rotas for volunteers
We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help out with stewarding, coffee, and greeting on Sunday mornings (see below for details of what these tasks entail). Please contact our outreach officer, Jane Blackall (rotas@kensington-unitarians.org.uk), with your email address if you are willing to volunteer.
| Date | Stewarding | Coffee | Greeting |
| 26th February | Gisela | David Darling | Jo Ridgers |
| 4th March | Tristan Jovanović | Sue Smith | Gina Bayley |
| 11th March | Veronica Needa | Sonya Leite | Carol Sheppard |
| 18th March | Howard Hague | Gill Hague | Arthur Krebbers |
| 25th March | Natasha Drennan | Ruth Okine | Jo Ridgers |
| 1st April | ? | ? | ? |
| 8th April | ? | ? | ? |
| 15th April | ? | Caroline Blair | ? |
| 22nd April | ? | ? | ? |
| 29th April | Alice Lambert | Juliet Edwards | ? |
The Role of the Steward:
- The steward should usually arrive quite early (by 10.30am at the latest) to ensure that the chairs in the church are laid out properly, the sound system is plugged in and switched on, and that the seasonal wall-hangings at the front of the church are all neat and tidy.
- The steward also makes sure that one of the office keyholders (Sarah, Jane, Juliet, Howard, Harold, Caroline) has brought the chalice upstairs and places it on its stand.
- The candles for joys and concerns need to be brought out of the cupboard and the steward also ensures there are matches/tapers available.
- As people start to arrive, the steward hands out service sheets/hymnbooks, which is the most visible part of the job. There are large print hymnsheets for those who need them.
- The steward is responsible for helping latecomers to come in quietly and find a seat (and also brings extra chairs in from the hall if the church is unexpectedly full!).
- It is also useful if the steward can keep an eye on the foyer in case anyone comes in and wanders off elsewhere in the church during the service.
- Finally, the steward hands round the offertory bags during the collection, and counts the loose cash collection after the service.
- We keep a record of how much is received and also count how many people are attending each week as these statistics are an important part of the congregational growth project (all recorded in the 'Steward's Blue Book').
- The money is handed to Juliet, Sarah, Jenny, or a member of the committee to put away for safekeeping. The steward has quite a lot of little tasks to remember... but we will soon put a steward's checklist in the church for future reference!
The Role of the Coffee-Maker
- The person making tea/coffee should arrive quite early (by about 10.30am) to get the cups and saucers out of the cupboard and start preparing for the inevitable rush for refreshments which will come straight after the service.
- Since we committed to being a 'Fairtrade Church' we take care to stock up on fairly traded tea, coffee, and biscuits, and we generally buy these in bulk to ensure there are always supplies in the cupboard.
- The only thing that the tea/coffee maker needs to bring along on a Sunday morning - unless you are feeling particularly keen - is some fresh milk (and you can claim back for the cost).
- Recently we have tried to get into the habit of making 'real coffee' instead of instant. The metal cafetieres are usually kept in the cupboard under the cooker hob.
- It is usually a good idea to slip out of church during the final hymn to put the kettle on so you're ready for the stampede.
- After coffee-time you finally need to wash up (hopefully with a little help from your friends) and put everything away before you go.
The Role of the Greeter
- Amongst other things, the greeter will make sure that the front door is opened by 10.30am, and will stand in the foyer to welcome people.
- The greeter might usher people into the hall where people gather to chat before the service.
- It may also be helpful to point out where the toilets are and mention that there is a coat rack in the church itself.
- We generally try to discourage people (other than the steward and those involved in the service) from going into the worship space until the choir have finished practicing.
- If visitors are entirely new to Unitarianism then the greeter might offer some leaflets or a copy of our newsletter to help them get a sense of who we are.
last updated: 22 February 2012
