Deb Collander, a member of OSLC since 1986, serves as chair of the Altar Guild at the Our Saviour’s Campus. She and her husband, Dan, came to Our Saviour’s on the recommendation of a next-door neighbor—Deb was raised in the Presbyterian church and Dan was Roman Catholic, and Our Saviour’s “felt like a good blend,” she says.
Deb & Dan are parents to three grown sons and, Deb proudly notes, “six and two-thirds grandchildren.” (Congrats, Collander family!)
So what is Altar Guild, and what role does it play in worship? Altar Guild “makes sure the service can happen” by setting the altar and preparing the table for communion at the Our Saviour’s Campus, Deb notes.
“It is an important job, but it is not a difficult job,” she says. Altar Guild members who volunteer at 5 p.m. Saturday worship dust and clean the altar, set out the communion wafers or bread, fill the communion pitcher with wine and grape juice, and place a host box and empty chalice on the altar. After worship, they help reset for the 9 a.m. service, where volunteers go through the same steps. Altar Guild members who serve at 11 a.m. do the same and then are in charge of cleanup and washing the items used in the service.
Deb says she feels a special sense of connection to her faith in serving in this behind-the-scenes ministry.
“It's really hard to describe exactly what it means to me, but I feel like I am participating in the service when I do that,” she says. “It makes me feel engaged.”
Serving at Christmas, too, holds an especially meaningful place in her heart. Christmas “is when I renew my faith, I think, because of the birth of Jesus,” Deb says. “My kids come to Christmas Eve service; it brings me closer to my family; it’s just a very special time.”
Altar Guild is always accepting new members! To learn more and get involved, contact Deb through the front office at info@oursaviours.com.
