Greeters and Ushers

The mission of the usher/greeters is to make visitors sense our desire to welcome them into the Pinewood community through providing any information or assistance necessary to meet their initial needs.

Our Motto: "May I Be of Service to You"

Attitudes and Actions of an Usher/Greeter

1. Love - The New Testament love St. Paul was writing about was an out-going spirit of consideration and respect which did not depend on the attitudes or behavior of the other person. As one man put it, "The Holy Spirit can even help you love the person you do not like." This kind of love is not dependent on the other person's actions or reactions, but only on the attitudes of the one who loves.

2. Joy - Cold, aloof, mechanical ushering/greeting is depressing to churchgoers. But the sight of a good man who radiates joy as an effective usher is a heart-warming experience for any worshiper.

3. Peace - The presence of a good church usher/greeter adds to the peace and calm of every situation. His presence tends to minimize problems and his efficient way of dealing with situations is reassuring.

4. Patience - Patience is one of the great qualities of a good usher/greeter. The church building itself, the environment around the church, the ministry of the church, and the people in the congregation may all be occasions for impatience among ushers. But the long-suffering usher chooses the kinds of problems which he will allow to upset him.

5. Kindness - This spirit makes the usher approachable. Calmness gives confidence to others.

6. Goodness - The Lord in His Word does not admonish men to be intelligent, clever, or rich. But He does in many places indicate that a basic quality of the Spirit-filled person is human goodness. This will cause the usher to seek the good for those he cares for.

7. Faithfulness - Fulfilling responsibilities and being a good team member is essential to the usher/greeter. Being at your place of duty will inspire many.

8. Gentleness - A good usher/greeter never throws around his authority. While he concentrates on the needs of the people he forgets about himself and humbly goes about his assignment.

9  Self-control - It will be impossible to control a crowd if we cannot control ourselves.

10. Against such things there is no law - A head usher or pastor cannot write enough rules to cover every situation which ushers face. Through a concentrated intelligence and a general sense of the fitness of things, ushers are called on to make unending little decisions which either become a part of the total church problem or its solution.

What Makes A Good Usher

1. A good usher/greeter is like (Matthew 5:13) ...Salt which makes everything more palatable and which serves as a general preservative against deterioration. A good usher adds a tang of joy to a churchgoer's Sunday morning experience against a tinge of drabness. The ministry of salt is silent, inconspicuous, and sometimes completely unnoticed. But it is there in a powerful and useful way.

2. A good usher/greeter is like (Matthew 5:14)...A city set upon a hill. They become landmarks to churchgoers who learn to depend upon them. They are an intermediary between the needs of a specific person and the resources available through the pastor, musicians, and teachers of the church.

3. A good usher/greeter is like (Matthew 5:16)...A lamp on a stand. A lampstand brings warmth and welcome to all who are in the room. It is the nature of the Christian character to radiate; it cannot help but shine. Just as a pastor preaches in the spirit, and a musician sings in the spirit, the usher must do his work in the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing glory to God in the Lord's house on the Lord's day

An excellent usher is..."The Church"

When people walk into a church for the first time the usher/greeter that greets them is, to them, the church. The opinions they are forming of the particular usher who is helping them are the opinions they are forming of the church.