Worship Leader Responsibilities

August 2009

The Worship Leader is an important and cherished role - many would say privilege -in our self

governed church, making sure the service proceeds smoothly and offers every opportunity for

various modes of worship and community building. The Worship Committee, supported by the

Board, sets up Sunday Worship speakers, themes, special events etc. and appoints/approves the

volunteer (or glad-to-be-asked conscript) Worship Leader for each Sunday. It’s wise for Worship

Leaders to begin preparing well in advance their service. Some of the more experienced worship

leaders expect to spend 5 hours in preparation. Contacting the speaker and thinking about all the

details and connections isn’t hard, but advance coordination makes it all run so very much better.

The Worship Leader, with the assistance of the Church Administrator, coordinates all arrangements

for the worship service and serves as the leader - the guy up front - of the service.

Below we have a list of tasks, check lists, speaking points and an outline of a typical church service

for your reference. We expect the Worship Leader will be responsible for coordinating the elements

of each service to ensure an apparent seamless appearance to our visitors. If any of these are a

burden to you, please just ask for help. Some Worship Leaders are more experienced than others;

some services require more logistics than others. And we are committed to team work for the sake

of wonderful services – so ask for whatever you need.

1. At least one month in advance of the Service – as soon ahead of the service as you know the

speaker and have volunteered to be the Worship Leader:

a. Contact speaker, introduce yourself, ask what s/he wants to know about the congregation

(you might start by talking with whomever made the initial contact with the speaker to

determine what has been shared and what remains) Things to communicate and consider:

o Location of our building and what our sanctuary looks like if they have never visited

o Timing of service – when we meet, for how long, discuss how long s/he will speak (20

minutes give or take a bit)

o General order of service

o How much s/he wants to participate in music selection, readings, story for all ages.

Some speakers engage fully, others just want to present the sermon. Would s/he enjoy

leading a discussion period after the sermon?

o Determine the title and description of the service; obtain a brief bio of the speaker

appropriate for both the newsletter and the newspaper (the latter will be an

abbreviated version of the newsletter version)

b. Submit a service description to the newsletter

o Provide to the church administrator, Mavis Cauffman, a title and a short, pithy,

interesting (compelling?) write-up for the sermon, and a brief bio for the speaker. This

will be needed for the newsletter, usually due about the 20

th

of the month prior to the

service you are leading. Earlier submissions are always welcomed

c. Talk to Music Director, Linda Good, about special music that is planned. We have heard

the most satisfaction after services where the music compliments the mood and message of

the service. Sometimes this is natural and easy to accomplish. Sometimes it is not and we

just accept the gift of the music no matter what.

2. At least one week prior to the Service

a. Stay in touch with the speaker – you are their life line to UUCWI. We want them to feel

welcomed and as appreciated as we are appreciative of their time spent with us. If s/he

needs to be picked up at the ferry, and you do not want to do that yourself, enlist the help

of someone in the congregation. And make arrangements for a return to the ferry, too!

Many of us are ready to help. If s/he is driving, ensure s/he has directions.

b. Think about possible hymns – which support the theme of the sermon? If you don’t know

the music already, Linda and/or the pianist can counsel you on the melodies. Select songs

“singable” for congregants who may or may not know how to read music. Advise the

accompanist the week before the service which hymns you have selected so she can be

well prepared.

c. Decide whether you would like to involve other congregants in the service – perhaps to

light the chalice, or do a reading, or tell the story for all ages. Coordinate with them as

needed

d. Prepare the Order of Service. A template is attached to the end of this note. (Appendix

A) The Church Administrator and the worship chair can help, as can other lay leaders.

Always ask for help when you want it. We are a team. E-mail the order of service to the

Church Administrator. She will proof and format it, ask you any questions that arise and

work with you to ensure it reflects your desires. She will get it printed and see that it is

delivered to the church. You might coordinate with her just in case she is going to be out

of town – she may need your help delivering the order of service

e. Design your altar: it is up to the worship leader to decorate the altar. When fresh flowers

and greens are available, many leaders choose to make a floral arrangement. Others have

used shells and precious objects. If this job entirely intimidates you, enlist the help of

someone in the congregation or worship committee. Remember, we are a team!

3. The day of the service

a. The first order of business is to relax and have fun. Yours is the face visitors will

remember. A week later they’ll recall your smile, the tone of your voice, how well

“seen” they felt by you. They won’t remember your words; they will remember your

demeanor. So relax. This is fun. Make it a gift to yourself.

b. Arrive 30 minutes early to ensure the room is set up to yours and the speaker’s

specification, you have time to the sound system, you can meet the special musicians

and know who will be playing the hymns, and you know who is ushering and who is

providing refreshments. You generally want to familiarize yourself with everyone who

will be helping to make the service run smoothly. Obviously if you are picking up the

speaker at the ferry you will want to enlist the help of someone else to be there early and

oversee the set up.

c. You are in charge of arranging the altar – flowers or decorations of your choice. If you

want help with this, all you have to do is ask. The ushers should set up the chalice, the

candles and matches, but you will want to ensure they are where you want them.

d. Room set up should be handled by the ushers. But pay attention so you are sure

everything is ready on time and as you want it. Things to watch for:

o Sound system is set up and you know how to use it

o The little starter candle for the chalice is lit

o There is an adequate number of joys and concerns candles

o Offering baskets are on the altar table and the ushers know when/how to collect the

offering

o If the lectern will be used, is it where you want it?

o Provide a glass of water on the lectern for the speaker.

e. Remember to breathe! Smile! This is fun.

f. If the speaker is arriving on his/her own, greet the speaker, orient him/her to the sound

system, the musicians, greeters, early church members – generally make the speaker feel

welcomed and embraced. If the speaker wants quiet to prepare remarks and get

“grounded” you might try to office or one of the RE rooms.

g. Coordinate with all the players – to ensure everyone is ready to start on time

o musicians,

o speaker(s), including anyone else you may have engaged in the service – perhaps to

do the chalice lighting, a special reading, the story for all ages

o ushers who will close the door at 10:00

4. Content of your remarks during the service – points to cover and connections to be made. See

the attachment below for these details. (Appendix B)

5. After the service Job well done! Congratulate yourself, take a deep breath, and receive the

appreciation of all who offer it. Thank the special musician and the speaker, escort them to the

refreshments. Make sure that guest minister/speaker and guest musicians receive honorarium.

The Church Administrator will have had the Treasurer prepare any checks beforehand. Ensure

the collection plate is emptied and the money handed to the Church Administrator (Mavis), the

Treasurer (Tom Buxton) or if neither is in attendance, take the money home and give it to them

as soon as possible. Some cleaning up will need to be done – the ushers are in charge and there

will probably be lots of help. But it is wise for the worship leader to stay engaged until all the

work is complete. Return the speaker to the ferry if appropriate.

Appendix A typical Order of Service

name of guest musician

name of Worship Leader

(spoken together)

Story for All Ages (optional name of the story)name of story teller if different than worship leader

Youth take the love of our community to their classes as we sing Go Now in Peace

guest musician’s name

Speaker’s name

Below are the speaking points you should cover as the Worship Leader. You have poetic license to

put these ideas into your own words. Practice. The more confident you are delivering all this, the

more the congregants will relax and enjoy themselves. If you forget something somewhere, pick it

up later. Your goal is to be welcoming, to convey your conviction that this is the best place any of

us could be on a Sunday morning. Some Worship Leaders write a script. You may certainly do so.

If you do, try to be so familiar with the content you don’t have to read every word, rather you can

refer to the script from time to time. Eye contact with the congregants is probably more important

than following every word of your script. We are not judging you – we are being welcomed and led

by you. And we so appreciate this gift of yourself - your wisdom and your compassion - that you

are bringing to us.

There are reference links at the end of this document – a wealth of ideas and inspirations to seed

your own thoughts.

OPENING WORDS: something relevant and inspiring to the theme today – your choice

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS – your goal here is to create an ambiance of warmth and

welcome, to create a community of people worshiping together rather than a room full of individuals

sitting in isolation from each other:

• Welcome everyone

• Thank musicians

• Tell people where they are – UUCWI

• Introduce yourself as Worship Leader

• Tell folks we are served by our minister Kit Ketcham

• If Kit is present, introduce her

• If Kit is not present, share when she’ll be back next

• Introduce today’s speaker, relevance of his/her topic to UU principles and if appropriate the

month’s theme

• Make a special welcome to visitors – invite them to introduce themselves, as they are

willing, to the congregation; ask their hosts to introduce guests

• Invite people new to UUCWI (if any in the crowd) to the back of the Order of Service to

read our principles

• Invite visitors to register for information and our newsletter – signup sheet should be on the

table in the foyer

• Invite people to greet their neighbors – pay attention to people in the back who might be

isolated so they are greeted as well

• Encourage everyone to stay for refreshments after the service

• Optionally you may want to ring the bell to call us to sacred celebration or to worship

CHALICE LIGHTING : something relevant and inspiring – your choice

• This is an opportunity to invite someone from the congregation to participate – again this is

your choice. It’s also a place where we can involve our youth. Perhaps you even invite an

entire family to do the chalice lighting.

• There are ideas at the UUA web site: www.uua.org/worshipweb/main.html

• See the back of our hymnal for more ideas, starting at 447

• You get to pick a chalice response if you want one. Some options:

o May love reign among us here, in this hour of community.

o We light this chalice to remind ourselves to treat all people kindly because they are

• invite people to stand as they are able and join you in the unison affirmation printed in the

Order of Service and to remain standing for the opening hymn. (otherwise folks have a stand

up-sit down-stand up- sit down experience )

OPENING HYMN: select one here that is especially accessible for our youth and children. Invite

people to stand as they are able and join you in singing – we want to be sensitive to folks’ physical

ability. Mavis invites people to stand in body or spirit

• If you are not doing the story yourself, introduce the story teller

• Invite youth to the front of the room to join the story teller

• As much as you are able, tell the story instead of reading it. That engages both youth and

adults much more effectively. Remember, this is a story for everyone, not just the children.

You want to keep the adults just as engaged as the children.

CHILDREN DEPART – your goal here is to make the youth departure ceremonious and special

• Some Worship Leaders say the words: The youth will now take the light of our community to

• sing #413,”Go Now in Peace”

JOYS & CONCERNS – your goal here is to further build a sense of shared commitment to each

other through sharing what is happening in our lives, worrying us, filling us with sorrow and/or

celebration. This is a sacred time

• Say something that invites people to come forward

• You can also invite silence first so people can decide whether they want to speak

• Explain candle ceremony

• Ask people to introduce themselves and use the microphone

• Finish by lighting a candle for the unspoken joys and concerns we hold within

• You may or may not want a congregational response to the joys and concerns. It’s your

discretion depending on how long the service will run. One we have used from time to time:

o May the joys and concerns spoken here this afternoon

HYMN invite people to stand as they are able and join you in singing. Selecting hymns that

support the theme of the service contributes to a more coherent service

OFFERTORY:

• say some words to create a space for generosity

o there are many ways to contribute to the life of this congregation & we are grateful

for all of them

o invite people into a point of view that sharing of our money is a sacred act too

o acknowledge that some folks pay monthly by mail – invite them to hold the basket

for a moment and receive a prayer of appreciation

o first time visitors are invited to pass the basket by – their presence at the service is

their gift to us

• invite them to enjoy an interlude with our musicians

• the ushers should return the offering to the altar after the music concludes; say some words

of gratitude. Your intention is to continue to make money sacred in this context

READING – this is optional and will be determined by you in consultation of the speaker. Think

about what it will contribute to the flow, intention and spirit of the service

• this might be a responsive reading from the hymnal or an insert in the order of service

• it might be a reading the speaker has chosen

• it might be a prayer

• it might be given by the speaker, the Worship Leader, another congregant

ANNOUNCEMENTS: we try to make this a community building time so setting the context is

important… this can represent how we use what we experience on Sunday mornings in our “service

of life”

• direct people’s attention to announcements printed in the order of service

• invite others to make announcements that are time critical and relevant to this community

• have them stand and speak loudly or come forward and use the microphone

BENEDICTION AND EXTINGUISH THE CHALICE you may do this, or the speaker

• remind people to join us for refreshments

• especially invite visitors so we can further welcome them

• if there will be a post-sermon discussion group, advise them when and where (suggest at

least a 10 minute pause between the service and commencing the discussion)

• invite people to be seated and to enjoy one last musical interlude by our special musician

• Our UUCWI Hymnal

• Mavis has a couple books on worship for brief loan to worship leaders

• The Unitarian Universalist Association has lots of material suggestions:

• Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow have been collecting “best practices” from UU churches

they have visited all around the country and offer them to us all on their Great Story web

site: http://www.thegreatstory.org/UU-practices.html

we encourage you not to read a book… you can paraphrase it, simplify

it, tell it as a story

• Local library – the librarians will even help you find a story for a specific theme

• Mavis, Kit, Mary, Frances Wood, and our Director of Religious Education, Vanessa, may

have suggestions

• Consider a myth from other cultures

• Aesop’s fables

• Folktales of the Native American by Dee Brown

• Treasury of Classic Stories for Children by Eric Carle

• 33 Multicultural Stories from Other Lands by Pleasant de Spain

• Wisdom Tales from Around the World by Heather Forest

• Her Stories – African American folktales by Virginia Hamilton

• Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

• Echoes of the Elders by Chief Lelooska

• Illustrated Myths of Native America by Tim McNeese

• Favorite Folktales from Around the World by Jane Yolen

• stories sorted by monthly holidays and seasonal celebrations:

• Another story source on the web – some stories written here, others referenced: