have been in every Episcopal sacristy in the state…What’s most striking to me is the variety of spaces that are an integral part of that ministry […]
Browsing all articles tagged with altar-service
Nominations are open for Offices for the Triennial years 2024-2027 […]
Every three years, the National Altar Guild Association (NAGA) offers scholarships to pay the registration fee and a shared hotel room for altar guild members to attend the NAGA General Meeting […]
I was caught off guard when I joined the team as to how spiritual it is to serve on the Flower Guild […]
I come from a long line of pastors, mostly Presbyterian with an occasional Episcopalian to leaven the loaf. My maternal grandmother was given a recipe for communion bread […]
“People go to church to refocus. Focus on God. What you do for God matters. The altar guild helps us to refocus […]
“For it is better to suffer for doing good if suffering should be God’s will than to suffer for doing evil.” Could suffering ever be God’s will? […]
Just a few weeks before the beginning of General Convention, NAGA was asked to help with Eucharist services for the House of Bishops and House of Deputies. NAGA went into scramble mode to obtain items needed for the Eucharist stations […]
In the Episcopal Church, aesthetics matter. The surroundings in which worship takes place have their own meaning. In fact, we believe God intends these elements as what I often call “a visible sermon” […]
As a “Free Range Priest,” offering supply coverage primarily for Sunday services only in parishes in two adjacent dioceses, I have a deep appreciation for the ministry of the altar guild in churches I visit […]
Having grown up in the Episcopal Church, I have a very early awareness of the significant role altar guilds have in the life of many congregations […]
This story begins with gratitude. St. Mary of the Angels was blessed with a vibrant and dedicated altar guild for many decades. The last five years we gradually experienced a loss of membership […]
It has been such a pleasure to represent you and our legacy of the National Altar Guild Association these last three years […]
In 2006 Barbara Gent researched and wrote a book spanning 73 years of NAGA’s history. Now, a second volume of NAGA history and the future of altar guild is in its infancy [..]
This year has been unlike any other in the Cathedral’s history. As the COVID-19 pandemic intensified, many aspects of Cathedral life were cancelled or postponed, one was not: worship[…]
I once overheard an altar guild training. The leader was reminding our new members that the same care must be taken with the linens used for the home communion taken to sick and shut-in members of the parish […]
When a disaster rolls in, make sure your altar guild is ready! No matter what kind of disaster looms, when it strikes, not only do you lose your personal things, so too does your parish […]
Dolores Miller, March 19, 1932 – January 28, 2019
We pay tribute to a dedicated member of NAGA in an article by Peggy Curlin and Homily by The Rev. Philip G. Emanuel […]
It helps to know who you’re looking for, if you want to find them. I believe the same is true in our spiritual journeys as well. We need to know that we are seeking Jesus. Without that, we probably will not find Him […]
I remember being about nine or ten before I could go with my mother to help with her altar guild duties at Christ the King Episcopal Church in Orlando, FL. I had asked, or rather begged, so many times, always receiving the same answer: “When you are older” […]
The altar guild is a behind-the-scenes ministry, and that can make it an unappreciated ministry. My thanks to Jane Mercer who invited me to share excerpts from my book, Celebrating the Eucharist, to highlight the importance of every altar guild’s ministry […]
The National Association of Diocesan Altar Guilds had its beginnings over 50 years ago, when, at the 1919 Convention held in Detroit, the National Council of the Episcopal Church was formed […]
It was with great anticipation and a bit of anxiety that I arrived in Austin Friday morning to attend my first Episcopal Convention. Within an hour of my arrival […]
A highlight of the 2018 Triennial was a special visit to NAGA by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on Monday, July 9. At least in the memory of those in attendance, this the first time we have been so honored […]
Demi was listed on our schedule as the “keynote speaker” for the meeting, but her presentation was much more than just a speech. She spent several hours with us […]
My first awareness of the ministry of the altar guild comes from my childhood. I remember my mother regularly excusing herself from life at home to work with other altar guild members[…]
Just as spring arrived in Alabama, the NAGA board convened at Camp McDowell for its annual board meeting on March 17-19. Committee and Provincial reports focused on the health of the organization[…]
A form of servant ministry that is a good fit with Maundy Thursday worship is the washing and drying of dirty clothes. “Laundry Love,” a ministry begun in an Episcopal congregation in Ventura, CA […]
Since 1995, Ron DelBene, a priest in the Diocese of Alabama, has served as interim rector in small, medium and large congregations for periods of six months to three years […]
Recently I was asked “Do you still do needlepoint?” The next question was “Why?” This started me thinking — why, indeed, do I still do canvaswork when I now am a senior citizen with the usual arthritic aches and pains, especially in my hands […]
Imagine how it would be to find yourself on a barge or a freighter on Christmas morning without your family and the joy of opening gifts […]
One of the happiest of ministries is that of wedding guild, but our work would not be possible without the assistance and cooperation of the altar guild […]
To help altar guild members experience the Triennial Eucharist service while learning from colleagues around the country, we have assembled items we believe will bond and motivate altar guilds with clergy at the parish and diocese levels. The proceeds from the sale of these items provide scholarships to attend Triennial […]
While each diocese will have its own particular ideas and needs, our guidelines offer a place to begin. Embrace your DAG with enthusiasm knowing that the Lord himself will guide you along the way […]
Our little parish in Texas was able to foster an interest and gain new team members by inviting the children to help us. Later, several asked me “What exactly did you do?” […]
The spirit in which your altar guild lives ripples out to affect the feel of the whole congregation […]
While it may seem surprising that our church is thriving in a country where religion has been suppressed, there are 44 Episcopal churches across Cuba, from the Cathedral in Havana to simple house churches with five to six people[…]
You are the preparers and keepers and transmitters of some of the coolest stuff we have in The Episcopal Church […]
My greatest joy serving in the office and role of bishop is to bring children deeper into our worship. What I find, more often than not, is they will teach me, long before I can teach them […]
Most altar guilds share the problems of recruiting, training and retaining members and are increasingly venturing beyond their sacristies to bring the altar guild ministry into the congregation […]
Shop at our Sacristy Shop, featuring items designed specifically for NAGA — NAGA silver pin/necklace, altar care aprons, note cards, tote bags and more […]
What is the protocol for using colored embroidery on linens? Where should the inscription go on vessels or paraments? Send us your questions and we’ll find the answers […]
We talk about natural disasters and the damages they cause to churches and their sacristies. But what if the disaster is man made? No piles of storm-tossed linens, no dented or missing silver vessels, just nothing… nothing at all with which to prepare a liturgical church altar for a communion service […]
It was a privilege, and a pleasure, to speak with members of the National Altar Guild during General Convention and to share a few things about my favorite, and possibly the most under-rated, character in the New Testament […]
One of the most comprehensive and informative workshops held at our Triennial in Indianapolis was conducted by Alice Scarbrough who discussed all aspects of linen construction, maintenance and stewardship […]
Father, to Thee I raise my whole being —a vessel emptied of self. Accept, Lord, this my emptiness, and so fill me with Thyself […]
Learn authentic old world techniques in fine hand embroidery […]
The recruitment and retention of new altar guild members is always a challenge. We are pleased to offer some suggestions, thanks to Province VII, that may prove helpful […]
As I have made my way around small sacristies over the past ten years, they have come to symbolize the importance of respecting one another and our differences by graciously making space for one another […]
When we offer ourselves to serve at the altar, we are offering ourselves to God as a living prayer. The sun is up by the time I begin the Great Thanksgiving, but my prayer does not end with the Amen; it continues with the awareness of God’s love and offering myself through the day […]
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