Register here to join our altar server training program! 

Altar Serving Training

This October we launched an Altar Server training program that will run through the end of the school year, open to children in 4th-8th grade who have received their First Communion. Altar Serving at Mass is a beautiful way for our youth to more directly understand and engage with the liturgy, gaining both a better understanding of the Mass and liturgy and also of the importance of God’s presence in their lives.

The goal of this program is to train the students as Altar Servers, giving them the opportunity to learn the function and meaning behind the different elements of the Mass and liturgy.

Training sessions will be offered once a month. Times and locations will alternate monthly between churches. Sessions held at St. William will be on Tuesdays. Sessions at St Nicholas will be on Sundays. Servers are encouraged to continue attending the monthly sessions at either location for new information and fun activities.There is always more to learn and new friends to meet!

We will have at least two adults assisting in each session, but if you would like to attend as a parent you are welcome to join as well. Although the program will run throughout the year, the students should be ready to serve at the Altar after having attended two training sessions and demonstrating that they are sufficiently prepared.
 

We ask the parents of Altar Servers to assist us with the following: 

1. Use our scheduling app (Ministry Scheduler Pro, aka MSP) to set your family's preferred Mass times, desired frequency, and "away dates" every two months. 
2. Use the software to request a substitute when your child is unable to serve on an assigned date due to illness or schedule conflict. Accept substitute requests from others if possible.
3. Bring your child to the church ready to serve on their assigned dates in the proper attire,
   at least 15 minutes before the start time of the Mass.
4. Take a turn washing Altar Server albs (robes) at home. There are a total of 24 albs that
   need to be laundered and pressed every month or so. We ask each family to take a turn washing one or two per month.

About Scheduling

The Altar Server schedule is created online every two months using the automatic scheduling program Ministry Scheduler Pro. Prior to scheduling, you will be prompted online to provide your child’s preferred Mass times, frequency of service, and “can’t serve” dates. Providing the information in advance of scheduling is the best way to ensure your child is assigned dates that work for your family and will reduce the number of sub requests needed. One may request a substitute using the system which will notify others of the request. We still ask for you to work to confirm a sub when needed, and to have the sub accept the request within the system.

Sign up now!

If you and your child are interested in participating in this beautiful ministry, please complete the online permission form at https://tinyurl.com/snsw-altarserver.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Michael Sternhagen at 650-948-2158 x 2204 or [email protected]..

Thank you for encouraging your child's interest in serving our parish!