Worship 

Acolytes

Ponchatoula First United Methodist Church

Worship

We encourage any young person over nine years of age, to join us in this important part of our worship service.  To get more information or to register your interest in becoming an acolyte click here to send an email to Donna Mollere, Worhip Chairwoman.

An acolyte’s job is important because they will be helping everybody else in church to worship God. In a special way, they help the pastor of our church.

Acolytes have been helping in church services since ancient times. The word acolyte is taken from a Greek word that meant companion, attendant, or helper. In some churches today, acolytes are called servers.

An important part of the acolyte’s job is to light and extinguish the candles on or near the Lord’s table or Communion table. Since ancient times, light and fire have reminded people that God is here with us. When acolytes brings light (fire) into the place where people are gathering to worship and when they light the candle, they are reminding the people that God is with us at home, at school, and at work, as well as in the worship service.

When the acolytes light their candlelighters again before extinguishing the candles, then walk reverently out with their lighted candlelighter, they remind the people that when we scatter out into world, God will be there with us.

Lighted candles also remind us that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. Many persons like to think that the two candles on or beside the Lord’s table are reminders that Christ is both human and divine.