I set out here with a certain amount of trepidation or apprehension. Publicly criticizing one’s own church is a rather bold move and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s easy to criticize and it’s easy to whine but quite often it’s inappropriate. So if you’re going to stick your neck out to such a degree you’d better be right and it better be important.
I am and it is.
Our ushers ignore anyone seated up front behind the pulpit. Whether passing out papers or taking up the offering, if you’re up front on the platform you might as well forget it. No papers for you, and just keep your money.
I grew up being trained by example that as an usher you always courteously extend the plate to the service participants seated on the platform before you begin harvesting from the congregation. That’s just good, right, polite, and proper. The gents on stage are people too, and they also have contributions for the church coffers!
You may say, if someone is going to be up on the platform when the offering is taken he can just give his tithe to his wife to put in the basket. That may be an occasional solution, but this morning I was attending services alone! My wife wasn’t there! Now what?! (She worked last night.)
And the time before I did give it to her but she isn’t completely used to being married yet evidently. She put it in my Bible which I then carried up front! Oops! The money counters had a good laugh at us after church.
This is a real concern. Preachers, song leaders, and Sunday school superintendents could theoretically just get tired of being ignored by the ushers and decide that you know what, I guess they don’t want my tithe! They never want to take it from me so maybe I’ll just leave it at home!
And what would happen to the church if the leadership were forced to such an attitude?! Leadership by example; soon the offerings would plummet, financial ruin would ensue, dissolution would be imminant! All because of improperly trained ushers!
Maybe we should institute an Usher Training Progam and ramrod all our ushers and potential ushers through it. Come next business meeting I think I’ll propose establishing a committee to study the feasibility of authorizing the development of a council to look into commissioning a board to fashion a suitable training program. Once our conference would see the incredible success of this solution to our widespread problem, I’m sure we could get the UTP’s in our sister churches and our Bible schools and put an end to this epidemic.
But as for now if you ever visit my church and want to avoid the collection plate, come on up and sit behind the pulpit!
16 Responses
December 11th, 2005 at 7:53 pm
There is also the issue of welcoming people to the church. OUr regular ushers do very well but if someone substitutes and your visiting forget a nice friendly welcome. That is if the regular remembered to get a substitute…..
December 11th, 2005 at 9:12 pm
Tom, I have seen someone at our church jump up from his seat on the platform and come down to the usher with his offering. Have you ever thought of getting up and chasing him down?! I do understand your concern about this weighty issue and I certainly hope that by bringing it up you will be able to effect some much needed change. Thank you for having the courage to speak up.
December 11th, 2005 at 10:48 pm
How about having a “TITHE BOX”? Otherwise known as poor box, or comment box….I’m sure the ushers are just too courteous to put someone on the spot….what if they had no check with them, but meant to give and had to pass it empty in front of everyone? Horrors.
December 12th, 2005 at 10:22 am
Amen and amen. I never actually thought of that but now that you mention it, I’ve usually seen ushers from most churches go directly to the platformed fellows. To think that our church is lacking in such courtesy is disturbing and should be brought to the attention of the head usher. You could mention something to your brother-in-law if he’s not stuck in a ditch somewhere.
-Kaitlyn
December 12th, 2005 at 10:48 am
Tom, a suggestion….
Since you’re a man of considerable repute, ingenuity, and tact, get a CyberMennoPetition going, directed to FBEP.
Since they have a TAP program, maybe they could start a TUPPERWARE program.
Training Ushers to Professionally and Properly Extract Remarkable Wealth Anonymously, Remotely, and Excellently
(I may have the exact meaning of the acronymn somewhat incorrectly, but you get the drift, I’m sure.)
December 12th, 2005 at 7:59 pm
Our church seems to have eliminated this issue by taking up the offering during the Sunday School time… when the chairs are empty up there.
It seems our “pulpit chairs” are regarded in such a fashion that mere mortals are not worthy to sit thereon. Sunday School Superintendant and Song Leader…forget it. Only the ordained sit up there although I suspect each of our ministers would be first in line to relinquish their “right” to those chairs as they are a very “non-pious” bunch if that is a word.
December 12th, 2005 at 11:08 pm
Glen, as long as you give me a friendly welcome I’ll be happy!
WLEN, I wouldn’t want to cause a scene!
Food Passer, then that would be a lesson to them that they’d better not forget next time!
Kaitlyn, my brother-in-law was indeed the first offender!
Bro. Mark, lately the king of acronyms, what an excellent suggestion! Brilliant!
Ben, I don’t generally relish the idea of sitting up there myself.
December 13th, 2005 at 3:43 pm
I second the motion and agree that there should be an inquisitory commitee to look into the training up and effectiveness of properly trained ushers. (Never mind that the majority of the church-goers really need a Courtesy 101 course.) My tithe is also safely in my Bible. All $2.50.
December 18th, 2005 at 9:53 pm
Hey Tom, why don’t you bring your church criticism over to MD and get a thread started in the Theology section. I mean, if they can discuss the theology of chewing gum during a worship service, your problem will be a definite upgrade! {:^)
Brother Mark, how long did it take for you to figure all of that out? Makes me wonder if you have too much time on you hands there bro.! {;^)
December 19th, 2005 at 9:36 pm
Truthseeker wrote: “Brother Mark, how long did it take for you to figure all of that out? Makes me wonder if you have too much time on you hands there bro.!”
How long? Oh, I don’t know. Two minutes at most, I suppose.
Too much time? That’s a logical wonderment. Actually, I’m trying to make better use of my time…so I’m cutting back on MennoDiscuss. :)
December 19th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
Good call Mark! Cut back on MD before ITF!
December 20th, 2005 at 12:35 am
I figured that would get a response from you, Tom. :D
December 21st, 2005 at 11:30 pm
Mark, just curious, why the cut back on MD? I can think of several reasons for myself, but I would like to hear yours. You can make Tom’s and Ag’s day and respond here or slip over there and PM me directly. I would greatly value your thoughts.
December 22nd, 2005 at 12:35 am
First, an admission to ITF: I posted twice at MD today. But I did hold off till after the day was half over.
TruthSeeker: I’m backing of MD for a variety of reasons. A huge one is the amount of time I don’t have for it. Another is that I don’t have/take the time for serious engagement on serious issues. While I enjoy bantering and quizzing, I don’t want that to be my MD persona and reputation. I suppose there are other reasons, but that’s enough for now. If ever I can, I would like to go back, pick one single issue being discussed, and thoroughly engage’m. All those teenagers there need some direction.
*insert friendly, disarming, non-condescending smile here *
December 23rd, 2005 at 7:16 pm
Thanks Mark, I believe you have some good reasons, I regret not having a deeper understanding of the issues beyond my own life experiences. Seems I have the time, but I feel the lack the wisdom I need to help re-direct some of their thinking. I will say that I have learned a lot from those “teenagers” over there; they do challenge me to dig in the Scripture as well as to think beyond the box I have existed in for over 35 years.
Don’t be a complete stranger to MD! Pick a needy thread when you can, I would love to read that discussion! {:^)
December 29th, 2005 at 10:14 pm
*ahem* “How’s Utopia?” And, “RUM says ‘hi'”. OK. Now that we have that settled, have a great day!