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WE NEED YOUR HELP!
The process of reopening has been a long one, but staying open—and keeping people safe—is going to require continued and increased volunteers. From welcoming folks, explaining new procedures and finding folks a place to sit, to setting up and cleaning up after worship, there are many new and reimagined roles that need to be filled to make reopneing work. Click on the image above to sign up. To find out more about the roles we need filled, read below.
Thank you in advance for your help with reopening. We couldn’t do it without you!
Ushers, Guides & Welcomer
The most important volunteer roles needed for in-person services are folks willing to help explain, welcome, and guide attendees as to the new methods and procedures for worship. These volunteers are on the front lines of helping make in-persons services both safe and welcoming. There are several ways you can help:
USHER - Ushers will welcome folks and help them acclimate to the new normal of worship. They will check-in preregistered attendees and registers same-day attendees. They will take temperatures, distribute bulletins, and encourage folks to wear masks and use hand sanitizer. They will work with the rector to maintain a full list of attendees to help with contact tracing. This is one of the most important roles for reopening.
GUIDE - Like an usher, guides will help folks find seating, explain new procedures around offering and Communion, and answer any questions folks might have about the service. Guides will help enforce protocols and make sure everyone can worship both comfortably and safely.
WELCOMER - Anyone can be a welcomer! This is a new role to address the limited capacity of in-person services. Should a visitor or newcomer arrive and the service be at capacity, welcomers will voluntarily offer their seat to visitors, and go home and participate in the service virtually.
Lectors, Officiants, LEMs & LEVs
These roles relate directly to worship itself. Worship is the “work of the people” and with reduced attendance due to size and attendance limitations, we will need new volunteers to assist with these roles.
LECTOR - The lector is the person who reads the “lections", or readings, for a given Sunday. Due to the pandemic, we are asking much more of lectors; instead of one reading, they will do all three plus the prayers of the people (to minimize exposure from the microphone).
OFFICIANTS - In an effort to plan or all contingencies, we need several folks willing to officiate (lead) the service should Fr. Ben need to be isolated or become incapacitated during the pandemic. To be an officiant one simply needs some familarity with Morning Prayer and/or a willingness to learn. The officiants will be contacted when needed and agree to serve in-person and virtually on Sunday mornings.
LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTER (LEM) - The LEMs assist with the distribution of Communion. They agree to follow all of the guidelines set forth by the state and diocese, the recommendations of the CDC, and the policies and procedures set forth by Holy Trinity to distribute Communion as safely as possible.
LAY EUCHARISTIC VISITOR (LEV) - A LEV assists with distributing Communion to our home-bound parishioners. As part of our response to the pandemic, we realize there are many folks who want to receive Communion but are unable to attend in-person services. An LEV will work the the rector to find schedule visits and take Communion to those who want it.
Cleaners & Altar Guild
Maintaining a clean and safe worship space is essential to providing a comfortable and secure location for folks to worship. Keeping the space clean and orderly will require a lot of help.
CLEANER - The cleaners will assist with cleaning the worship and bathrooms following the service. Holy Trinity will provide the necessary tools and supplies, as well as checklist to ensure that cleaning is happening consistently and fully. This volunteer role requires little to no experience or commitment, expect a willingness to help for a few minutes after the service.
ALTAR GUILD - Tasked, as always, with preparing the elements and tools for worship, the same role applies to worship during the pandemic. There are some guidelines and protocols that make this job slightly more burdensome than before, but it is a necessary and essential role. This includes: setting up for worship, getting Communion ready, cleaning up after worship.
One of the most important aspects of worship during a pandemic is preparing for the worst case scenario. God willing, we will avoid these preparations; however, it is imperative that we have a plan in place should there be some break down in our policies, procedures, and guidelines.
CONTACT TRACER - Anyone can do this job from anywhere. Even if you are not planning on attending in-person services for the foreseeable future, you can assist with contact tracing. In the event of potential exposure during a service, the rector and diocese will be notified and then the contact tracing team will be activated. Together with the rector they will contact any attendees who were potentially exposed to the virus at a service and encourage folks to remain quarantined until seen by and cleared by a medical professional. If you enjoy talking on the phone and can maintain some level of privacy, this is the perfect role for you!