Guidelines for stewards

The stewards are responsible for taking up the offering, and handing out the communion elements on a Sunday morning during the service.

If you cannot fulfil your duty please give notice on the BBC Stewards WhatsApp group, or notify Ian Bowie.
The dress code for those who serve up front is smart casual.
Ask God in prayer to use you as you serve Him, and His people.

Please arrive no later than 9:15am for the 9:30am service.
Inform the deacon on duty (you can see who that is by looking at the run sheet) that you are present when you arrive.
There are 6 offering bags. Each steward should take 1 offering bag.
There are 6 stewards on a team. There are 5 seating sections in the main hall. Split up into 3 groups of 2s. Decide on which teams will start on which sections. This will require you to communicate with one another.
Be seated 5 minutes before the service starts.
Be seated in such a way as to minimise distraction when you come up.
Be seated closer to the front of the church to minimise time to come up.
Anticipate coming up just before you’re called (you can see when that is by looking at the run sheet).
Please turn on the stage lights on dim.

There are 6 stewards on a team. There are 5 seating sections in the main hall. Split up into 3 groups of 2s. The teams should start with the 2 outer seating sections and the middle seating section.
Start taking up the offering from the front of the seating section.
There are 2 bags per team of 2 stewards. Make sure that the bags are going down alternate rows to speed up taking up the offering.
Once you’ve taken up the offering from the seating section you’re responsible for, move to one of the inner seating sections, or the back row, or the mothers room.

As soon as communion is announced, go to the front of the church, near the table, off the stage, and await further instruction from the communion leader.
As soon as the communion leader asks you to hand out the communion elements, go up the stage, to the table, and collect the elements, and go to one of the seating sections.
Our standard practice is to hand out the elements together. But from time to time, the communion leader may ask you to hand out one element at a time. You need to listen carefully to his instruction.
If you are handing out the elements one at a time, then as soon as the bread has been handed out, go back to the front of the church, near the table, off the stage, and await further instruction from the communion leader.
There are 6 stewards on a team. There are 5 seating sections in the main hall. Split up into 3 groups of 2s. The groups should start with the 2 outer seating sections and the middle seating section.
Start handing out the communion elements from the front of the seating section.
Once you’ve handed out the communion elements from the seating section you’re responsible for, move to one of the inner seating sections, or the back row, or the mothers room. Also ensure that communion elements are handed out to everyone on the stage.
You may need to communicate to one another if there isn’t enough elements for one of the sections.