Church of The Epiphany Episcopal
Church of The Epiphany
4900 Nathan Lane N
Plymouth, MN 55442
ph: 763-559-3144
adminepi
Worship & Music
The Worship & Music Ministries Commission covers a wide variety of teams that help to form our worship experiences. These teams are typically led by paid staff who work with many dedicated volunteers. These volunteers and staff keep our services running smoothly and provide beautiful music to enrich our worship.
Altar Guild: The Altar Guild is comprised of several teams who rotate responsibilities for setting up and putting away items used at the altar during services. They also care for altar furniture and furnishings.
Acolytes: The acolytes are volunteer parishioners, typically young people, who serve at the altar during services. Parishioners age 9 and older are eligible to attend training to become an acolyte. Training sessions are held annually.
Readers (Lectors): Readers are an integral part of our worship service. They are responsible for reading scripture lessons and leading the congregation in the Prayers of the People during all services throughout the year. Training sessions are held on an annual basis.
Licensed Chalice Ministers (Chalice Bearers): Chalice bearers perform the very important task of administering the cup to parishioners at Holy Eucharist. Holy Eucharist (Communion) is a part of every Sunday service in the Episcopal church. Chalice bearers are licensed by the Diocese of Minnesota after attending formal training.
Lay Eucharistic Visitors: These volunteers are licensed to bring communion to those who are unable to attend services at church. These parishioners are also licensed by the Diocese of Minnesota after attending training.
Ushers: Our ushers have multiple responsibilities during services: greeting visitors, members, and friends; passing out bulletins to help guide parishioners through the service; passing the plates during the Offertory; and guiding people to the altar rail during Communion. Training sessions are held annually.
Prayer Chain: This is a ministry of intercessory prayer within the parish. A group of parishioners offer this for all those who desire prayer for their own needs or the needs of others. Contact the parish office with your requests.
Pastoral Care: There is a pastoral care team at Epiphany that meets under the direction of the Rector. Their responsibilities include visiting the elderly and shut-in parishioners.
Choir: The adult choir sings at the 10:30 am service year-round. They rehearse twice weekly, on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Several ad-hoc groups sing at services during the summer (such as Men's Choir, Youth Choir, Family Choir, Women's Choir). Our Psalite Children’s Choir meets weekly at 9:00 Sunday mornings, September through May, and sings quarterly.
Handbell and Handchime Choirs: Currently, Epiphany has handbell and handchime choirs for every level of player. The main handbell choir rehearses weekly, September through May, and performs during the 10:30 am service on a regular basis. Several other choirs [such as children's chimes, youth bells, and beginner groups] rehearse for limited amounts of time and then perform.
Commission Report
by Jerry Wiehle
Hoping you’ve all had a blessed and fulfilling Lent and Easter. Many thanks to John Hoffacker, Sandy Mullaney, Ben Jeitz and the Choirs and Bell Ringers for their contributions to our worship experience.
We are looking to replace the choir robes in the next two years. John Hoffacker will present some ideas at the May Worship and Music commission meeting. The present robes are thirty years old if not older.
The next appropriate Sunday for baptisms will be Pentecost Sunday which will also be Mother’s Day this year.
To work on the Altar Guild is a privilege and an honor. The Altar Guild members are considered an” arm of the Priest”. Did you ever think about how everything just happens to be set up and in place on the Altar for every service whether it is Sunday worship, evening or morning prayer, Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, funerals, weddings or any other service? That, my friends, is the work of the Altar Guild.
Here at Epiphany the Altar Guild is made up of four teams which rotate every week and meet as a group one Saturday morning each month to discuss business and set schedules and assign tasks for special occasions such as setting up Easter and Christmas flowers and the Garden and foot washing on Maundy Thursday. They are responsible for ensuring that the proper liturgical colors and hangings are on the Altar. They prepare the Communion vessels, launder linens, clean up after services, maintain the candles and supplies and perform special tasks associated with weddings funerals, memorial services, and things like the outdoor services.
We are looking for new members (men and women) for both the 8:00AM and 10:30 AM services. Please prayerfully consider whether your talents lie in this direction. You can call me or Diane Wiehle, Carol Broderick, or Mother Neysa for more information. We would be happy to speak with you.
from Sandy Mullaney
Handbells & Handchimes Ministries Director
Now in its fifth year, Church of the Epiphany’s Bell Drama group “Joyful Noise” begins rehearsing in March. This group, which is open to students 6th grade and up, will meet for 5 rehearsals to prepare for this year’s production “Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors”. Ringers help to create both melodies and sound effects to enhance the narration of this great action story. Joyful Noise will present this musical tale at the 10:30am service on April 6th - you won’t want to miss it! Students, if you are interested in ringing with Joyful Noise please get in touch with Sandy Mullaney soon.
NOTES FROM OUR
MUSIC DIRECTOR
A MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE
For a few days this week I found myself in another world. I was sitting in a huge room, surrounded by people, and from time to time the most overwhelming silence came over us. Stephen Paulus, a composer from Saint Paul, wrote an oratorio about the Holocaust, and the Minnesota Orchestra has been recording it. As part of the Minnesota Chorale I sang in the recording.
The process is amazing. Orchestra Hall is empty except for the musicians on the stage - 100 orchestral musicians, 230 singers, including the Minnesota Boys Choir and the Chorale. A producer oversees the recording, listening to us in another room and talking to us on big speakers in Orchestra Hall. Before every take (and there are hundreds of takes) we wait for everyone to become still. Many of us close our eyes and quiet our breathing, and the silence is profound. Then music emerges. When the music ends, silence enfolds us all again. The producer’s voice comes through the speakers, or the conductor talks to us from the podium, and we listen, learning how to make it better in the next take.
But those moments of silence I treasure. A frame for the music, the silence was music, too. The music was our whole world this week. Working together, caring about every syllable of the sacred text and every sublime note, we struggled to enter into the orderly, perfect, and utterly human realm music makes real.
That realm, suffused with love, is God.
John Hoffacker
Music Ministries Director
Please let me know your ideas, suggestions, criticisms about our music at Epiphany. Best way is email: johnhoffacker@gmail.com.
Church of The Epiphany
4900 Nathan Lane N
Plymouth, MN 55442
ph: 763-559-3144
adminepi
