Being a Hall Monitor at Calvin CRC

On a typical Sunday morning at Calvin CRC there is a lot of stuff going on to ensure worship is done well.  There are the praise teams, the sound people, ushers and greeters, church school teachers and nursery attendants, oh, and let's not forget those all important coffee preparers.  : )  

In recent days we've added another element to our morning services:  Hall Monitor.  The name is pretty self explanatory.  Someone from the congregation monitors the halls of the church while the congregation is in worship time.  We implemented this role to allow for better monitoring of what happens while our worship services are going on.    

I volunteered to be a hall monitor for this past Sunday.  I did it because I wanted to see how this position works, and as a staff person, to know what happens during this time frame.  I came away with much more than I anticipated; so much so that I was inspired to write a blog entry because of what I experienced.  You see church from an entirely different perspective when you are a hall monitor.  

I confess that for years I've never left the church service from 10 to 11 am.  When you do, you find out things you never knew were going on.  

For example, as I walked around the church I discovered the place is humming with activity from the time the children go downstairs for church school until church is over.  You can see during our children's time that we have a great deal of children in our church, something which we can thank God for.  When they go downstairs for their music time, that becomes even more apparent.  Surrounded by teachers, this group is quite large as it sits on the carpeted steps and sings together.  

Eventually the group disperses and goes to their respective church school class rooms, and the hallways quiet down.  I strolled upstairs and discovered that there are some who can't always sit through a service for whatever reason, and they are hanging around upstairs in different places.  There are some in the kitchen, others with little ones just outside the back doors of the sanctuary, and others answering natures call.  

I went back downstairs, and walked around to see how the church school classes were going.  As I looked into the windows, and listened in on what was being said, I was very impressed.  Impressed because these teachers play an important role in the life of our Sunday mornings and they do this role week in and week out.  I know there are other teachers in church because they rotate throughout the year, so there are even more of them than you know about.  

There are six class rooms, and they were buzzing with activity.  The teaching that is done in these rooms is nothing short of amazing.  I saw the Lord's Supper being enacted, to teach our kids what this means.  I saw dramas being put on by the children so they could relive story times in real time.  I saw the littler ones being taught songs with actions, and I was absolutely impressed.  

I say this because this sort of church school education does not come without a price.  By that I mean it takes work to offer the quality of education that I think we do.  I know there are other churches that have children's time while church worship is going on, but at times they tend to try to entertain their children instead of educate them in the ways of biblical knowledge.   I'm proud of the fact we are of the former bent.  

Below are some pictures of what was happening during this time frame of your worship time.     

Wilma's class takes some time to learn about the Lord's Supper using very tactile ways.  

Eric's class used drama's to explore their Bible time.  I think Daniel is trying to act out a superhero.  : ) 

Kathy's group is using newspaper flyer's in very creative ways.  

The younger class is a bit larger, but very engaged in what is going on.  

Vera is handing out paper for a craft to be done for their lesson time.  

The youngest group takes some time to talk about Jesus and then they need time to play.  A good combination.  

In addition to church school, our basement houses the nursery and toddler room.  Here is Brenda watching the toddlers engaged in busy playtime.  

Here is our nursery with faithful helpers.  

As I continued to monitor the halls, I stopped to talk with some of those tending to their children.  I discovered that we could use some nice couches in the back open area, complete with a speaker or two so these individuals can also hear the service while it is going on.  Something to look into. 

I continued my walk around, and as I descended the stairs to the North East doors, I found a Chinese woman standing at the door.  I opened it, and discovered she had come to check out our church and be in the service.  I talked with her for a moment and then directed her to the sanctuary where she took a seat.  

After church was over, I was able to get some more information from her and introduce her to others in the church, and I think she may join the upcoming Alpha program.  

So, all in all, I found being a hall monitor a very enlightening experience.  I have gained a renewed sense of appreciation for our church school teachers, and see the need for this position in the life of our church.  A lot happens during this time, and it allows for people who are knocking at our doors to gain access to the building, while keeping that sense of safety and security in check as well.  A nice balance.  

If you are from Calvin CRC and  wish to experience a bit of what I did, contact me and I'll get you in contact with Wilma who heads up the hall monitor listing.  I encourage you to take a turn.