One of the best ways to get acquainted with St. David’s is to volunteer. You’ll meet people, share in one or more of the many ministries of St. David’s, and get involved in the life of the community here. Besides, we hardly ever do anything without food or laughter. Below are a few ways to get involved, grouped under Worship and non-Worship activities.:

Worship

There are a number of ways to take an active role in our worship services. If you are interested in any of the ministries described below, please contact our Rector unless noted otherwise.

Acolytes - Our acolyte group, open to males and females of all ages, lead the processional and recessional and serve at the altar during worship. Acolytes serve on a rotating basis. Training is offered periodically (pizza included).

Lay Eucharistic Ministers - Also known as chalice bearers, Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM) serve at the altar. Training to be a licensed LEM is provided several times during the year. Additional training is available for Lay Eucharistic Visitors, those who bring communion to our homebound members. LEMs serve on a rotating basis, about once every eight weeks.

Lay Lectors - Lectors, or lay readers, are the ones who read the lessons during worship. There is a brief training session offered when a new group is gathered. Lectors should be willing to review the readings before their scheduled service - nothing like being confronted by Paul at his most convoluted in front of a crowd. A good resource for understanding the readings and finding out how to pronounce all those names is www.lectorprep.org.

Altar Guild - Open to men and women, the Altar Guild takes care of liturgical linens and vessels, and sets the altar for worship. Some ironing and precision folding is required. Training is offered when new members are added - learn to say the word “piscina” without blushing. For more information, contact the Senior Warden.

Choir - Our Choir, though small in number, is wondrous to be heard. Choir practices are seasonal, centered on Christmas and Easter and other special events. Practice is usually before or after Sunday worship, with some weekday sessions scheduled. The choir director welcomes voices of all abilities and ranges, as well as those with musical instrument skills. Contact the Parish Administrator for more information, or to sign up.

Greeters - One of our most important ministries, Greeters provide our first impression to members and visitors alike. It’s more than just handing someone a bulletin while saying Good Morning. Our greeters get visitors oriented, make name tags and offer welcome materials to them. Greeters should be willing to come 30 minutes early. As with everything else, it’s a rotating schedule and we offer training when a new group is ready. Contact the Parish Administrator for more information, or to sign up.

Refreshments - At St. David’s we do nothing without food. Refreshments are always offered after our worship service on Sundays. They can be as simple as cake or cookies purchased, or complex as an small buffet - it’s up to the provider. We are grateful for cookies and coffee, even more so if there’s fruit or veggies to choose from, too. Coffee and punch are set up by the Altar Guild, and our kids usually set out refreshments after Eucharist. Not much training involved, unless you want baking lessons. Please Contact the Parish Administrator formore information, or to sign up.

Sunday School - At St. David’s, all of our children, as they say, are above average. Generally, kids are split into two groups, according to age. Lessons follow an established curriculum based on the same lectionary used in worship. JeanKeplinger serves as Director, but she welcomes additional teachers, especially to cover time when she is away. Ideally, additional leaders serve for 4 weeks or more in a row to provide continuity. Added benefit comes from learning from our kids, who often get it better than the adults.

Non-Worship Activities

Actually, everything we do is an act of worship, but not all of them are connected with a liturgical service. We have a variety of ministries which further the mission of St. David’s as expressed in “Who We Are”. They range from helping out with or leading church activities to participating in our social ministry to the community around us. Although Activity descriptions below focus on volunteer opportunities, being a participant is also a great way to get involved. If there is no specific contact listed, please contact the Parish Administrator for more information.

Youth Group - Our Youth Group is an active collection of junior and senior high school students. In additional to regular meetings, they participate in Diocesan-wide retreats and camps. Last year they raised money for a week of service to the elderly in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Adults are welcome as co-leaders, and kids as members. For more information, contact the Youth Director.

Adult Education - St. David’s offers thought provoking discussions on religion and our understanding of faith in the world today through book studies and DVD based curricula. Suggestions for topics and offers to lead are both encouraged, as is participation. News of the next discussion will appear in our newsletter, and on this web site under Announcements and Calendar.

Pastoral Care and Sonshine Visitors - At St. David’s, we care for the needs of each of us, from the Rector to the homebound. Our Pastoral Care team fields phone calls on Friday and Saturday to provide assistance to those in need of comfort or emergency aid and to give our Rector some time off. The SonShine Visitors provide home visits, outings and social time for our homebound members. Pastoral Care members serve on a rotating basis, with training required. SonShine Visitors serve as their time allows and meets the needs of our members. Training is also required for this ministry.

Ya-Ya’s - Our women’s fellowship group formed shortly after the first retreat in 2002. They share food and fellowship while helping each other grow spiritually. The Ya-Ya’s meet on the second Friday of each month. Activities include baby showers for members and their families, wrapping Christmas gifts for the Angel Tree, book discussions, family games, watching movies, or just sharing the joys and stresses of the past month. Contact the Parish Administrator for more information.

Circle of Page - The Circle of Page is the umbrella organization for social ministry and outreach formed by St. David’s, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, and the Page Community United Methodist Church. Several other churches and community groups provide assistance on a regular basis. The Circle of Page sponsors the Healthy Meals Soup Kitchen at the Methodist Church, the Come to the Banquet Food Pantry at St. David’s, Salvation Army Emergency Aid and additional assistance through Circle of Page funds. They also work with the Elks Club to provide Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes, and coordinate the Angel Tree program providing Christmas gifts for families in need. Volunteers can serve on a regular basis by staffing the food pantry, soup kitchen or financial aid programs. Those less willing to commit can help out with seasonal programs or offer to pick up donations from a food drive. No offer is too small. Contact the Parish Administrator for more information.

Maintenance and Property Improvements - The Junior Warden at St. David’s is in charge of property, which simply means that he or she organizes work days or repair operations. Work days are held periodically during the year; the highlight of the year is our summer work day, usually occurring on the hottest day of the year. When construction of the new sanctuary is finished, there will still be plenty to do, including new landscaping, installing cabinets in the nursery, and more. Once again, no offer too small. Contact the Junior Warden for more information.

My interest is not listed here - Suggestions for new activities are always welcome. Let us know what you’d like to do.