The joys of serving

Behind every worship service are the people who show up to make it happen.

Saturday evening or Sunday morning, the doors of St. Paul are unlocked and the lights come up one section at a time. Coffee brews. Someone from the tech team tests the slides before anyone else has walked in. Communion is prepared. Bulletins are stacked and squared, moved from the usher station to the tables inside the sanctuary doors. And by those main doors, Mark Levien is already there, smiling and ready, 20 minutes before most people arrive.

When the doors open, someone may be walking through them for the first time. Or maybe it’s their 541st visit. Either way, they are met with a warm “good morning” and a bulletin. In the gathering area, donuts and juice are set out for the conversations that happen over a napkin. The pattern repeats each week: people showing up for each other.

Mark ushers at the 8 a.m. service alongside his longtime ushering partner, Barry Anderson. Quiet and steady, the two are reliably there.

“I usher because it gives me the sense of community that I’m looking for,” Mark said.

One Sunday, a regular at the 8 a.m. service took a bulletin from Mark and told him what a pleasure it was to see his smiling face every week.

“It helped me realize that I’m not just handing out bulletins. I’m interacting, and maybe brightening someone’s day, with a welcoming smile and a simple hello,” Mark said. “Even if things are not going well in my life at any given moment, I might be able to brighten someone else’s day just by being a friendly face on Sunday morning. I hope that I can brighten someone’s day as much as they brighten mine.”

His advice to anyone considering it is simple.

“You’re coming to church anyway. You might as well get there a little earlier and mingle with a great group of people in the usher pool and those walking through the doors,” Mark said. “Who knows, maybe it will help brighten your day, too.”

Ushering is just one piece of a much bigger worship picture. Welcome hosts, donut servers, worship assistants, choir voices, a tech team running slides and sound, and the volunteers who empty recycling bins all play a part in making worship services flow seamlessly. Each one lives out radical hospitality, letting everyone know they matter and are worth celebrating.

 

Ways to serve on Sunday mornings:

Worship assistants help with communion, read Scripture, assist the pastors, and join in special presentations on festival days. No experience needed — just a willingness to serve. A one-time information and training session will be held Wednesday, Aug. 12, 6:30 p.m., or Saturday, Aug. 15, 10:30 a.m. Contact Chris Nelson at chris@stpaulqc.org to learn more.

Donut servers keep the donut area stocked and talk with whoever stops by. Family friendly! Contact: Matt Spencer, spencer@stpaulqc.org.

Ushers greet worshipers at the door with a smile and keep an eye on the sanctuary through the service. Kids and adults can usher together, so it’s a great way to serve as a family. Contact: Jessica Taylor, jessica@stpaulqc.org.

St. Paul tech team helps power the technology for worship experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned techie or just tech-curious, if you’re in high school or older, this might be for you. Contact: Cooper Schou, cooper@stpaulqc.org.