ALTAR GUILD
At St. Paul’s by the Sea, the Altar Guild is composed of a group of dedicated members of all ages who work to prepare for all Eucharistic services.
The Altar Guild is responsible for tasks such as:
- Preparing the altar
- Laying out the vestments and vessels for worship
- Setting the credence table with the elements (bread and wine) to be administered during communion
- Laundering and ironing altar and worship linens, polishing brass and silver, filling candles and various other tasks.
- Ensuring the altar is dressed in the proper color of the day (frontal hanging, burse, etc.)
- Cleaning up after services and/ or preparing for another service
The Altar Guild is a ministry of “quiet service”. It’s behind the scenes, but a most critical act of service to the church. The objective is the same for any weekly or special service: to make each service as perfect as possible.
A prayer used by many Episcopal Churches for Altar Guilds states the commitment this ministry makes to the church: “Almighty God, grant we beseech thee, that we may handle holy things with reverence, and perform our work with such faithfulness and devotion that it may rise with acceptance before thee and obtain thy blessing; through Christ our Lord. Amen”.
We encourage participation in this important ministry and we welcome men and women to join our “teams” who take pride in preparing all areas of our church for worship. All are welcome.
