Sunday Volunteer Guidelines

Chancel Decorations

By volunteering to provide chancel decorations, you are honoring our church covenant to “celebrate together our traditions and our lives, with all their sorrows and joys.”

Typically, the chancel decoration is a floral arrangement. Many donors are expanding on this concept by artfully arranging other objects on the chancel table. This may be an art piece such as a painting or sculpture. An arrangement of non-floral, natural items such as shells, stones, pinecones, or branches is another option.
If you are purchasing flowers from a florist
☐	Average cost of a purchased flower arrangement is $35 to $50.
☐	Average cost of purchased and delivered flowers is $45 to $60.
Delivery options
☐	Florist delivery is usually on Saturday. Arrangements must be made with Elinor Stapleton at 978-456-8752 to make sure the church is open.
☐	You may bring them in yourself on Sunday morning at least 20 minutes before the service begins.
Container options
☐	Bring your own.
☐	Use a church vase located in the room to the right of sanctuary. These containers may not leave the church.
Dedications
☐	If you want a written dedication for your decorations, please send the text to Elinor Stapleton at admin@uuharvard.org by 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning in order for it to be printed in the Order of Service or Chalice Chat..
After church options
☐	Take the flowers with you.
☐	Donate them to the Caring Committee to bring to a church member in need. Please pre-arrange by contacting the Caring Committee.

Checklist for Greeters

By volunteering to greet, you are you are supporting our church covenant to “create a welcoming…community.”

You are the first face people will see upon entering our church on Sunday morning. It is amazing how a smile and a hello can warm a person’s heart and make them feel welcome.
☐	Please arrive at least a half-hour before the service starts (9:30 or earlier). New people to the church often arrive early, and it is nice to have someone to greet them.
☐	Locate the fire extinguishers, just in case.
☐	Take a look at the Order of Service. Note where children start so that you will be able to direct families who arrive with kids.
☐	Always wear your nametag or sticker with your name printed on it.
☐	Prop open doors to the sanctuary. There are hooks near the bottom of the doors to hold them open.
☐	Open coat room doors and turn on light.
☐	If it is a nice day outside, prop open the outside doors. There are hooks near the bottom of the doors to hold them open.
☐	Be on the lookout for people you do not recognize. Welcome them. Introduce yourself. These may be guests or long absent members who may not know many others.
☐	Tell guests: “You are welcome to sign the guest book on the podium and make a name tag if you wish. Please look for a brochure in the pews which will offer you more information about our church.” Note: Signing the guest book does not put anyone’s name on any mailing list or call list; the church just likes a record of who has visited. If a guest fills out the form in the pew, they will be added to our mailing list for about six months and then asked if they would like to continue to receive mailings. Also, if guests would like more information, there is a display of pamphlets about our church and about the UU religion on the wall behind the podium.
☐	Attempt to connect new families with someone who can take them to the Fellowship Building, Introduce them to the DRE, and give them some basic RE and/or child care information.
☐	Help ushers set up (if time permits), but keep an eye on the door for people entering the church.
☐	Close doors to sanctuary and the closet when the prelude begins.
☐	Continue to greet late arrivals until the first hymn.
☐	After the service
	☐	Keep an eye out for newcomers. Introduce them to others during the social hour. Introduce them to a Membership Committee person.
	☐	Open the coat room door.

Hospitality Hour

Plan for 80-100 people and 120-160 on holidays and intergenerational Sundays. Note that the children’s refreshments are provided separately by parents of RE children.
What to bring
☐	Half gallon of whole milk for coffee (more for holiday or intergenerational Sundays).
☐	Dishtowels
☐	Food Items. Please keep this simple and easy for yourself. Options are store-bought cookies, breads, homemade specialties, or any combination (quick breads, muffins, mini-bagels, fruit, veggies, cheese and crackers, or your own special tidbits).
Supplies at church
☐	Coffee (located in a cardboard box in the closet to the right of the kitchen), tea, sugar.
☐	Cups, saucers, plates (check dishwasher for cups and saucers). This is the most environmentally friendly way to serve, rather than using paper products. There are some paper cups to be used in an unusual circumstance (if dish washer is broken, etc.).
☐	Can opener, matches, silverware, and serving plates are stored in fridge under counter.
☐	Napkins, baskets, and paper cups are in the closet to the right of the kitchen.
Set up
☐	Start coffee before 9:15 a.m. (It brews noisily for 45 minutes!)
☐	Start electric kettle for hot tea water during the final music of the service.
☐	Set up the large table in front of the kitchenette; you can also use the drop-leaf cart. On large attendance Sundays, using the cart on wheels with some snacks, a pitcher of coffee, milk/sugar/spoons and having it set up and ready to move next to the pillar at the back of pews on the book table side of the isle is a great idea. One person can serve from there.
☐	Place the wastebasket next to the folding door near the foyer.
☐	Leave the service at the start of the closing hymn to finish preparations. Fill the pitchers with coffee and start pouring during the postlude, or place the coffee pots at opposite ends of the table so that everyone may serve themselves. IMPORTANT: Please be still during the closing words.
Clean up
☐	Rinse coffee pots. Wash serving platters, spoons, and creamers by hand or put in the dishwasher. China cups go in the dishwasher. Start the dishwasher before you leave.
☐	Vacuum the rug with the Electrolux or the carpet sweeper in large closet in foyer.
☐	Please bring the trash home while the dumpster is unavailable.

Checklist for Ushers

By volunteering to usher, you are honoring our church covenant to “support individual and collective service to … community.”

BEFORE THE SERVICE
☐	Please arrive at least a half-hour before the service starts (9:30 or earlier).
☐	Turns on all lights
	☐	All green dots in the electric box (in the kitchen area near office) should be turned on.
	☐	Two rheostats (round dials under electric box) rotate fully.
	☐	Three switches in area below choir loft.
☐	Locate the fire extinguishers, just in case they are needed.
☐	Turn on main switch for microphone system, located in the right side room (to right of the podium when you face the podium). The switch is tucked back over a large black box marked “church technology.” The switch is marked “sound system.”
☐	Get microphone and hearing devices from top drawer of two-drawer file next to Elinor’s desk.
☐	Set up microphone and chime (ringing bowl) in front of the church. The microphone stand and ringing bowl are located in the right side room.
☐	Hearing devices go next to the Orders of Service. Leave them out of the box so people see them as they come in.
☐	Test sound system – podium and microphone on stand.
☐	Check Order of Service – Are there candles of joy and concern? Do children start in sanctuary?
	☐	If part of service, set up candles of Joy and Concern table. Candles are in a purple box above the cabinets in kitchen area. Wooden matches are in the podium or in candle drawer.
	☐	If Joys and Concerns are not part of the service, light one candle on the stand in the right front corner. Book and pen will be on the table or on top of the sound box.
☐	Check chalice lamp oil. Refills are in candle drawer or you can use a candle in its place.
☐	Set up additional seats behind the pews and/or below the windows as needed. Put out additional hymnals. The folding chairs and hymnals are in the closets at the back of the church.
☐	Turn on heat in ladies room.
☐	Remove the dust cover from the harpsichord and place in side room.
☐	Close doors to the kitchen to hide sink and cabinets. This is necessary only on potluck Sundays.
☐	Light candles on the chancel table. Do not light the chalice.
☐	As people arrive, pass out orders of service. Offer large print orders of service and hearing devices to those who need them.
☐	Offer assistance to anyone who needs help being seated.

DURING THE SERVICE
☐	Shortly after opening hymn, fill out attendance forms on the lectern in the back of the sanctuary.
☐	During the offertory, pass the collection plates. Return them to the back tables where you found them. Financiers will take them after the service has ended.
☐	Place attendance form with the collection plates or bring them to the office after service.

AFTER THE SERVICE
☐	Retrieve the microphone and hymnal from the minister or worship leader at the back of the church so her/his hands are free to greet people.
☐	Gather leftover Orders of Service and loose papers from the sanctuary and discard them.
☐	Put away folding chairs.
☐	Blow out candles and return Joys and Concerns table to corner if used.
☐	Turn off PA system.
☐	Return microphone and hearing devices to the file cabinet.
☐	Return the stands.
☐	Replace the dust cover on the harpsichord.
☐	Turn off heat in ladies room.
☐	Turn off lights, or ask a board member or hospitality server to turn them off.