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The Altar
Guild is, quite simply, in charge of vessels and vestments. This means
setting up for the services and maintaining many aspects of worship in
the church.
We rotate
teams each week to set up for the Wednesday and Sunday services as well
as special services. Most teams come in on Saturday morning to vacuum,
dust, and ready the garments and the altar for worship. We oversee the
items used in worship such as the supplies of wine, pita bread, candles,
and so forth. We are also the overseers of the flowers.
Keeping the
linens clean is another important aspect of the worship experience. This
includes the priest’s and deacon’s garments as well. A trip to the
cleaners is sometimes on the agenda at certain times of the year.
Speaking of
the seasons, we change the hangings behind the altar and on the lecterns
depending on the time of the church calendar. Special occasions such as
baptisms require an additional change.
One of the
most enjoyable times is just before Christmas when we decorate the
church for the Christmas Eve and Christmas day services. Garlands of
greens and poinsettias abound helping to infuse the spirit into all
worshippers. Likewise, at Easter parishioners are greeted with a
beautiful display of spring plants and flowers. 
The Altar
Guild is a quiet ministry and always behind the scenes. It appeals to
those who enjoy being in the sanctuary on a quiet morning with the sun
streaming through the windows while working with a great team of women.
The camaraderie is terrific and knowing how much we help makes this a
great ministry.
In the
Christian Church, baptism is one of our most profound sacraments—one in
which we welcome new members into our community. People choose to be
baptized or to bring children to be baptized for many reasons. These
reasons are as varied as the people themselves: to respond to the
miracle of birth and life, to have the baby begin life in the Church, to
continue a family tradition, to "test the waters" of the church for
themselves, or as a way of starting back to church after a time away.
At Epiphany,
we have baptisms at the primary worship service on Sunday morning. We
generally schedule baptisms on four Sunday’s per year:
·
the
Feast of the Baptism of Jesus
· the
Easter Vigil
· Pentecost
· All
Saint’s Sunday
Additional
baptism dates may be scheduled if it becomes necessary.
Last year, we
had our first baptism classes—and we plan to continue to offer these
twice per year. Our baptism preparation program is designed to
accomplish several things. First, we hope to give you the time and space
to reflect on the meaning of baptism for you and your family. Second, it
is a wonderful opportunity for new members to get to know other families
within the parish. Finally, the classes offer both theological and
practical information about how Baptism works in the Episcopal Church in
general and at the Church of Epiphany in particular. The program
includes a two hour mini-retreat, as well as a series of five weekly
meetings.
At Epiphany,
we have also begun a tradition of having a parish sponsor for each
child, in addition to the traditional God parents. These are individuals
who are members of Epiphany, and who can help those being baptized with
any questions that you may have about life at Epiphany.
If you are
planning to be baptized or having your child baptized, or if you’d like
to act as an Epiphany baptism sponsor, please talk to our rector.
The Chancel
Choir is the Adult Choir at Epiphany. We rehearse on Thursdays at 7:30
PM in the Chapel and sing on Sunday mornings at the 10 AM service from
September through the first week of June. In addition to the regular
services, the choir has occasional one-day retreats a couple of times a
year. The special services of the year include a community Thanksgiving
service, Advent Lessons and Carols, Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter. There is a special
Ascension service and a Pentecost service, which are also services in
which we participate. The music that the choir does ranges from early
Renaissance through music written in the last decade. Our primary focus
is traditional, but we also explore and use contemporary music.
Sectional rehearsals are part of our regular rehearsal schedule. This
group is open to persons beginning at 15 years of age.
For more information contact our Minister of Music.
Upcoming music is posted at Joe Dorocak's
Epiphany Music Page
Here
is a small sample from our music, with a brass accompaniment, Nov 19,
2006
Joyful Noise Choir
(3
years to 5 years old)
Good News Choir (1st
Grade through 6th
Grade)
This unique expression of music for worship began several hundred years
ago. It is made up of several people ringing one, two, three or four
bells each at one time. Music for handballs ranges from very simple
arrangements for two octaves of notes to very complex music using as
many as 5 octaves of bells. The size ranges from a few ounces of weight
for the very high pitches to several pounds for the very large bells
that ring the lowest tones. Please contact the Minister of Music for
more information.
Visual arts
are an important expression of one’s faith. At Epiphany we hold this
form of expression as a value. This year we are forming a visual arts
team. This team will be part of brainstorming ways in which visual arts
can enhance important seasonal events of the Church Year.
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by doing that some
have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
Ushers and
Greeters set a warm and welcoming tone of hospitality at the Church of
the Epiphany. Our Ushers and Greeters tend to the needs of all those who
come to worship. While their roles are relatively simple, they help make
sure people are comfortable and that our worship service runs smoothly.
Ushers
support the logistics of the worship service and ensure that it runs
smoothly so that worshipers can make a connection with the Spirit.
During the service Ushers primarily stay near the entrance in the
Sanctuary to provide assistance to anyone needing it. Their duties
include opening the doors and windows before the service, welcoming all
who attend and helping them find their name tags, handing out the
service bulletins, maintaining a count of all the attendees at the
service, circulating the collections plate, assisting the “gift bearer”
families who bring forward the bread and the wine, maintaining the flow
of worshipers receiving communion, checking the pews after the service,
collecting the bulletins for recycling, and closing the windows and
doors after the service.
Greeters
provide a welcome to those who are new to the Church of the Epiphany and
assist them to find what they need to make a personal connection and
have a satisfying spiritual experience. Greeters welcome members and
visitors outside the church as they arrive for the service and stand
with the rector after services to help identify visitors and inquirers.
Greeters may escort new people into the Sanctuary, help them to find
seating and personally introduce them. During coffee hour Greeters can
personally introduce visitors to others who can answer their questions
or provide information about the ministries at Epiphany that may be
particularly relevant to them.
Often the
first people that new individuals and families meet when they visit the
Church of the Epiphany are Ushers and Greeters. Because of the
significance of first impressions, Ushers and Greeters represent the
entire congregation before, during and after our worship services.
For further
information about the Ushers and Greeters ministry contact Jim Greenwell
jrgreenwell@yahoo.com 
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of
the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of
you has received.” I Peter: 4:9-10
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