Service and Old St. Paul's

Before I took off for a conference in Baltimore last week, Fr. Daniel suggested I visit Old St. Paul's; a church dating back to 1692. He had gone there, while working on his doctoral dissertation on church choirs, because of their reknowned boys' and mens' choirs. I had some free time the morning of my flight home, so I walked the three or so blocks from the hotel up to Old St. Paul's.

Unfortunately, at that hour of the morning it was all closed up. So upon my return, Fr. Daniel loaned me a glossy full-color booklet from Old St. Paul's. Apparently they were in a search for a new Rector at the time the booklet was published, because that was noted in the booklet. But what was interesting also was the following column on page 13:

Opportunities for Lay Service
Acolyte Guild including Junior Acolytes
Altar Guild
Brotherhood of St. Andrew
Choir Parents
Diocesan Delegates
Flower Guild
Hospitality Committee
Lay Eucharistic Ministry
Lectors, Lay Readers & Chalice Bearers
St. Luke's Guild
Sunday Forum Committee
Sunday School Teachers
Transitional Housing Program Committee
Ushers Guild

Some of these we have, such as Altar Guild and Sunday School Teachers. Some we've discussed, such as the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. An Ushers Guild sounds a bit big and formal for our little parish -- but maybe not a bad idea. We, of course, do not have the office of Chalice Bearer; that is left to the clergy. St. Luke's Guild -- that was a puzzler until I did an Internet search: it turns out to be a home for more lay ministries (including some of the above).