Service: Work Within Our Church

The mission of the altar guild is to prepare the chancel for worship. The guild generally does this on Saturday, and duties include filling the candles, placing the flowers, minimal housekeeping, and, on the first and third Sundays, setting up for Holy Communion.

On Sunday, there are a few things to do after services, but they take very little time. This vital service is necessary for orderly worship, but is not demanding or difficult. Serving on the altar guild offers the opportunity to learn about the church year, the seasons, the meaning of various instruments and fixtures, the colors of the paraments, and more.

The banner circle includes interested members of the church who make banners to beautify the church and other parts of our facility. Since the circle began meeting in 2001, each banner that we make is dedicated to the glory of our God. We invite all who are interested in banner making! We consider ourselves amateurs, and we welcome ideas for new patterns. If you like to sew, cut, glue, and iron, join us on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 9:30 a.m. at the meeting house.

Redeemer has certain members who serve on the board of directors for Camp Dixie. The board ensures the smooth operation of the camp’s main outreach—Christian youth retreats. The main source of fundraising to support the camp is our locally famous chicken dinners, which we hold six to eight times a year. We encourage all to come out to Camp Dixie in Alabama on the beautiful shores of Perdido Bay to share a meal and some great fellowship! Members are also welcome to help fry chicken, prepare side dishes, serve desserts, and lend a hand on the days when the Camp Dixie chicken fries happen.

Redeemer has two opportunities for people to use their voices to praise God and to add to the congregation’s music: the youth choir, led by Ms. Karen Fulton, and the adult choir, led by Mr. Glenn Blank. The youth choir kids sing once a month, and the adult choir sings during the holiday seasons from Advent through Easter. Other vocal groups, soloists, and instrumentalists also enhance the musical atmosphere of our praise and worship to God.

We have a range of vocal experience in the adult choir, from those who have never sung publicly before to those who have studied music in college and sung in community choirs for many years. What all of the members have in common is their direction and motivation. Choir director Glenn Blank says that of all the choirs he has directed, this one is the most focused: “We get more accomplished in a short 45-minute rehearsal than many choirs can cover in two hours.” Rehearsals are intense, with every minute filled, but the camaraderie that stems from our common purpose makes rehearsing and singing together a joy.

If you are serious about using your music in worship, and if you or your children want to be involved at a deeper level, we welcome you to join us! To enroll your children in The Little Lambs Choir, please contact Ms. Fulton through the church office. To become a part of the adult choir, Mr. Blank invites you to call him at 251-609-2040 or contact him via email.

The church council represents the voting members of the congregation to conduct the regular business of the church. The council generally meets on the second Monday evening of each month. When current terms expire and the need arises to elect council members, we form a nominating committee to receive and solicit nominations from the congregation. Voting members of Redeemer’s congregation are eligible, subject to our constitution and bylaws. Serving on the church council is a wonderful way to give of your time and talents to serve the Lord!

What is a church mouse? No, it’s not a furry gray rodent—at least not at Redeemer Lutheran Church. The church mice at Redeemer are a group of women who “scurry” about restocking the prayer request cards, the offering envelopes, and the member and visitor cards. While they’re at it, they make sure the hymnals are all facing the same way and the pencils are sharp enough to write. They even pick up any trash left behind after the services. This may not be a glamorous task, but as the old saying goes: “somebody’s gotta do it.”

Our church mice do their scurrying whenever it fits their schedule each week during the month they work. At present, each church mouse has a month of “scurry duty” twice a year. This is a very simple and quiet way of serving your church. If you’d like to be a church mouse, please contact the church office. We would love to welcome you to the “colony.” Many hands make light work, so it’s possible the duty rotation could be even less than twice a year, depending on how many new church mice join.

Communion assistants are male church officers and leaders, Elders, and Christian men of character and maturity who assist the pastor in the church’s biblical readings, baptisms, and serving communion during the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The purpose is to provide men an opportunity to serve the church in a meaningful, uplifting manner, and to assist the pastor in carrying out his duties as our spiritual leader.

The hospitality committee is a group of volunteers who keep track of the inventory of common items in our kitchen pantry, such as paper plates, plastic and styrofoam cups, plasticware, paper towels, napkins, and more. The committee also monitors and replenishes consumable items like coffee, sugar, creamer, tea, salt, pepper, and what-have-you. This is a very important function for the smooth operation of Koffee Klatch, after church receptions, Bible studies, and meetings. Your participation may be as simple as counting supplies once a month, but it is necessary and appreciated! Just contact the church secretary to volunteer.

Money counters ensure proper annotation of offering envelopes and endorsement of checks, and they count currency. Assignments are usually for one month, and rotation depends on the number of volunteers.

Several times a year, the property and grounds chairperson organizes beautification days to spruce up the church and school property. Usually, this is on a Saturday in the spring and fall, or if a weather-related event has caused a special need.

Although we have a lawn service mow the grass regularly, the purpose of the beautification day is to plant and tend flower gardens, trim hedges, plant trees, and generally tend to things that your lawn service leaves to you. We invite anyone who can handle a rake, shovel, garden trowel, or hedge trimmer to serve the Lord in this fun way!

From time to time, there are special events that need extra hands to help set up, cook, serve food, and clean up to make them happen. These might be receptions after baptisms or confirmations, special services, or simply a fellowship potluck. Anyone with time and talents may serve. Interested? Contact the church office to learn how you can help with an upcoming event.

Formerly called the Redeemer Student Assistance Fund, we established this fund in December 1980 to help alleviate the shortage of candidates for offices of Pastors, Teachers, Deaconesses, Directors of Christian Education, and other similar professional careers in our Synod by providing them with some financial aid during their educational years. We still experience the need for such church workers today, so the fund continues.

Redeemer’s ushers serve God within the fellowship of our congregation. They minister to and are landmarks to churchgoers who learn to depend upon them. They are lamps that dispel the darkness and give light to warm the sanctuary. They are those to whom the first daily questions are asked—and they do not always have the answer, but they will seek those who do.

At each service, the ushers greet all who enter, hand out bulletins, give worship instructions, and seat and give assistance to those who need it. They collect the offering. At communion, they pull the communicants from the pews row by row, control the gate to the communion rail, and lend a helping hand as folks step down from the chancel. After services, they clean up the sanctuary.

Who can serve as an usher? Men and teenagers who are confirmed members and non-members; occasionally, women and youth for special services. Want to serve? Please contact an usher or one of the Elders whose names are printed on the back of a Sunday bulletin or on the Contact page.