The following is an updated version of a letter written many years ago. Now that more church activities are happening in person and we are figuring out what a “new normal” will be, many of these “old” questions are still relevant, and may have or need new answers.
Have you ever Wondered?
Sometimes, when I am sitting in the Meetinghouse waiting for service to begin, when I should be preparing for worship, instead I get to wondering who dusts the chandelier?
Who waters the plants? Who prepared and recorded the service for Youtube? Who monitors the live stream? Who are the hosts, co-hosts for the Zoom meeting? Who will be reading for the service this week? How do I get to be a reader?
Who bakes the communion bread? Who makes sure there are refreshments for “Coffee” hour? Who buys them? Where do they get them?
Who provides nursery care? Where is the nursery?
Who cleans the communion linens? Who washes the communion cups? Who collects the cups? Where do the flowers go after service? Do they stay in the Meetinghouse all week? Is there anyone in the meetinghouse during the week?
Who plans the children’s musical service in May? Who teaches the children?
Who publishes and edits the e-newsletter? Does it get printed for folks without internet? Who can write for the Meeting House Times?
Who takes the food we donate to Owl’s kitchen? What other non-profits do we support? Do we have other “sister churches besides Bridgeport and Torrington? What does “sister” church mean, anyway?
Who are all those people in the Parish Hall on Mondays?
Who opens the church if Pastor John can’t be here? Who cleans the windows? Who decides when it’s time to paint the church again? Who locks up at night?
Who counts the money from the offering? Who takes it to the bank? How does it get spent?
Who cleans the bathrooms? Who makes sure paper towels are purchased? Who dusts the library? Who vacuums the rugs? Who cleans the kitchen? Who, besides us, uses the kitchen?
Who stocked the library? Who decides which books to buy? Who tunes the piano? Where do the choir robes go? Do the choir members take them home? How do you get to be in the choir? Who produced the music for our Zoom services?
How do I sign up to host fellowship hour? What is fellowship?
Why do we sometimes have service at Silver Lake Conference Center? What is Silver Lake? Where is Silver Lake? Did you know we will again have a service once a month at Noble Horizons?
Who rings the bell which calls us to service on Sunday? How? What bell?
Which tasks are volunteer and which are paid?
I don’t know the answer to most of these questions, I just know I am grateful.