Worship lies at the heart of the life of any community of faith. In worship, we come together to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear the stories of our tradition, to offer prayer, and to celebrate God’s continuing presence among us. All are welcome to participate in our worship because it is in worship that we live out our life as people seeking God.
We worship in a variety of styles and at different times. You can find out more by visiting our worship schedule. We hope to worship with you soon.
Worship is an act of the entire community, and we depend on lay-ministers to conduct our liturgies. These roles are also a meaningful way to deepen your experience of worship. We welcome new people to these ministries throughout the year. If you feel called to serve in one of the following roles, please contact the Rev. Brin Bon to express your interest.
Current liturgical ministers can access their schedules by logging in to Ministry Scheduler Pro, here. If you need help logging in to Ministry Scheduler Pro, please contact our Receptionist, Sherry Davidson-Brice, who will be happy to help you.
Acolytes are part of an ancient tradition – dating back as far as the third century – of those who assist priests at the altar. In our services, acolytes are those in 6th grade and older who are trained to serve in our services as crucifers, torchbearers and servers at the altar. These important roles help us to provide worship services that glorify God and offer a meaningful way to participate in the liturgy. We welcome new acolytes and provide training for new acolytes several times during the year. For more information, please contact the Rev. Jonathan McManus-Dail.
St. Elizabeth’s Guild coordinates with the Altar Guild in the maintenance and creation of linens and vestments. The Guild meets quarterly to make baptismal towels and assist in needlework which includes hemming, mending, and embroidery. For more information, please contact Alice Scarborough.
The Altar Guild glorifies God by preparing the spaces and items at the heart of our worship – especially the altar and the vessels for Holy Communion. The Altar Guild prepares and maintains the altar, sacristy, vestments, linens, vessels, candles, and supplies for all our regular worship and special liturgies. This ministry is essential to all of our worship services. Each Altar Guild team serves approximately every six weeks on Saturday mornings to clean, polish, and prepare the altar for Sunday services. They also work on Sundays to set-up and take down each service. New members are always welcome. The Altar Guild works in teams, and new members will be paired with experienced members for on-the-job training. For more information, please contact Shannon Umstattd.
Proclaiming the Word of God is an essential mission of the church, and lectors – or readers – participate fully in this ministry. They proclaim the scriptures, both New and Old Testaments, within the context of the liturgy and help lead the congregation to a deeper love for God’s Word. Intercessors offer to God the cares and concerns of the congregation by praying the Prayers of the People during Sunday worship services. Intercessors contribute significantly to worship as we remember in prayer the deceased, those in need of comfort, and those leading our country and communities. Training and preparation are provided. For more information, please contact Paula Quinn.
Eucharistic Ministers make possible the central act of our Christian liturgy – feeding the faithful with the sacraments during Holy Communion. Eucharistic Ministers assist clergy at both campuses in the distribution of communion during worship services with a primary role to administer the chalice. For more information, please contact the Rev. Brin Bon.
Thurifers assist in providing an immersive experience of liturgy that touches all the senses. From ancient times and in different religious traditions, worshipers have offered incense to their God, seeing in the smoke an image of their prayers ascending, and in the aromatic resins and spices a reminder of God’s presence. Thurifers prepare the coals and incense before services, handle the thurible during services, and offer the thurible to the ministers at the appropriate times during the liturgy. Training provided. For more information, please contact the Rev. Brin Bon.
Ushers assist during worship services by greeting parishioners, welcoming newcomers, assisting with the needs of worshippers, facilitating Holy Communion, and responding appropriately to any concerns during the service. Ushers are the face of Good Shepherd to visitors and newcomers, and the hospitality and warm welcome from ushers is a sign of God’s welcome and love for newcomers and regular attendees. For more information, please contact John Pitts or Will Holford.
Vergers serve as master of ceremonies for our liturgies. They work with clergy to plan the logistical details of our worship and coordinate and shepherd the various liturgical ministries through the worship services. We rely on vergers to ensure that the worship space is prepared and worship participants are ready for their roles. We provide training, and new vergers often begin by shadowing more experienced vergers. For more information, please contact Jeff Simpler.
To accommodate those who can’t make it to church for Sunday worship and special services like funerals, we offer live-streams on our website, Facebook and YouTube pages. For more information or volunteer opportunities, please contact Charles Hibler.
The Wedding Guild assists couples throughout their rehearsal and wedding – helping to celebrate their union and the beginning of their life together at Good Shepherd. Members of the Guild attend the wedding rehearsal and ceremony of a couple, with one member serving as wedding host and at least one other member assisting. For more information, please contact Kathy Jolink.
