It is a blessing to experience growth in our congregation. During the planning stages and when, Lord willing, the expansion will soon be underway, we will encounter some crowded Sundays.
While growing up in my home congregation, there was a time we had to expand our building and we experienced the same situation. I remember well when I became old enough to serve as an usher. The age requirement for this post was the ninth or tenth grade. Since junior high school, I had served on the Lord’s table, but now my service would lead to bigger things: being an usher.
Hillis Layne trained us freshmen boys in the etiquette of being an usher. Brother Layne knew it all when it came to being a gentleman and a more proper gentleman I have yet to meet. He spoke with authority and astonished each young man receiving instruction. All of us listened to him and never interrupted. He taught us the fine points of being an usher, such as the proper words to say when introducing yourself and how to make visitors and late comers feel welcomed. He informed us that it would be a challenge to find seats for everyone. Brother Layne taught us how to seat visitors and how to politely ask members, who were sitting at the end of the pew, to move to the center in order to make room for our guests. Forty years later, I still remember his lessons and appreciate brother Layne for taking time to teach us proper etiquette.
Men such as him seem to be rarer with each passing year. Therefore, I will continue to practice what brother Layne taught by politely asking all of us to please move to the center of the pew – if not when you first sit down, then readily when you see a visitor looking for a place to sit. Let’s fill in all the empty spots and give God the glory!
For the elders, Tony Williams