Involvement … Ushers
Many years ago, when church was more formal, “ushers” would guide people to a pew and seat them there. Then later in the service, they would take up the offering. Now, their only function is to take up the offering, but they are still called “ushers”.
When the offering is announced, two ushers come forward, each stands in front of the each collection plate, and awaits the prayer over the offering. Then they each go down their side of the church to ensure that anyone who has an offering to give has an opportunity to put it in the plate. And then they each come back up the middle of the church and return the plates with offering in them to the front of the church.
Not a difficult job at all; mainly an usher needs to be pleasant and not make someone feel uncomfortable if they are not putting anything in the plate. Some people give their tithes and offerings through “automatic deposit”, straight from their bank account to the church bank account. Others write one cheque a month for their tithe to the church; others simply don’t have money to give.
For some reason (tradition perhaps), people seem to think that only men can take up the offering. This is really quite a ridiculous notion, but I am sure many women would feel uncomfortable taking up the offering since the tradition has been around so long. Any woman who would like to lend a hand at taking up offering would be very welcome to.
This role can also be performed by boys and girls, as long as they are mature enough to follow the directions with a pleasant manner.
We have a few men who take up offering regularly, and in the Newsletter, an attempt is made to schedule the “ushers”. However, with people coming and going, it is rare that the ushers listed are actually the ones taking up the offering.
Perley usually looks after making sure two people will take up the offering, so if you (men, women, boys and girls) would be willing to do this from time to time, let Perley know, and he will have a list to draw from each Sunday, depending on who is here and available.
It would be nice to have men and women, boys and girls, all feeling very comfortable working together to do the various things that help to make a Sunday morning a wonderful experience for all of us.
— Eric Allaby
Involvement … Greeters
In recent “Round Table” we talked about different things we do around the church, things that are now done by a few, where others, if they knew about it, might be interested in helping and enjoy being involved. Last week we had an insert describing “ushers”, this week we talk about “greeters”
Each Sunday, people coming into church are welcomed warmly and given a copy of our “newsletter”, often with a hug. Our greeters work in pairs, to keep each other company and make it easier to greet if several people are coming in at once. Our greeters start at about 10:15 and greet people until worship starts at 10:30. Sometimes one or both will stay right there by the door into the service in case some arrive a little later.
Right now we have three pairs of greeters: Carolyn & Carolyn, Bonnie & Perley and Jeanne and Carole, so these pairs of greeters take their turns once every three weeks.
Our greeters help people to feel welcome when they come into the church, to feel encouraged. And it’s a funny thing: when you focus on making other people feel welcome and feel special, it makes you feel good too. Blessing others also blesses the blesser.
If you enjoy talking with people and think you might like to try being a greeter, talk to any of those who now take their turn greeting, and they can tell you what they do and what they like about being a blessing to others in this way.
This might work better if you and a friend decided to do this together. A husband and wife team works well; ask Bonnie and Perley, as they enjoy ministering to others together this way. Or perhaps a mother and daughter team might work, or father/son; or a couple of friends who enjoy doing things together.
If you feel shy, or are afraid you might not get it right, why not join with the greeters on a Sunday morning and see how it feels.
You might be pleasantly surprised at how blessing others with a warm greeting will also pour an extra dose of joy into your own morning!
So give it some thought, and give it a try!
— Eric Allaby
Taxes & Tithes
At this time of year, when we are thinking about wrapping up our year and getting receipts to lower the income tax we must pay, we are reminded that it is our Christian duty to pay taxes just as it is to return our tenth back to God. In Matthew 22:21, Jesus says: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” Just as our tax is figured to “come off the top”, so is giving to God to be our priority.
In Caesar’s time, there was no government recognition of what believers gave to God, but now government appreciates the good work of churches and charities and returns back to you in the form of a tax credit a significant portion of what you donate to the church.
Based on the official receipts you turn in with your tax return, you can receive a credit that will reduce the tax you must pay.
While each person’s situation is different, some examples are listed below to give you an idea of what this might mean. In recent years, for an annual donation of $200 or less, the tax credit is 15% for federal tax and 9.68% for provincial tax. The portion of annual donations in excess of $200, give tax credits at rate of 29% federal and 17.95% provincial tax. If we look at tax tables, it is clear that for donation amounts over $200, the total credit percentages are actually much higher than the rate at which you pay tax!
For example, for 2014, for annual donation of $1,000, your total tax credit would be $424.96. For a donation of $2,000, your tax credit is $894.46. For an annual donation of $3,000, your tax credit is $1,363.96. An annual donation of $5,000 reduces the tax you pay by a total of $2,302.96. It will probably be quite similar for the current tax returns.
People often wonder how they can reduce the tax they must pay; one of the best ways to reduce your tax is to give to the Lord what is the Lord’s anyway. Although each person’s situation is different, this is probably the most effective way for average working people to reduce their income tax.
People love to growl about the taxes they pay; well, you do have a choice: you can choose to send your money to Ottawa, or you can help support the good work of your church on Grand Manan and get some of it back!
Not only will you be blessed by blessing others and our church through your personal worship of giving, but you will also have your income tax you must pay significantly lowered.
— Eric Allaby
Big Church / Small Church Weekend
We hope that you’ll be able to be with us for the Big Church / Small Church seminar sessions on October 31st. Pastors Dave will be staying over to preach on Sunday morning as well. You’ll love Pastor Dave’s heart and passion for the church to rediscover itself and the place that God has for it in His Kingdom Agenda.
This Week
We leave this afternoon through next Monday midday. Elaine is really disliking leaving the island, as do I. When I allowed myself to want to return to Grand Manan it was like breaching a dam. The pull was instantly overwhelming to me … to both of us.
I’ll be doing my regular work with HERG (Health Education Research Group) on Wednesday and Thursday. HERG is a part of the education faculty at UNB. If you are interested in some of the things that we do, browse the website, here The actual HERG website is temporarily off line.
On Friday,we will be a part of a gathering of Nazarene pastors and wives, to be held in Cavendish, PEI. This is a yearly event and the only time that my association with the Church of the Nazarene should take us away over a Sunday. I also am the webmaster for the sites linked above.
Just a word on the sanctuary reset …
I LOVE interaction in our services. To me, it says that there is a reason for everyone to be “on deck”. To come and sit to merely spectate doesn’t make sense to me. You can do that at home on your living room sofa. We used to argue that coming and sitting in rows where you look at the back of someone’s head, was fellowship. I had to admit some years ago now that we come to church on Sunday mornings for a variety of things but fellowship was one of the least obvious and seemingly least important. Do you remember the days when “chatting” in pre-church was a disrespectful thing to do. Again, that sort of nixed the fellowship thing.
Today, in all honesty, the pastor is not an expert by virtue of any formal training or position that he has gained. We live in an information age in which any and all kinds of learning is available to everyone. I don’t think the position was ever intended to carry that notion. A pastor is one of a group of people, a functional family (hopefully). She/he has a viable role to play … just like everyone else. Redefining the pastor is another necessary exercise for us today.
So I want people to participate. I don’t want you to just come, sit, give and listen … to be an audience church.
We are leaving the sanctuary set with the table as a prominent feature in our gatherings … for a few weeks. Some of the folks suggested this possibility after last Sunday’s service. I loved the fact that I was not the radical voice that initiated that. But I LOVED the suggestion.
You see, I believe that when we come together, everyone brings something to the table.
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 14:26
We don’t come to church to defer to experts. We come to engage together and when we do that something powerful emerges from our gatherings.
The table gives you a place to set your Bible and make sure that I am preaching from it. It gives you a place to write notes or make funny drawings in the bulletin. You can set a coffee cup on the table. You can look across it or around it to see people’s faces and perhaps to hear their hearts as well.
You see, I am a Lifer now. You have been for some time. I am in it for life!
Together in the weeks, months and if God is good … and He is … in the years ahead, we will journey to places of intimacy with the Almighty that none of us might reach alone. The African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.”
One morning I might even dance. If I do, you’ll know it is God, not me.
Love you guys.
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