Altar guild is a ministry with responsibility to prepare the Church for all services. Members work to assist Fr Scott and enhance worship at St Matthew’s. Weekly duties include setting the altar for each service, cleaning up after services, tending candles and flowers, posting hymns, ensuring proper color of hangings, checking supplies, and caring for linens. As many members as possible meet monthly on a Saturday morning to clean brass, polish silver, and oil wood. Altar guild also helps to decorate the Church for Easter and Christmas. 

 

Altar guild at St Matthew’s works in three teams to cover the weekly duties and services. The teams rotate weeks, so altar guild members generally work one out of three weeks. Members also serve as chair of their group 2-3 times each year. This seems to be an effective way to share duties without overburdening any one member. We are flexible to accommodate members who travel or are unable to work for periods of time.

 

Altar guild needs new members, especially for the 9:15 and 11:15 Sunday services. We will provide training and you will work with experienced members until you feel comfortable working on your own. We would like to have two members for each team for each Sunday service…many hands make light work and will help maintain our flexibility for scheduling.

 

Altar guild members include Lori Gorsline, Pauline Wilson, Karen Kiss, Helen Burrell, Holly King, Cathy Giacomazzi, Dee Daniels, Laura Bender, Betsy Sharp, Marty Thomas, Marie Reid, Julia Cockerille, Maggie Castellini, Betsy Smith, Ann Fleenor, Diana Childs, Pat Sackinger, Marlin Collins, and Lucy Millington. Dawn Jagow joined us as a new member this year. Thank you to each of you for sharing your gifts and for your service to the Church. 

 

Cathy Giacomazzi serves as co-chair. We would welcome a volunteer to assist her due to the resignation of our second co-chair, Mary Johnston, who is moving for work to Germany for a year or so.

 

For more information or to begin working with altar guild, please contact Cathy Giacomazzi (telephone 907-479-7736), any altar guild member, or the church office. You are welcome to stop at the sacristy any time the door is open. We invite you to join us!