For Wilshire Baptist Church
What a great moment it was on Sunday morning to witness George Mason, our pastor, dedicate his first grandson. I had a back-row seat—but a great seat nonetheless—by watching it from the Narthex. I was there because when George dedicates a baby he carries the child up one aisle, through the Narthex, and back down the other aisle. To make sure he can travel safely and keep both hands on the child, we open the doors. And when I say “we” open the doors, I mean ushers and greeters.
Wilshire’s ushers and greeters open doors in lots of different ways. And as it turns out, being an usher or greeter can open the doors to a fuller and richer life in the church.
Ushers were my first point of contact with Wilshire, and ushering quickly became my first point of impact. I had moved to the east side of Central Expressway and was looking for a new church. I came to Wilshire one morning and was greeted and welcomed at the Narthex door by an usher. Nothing unusual about that, but when I came back a few Sundays later, that same usher greeted me again:
“Hey, I’m glad you’re here. I need you.”
“Uh … for what?”
“To usher. To pass out bulletins and help collect the offering.”
“But … I’m not a member.”
“Doesn’t matter. I need you.”
He didn’t ask if I would help or could help. He simply said, “I need you.”
Wow. In six years at the other church, I never was told I was needed. My presence was accepted, welcomed, appreciated, but never “needed.” As such, it was easy to blend into the crowd and easy to walk away without drawing attention. But when someone said I was “needed” at Wilshire, my life changed; I wanted to come back. George was the new young pastor, and that was a draw, but being needed was the key for an introvert like me. In time, it was clear that I needed Wilshire too.
For 27 years now I’ve been opening doors and everything else that ushers do: greet members and guests, pass out worship booklets, collect the offering, collect the guest cards and prayer cards, direct guests to the Welcome Center, help parents and children find each other, and get old friends connected who have chosen Wilshire as a meeting place.
And then there are the occasional odd jobs. I’ve helped find a nurse or doctor for someone who was ill. I’ve received pizza deliveries for the youth ministry and UPS packages for church staff. I’ve spoken to homeless people looking for a connection for help. I’ve helped lost churchgoers find the Catholic church a few blocks away—but not before inviting them to stay and worship with us.
For years I volunteered to usher every week, but I’ve had to cut back because of an interesting dynamic: the more I got to know people through ushering, the more I became connected with other areas of service and ministry: committees, Wilshire Winds, mission trips, deacon service.
Thankfully, other people have joined the ranks of ushers and greeters. When I first started ushering, it was mostly men of a certain age. My hair was graying early, so I fit right in. Not true anymore. Wilshire ushers and greeters are women and men, young and old, spouses and siblings, parents and children. More than ever, ushers and greeters look like Wilshire. We’re a multigenerational church, and it shows on Sunday mornings when the ushers come down the aisles.
We’re also a busy church with members who enjoy busy lives, and so we always need more people to usher and greet. Through a well-organized Hospitality Ministry, ushers and greeters can choose their days, their worship services, their points of impact and contact. And the more people we have, the more flexible that schedule can be.
So, would you like to open doors to your Wilshire experience by opening doors for others? Wilshire needs you. If you’re interested, contact Tiffany Wright at twright@wilshirebc.org.