THE ROLE OF USHERS IN
MEANINGFUL WORSHIP SERVICE AND CHURCH FAMILY MINISTRY
Ephesians 6: 7
By Revd Akin O.
Olatubosun, Pastor, Testimony BC, Ifo
INTRODUCTION
The
ministry of a local church is all- encompassing. It touches every facet of
human life. Ushering ministry is one of such aspects of ministry that have
direct influence on every worshipper in a local church. As worshippers enter
the sanctuary, they first of all come in contact with the ushers at the
doorposts of the sanctuary. This makes them unique as they represent the image
of the church thereby serving as first- hand inspiration and aroma to all that
enter or go out of the sanctuary.
The
word ‘usher’ is not new to Christendom as there are replicas of it both in the
New Testament and the Old Testament. There were positions in the bible that
were addressed as ‘doorkeepers’ or ‘gatekeepers’ which have similar roles and
functions like that of an usher (cf. Psa 84: 10; 1 Chron 9: 17- 27; 2 Kings 22:
4). Ushers become Christ’s ambassadors because of the unique roles and the part
they play in the body of Christ.
The
existence of man is unique because he was created to worship God for who He is
and for His love for mankind. This consciousness of the Supreme Being and the
hope of eternity make people to want to worship and serve Him. The experiences
that people go through in life cannot be left out. So, people come to church
with different expectations and motives. Some come with serious burdens,
discouragement and sadness of heart due to unmet expectations while some come
with the expectation to experience uplift and inspiration, renewal and joyful
celebrations. As the first point of contact in the church worship gathering,
the role of ushers cannot be over- emphasized. The skillful ushers help every worshipper
to make this a reality thus making the ushering unit one of the most visible
ministries in the church where people experience the presence of Jesus Christ
in the world through the ministry of the church.
The identity of an
usher
An usher is a spiritual
ambassador for the local church. He/she is the one that represents Christ, and
ministers at the doorpost of and in the church sanctuary. An usher must have
the followings qualities as conditions for effectiveness and efficiency of
ushering ministry in enhancing meaningful worship in a local church:
1.
Be genuinely converted- the basis for
Christian faith and service
2.
Be dutiful/ committed- Observe that the
seating arrangement and information materials are in order with all sense of
humility and faithfulness.
3.
Be punctual- Must be on time and in time
4.
Be humble- not too arrogant to attend to
people.
5.
Be disciplined- listen to the message
being preached
6.
Be prayerful- for the church, pastor,
church members, and co- workers, etc.
7.
Embrace team work- ushering is a team
work within the family of God.
8.
Be sensitive- to the goings during the
service and as people come in and go out of the church.
9.
Be informed/ current- about the
materials to be distributed to people.
The life of an usher
should be an example of Christian living whereby in everyday life, he or she
demonstrates a practical life of Christ with dignified conduct which is biblically
and sacrificially based.
The purpose of ushering
in a local church
The
ultimate purpose of ushering in churches is to serve God. When the ushers see
to it that an atmosphere of reverence and order is maintained during and after
the service, they do it for God. Everything that an usher does in a local
church is for God because he/she is a part of the total congregation which presents
itself before God to worship Him. The goal or vision of the church is also
realized through the ministry of the ushers. This is why ushers must be
equipped, vibrant and disciplined and cooperate with other ministries of the
church in order for worship to be meaningful and experiential.
Usher as a church
member
An
usher is first and foremost a member of a local church. As a responsible
member, he or she is expected to do his/her best to see that the church is able
to operate at the maximum level of meeting members’ needs
during indoor (e. g weekly and monthly worship services) or outside
ministrations (e. g crusades). He or she should make sure that the church moves
in the direction of God in fulfilling the mandate of God for His church through
his/her participation and meaningful contributions to the development and
growth of the church where he/she belongs. An usher becomes responsible when
he/she participates fully in all the relevant programme of activities in the
church for the edification of his/her soul. Ushers are not expected to behave
as strangers, arrogant, destroyers or unbelievers in the household of God of
which they are part of. Ushers should not be carried away by her duties so as
not to miss the presence of God.
Usher as a minister
An
usher is an ambassador of Christ who brings in people into the sanctuary.
His/her enthusiasm, warmth, and care helps in motivating people to have a
meaningful worship experience. Since the church is a servant body, created for
service (Eph 2: 10), Christ calls every member of the church into the ministry,
a family ministry of brothers and sisters in Christ (1 Pet 2: 9). Through the
instrumentality of the Holy Spirit, an usher ministers hospitability and caring
(Rom 12: 13; 1 Tim 3: 2). He/she is selected to the ministry of helps, employed
by the Almighty, and among the ministry of helps category (as ushers give
assistance to people) (1 Cor 12: 28). He/she makes sure that the worshippers
see and experience the love of Christ. As a minister, an usher represents the
church in a very visible way, and helps serve the tone in preparation for the
worship service, as well as assist with the smooth operation within the
service. Ushering ministry is ordained and divinely set in the church for a
purpose.
Duties of an usher
Apart from other
functions as may be assigned by the church pastor, the duties of an usher are
as follows, among other things:
*Helping to make the
worshippers feel at ease through greetings and welcome
*Leading worshippers to
their seats
*Distributing church
related materials to members. e. g bulletin, hymnals, e. t. c.
*Collecting and delivering
the offering records to the church treasury department.
*Maintaining alertness
in case of any emergencies by contacting the persons needed to provide the
proper assistance.
*Making the church tidy
for the next service. Ushers work with the church sexton (if the church has
one) to keep the ‘sanctuary clean and comfortable.’
How to usher in a local
church
Ushers are expected to
have appropriate dressing. They need to dress in a comfortable way so that
worshippers coming in or going out can identify them.
A.
They need to be proactive and
enterprising. They are the first point of contact as people enter the church.
How they welcome people portrays the identity or nature of that church.
B.
Ushers provide a safe and healthy
environment in and around the church premises before during and after the
service.
C.
Help in providing directions to
essential locations of facilities in the church e. g library, rest room, and
clinic.
D.
Assist members to their seats. Never
allow them to be looking for seats on their own to avoid distraction.
E.
Be in the church premises for at least
few minutes before service commences to see that the sanctuary is tidy for people
to worship.
F.
Ushers are to make sure that they have
regular contact with God.
G.
The chief usher should make sure that
there is comfortability for every worshipper in the church.
H.
They are to cover for their fellow ushers
when needed.
I.
They should be willing to work with
others when occasion demands.
J.
Avoid long conversations especially with
fellow ushers during worship service to avoid distractions,
K.
Never be late to service
L.
Do not be unnecessarily angry with a
church member.
M.
Control incoming and outgoing crowds
N.
As it lies within you, always wear a
smile
O.
Pray, fast and meet regularly
Ushering
should not be regarded as only directing people. The congregation, and
particularly the ushers, must have the right mental attitude for the work of
ushering otherwise, the sacred character to the work ministry would be lost and
would not accomplish it real purpose. No one should be allowed to usher who is
proud, overly self- conscious, desirous of making him/herself known and
prominent, wants to show authority, thinks he/she is doing others a favour, or
has the idea that it is a job someone has to do.
The don’ts of an usher
-Not cause distraction
for people
-Not steal church money
-Avoid negative or
abusive words
-Do not sleep on duty
-Not eat during worship
-Not involve in too
much selling except occasion demands it
-Not engage in
unnecessary dialogue
-Not officiate when you
know you are not well/ heavily pregnant/ nursing new baby
-Do not bring
information paper directly to the pulpit during service except occasion demands
it, to avoid distraction.
Conclusion
This discussion should
not be on paper or for this meeting alone but each one should practicalize the
necessary emphases therein through the leadership of the Holy Spirit and with
the involvement or cooperation of the church pastor/leaders.
REFERENCES
Bell, Buddy. Easy Steps to Ushering in the local Church.
www.amazon.com/gp/1577941632 Accessed on 17/12/13.
Bell, Buddy. “The
Scriptural Foundations for Ushering.” www.cfaith.com/index.php/article.
Accessed on 31/12/13.
Johnson, Alvin D. “The
Work of the Usher.” http://www.christianbook.com/the-work-of-the-usher/alvin
-johnson/9780817003562/pd/7003568?item-code=ww&netp-id=150973&event=ESRCG&event=details
Accessed on 31/12/13.
Palmer, Viola et al. “How
to Usher in a Church.” www.wikihow.com/usher-in-church
Accessed on 17/12/13.
Swindoll, Charles R. Living Above the Level of Mediocrity a
committed to Excellence. Califonia: Insight for Living: 1987.
Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan. 1995.
Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan. 2002.
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