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Worship Roles

Worship Roles Descriptions pdf file

Usher

Before Worship: Set Up

  • Arrive by 9:45 a.m. to help set up for worship.
  • Go over communion and offering instructions with River Guide so you are clear.
  • Locate the Music Stand that is labeled “Like to Read Music: Please Take One”. When people come to worship, be sure to give them this option.
  • Go over information on the Usher Clipboard sheet and remember to fill out during worship
  • Locate clipboards and place them next to each center chair of each section. (Refill clipboards if they are missing any items.)
  • Set up Nametag Tables. Put out markers and those cards for people who give electronically.
  • If there is a children’s pamphlet, hand those out to kids.
  • Make sure the wicker basket with kiddie activities is at the entrance to worship.
  • Give one per family:  “River Source ”
  • Get your smile ready. J
  • Smile and greet people when you hand them the River Source.  If you think they are a visitor, ask them if they have any questions.

During Worship: Do your thing!

  • Be on the lookout for latecomers.  Give them the River Source and assist them in finding a seat.
  • Be available to assist with acolyte if questions arise or they need help lighting the acolyte stick.
  • Designate a “Rover” and be sure someone is always in the hallway for safety reasons.
  • Count all in attendance and record on Usher Clipboard sheet.   Also fill out required information on this page.
  • Be ready for your role during offering: Passing the globes through the 4 sections.
  • Be ready for your role during communion: Check in with River Guide for instructions.

After Worship

  • Greet people as they leave and collect leftover paper.
  • Inform River Guide or Pastor Hans or Jim of any spills.
  • Place all extra River Source papers on Usher Podium
  • Move Usher Podium, two round nametag tables and garbage can back inside our worship space.
  • Assist with the emptying of garbages and changing garbage liners for the containers inside our worship space.
  • Ask if anyone else needs help taking down worship “stuff” before leaving.

Treat Host

Before Worship: Set Up

  • Arrive by 9:45 AM to help set up for worship.
  • Locate HOSPITALITY CART near kitchen.
  • Put treats on table.
  • Make coffee (Instructions are on coffee machine in kitchen area.)
  • Coffee is on CART.
  • Fill 4 coffee pots with hot water.
  • Coffee can be offered both before and after worship. Fill pots with coffee as needed.
  • Set out napkins and cups. (from CART)
  • Fill 3 Water Pitchers from kitchen area.
  • Stand behind the treat table by 10 AM and assist people in getting their treats / coffee / beverage
  • Smile and be friendly!

During Worship: Do your thing!

  • When Worship starts, cover the treats.
  • During the last song, uncover any remaining treats.
  • During last song empty hot water from pots and fill with coffee for after worship treats.

After Worship

  • After all have been served, clean up any spills and report big spills to HEC Staff
  • Return Coffee and Water Containers and rinse them out
  • Dispose of coffee filter in garbage.
  • Wipe down the treat Table.
  • Report Big spills to River Guide or Pastor Hans or Jim
  • Return cups and Napkins and Coffee to HOSPITALITY CART.
  • Coffee and water containers need to be run through the dishwasher and put on the shelves to dry.
  • Assist with the emptying of garbages and changing garbage liners for the ones inside our worship space.
  • Ask if anyone else needs help taking down worship “stuff” before leaving.

Greeter

Before Worship: Set Up

  • Arrive by 9:45 a.m. to help set up for worship.
  • Get your smile on J
  • Open doors for people, and greet them.
  • Welcome anyone who comes, and let them know where things are and what they need for worship.
  • We sometimes have “gift bags” for visitors. Check with River Guide, and if we do, hand them to visitors.If you are not sure if someone is a visitor, introduce yourself and ask them 😊  If they are visiting, show them where bathrooms are and connect table is.

During Worship:

  • Stay at doors until 10:45 and continue to welcome people and open the door for them.
  • Assist late comers with finding an usher to get them the River Source and to get them seated.
  • If we are running out of chairs, work with ushers to get more from storage room.

After Worship

  • Greet people as they leave and collect leftover paper.
  • Inform River Guide or Pastor Hans or Jim of any spills.
  • Assist with the emptying of garbages and changing garbage liners for the containers inside our worship space.
  • Ask if anyone else needs help taking down worship “stuff” before leaving.

Reader

Before Worship: Set Up

  • Arrive by 9:45 a.m. to help set up for worship.
  • Locate Red Folder labeled “Reader” and go over scripture. Check any pronunciation questions with Pastor.
  • Ask Jim (or look at song-leader bulletin) to see when scripture will happen so you are ready to be at microphone at correct time.
  • Decide who will read which part if there are more than one. Remember, only a few people have bulletins, and you will have to tell worshipers what their role is.
  • If it is not clear when you are supposed to go to the microphone. Ask Jim.
  • Ask Jim which microphone you should use and practice so you know how to turn it on and how close to stand.

During Worship: Do your thing!

  • Refer to bulletin and be at the microphone when it is time to read. (Don’t start walking up when you see it on the screen…Anticipate.)

After Worship

  • Ask if anyone else needs help taking down worship “stuff” before leaving.
  • Return Red Folder to Jim or to Usher’s Podium

 Acolyte

Before Worship: Set Up

  • Arrive by 9:45 a.m. to help set up for worship.
  • Locate the “Acolyte Stick” on the back tables and make sure the wick is moveable.
  • Check in with River Guide to find out if there are any special instructions.

During Worship: Do your thing!

  • During the Gathering Song, light the acolyte stick and walk with the wick ¼ to ½ out. (Too much is a fire hazard, too little it will go out).
  • Light Candles.
  • After extinguishing acolyte stick by sliding wick back inside, THEN push the wick back out so it doesn’t get stuck inside and then return it to usher area.
  • During the Closing Song, extinguish the candles and return the acolyte stick to tables in back by lamps.

After Worship

  • Ask if anyone else needs help taking down worship “stuff” before leaving. 

Power Point Person

Before Worship: Set Up

  • Arrive by 9:45 a.m. and ask Jim Nelson or River Guide for clarification if this is your first time.
  • Become comfortable with the remote that advances the slides.

During Worship: Do your thing!

  • Stay very focused, you cannot daydream or check your cell phone.
  • Anticipate, switch slides JUST BEFORE we read the last word of a slide.
  • Watch the “Notes” part of slide to check if you need to be aware or something, especially around offering / communion.
  • Please stand and bring remote to Pastor before sermon and go and get it from them after sermon.
  • If there is a video, you will need to start it from the computer.
  • Remember to commune with the other worship hosts and musicians before the congregation.
  • Be prepared to go back or forward during communion songs. (If we run out of music or people communing, we will need to adjust.)

After Worship

  • If you know how to shut down the computer, please do. If you don’t know, ask Jim (or a teacher) and he will show you.
  • DO NOT TURN OFF LCD PROJECTOR without letting it “warm down”. If you don’t know, ask Jim and he will show you.
  • Take out Remote “chip” and put inside Remote. Place Remote into the remote bag.
  • You do not need to put computer or projector away, but can leave it set up.
  • Ask if anyone else needs help taking down worship “stuff” before leaving.

Communion 

Equipment and supplies

Most of what you will need should be located on one of the tables on the south wall of worship space.

  • Pottery cups: found in two bins with white lids. Cups from the previous week will be on a large tray on top of the bins. You will use this tray again to put cups away after they are washed.
  • 2 pouring urns (without handles)
  • 1 pitcher
  • Pottery tray for bread
  • Box of gluten-free wafers (check large gray bin)
  • Large clean cloths to wrap bread (check gray bin)
  • Small clean cloths to cover urns and pitcher (check gray bin)
  • Hand sanitizer (check gray bin)
  • Communion bread
  • Grape juice will be in the refrigerator in the kitchen. Use opened bottles first.
  • 4 white tubs to hold used cups

Set up

  • Wash or sanitize your hands. Leave sanitizer by other supplies to be taken to the altar.
  • Set out 50-60 cups on each of the two round tables at the front of the worship space (one by piano and one by powerpoint). You can start by setting out the cups from the drying tray, then add more from the bins.
  • Leave a bin with extra cups under each table.
  • Wrap each loaf of bread in a clean cloth and place the loaves on the pottery tray.
  • Place a box of gluten-free wafers on the tray or nearby.
  • Fill the two urns about 2/3 full and fill the pitcher full with juice. Cover each with a small clean cloth.
  • Set the four white tubs on the long narrow table on the wall opposite the altar and piano.

During the service

  • You can ask the ushers to tell you the count after the service begins, then add more cups to the table before communion is served if it seems like the number of cups will really be short. Or you can ask the ushers to keep an eye on cups and set the bin on the table if the cups are running out.
  • More juice probably won’t be needed, but if you are serving communion you might want to designate someone you can signal to bring up more juice. We have been using between half and three quarters of a bottle of juice.
  • We rarely use more than 4 loaves of communion bread, but if you think you will need more than was baked, check the freezer to see if there are any extra loaves or send someone to the store for a small loaf of bread.
  • Go back with the children to assist in bringing communion elements forward.

Communion Take down

  • Put clean cloths, hand sanitizer and gluten-free wafers in or beside the gray bin on the table where communion items are kept.
  • The pottery tray can just be wiped of crumbs and put back on the table.
  • Put any clean cups into the bins and set the bins side by side back on the table next to the gray bin.
  • Pour any juice left back into the bottle and store the bottle in the refrigerator. If there are less than 2 bottles in the refrigerator, let Jim or Emily know we need to purchase more.
  • Take home any broken loaves of bread and feed them to the birds or compost them. You can eat them, too.
  • Whole, unbroken loaves can be wrapped tightly, labeled with the date and placed in the freezer in the kitchen.
  • If the white cloths need laundering, take them home to wash. Spray any grape juice stains with a stain treatment like OxyClean. Return clean cloths to the gray bin.
  • Take urns, pitchers, and tubs of used cups back to the kitchen. Load them into the smaller blue trays to go through the dishwasher. If you are not familiar with the operation of the dishwasher, ask your Worship Team leader for help.
  • When the urns and pitcher come out of the dishwasher, wipe them dry with a dish towel from the gray bin or the Hospitality Cart.
  • Let the cups dry briefly, then load them into one of the two large flat trays (one blue, one green). If you have a lot of cups, you might need to use both trays.
  • Rinse and dry the white tubs in the sink. They don’t need to go through the dishwasher.
  • Use a cart to take the urns, pitcher, tubs, and cups back to the communion equipment table. Set the tray of cups on top of the communion cup bins. This will keep any drips off of the table, which could cause it to warp. Return the cart to the kitchen.

If you have any questions, ask a worship team leader

Ruth Hamlow

Kris Hartman

Katie Weisenberger

Communion Servers

When we commune in groups, AKA tables

 Ushers

  • Dismiss people in “tables” of around 10 (approximately 20 total)
  • Direct them to form a horseshoe starting back at the wall opposite the altar.
  • As soon as communion is being served, you can begin dismissing the next table and have them wait on the sidelines.
  • When the pastor dismisses the table being served, usher the table waiting into place.
  • If needed, usher people to a different side of the horseshoe to complete a table of approximately 20. Usually one side of the worship space finishes faster than the other.
  • When most have communed, join the final table to take communion.

Communion servers

  • Before the service begins, designate who will serve bread and who will pour juice.
  • All servers should sanitizer their hands using the dispenser at the altar.
  • Servers will commune together first along with the musicians. Pastor and one server will serve communion to helpers.
  • Begin serving from the back of the horseshoe, nearest the wall opposite the altar. Bread first, then juice.
  • Bread: Break off a small piece of the bread. Say “The body of Christ broken (or ‘given’) for you” and place it in the hand of the person taking communion. Get another round of bread when the one you are using is nearly gone.
  • The person serving bread can bless any small children not taking communion. Say “God bless you” or “Jesus loves you” and make the sign of the cross on their forehead.
  • Juice: pour a small amount of juice into the cup as the person taking communion holds it up. Say “The blood of Christ shed for you.” Take one of the small cloths with you to wipe off the lip of the urn as needed. Refill the urn as needed from the pitcher on the altar.
  • When all have been served, the pastor will bless the table and they will return to their seats, starting with those closest to the back of the horseshoe.
  • At a time that makes sense, two servers can go into the seats to serve communion to any who are not able to walk up. Be sure that they have cups.
  • After all are served, communion should be served to the pastor and the server who hasn’t communed yet.

 Communion Servers

When we commune as individuals, AKA “drive-thru” communion

See separate instructions for set up and take down

Ushers

  • Dismiss people by rows
  • Direct them to take an empty cup and walk through the line
  • As soon as communion is being served, you can begin dismissing the next row and have them wait in line
  • If needed, usher people to a different side of the worship space if we are “lopsided” and one side is done and the other side has many more communicants.

Communion servers

  • Before the service begins, designate who will serve bread and who will pour juice.
  • All servers should sanitizer their hands using the dispenser at the altar.
  • Servers will commune together first along with the musicians. Pastor and one server will serve communion to helpers.
  • Bread: Break off a small piece of the bread. Say “The body of Christ broken (or ‘given’) for you” and place it in the hand of the person taking communion. Get another round of bread when the one you are using is nearly gone.
  • The person serving bread can bless any small children not taking communion. Say “God bless you” or “Jesus loves you” and make the sign of the cross on their forehead.
  • Juice: pour a small amount of juice into the cup as the person taking communion holds it up. Say “The blood of Christ shed for you.” Take one of the small cloths with you to wipe off the lip of the urn as needed. Refill the urn as needed from the pitcher on the altar.
  • At a time that makes sense, two servers can go into the seats to serve communion to any who are not able to walk up. Be sure that they have cups.
  • After all are served, communion should be served to the pastor and the server who hasn’t communed yet.

 

 

 

River Team Amazon

Ruth Hamlow * River Guide

Blake and Tiffany Barnard

Sue Benson

Paul and Vicki Bierlein

Kathy Christensen

Lee and Linda Cox

Steve and Beth Gasser

Scott and Jennifer Hansen

Ron and Sue Johnson

Scott and Renee Kotlatz

Carol Krage

Gary and Diane Lietzau

Deitra Paulson

Sue Peters

Cris and Linda Remucal

Rod and Deb Riewer

Pete and Mary Royer

Leah Seifert

Todd and Peggy Sudheimer

Brian and Jenny Tillmann

River Team Tigris

Chuck and Kris Hartman *River Guides

Daryl and Kathy Bergs

Russell and Jeannine Borgendale

Nan Crary

Allen Gislason

Heather Goodrich

Tim and Kay Halstrom

Nancy Jorgenson

Malena Kelm

Josh and Erin Knudtson

Verlyn and Carol Larsen

Jerry and Jeanette Lindberg

Phyllis Lindstrand

Katia Osman

DuWayne and Shirley Olson

John and Patricia Paulsen

Greg and Nichole Plath

Brian and Sara Pollmann

Dale and Nancy Radetzke

Jim and Jan Schaefer

Paul Schlauderaff

Josh and Sara Shorter

River Team Nile

Mike and Katie Weisenberger * River Guides

Louis and Angie Bedard

Dale and Portia Brandsoy

Betty Brandt

Gerry and Jane Connell

Geoff and Amanda Davis

Arlyn and Kim DeBruyckere

Krista Dobratz

Dave and Heather Fischer

Kevin and Jodi Kleindl

Julie Johansen

Arnie and Andy Koenig

Jeanette Krommenhoek

Jim and Sara Nelson

David and Linda Pederson

Scott and Krista Picha

John and Nancy Rodeberg

Justin Rodeberg

Gwenn Smeby

Elaine Quale

Tim and Courtney Thode

Sandy Tracy

Kathy Wilson

Future at River of Hope

September 22, 2022

The River Table met on Tuesday, September 20th. At this meeting we unanimously voted to recommend that we remain at the Event Center and renew our lease for 2023. There will be a congregational vote to decide whether to accept this recommendation immediately following worship on Sunday, October 9th.

—> Congregational Letter

August 12, 2o22

—> Congregational Letter

March 28th, 2022

On March 13th we had a congregational meeting to discuss where to meet once our lease is up at the Hutchinson Event Center. Please click the link below for the results from that discussion.

—> Worship Space Survey Results

January 20th, 2022

The last two Sundays we have had a chance to talk about where River of Hope has been and where God’s Spirit is leading us anew. As of right now our lease at the event center is not renewable and we need to find a new place sometime before next December. We have begun talking about at stake in the decisions ahead. You can find the notes from those meetings here.

—> Where have we been? Where are we going?

 

Meet Pastor Hans

Born and raised in Alaska, Hans attended Luther College in Decorah IA. He spent the last 25 years (running Dakota Road Music, a grassroots performance/publishing company) and cobbling together various musical gigs to do what he loves – getting people singing. He enjoys ultimate frisbee, hiking, biking, cooking, and has a soft spot for ice cream and most brands of chips. On his day off, he might be found weeding the garden, pruning apple trees, eating ice cream or hanging out with his spouse, Heidi Morlock or one of his boys, Nelson (23) or Simon (17). In all that he does, Hans prays and works for a world where all creation is seen as sacred.

Hans can be reached at 952-452-4988

2021 Lent

Midweek Lenten Worship and Songbook 

Set Your Space Together: 

  • Set aside a time each week for reflection.

As a household will you gather on Wednesdays via zoom for worship at 7pm, or does it work in your schedule to set aside time before bed or first thing in the morning with a hot cup of coffee? Set aside some intentional time each week to pause and enter into sacred space and reflection on what it means to be Christ’s disciples.

  • Find a way to mark your sacred space.

You might do this by lighting a candle and setting your table for dinner church, or you might curl up in a favorite chair or play some music that helps to ground you in this present moment. If you have kids in your household, consider including them in setting up an alter space each week. They can find a favorite blanket or table cloth to use, they can create a cross out of blocks or art supplies, and they can help prepare the supplies for the interactive elements each week.

Know that wherever and however you gather, this space is holy ground and God meets you here.

  • Gather this worship booklet and your RoH Lenten At-Home Kit which has the supplies needed for the interactive elements.

Check your email or the RoH Facebook Page for weekly prompts on the interactive themes

    • Take a few deep breaths to ground you in this present moment.

“Repeat to yourself: I am here. God is here. This space is holy ground. (Sanctified Art: Again and Again)

Prayer Practice Videos

November 22nd 2020

Hello and welcome! You will find our worship bulletin is found on our website here…

Posted by River of Hope Lutheran ELCA – Hutchinson, MN on Sunday, November 22, 2020

11.22.20, 25th Sunday after Pentecost

 

 

 

November 8th 2020

https://www.facebook.com/156500211035543/videos/473848183588941