Worship is at the heart of all we do at St Stephen’s, and liturgy begins and ends with the work of the Altar Guild. To care for the sacred vessels, the bread and the wine, the fair linens and hangings and the candles and torches used for worship in the Sanctuary is far more than a task, it is a true ministry. We are told that all things must be done “properly and in good order.” It is the work of the Altar Guild that makes it possible to do so. The contribution of each Altar Guild member is important; together those contributions are a devotion to the greater glory of God. My thanks, and the thanks of all the parish family of St Stephen’s Church, are given for the devotion and dedication of our Altar Guild, and to the beloved chatelaine of the Guild, Barbara Berling.

The duty and privilege of the Altar Guild is to prepare all the things necessary for the celebration of the Eucharist or any of the other Sacraments and Offices of the Church. These services are included in the Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Occasional Services. The Altar Guild is a ministry — a gift of time and talent to serve God in the beauty of holiness. At St Stephen’s, the housekeeping and decoration of God’s house is done with sincere devotion and dignity in good taste. The Rector is the head of the Guild, and Fr Ellsworth relies upon the faithful and lovely auspices of Barbara Berling and her teams to do all that must be done in preparation for the services.

The Altar Guild plays an important role and must be reliable and dependable. The Rector and the Altar Guild Chair, Ms Berling, set the customary, the style, and the tone of the services by his placement of the vessels used in the services, preference for flowers, and whether to use incense or not. The Rector appoints the Chair of the Altar Guild to organize and schedule work assignments. St Stephen’s Church organizes the guild into four teams of approximately six members each that take turns in a six-week rotation to set up and clean up for all the liturgies during a week. During holidays, the rotation is shortened so that the many services can be adequately covered. Each team has members that have one or more of the talents needed to serve on God’s altar: flower arranging, silver and brass polishing, washing, ironing, vacuuming, dusting, watering plants, trimming candles, marking the Bible lessons, or mending. The Altar Guild is always recruiting new members. Share your talents to the glory of God. Please complete the form below to express to Barbara Berling your desire to volunteer, or you may reach her by emailing the Rector’s Executive Assistant at office@ststephenschurch.org.