Sewickley United Methodist Church is a very active, vital body with many ministries and programs. As such, we have need of willing and able volunteers. There is certainly something for everyone, whether you like to cook, enjoy working with children, have a financial aptitude, or possess a creative streak. This page provides a list of opportunities for you to become more involved in your church.
Acolytes Martha Boward, coordinator Children, ages 8 to 14, are eligible to light the candles at the start of the traditional worship service, carrying God's light into His house, and extinguish them at the end. A short training lesson is required.
Altar Guild Barb McCullough, coordinator Members of the Altar Guild are the caretakers of God's house, responsible for preparing the sanctuary for worship. They make sure the week's scriptures are marked in the Bible on the lecturn, prepare the communion elements, make sure the chancel is in order, and straighten up the pews after the service. Simple though they are, these tasks are important to providing an environment conducive to worship.
Children's Church Belinda Resler, coordinator Are you looking for a rewarding way to serve but have limited time? During the traditional service, children are escorted to the upper room to watch and discuss a Christian video. Various adult and teen members of our congregation volunteer to lead or chaperone this valuable component of our worship a few Sundays a year. In order to comply with Safe Sanctuary, we try very hard to recruit two volunteers to accompany our children each Sunday. Clearances are required.
Greeters Pat Grossarth, coordinator The greeters are the friendly face of SUMC every Sunday morning. Positioned at the front door, they are the first to welcome visitors to our church and make our members feel at home.
Liturgists Atleah Grubb & Pat Leiphart, coordinators Liturgists assist the pastor in leading worship during the traditional service. Duties include reading scripture lessons, leading responsive readings and prayers, and assisting in communion. Many liturgists provide a special lesson during the children's moment. All liturgists meet for breakfast several times a year to fellowship and plan the schedule for the next several months.
Media Assistants Pam Mayo, coordinator Media assistants are needed for both the contemporary and traditional services. In the latter, assistants follow the order of worship, advancing the slides when necessary. The only training required is a 10-minute tutorial. Your time commitment would be the length of the worship service (approximately one hour). Assisting during the contemporary service is a bit more involved. Volunteers are expected to attend the Wednesday-night rehearsals and are trained to use Media Shout, the application with which the slides are created and ordered. Volunteering once or twice a quarter would be most appreciated.
Nursery Attendants Kelly Herman, coordinator Adults, with approved clearances, and teens are needed to care for the young children who visit our nursery during the traditional worship service.
Sunday School Teachers Tonya Bollman, Education Chair During the school year, SUMC offers Sunday School classes for children, preschool to teens, inbetween the contemporary and traditional services. Teachers must have Act 33/34 clearances on file in order to work with any children in our church. Speak to the pastor about the clearance process. Curriculum for classes is provided for you, and no teaching experience is needed. Classes meet for one hour. If you can't commit to an entire season, you may concern being a substitute, filling in when another teacher is away. We also are in need of leaders for our adult classes. If you have an idea for a course, even a short one, please contact the Education Chair.
Ushers Mike Swaney, Head Usher Ushers assist the congregation during the traditional worship service. Duties include handing out bulletins, collecting the offering, and guiding members through communion.
