Ushers Department Annual Workshop & Seminar
First Jurisdiction Illinois
Ushers Department Annual Workshop & Seminar
Saturday, February 18, 2012
@ St. Paul Church of God in Christ
Click to hear audio and view pictures
I want to thank God for a positive and uplifting experience at our annual day of Ushers training. The Theme was "Positive Posturing; serving with a positive attitude." The whole day was beautiful. We started out with breakfast and the fellowship with the other ushers was wonderful. Then we moved into the sanctuary and as we went through the program there were a lot of positive points. To speak of a few, Sis Carol Wright, who was the presenter, gave 3 points to become a good usher. She stated before the people see the pastor that they see the ushers first and we should appear with smiles on our faces and making people feel good about coming to our services. Sis Ethola Holifield gave a very powerful testimony. Her question to us was, What 
are we doing with what God gave us? It was something to make us think. The State President of the Usher Board, Mother Cleola Crawford, who is a very powerful woman of God, made a very good point of saying that you have to have it in your heart in order to serve God, She also said "Practice makes perfect and perfect makes practice." Deacon Douglas Lewis & Sister Martha Gross were the instructors for the exercises for the ushers. They gave us important signals and vital information for that was critical to the role of an usher. I learned a lot from that.
The whole workshop was wonderful but if I had to pick a best part, it would be when Pastor Rex Peel 
spoke to us. He spoke from the scripture II Samuel 21:15-22 and his subject was “Facing the Giants”. The word was very powerful and forthcoming as he preached out of his heart to encourage us as ushers to keep going. He also spoke on the world system. The church cannot love the worlds system. He also spoke on the Lord’s house and the body of the church. He also said that every member of the church has a job. We all have to be steadfast and unmovable and that the job of the ushers is to protect the church and also maintain order in the church as the police do in the streets. Giants come in many various forms. Giants come to church to cause confusion. He also gave us the keys to destroy giants, one being strength in the Lord, reinforcements which is prayer and standing on the Lords strength. The word was so powerful that I missed my appointment at 12 to meet with my family because I just couldn't leave.
Pastor Michael Richardson closed out with strong and powerful words. He encouraged us as well to keep going and keep building up our morale to be the best we could be this year as ushers. After the close of the service we moved to the dining area, had lunch and even more fellowship . This has helped me tremendously in being an usher as well as in my everyday life.
Submitted by: Sister Paula Kelly
Usher from Emanuel Church of God in Christ