During the summer this year starting in July, our setup volunteers enjoyed a well-deserved vacation! Outdoor services were set up by everyone as we brought our own lawn chairs!
Setting Up for the Service
Our church's location at the Coliseum movie theatre required that some setup was done before services in the morning: this included signs, music stands, sound and PowerPoint equipment, offering plates, information tables, coffee and snacks, nursery mats and toys, and miscellaneous décor. Taking down the equipment after the service was also required and congregants often took a few minutes to help put equipment back into storage.
Volunteers arrived between 1 and 2 hours before the service, so that those arriving early for
church would know where to go and that setup was complete and the space ready for musicians to begin morning practice. Training was provided to volunteers setting up cables for sound
equipment and helpers were available to direct anyone coming out early to lend a hand.
Coffee and Snacks
We enjoyed greeting each other and conversation before and after the service, so we had our
coffee and tea ready first thing and available all morning, located outside of our worship
space. Fresh bagels were a frequent staple of the snack table, and volunteers used the sign up
sheet or simply brought in their treats to share - home-made or store-bought, anything goes was the name of the game!
PowerPoint Volunteers
Our church made use of PowerPoint software to display announcements before the service and
lyrics for the worship music. The leadership team preparee the slides and volunteer operators
advanced the slides during the music portion of the service. Training was provided to everyone
manning the computers and with enough people in the pool, volunteers needed only donate their
time once or twice a month.
Setting Up for Events
Mercy also held special events throughout the year that also required the time and talents of
our congregation. Contact persons varied depending on the event, but there were usually jobs for anyone willing to lend a hand.