Behind the Scenes

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild is a volunteer group of the parish whose ministry is to care for the altar, vestments, vessels, hangings, and altar linens of the parish. Altar Guild members prepare the sanctuary for services and clean up afterwards. Altar Guild members frequently supervise the decoration of the sanctuary with flowers.

The assigned Guild members meet from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday morning to set up and prepare for Sunday services. Then one person will reset between the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services on Sunday, and then two or three members will clean up after the 10 a.m. service is finished. (The altar and sanctuary need to be ready for anything that may come up during the week.)

Currently the monthly time commitment is two weekends on and two off. With additional volunteers, the monthly time commitment could be reduced to one weekend a month. There are usually two big work days a year (all hands on deck) for deep cleaning and polishing. And of course, Easter and Christmas are huge joint efforts.

This is strictly a behind-the-scenes ministry. One has the satisfaction of helping to set the sanctuary for a smooth running of our services. The clergy are assured that the elements they need for the service are at hand — clean, filled, and ready to go. The team enjoys the rhythm of the work and finds their service very fulfilling.

For more information, contact Kate Rohrbough via the Ascension office at office@ascensionsilverspring.org.

Sunday School Teachers

Sunday School Teachers are church volunteers who give of their time and talent to our children. The commitment is for one Sunday, each month for only one hour. Classes begin in September (9/10/2023) and end in May (5/19/2024).

We use the Episcopal Children’s Curriculum for teaching, and divide students into three separate classes by age. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. in the downstairs classrooms, and kids rejoin their families in the sanctuary partway through the 10 a.m. church service.

Our goal is to be an inclusive community of faith grounded in the way of life revealed in Jesus Christ by welcoming children & teachers to join in joyful educational opportunities through sharing their spiritual gifts with each other.

For more information about becoming a Sunday School Teacher, please contact Leticia Read via the office at office@ascensionsilverspring.org.

Buildings & Grounds

Volunteers on the Buildings & Grounds Team help with upkeep of the parish buildings & grounds including: grass cutting, shrub and tree trimming, gardening, raking, and odd jobs such as replacing light bulbs, and light painting.

If you are interested in helping with the upkeep of “this old house” or are interested in helping with the gardens or yard work, please contact Leticia Read via the Ascension office at office@ascensionsilverspring.org.

Offering Counters

Offering Counters are responsible for counting and categorizing the contributions received by Ascension during services and other activities. The counters work in teams of two and perform their duties on Sundays. The teams also deposit the counted contributions in Ascension’s bank accounts. For more information, contact Leona Cosby via the Ascension office at office@ascensionsilverspring.org.

Coffee Hour Hosting / Clean-up

Coffee hour volunteers can bring food and beverages to share, set up our usual coffee and light snacks, help out with clean-up, or volunteer for any combination of the above. Contact the office at office@ascensionsilverspring.org for more details.

Website & Social Media

Volunteers for our website and social media team help curate photos, write news articles and announcements about events, and brainstorm new ideas for Ascension’s online presence and communication strategy. If you enjoy taking photos, writing, or big-picture thinking, join our team! Contact Bailey Joy Myers at music@ascensionsilverspring.org for more information.

Fundraising Committee

Each spring we have a large annual fundraising event that provides a significant portion of the revenue for the year’s budget. The event features a wide variety of entertainment — comedy, singing, skits, and more — and the fundraising committee assists in the planning and coordinating of all the moving parts. Contact the office at office@ascensionsilverspring.org for more information.