With a name like Usher, it's fitting that David Usher would serve Parkside Church as, well, an usher. "I've been ushering for about 10 years," says Usher with a warm and welcoming smile. "I enjoy it. I look at it as a ministry. It's not just a job. It's something that I can do to serve the Lord, and God gets the glory."
Like faithful disciples, church ushers prepare a place and a way for those who come after them. Their obvious duties include handing out bulletins and showing people to their seats; however, the subtleties of the their service are easy to miss. From their natty attire to their winning smiles and warm handshakes, ushers provide the first impression to visitors of Parkside."It's not heavy-duty spiritual service, but one of the spiritiual sides of ushering is being the face of Parkside. We hope we're making a good first impression and providing a positive, welcoming experience for those who come to the church," explains Randy Langenderfer, a 6-year veteran usher who serves alongside his 8 1/2 year-old son, Shawn.
Parkside's ushers set a welcoming tone for all who come through the church doors for worship. Once everyone is seated and the service is underway, ushers remain on duty. Ever vigilant, ushers keep a watchful eye on their assigned-section of the auditorium and are ready to serve in emergency situations. "Last year, we trained for CPR in case of an emergency during a service," explains David Lanning, who has been ushering at the 11:15 service for the past two years. "And the joke is that we're the ones who are supposed to take a bullet for [Pastor Begg]," laughs Lanning. "It's easy to assume that we just hand out the bulletins, but we also care for the people who sit in our sections."
David Usher agrees. "I see [my section] as a congregration. To me, that section is like a flock of sheep, and I've raised sheep before. Each one is individual and you relate to them and understand them as individuals. As you work with your section, you get to know them. You have concern for people and when they hurt, I hurt with them. If they're happy, I'm glad for them. And if someone isn't feeling good, we put them on the prayer list and we pray for them during the week," says Usher. "These are things that I do because I'm concerned about the people that are in my section. Now and then, people will go sit in another section, but generally, they'll come back," laughs Usher.
As Lanning laughingly points out, "No one wants to sit up front and everyone wants to sit on the end. If I could make one request of the church: Scoot in! Be a family!" laughs Lanning. Team 
members who serve as ushers also enjoy the benefits of fellowship. "There's a social time with other ushers before the service," notes Usher. "It's a chance to chew the fat. We draw strength from one another. By the end of the week, you need that fellowship, especially with the kind of work I do where I'm out a lot of times by myself. It's that contact that you get with other people, and I draw from that. Now you're on fire to go through the week," says Usher who owns and operates Usher Painting.
Langenderfer also points out that "[ushering] is an easy way to get plugged in and serve." Ushering teams serve every other week, and all teams are called for duty during Parkside's bigger events such as the Christmas and Easter concerts when it's standing room only.
Do you enjoy welcoming people and making them feel at home? Consider serving as an usher. If you would like more information about the usher ministry, please visit our website or contact Sandy at smansell@parksidechurch.com.
