Greeters Do More Than Just Greet People...

It is important for all of us to see a smiling friendly face when we come into the church. It's even more important for visitors and guests. Our dedicated Greeters are that welcoming presence that is so necessary at every service. But Greeters also have other duties to perform:

• They hand out service leaflets before the service begins.

• They watch for newcomers and guests and welcome them especially.

• They count the congregation and relay that information to the priest by putting a note into the ciborium (vessel holding the wafers) before it is brought up before communion. (Bet you've wondered how they always have enough wafers for communion.)

• They enlist parishioners to carry up the bread and wine at the beginning of the offertory or do it themselves.

• They then collect the offerings and present them just before communion begins.

• During communion, they "mark" the pews, indicating when each row may move toward the altar, then going last and telling the priest if anyone in the pews needs communion brought out to them.

• After the service, they scan the pews and pick up leftover leaflets or other items (lost items are turned into the office).

• They then often help the Vestryperson of the Day (VOD) to report the offering by counting the number of checks and totaling any cash donations, then signing the report as a witness.

Greeters learn to handle small problems like passing a peppermint to a parishioner who is coughing during the service, helping a newcomer to locate the place in the prayer book, or directing a guest to the restrooms. So, now that you know what Greeters do, why don't you consider helping out by volunteering to be a Greeter. You'll get some "on the job" training with a veteran Greeter so you'll learn when to do each duty, then you can be one of those smiling faces that welcomes everyone into Holy Comforter.