GENERAL USHERS’ CONDUCT
The Usher’s lifestyle: Leadership by example
Spiritual preparation
The first key to effectiveness in prayer, spending time in individual and group prayer before and after the service is a very important tool of service.
The usher should also cultivate the “T” Qualities, which are:
-Teach ability: Willing to learn
-Having good memory for names.
-Tactfulness: ability to do and say the right thing without offence
-Thoughtful: Knowing when, how and what to do
-Team player: work better as a team (Luke 9:14) having regular meetings together.
Natural/Physical Preparation
Manners, physical appearance and personal hygiene are crucial as an usher. You should not put people off. Ushers should learn to be sensitive to peoples’ needs and limits to build lasting relations. Be courteous as you direct people to their respective seats; greet people warmly making them feel like the Royalty they are (1 Pet. 2:9).
Practical Ushering
Ushers Positioning
It is preferable to have an overview map of each local auditorium, to facilitate easy positioning.
Seating of Congregation
Where do we seat first? Try and fill up the front section first so as to minimize distraction during the service.
-Aisle seating: avoid seating of ladies at the aisles.
-Ministers/workers seats or rows.
-Altar ushers vis-à-vis the pastor/minister in charge.
-Passing of messages (All must go through the head usher)
- Note the trouble spots i.e. where there will be possibility of heavy human traffic.
Counting
Attendance taking: Establish a non-distracting system, be invisible, and cultivate taking attendance from the back or from a high vantage point unseen by people.
-Counting should be analysed into Men Women collection
-Number of new guests
-Number of new converts
- Giving of cards to new guests and converts
Ushering During Ministration
Good Comportment
Keen Alertness
Dressing no flowing attires as these could become tools of destruction in the hand of the deliverer.
Mannerism towards the Congregation
Warm
Friendly but firm: one can still firm without been
Communication
Eye contact always: usher should readily maintain eye contact with each other periodically during the service.
Use of Discretion
You may need to take immediate decisions without having recourse to higher authorities, utmost-discretion is thus very necessary.
Offerings
Positioning of offering baskets: they should be in place before the time of offering, Baskets should not be used for collecting communion wine cups or prayer requests.
Taking of offering: This should be started systematically from the front not from the rear.
Counting of offering: This should be done in the vestry
Recording of offering: Vestry operation. Please note that prayer requests should be collected alongside the offering during the latter in the offering baskets.
Spiritual preparation
The first key to effectiveness in prayer, spending time in individual and group prayer before and after the service is a very important tool of service.
The usher should also cultivate the “T” Qualities, which are:
-Teach ability: Willing to learn
-Having good memory for names.
-Tactfulness: ability to do and say the right thing without offence
-Thoughtful: Knowing when, how and what to do
-Team player: work better as a team (Luke 9:14) having regular meetings together.
Natural/Physical Preparation
Manners, physical appearance and personal hygiene are crucial as an usher. You should not put people off. Ushers should learn to be sensitive to peoples’ needs and limits to build lasting relations. Be courteous as you direct people to their respective seats; greet people warmly making them feel like the Royalty they are (1 Pet. 2:9).
Practical Ushering
Ushers Positioning
It is preferable to have an overview map of each local auditorium, to facilitate easy positioning.
Seating of Congregation
Where do we seat first? Try and fill up the front section first so as to minimize distraction during the service.
-Aisle seating: avoid seating of ladies at the aisles.
-Ministers/workers seats or rows.
-Altar ushers vis-à-vis the pastor/minister in charge.
-Passing of messages (All must go through the head usher)
- Note the trouble spots i.e. where there will be possibility of heavy human traffic.
Counting
Attendance taking: Establish a non-distracting system, be invisible, and cultivate taking attendance from the back or from a high vantage point unseen by people.
-Counting should be analysed into Men Women collection
-Number of new guests
-Number of new converts
- Giving of cards to new guests and converts
Ushering During Ministration
Good Comportment
Keen Alertness
Dressing no flowing attires as these could become tools of destruction in the hand of the deliverer.
Mannerism towards the Congregation
Warm
Friendly but firm: one can still firm without been
Communication
Eye contact always: usher should readily maintain eye contact with each other periodically during the service.
Use of Discretion
You may need to take immediate decisions without having recourse to higher authorities, utmost-discretion is thus very necessary.
Offerings
Positioning of offering baskets: they should be in place before the time of offering, Baskets should not be used for collecting communion wine cups or prayer requests.
Taking of offering: This should be started systematically from the front not from the rear.
Counting of offering: This should be done in the vestry
Recording of offering: Vestry operation. Please note that prayer requests should be collected alongside the offering during the latter in the offering baskets.
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