The center of our life together is our common celebration of the Holy Eucharist. In Greek, leitourgia means “work of the people,” and the beauty of our liturgy is a shared work in which all are invited to participate.
Acolytes
Our Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy is movement and song, a shared dance full of beauty, ritual, and symbol. Acolytes help guide us through this dance by leading processions, lighting the Gospel, praying and sitting in silence, and sending us out on our way.
An Acolyte is a helper at the Altar, assisting the Priest, Deacon, and Eucharistic Ministers. Acolytes carry the cross to lead in the Choir and Altar party, lead the Gospel to the people and process out at the end of the service. Acolytes also help at special services and provide incense at the High Holidays.
This ministry is open to anyone capable of doing the required tasks.
Contact: Caroline Huckaby, cmhuck41@yahoo.com
Altar Guild
The Altar Guild is a dedicated group of women and men who are responsible for preparing the wine, bread, water, chalices, basins and linens for the Eucharist celebrated at the 8:30 and 10:30 Sunday services, special services during Christmas and Easter seasons, weddings and funerals. The 16 members of the guild are divided into four teams that rotate duties by Sundays.
The team on duty meets on Saturday morning to prepare the items that will be needed the next day. On Sunday morning, a member of the team arrives at church early to place the Eucharistic elements on the credence shelf and to make sure all is ready. After the 10:30 service the team members gather in the sacristy to clean and wash up. One of the team members takes home the dirty linen to be washed.
We welcome both men and women to join this important behind-the-scenes ministry.
Contact: Pat Chen, pat@tichenassociates.com.
Lectors & Intercessors
Liturgy invites us to engage with God by utilizing all our senses. Scripture has, up until recently, been an oral and aural tradition. Hearing scripture read in liturgy provides a space to allow our hearts and imaginations to be drawn into the stories of God and God’s people. Lectors tell the ancient and forever-continuing story of God’s love for all creation.
Intercessors are persons of prayer with a heart for the needs of church and world and the ability to voice prayer on behalf of the gathered assembly.
Through these ministries, God speaks to the people gathered in worship, and the liturgy invites us to respond with acclamations, a sung psalm, the Creed, and giving voice to our prayers.
Contact: Brianne Knudson, brianneknudson@gmail.com
Eucharistic Minister
The center of our Sunday worship is the common meal where the community takes Christ into their bodies, and then takes Christ in their bodies into the world. Lay Eucharistic Ministers ensure that every person is able to share in this meal each Sunday, administering the chalice (wine) at Holy Eucharist. In The Episocpal Church, Eucharistic Ministers are a licensed lay position.
At Christ Church, Eucharistic Ministers also assist the priest and deacon during the services by preparing the altar table for communion, assisting the priest in her prayers, and periodically serving as an acolyte carrying a cross or candle.
Ushers
If you love meeting new people and making them welcome, this may be the ministry for you!
The Usher Ministry is organized into five Usher Teams and some ushers choose to serve on more than one team. Ushers serve at the weekly 10:30 AM Holy Eucharist and at most special services (Christmas, Holy Week, memorial services, etc.)
Contact: Len Johnson, lljbrownspt@gmail.com
Worship Committee
The Christ Church Worship Committee draws its membership from persons who are in charge of various liturgical- from the visual arts to music to daily prayer to lectors and many others. We gather regularly to prepare worship in accordance with the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Our purpose is coordination of ministries, training of new ministers, review of our liturgies, and our formation in various ministries of the liturgy. Much of the work of this group takes place behind the scenes and is made possible by the incredible work of many volunteers. We are always open to comments and suggestions for incorporating liturgical practices that deepen our liturgical experience of the Divine.
Contact: Mo. Maria, maria@christchurchtacoma.org
Eucharistic Visitors
The center of our Sunday worship is the common meal where the community takes Christ into their bodies, and then takes Christ in their bodies into the world. Eucharistic Visitors carry the eucharistic elements directly from our Holy Eucharist to those of our parish who cannot be there in person and who request communion. The inclusion of physically isolated members of our church family in the eucharist draws us all close.
EVs are trained and certified for this work. In The Episocpal Church, Eucharistic Visitors are a licensed lay position.
