Altar Guild
The Altar Guild Ministry serves our clergy and all who attend services at St. Cross. Our purpose is to maintain and prepare the traditional sacred items used in worship at Eucharist, baptisms, funerals, and weddings so that all may enjoy our services. We beautify our church in a traditional manner according to the colors and seasons of the liturgical calendar.
The Altar Guild strives to enhance our church as a spiritual home for the community of St Cross. We lovingly prepare the altar to the glory of God with the traditional items used to celebrate worship each week. We welcome and encourage any interested parishioners to join in our ministry.
We are dynamic in meeting the particular needs of various worship services, being flexible with our schedules and lending a hand whenever additional help is needed. Each week, we share God’s love through the service of our ministry.
The core values of St. Cross most relevant to the Altar Guild are: preparing our church with a traditional setting; glorifying God through serving others; and creating a sacred space.
We set out the sacred vessels for the bread and wine, fresh linens, flowers, candles, and vestments according to the liturgical calendar. Altar Guild members attend both Sunday services, assisting with Eucharist supplies as needed. Afterward, they clean the vessels, take home linens for hand laundering, and carefully store the vestments.
Each week, a few dedicated members create small bouquets from the previous Sunday’s altar flowers and bring them to parishioners who cannot attend church services. Other members, talented with sewing skills, mend our linens and vestments and help create beautiful new ones.
