The Parish of St. Thomas, Werneth

Leader's Notes: Morning Prayer

Before the Service

  • Check that the colour of the hangings is correct.
  • Check that the cross has been put out on the altar.
  • 9:50 am or before: Be at St. Thomas' to open the church.
  • Check that the chairs and altar table are put out.
  • Check that the Raspberry Pi is on. You may need to use the purple-fobbed "Organ Chamber" key to open the door.
  • Check that the TV is in the right place and is connected to the Raspberry Pi and speaker
  • Microphones are in the vestry. The handheld microphone is in the piano stool. 1 is for those with louder voices. 2 is for those with quieter voices.
  • Speaker check that it is on.
  • Raspberry Pi check that it providing a signal to the TV.
  • The Collect and Readings should be on the table in the vestry. Feel free to take the Collect in, but do make sure the readings are on the Lectern.
  • The president usually sits centrally, on a red chair, facing the congregation, behind the altar table.
  • If you are playing the music, try to start it so that it finishes at 10:30 am.
  • I generally discretely slip in during the music before the service, and prepare myself for the service while the music is playing.

During the Service

  • Hymns Please announce the hymns, and ask people to stand. They will be played on the TV and through the speaker.
  • Stage Directions I generally encourage people to follow the stage directions themselves (e.g. sit / standing) rather than have them wait for me to announce them.
  • Sunday School takes place on the 1st and 2nd Sundays. Please pray for the children as they leave after the opening prayer.
  • The Psalm We generally sit for the Psalm if it is responsorial, or stand if it is metrical.
  • The Gospel is usually read from the lectern.
  • Sermon: You are welcome to preach from where you like. I generally stand at the front. Or you can use the legilium. The pulpit is not normally used.
  • The Intercessions I generally introduce them with one of:
    • "Let us pray for the church and for the world, and let us give thanks for God's goodness"
    • "In peace let us pray"
    • "By the power of the Spirit, and in union with Christ, let us pray to the Father." or
    • "We sit or kneel to pray"
  • The Peace We usually have a static "sign" of peace, which could be waving to each other, or a BSL sign of peace, or anything appropriate for the day.
  • Collection There is a collection during the hymn before the prayers.
  • The Notices Please announce them if Nick is not present, from the website home page. Please encourage the children to show their pictures, and use the hand-held microphone so they can be heard.
  • The Dismissal Please leave after the dismissal and a few bars of the "going out music" have been played. At St. Thomas', people the children can start playing on the piano, in which case it's better to turn the music off before it finishes.

After the Service

  • I generally catch the early leavers at the exit, or just outside, then go in for tea and coffee afterwards, and mingle. . .
  • Ensure that the speaker power is turned off, the microphones put away, and the Raspberry Pi turned off.
  • Ensure that the altar table and lectern are returned to their places. The blue cloth over the altar table.
  • The chairs can be left out.
  • Check that the door to the organ chamber is closed, and the key returned to its place.
  • Check that the cross has been put back in the Vestry
  • Check that all the ropes are cordoning off the Baptistery, Memorial Chapel and Chancel.