Punctuality
Try to arrive 30-45 minutes before the service to prepare yourself. Also, check to be sure if everything is in order in the sanctuary.

Assignment
Report to the usher in charge and learn your duty assignment. If you are not familiar with your area, refresh yourself by glancing through manuals and walking through the area. Know which aisle you are expected to walk down during your assignment.

Know the location of the nursery, telephone and Sunday school classrooms. Also read the church bulletin for the lastest information.

A person may come up to you after the service and say, "What were they talking about, about singles doing what? I'm a single," The usher should not say, "Well, I don't know-read your bulletin. I'm not a single. I've be married for years, even though I would like to be single."

Such an attitude tells the person question that even though you're a worker really not very interested in what goes on in your church. So why should they be interested? Ushers, read your bulletins. Make sure you have an understanding of what's going on.

Pocket Supplies
Always keep extra pens, pencils, breath mints or hard candy in your coat pocket to loan or distribute to those in need. Anticipate the needs before they arise.

Church Supplies
Check for the proper location of offering plates or buckets, offering envelopes, visitors' cards and other applicable forms that are passed out during a service. Mid-week service ushers can often perform re-supply duties.

Mid-service Duties
Preventing distractions during a service may be one of your greatest challenges. People are easily distracted and often the unsaved are looking for any excuse to escape the wooing of God's Spirit. The enemy often uses innocent children and unruly, disobedient or noisy adults to distract the lost and grieve the Holy Spirit. Disturbances create unhappy listeners who are unable to receive anything from God.

Distractions amount to double mindedness. James 1:7-8 says a double minded man is unstable in all ways and will receive nothing from God. Your job as an usher is to eliminate distractions so people do receive from God. Christians should not have to leave a service with their spiritual cup half-full.

If a person causing distractions is not seated at the end of a pew, use an index card to relay a message instead of trying to whisper. Don't allow disturbances to get out of hand before you address them.

Children
Learn how to present the availability of all nursery and children's activities that coincide with regular services. Try to meet incoming parents before they enter the sanctuary. Encourage parents to take their babies to the nursery, especially if the pastor doesn't want children or babies in the sanctuary.

If the parent insists on keeping the child (which is often necessary with a newborn), seat them in the back of the sanctuary and explain how important is that they exit if the baby makes noise or becomes restless.

Vagrants
Alcoholics, panhandlers and various types of street people will drift into you church, expecting to reap benefits of Christian charity-usually on their terms. Whenever possible, take them to a private place without involving the pastor and assign two seasoned soul-winners to them.

Hallway/Restroom Roamers
Always have an usher assigned to these two areas. Use spiritual discernment and common sense. If adults refuse to cooperate, ask them to leave the church building before you call the police. Often, the troubled person will allow you to pray for them. Handle children by escorting them to their parents or an assigned Sunday school classroom.

Distraught Individuals
Mentally distraught or demonically controlled people are often characterized by rhythmic rocking, rolling eyes, irrational movements and constant mumbling or talking themselves. Whether dealing with mental or spiritual problems, such people are extremely unstable and should be handled immediately. Contact the head usher and agree in prayer immediately for God's power to manifest itself. Then ask the person to leave. If the person refuses, ask the head usher to notify the platform.

Your pastor must make the decision whether he wants to handle the problem from the pulpit or have the usher team bodily carry out the person. Such removal can be done so smoothly that only the people near a disturbance need to know.

For example, one pastor noticed demonic activity during a Sunday service and paused during his sermon to ask the congregation to stand for a time of greeting and fellowship. When the congregation stood, the ushers removed the problem person to a counseling room so quickly that no one was aware of the situation.

Elderly
Offer your arm to resist elderly people to their seat. If they prefer to walk on their own, walk slowly to the accessible seat you've chosen for them. Don't show any impatience or irritation. If they take your arm, tell them how far you are going as you walk slowly. Ask them if they have any special needs or might need assistance to the restroom. Above all, always treat the elderly with respect.

At my home church, Church on the Move, Tulsa, Oklahoma, we have valet parking for our senior citizens. We park their cars for them. We have a special room for them, a reception room where they come in and have coffee and donuts. Pastor Willie George told the senior citizens that we were not doing this because they felt sorry for them, but out of respect for the elders and to honor them. The valet parking became so popular that senior citizens lined up for blocks, especially on a day with bad weather.

When the program first started, there was one gentleman who insisted, "There's no way you're going to park my car, young man. You'll have to carry me on a stretcher before I'll let you park my car." Then it was raining one Sunday and he was the first one there with his car, wanting the church to park it.

The word got around town. "They have valet parking over at that church for senior citizens. You just pull up, and they take your car."

Next, the church went down to a quick lube place and obtained the forms used to check oil, water and tires. Then on Sunday, when the people came for valet parking, the ministry parked the car, then went through the service checklist for the whole car. When the people came out of service, they told them what they had found.

"You're a little low on transmission fluid. You've got a tire that's a little low on air that you need to get checked. You need to get your oil checked-you might want to change it."

One Sunday the church cleaned all their windows. Teenage boys were helping. When the people pulled up, the kids just jumped in and cleaned all their windows and the inside of the car. The church did that for their senior citizens, to honor them. I think that's a great idea. Church should be a great place-an enjoyable place. We're here to serve and to minister to people.

Source: Ushering 101 by Buddy Bell
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers