Schoeneck Moravian Church

To follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to love and serve all.

Worship Support

Worship is the heart of our congregation’s life. Schoeneck’s worship support teams play a vital role in facilitating meaningful and engaging worship experiences by providing help in planning, organizing, and implementing the different aspects of our worship services. There are many opportunities available for you to lend your gifts, talents, and skills by helping to prepare for and participating in our worship services.

A close-up photo of an open hymnal resting on one of the pews in the sanctuary. The late afternoon sun shines through a stained glass window and onto the hymnal and pew.

Music & Worship Committee

Chairperson — Brian Dishong

The Worship & Music Committee’s responsibilities generally include planning, coordinating, and overseeing the various aspects of our worship services, aiming to create meaningful and reverent experiences for the congregation. This committee consists of the Pastor, Director of Music Ministry, Head Diener, Head Sacristan, Worship Assistant Coordinators, two Elders, one Trustee, and as many other members of the congregation as are interested in the function and formation of the worship life of Schoeneck Moravian Church.

Some of the committee’s work lies in the details, but the committee also helps with some of the larger aspects of worship, too. In collaboration with our Pastor and our Director of Music Ministry, we plan the schedule of our special worship services throughout the year, including services of Holy Communion and lovefeasts. We also evaluate the effectiveness of worship services and make recommendations for improvement.

Worship Assistants

A photo of the Sanctuary of Schoeneck Moravian Church, from the front looking towards the back. The black grand piano is at the left of the photo with rows of pews in the middle. At the top of the photo is the balcony, showing the organ console and its gleaming silver pipes. There is a semi-transparent white banner across the image with the following words written in a classic burgundy serif font: Can You Serve On Sunday Mornings?

The options listed below allow you to serve God and Schoeneck while also deepening your faith, making new friends, and experiencing personal growth. Please note that you can volunteer as much as you like for any area you are interested in. For example, if you would like to read scripture during worship services, you can offer to read monthly, quarterly, or once a year.

Simply contact the coordinator or leader of the ministry you would like to join. If there is no specific contact information listed, please leave a message with the Church Office and the coordinator or leader will get back to you as soon as possible.

Communion Bread Baking

Schoeneck alternates between having freshly baked bread or communion wafers for the Sacrament of Holy Communion. (Gluten-free wafers are always available.) If you would like to provide bread for one of our celebrations of Holy Communion, please contact our sacristan, Joanne Smith.

Diener Corps

Head Diener — Lori Hahn

Would you like to be a part of a time–honored tradition at Schoeneck? Join the Diener Corps! We are in need of additional Dieners to serve our Lovefeasts. Dieners work in pairs, but if you don’t have someone to partner with, we will gladly find one for you. No experience necessary — “dienering” is very easy to learn! Please click here for our Diener Corps FAQs.

One of our Diener men stands in the sanctuary with a lovefeast cart. He is wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt and a black bowtie. On top of the cart is a tray of coffee mugs.
Two lovefeast carts in the Diener's Kitchen. The end of both carts feature a stained glass Agnus Dei and a brass dedication plaque.
A smiling young woman stands in the Fellowship Hall, ready to serve with the Diener Corps. She is wearing a black skirt with a white blouse and a black cross-over tie. On her head is a traditional hauba with light blue ribbon, indicating she is a married woman.
Two smiling Dieners hold a tray of lit red-wrapped beeswax candles, ready to give to the congregation.

Greeters

Coordinator — Sandy Love

Greeters provide a welcoming atmosphere for worshipers. This is a great way for families to serve together!

Duties: Please arrive 20 minutes before worship and wait inside the vestibule of the main entrance. Smile, shake hands, and verbally greet people who enter the church. Introduce yourself to people you do not know and introduce visitors to other members arriving at the same time. Direct newcomers to the Sanctuary, Nursery, restrooms, or other locations, and answer any questions they may have.

Nursery Care

Coordinator — Allene Rampulla

Our nursery is a safe, clean, age-appropriate, and comfortable space where Nursery Attendants provide TLC to the youngest among the Schoeneck Moravian family, ages ranging from birth to 4 years old.

Duties: Please arrive by 10:15 am (or 9:15 am for our Summer Schedule) to greet the little ones and stay until all the children are picked up and signed out by their parents/guardians. Supervise play; change diapers if necessary.

Please Note: Our Safe Sanctuary policy requires two unrelated adults, who have obtained the necessary background checks and clearances, to supervise children. Background checks and clearances are provided for volunteers at no cost. Please contact Allene Rampulla or the Church Office for more information.

Sacristans

Head Sacristan — Joanne Smith

Sacristans prepare the communion elements for worship (cleaning the communion ware afterwards), change the paraments, and prepare the sanctuary for various special services and seasons. Sacristans also let the Church Office know when to order more supplies.

We are seeking one or two additional people to serve as Sacristans. Please speak with Pastor Ian, Joanne Smith, or any member of the Board of Elders if you are interested.

Scripture Readers

Coordinator — Coordinator Needed!!

We are always looking for people who would like to be part of Sunday morning worship by reading the day’s scripture readings. Special training is not needed — just a desire to share God’s Word with the congregation. Scripture readings will be supplied in advance. Please call the Church Office at 610-759-0376 if you are interested in being part of this ministry. Youth are especially invited to participate!

Sugar Cake Baking

Coordinators — Terry Berger & Ryan Morrow

Schoeneck conducts 10 lovefeast services each year! For each lovefeast, a piece of sugar cake and a beverage (usually lightened decaf coffee and chocolate milk) is served to all those in attendance. Years ago, there were several bakeries that made our traditional sugar cake. However, these bakeries have dwindled to a precious few. Two Schoeneck members, Lori Hahn and Terry Berger, proposed the idea of having congregation members make the lovefeast sugar cakes. Before a lovefeast, members of Schoeneck — young and not–so–young, male and female — meet in the church kitchen to bake the sugar cake. You are always welcome to join us! Please watch the bulletins, newsletter, and social media for announcements of when the next group baking session is being held. If there is no one signed up to help with baking, Schoeneck may need to purchase sugar cake from one of the local bakeries.

A man with a beard stands at the stainless steel island in the prep and cook section of Schoeneck's kitchen with two women, showing them the ingredients on the island.
Seven Schoeneckians stand around the prep and cook area of Schoeneck's kitchen. On the stainless steel island is a cookbook, and ingredients for making sugar cake, along with various cooking implements.
Five Schoeneckians stand in the prep and cook area of the Schoeneck kitchen. A man and a woman are next to the stainless steel island, stirring ingredients in large stainless steel bowls.
A close-up photo of one of the trays of sugar cake baked by the gathered Schoeneckians. It is golden on top with plenty of holes filled with brown sugar - and looks delicious!

Technology Ministry

Members — Brian Dishong (Elder rep.), Pastor Ian Edwards, JoAnn Heckman, Anthony Stampf III, Bob Sweitzer (Trustee rep.)

Along with the Board of Trustees, the Technology Ministry is responsible for overseeing all of the technological needs of the church. This includes the church office computer network, hardware, and software; the printers and copier; and audio, video, and lighting needs for worship services and special events. Members of the Technology Ministry also run the live–stream during our worship services.

We are seeking additional people to help with the live-stream on Sunday mornings. Please speak with Pastor Ian or any member of the Technology Ministry if you are interested.

Ushers

Coordinator — Sandy Love

Ushers welcome worshipers just outside the sanctuary. This is a great way for families to serve together!

Duties: Please arrive 20 minutes before worship. Offer everyone a friendly smile and a handshake as you distribute worship bulletins and assist with seating, if necessary. Ushers also collect the offering during the worship service. Once the service has begun, please close the sanctuary doors and sit towards the back of the sanctuary so you can assist any late–comers. The sanctuary doors can be reopened during the last hymn. Following the service, please pick up any discarded bulletins and straighten the hymnals and Bibles in the pews.

Please Note: Schoeneck offers hearing assist devices and large–print hymnals for those who may need them. In addition, we have Children’s Activity Bags and Welcome Bags for visitors. Please hand these items out as needed.

A decorated box with a "Hearing Devices" sign and hearing devices inside it sits in a windowsill of one of the stained glass windows next to a lit beeswax candle in a hurricane glass.
Hearing Assist Devices
Two green large-print editions of the "Moravian Book of Worship sit next to an open on a windowsill of one of the stained glass windows.
Large Print Hymnals
Four small white paper gift bags with colorful tissue paper siting out the top sit in a windowsill of one of the stained glass windows.
Welcome Bags for Visitors
The children's activity bags are on a counter in the Diener's Kitchen. The bags are clear to display what's inside - story books, coloring books, activity pages, and crayons.
Children’s Activity Bags

Wedding Coordinator

Schoeneck’s Wedding Coordinator(s) works with the Pastor, the church staff, and the couple being married to coordinate the details of a wedding ceremony held at the church. The Wedding Coordinator meets with the couple to discuss their needs for the ceremony and explain church policies and procedures. During the rehearsal, the coordinator assists the Pastor by helping to guide the wedding party through the processional, ceremony, and recessional, and answering any questions that arise. The coordinator also attends the wedding itself, overseeing the setup of the church, and assisting the bridal party, guests, and Pastor to make sure that the ceremony runs smoothly according to the couple’s wishes and the church’s guidelines.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Worship Bulletins & Sanctuary Flowers

Worship Bulletins and Sanctuary Flowers may be sponsored to the Glory of God in honor of a loved one (living) or a special occasion (birthday, baptism, anniversary, etc.) or in loving memory of a loved one (deceased). Sponsorships are $10.00 per week. Please sign–up for your desired date on the appropriate poster on the bulletin board outside the Church Office.

Lovefeast

Lovefeasts may be sponsored to the Glory of God in honor of a loved one (living) or to commemorate a special occasion (birthday, baptism, anniversary, etc.) or in loving memory of a loved one (deceased). Sponsorship costs $100 and covers the supplies needed to bake sugar cake for the congregation or to help defer the cost of ordering sugar cake from a bakery. Please sign–up for your desired date on the Lovefeast Sponsor sheet on the bulletin board outside the Church Office.