 1.5 hours/week on Sunday morning during worship from about 10:45 am until 12:15 pm.
  • Skills needed: You need to walk a distance and up steps, carry ten pounds, and sit in the chancel during worship.

Bulletin Preparer

Do you want to play an important role in preparing for worship?

  • Ministry: The Bulletin Preparer works with others to prepare the weekly bulletins in the main office.
  • Commitment: This job requires about 2-3 hours a week on Friday afternoon. On job training. Can be every week or periodically.
  • Skills needed: Use of copier, folding paper, collating paper, must be able to do repetitive motions. There will be training.
This job provides an important service while allowing a predictable commitment and sharing the work and fellowship with others.

Church Tour Guide

ELPC Stained Glass WindowAre you proud of our beautiful church building? Would you like to share it with others?

  • Ministry: The Heritage Subcommittee of the Property Committee is looking for those interested in leading tours of ELPC.
  • Commitment: Available for periodic tours of the building at various times and days when tours are requested. Pre-service training will be available. Some time will be needed to review tour materials on your own.
  • Skills needed: Tour guides need to be able to walk for 1-2 hours while leading tours. Tour leaders who are able to climb the spiral stairs to the tower level are preferred but not required
This is an important service needed for our community and visitors to share the history of our building and the gift of our building.

Communion bread preparers and presenters

Does your family (of any size) want to play a special role in worship and with our holy sacrament?

  • Ministry: The Communion bread preparer and presenter “family” is at least two related or non-related folks who will purchase or bake the loaf of bread that they will present during the hymn of presentation to be blessed and broken during the Communion service..
  • Commitment: Includes preparation time, meetings, etc. About 1 hour mostly around 11:00am worship.
  • Skills needed: Must be able to obtain or bake a loaf of bread. Must be able to bring the elements down the center aisle from the Narthex to the Chancel. If someone cannot climb stairs, the Pastors will come to the bottom of the Chancel steps to receive the elements.
This ministry creates an opportunity for folks of all ages to participate in our worship life together. Create time for family to spend time together baking, and hopefully to discuss the purpose of their baking/preparation together. Deepen an understanding of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper; added meaning through participation.

Community Mission Work Days

Looking for an opportunity in our church neighborhood that can fit an individual or a family? Join us the first Saturday of each month in our work days with Open Hand Ministries and Garfield Community Farm. Usual hours are from 8:30 to 3:30, or any portion you can come. Projects include working on renovating houses, preparing and harvesting plant beds at the community garden, and other projects. No special skills needed! All ages welcome: families, adults, high school youth. For details on upcoming projects, contact Emily Rosenthal by phone, (412) 963‐0139, or , for more information. Read more about ELPC’s mission ministries

Front Desk Hospitality

Help make ELPC an even more welcoming place! This job provides an important service to our church community and it sometimes allows our guards to attend to other important matters.

  • Ministry: The Front Desk Hospitality role is the first person that visitors, members and friends encounter and sets the tone on how we are viewed. This person also is an important aid to people and to our community.
  • Commitment: This job requires about 1‐2 hours at a time. Most significant time of need is weekday lunchtime. On the job training. Can be weekly or periodically.
  • Skills needed: This person first and foremost must have a heart for hospitality, but also be able to answer phones, provide directions and screen visitors.
Contact Wil Forrest for more information.

Snow Mover (Seasonal)

Do you like to play in the snow? Have a servant heart and a strong back?

  • Ministry: Snow movers will agree to be on a call list for when building staff need assistance for snow removal from church walkways and entrances.
  • Commitment: One time or more, based on weather-based need and your availability.
  • Skills needed: Ability to get to the church when there is snow and ability to work in the cold to help remove snow from church walkways.

This is an important service needed so worshippers, visitors and others might safely enter the church. We encourage our youth, who are able, and with adult supervision, to help out in this area.

Usher Captain

Do you want to help set the tone for Sunday worship? Are you good at organizing?

  • Ministry: The Usher Captain identifies those who will serve as ushers and greeters for the 11am Sunday service. Organizes those who will serve. Follows-up with those who have served. Also distributes bulletins before service and takes an attendance count during the service.
  • Commitment: Includes preparation time, meetings, etc. About 4 hours a week, mostly around the 11:00am worship.
  • Skills needed: Needs to be organized, able to recruit others, willing to work with people, a good manager of people, responsible, dependable, can work with diverse people, good communicator, flexible. Must be able to climb stairs.

In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, we are reminded, “to not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Timothy 4:14). Instead, individuals are called to put our gifts into practice; so is our calling as the congregation of ELPC. By dedicating the use of our gifts, our church and our community will not only survive, it will thrive!