Royal Guard of Immanuel's Church
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us...." Ephesians 5:1
The Royal Guard is committed to providing security and care to the Saints that visit Immanuel's
Our Leadership Team
Head Ushers:
Cyl & Virginia Soden
Assistant Head Ushers:
Susan Henry
Phil and Judi Simpson
Jean Sejour
"Purple" Team Shift Leaders:
Robert and June Johnson (1st & 3rd Sun);
Susan Henry (2nd & 4th Sun);
"Gold" Team Shift Leaders:
Walter Cofer (1st & 3rd Sun);
Phil and Judi Simpson (2nd & 4th Sun);
WHO EXACTLY ARE THE ROYAL GUARD
The Royal Guard are ushers; they usher the people of God into the Presence of God and they assist in ushering in the Presence of God Himself! The Royal Guard are called to insure the orderly conduct of the people of God in the House of God. They are spiritual gatekeepers, and as ministering servants in the House of the Lord; they are a branch of the deaconate (the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament Levites.)
King David is the one who created the concept of the Royal Guard. He established from among the Levites "four thousand... to be gatekeepers" in the Temple (1 Chronicles 23:5)-guarding the Temple from unclean and adversarial spirits, and yet assisting the people of God themselves to enter into God's Presence with joy. King David set the age for these Levites as "twenty years old or more" (23 :27). "The duties of these Levites was to help ... in the service of the Temple of the Lord... [and] to be in charge of the courtyards [equivalent to our Rotunda]..." (23:28).
Theirs was a holy calling with a vast spiritual dimension. "They were to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening. .. they were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them" (1 Chronicles 23:30). All of this was because the Temple was to be "a place of rest" for our God, a place "for the footstool of our God" (1 Chronicles 28 :2). This indeed is a holy calling! Psalm 84 was a psalm written for the Royal Guard in their Davidic ministry- "How lovely is Your dwelling place, 0 Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. .. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising you.. .Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. .. The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Amen.
WHO ARE IMMANUEL'S PASTORAL ASSISTANTS
The Pastoral Assistants in Immanuel's Church are a branch of the Royal Guard especially called upon to protect and to assist the one(s) who minister the Word of God at any given meeting. This concept is also borrowed from King David, who set aside a band of servants called "David's mighty men"; their calling was to give David "strong support" (l Chronicles 11: 10).
Various ones of these were also bodyguards to David himself (see 2 Samuel 23:22-23). These servants who flanked David were for his support and for his protection. They served and assisted him well.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission statement of Immanuel's Church is "to know Him and to make Him known." This is the primary job description of the staff and leadership of Immanuel's Church. As a Royal Guard or Diaconate member - you are an important part of the staff and leadership of this Church. Look at your ministry as being Christ to everyone you meet today.
Customer service at Immanuel's? Do we have customers? If our congregation all went away, there would be no one to usher into the sanctuary, no one to direct to the bathroom, no one to preach to, no one to share the gospel with, no one to make Christ known to. So yes, we have "customers" and they need to be treated as V.I.P.'s (very important people) because if they all went away, we wouldn't have a ministry here.
You have a front line position - this is not only a ministry position, but it is a public relations position! You make a difference in people's lives, so why not just make their day?
Greet people with a smile and say "Welcome to Immanuel's, it is good to see you today!" As a Royal Guard member (in the parking lot, in the rotunda and in the sanctuary), you are often the first impression people have of Immanuel's Church. And more importantly, you are also an impression of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, therefore, let the joy of the Lord shine through you - smile, be warm, be interested in people. Ephesians 5:1 tells us to "be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us...."
But how about if I don't feel like it? Different personalities respond differently, therefore, you must choose to smile, you must choose to make someone's day. The Holy Spirit is the great Encourager and He lives inside of you, thus you are empowered to be an encourager!
Speak with a smile - it actually makes a difference in what you communicate to people.
Address
Immanuel's Church
16819 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20905
301-989-4673 ext 1510
