Altar Guild
The women who care for the altar and prepare our church for worship
Next Meeting
Saturday, October 10, 2026 · 9:30 AM · Fellowship Hall
The Altar Guild at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin is a group of women who care for the altar and prepare everything we need for worship. They meet on the second Saturday of each month at 9:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall. Would you like to serve? Come to a meeting, or call the church office first.
Coming up: the Altar Guild Bake Sale is Sunday, October 25, in the church hallway. Pick up homemade baked goods on your way to or from worship. Bake sale details.
What the Altar Guild does
Each week the guild cleans the chancel, the raised area at the front of the church around the altar, and fills the candles. They set out the paraments, the cloths that hang on the altar and pulpit. Lutherans follow the church year, a calendar of seasons that walks through the life of Christ, and each season has its own color. The chart below shows them. The guild also arranges the flowers. After the 10:30 service, the flowers often go to someone who is sick or can’t leave home.
On Sundays when we celebrate Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper), they set out the bread and wine, the cups and the cloths. Gluten-free wafers and non-alcoholic wine are always offered. They also help get the church ready for baptisms, weddings and funerals, and for confirmation, when our young people publicly confess the faith they were baptized into.
How members serve
Members sign up in small teams of two or three, and each team takes a month. In March and December, the busiest months of the church year, everyone pitches in. New members learn from women who have served for years. No experience is needed.
O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
Psalm 26:8 (ESV)
Why we care for these things
Lutherans believe that in Holy Communion, Jesus gives us his own body and blood with the bread and wine. The linens and vessels on the altar hold that gift. That is why the guild handles them with such care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the Altar Guild?
The Altar Guild is a group for the women of Immanuel. Call the church office and we will connect you.
Do I need experience?
No. New members learn from women who have served for years. The guild also keeps notes and a handbook at church.
How much time does it take?
Your team serves one month at a time. That month, you help before and after the Sunday services. There is also one meeting a month.
Are gluten-free and non-alcoholic options offered at Communion?
Yes, always. If you are visiting and would like to receive Communion, please talk with Pastor Ramstad before the service. He is glad to answer your questions.
Serve in God’s house
Come to the next meeting, or call the church office at (417) 624-0333.
More at Immanuel Lutheran
- Women’s Ministry — the LWML, Altar Guild and Ladies Lunch
- Altar Guild Bake Sale — Sunday, October 25
- LWML — first Thursdays at 12:45
- Sunday Services — 8:00 and 10:30, with Bible class at 9:15
- What We Believe — the Lutheran faith in plain words
- Church calendar — everything happening at Immanuel
Immanuel Lutheran Church is a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 2616 S Connecticut Ave, Joplin, MO 64804. Home of Martin Luther School.