Pagers & Radios in Church?

[TNFF319]

Do yall carry your pager and or radio into church? Is this just flat out wrong or part of the commitment? The radio/pager would of course be on very low volume.

[enginegirl1]

pager on vibrate

I do take my pager with me to church, but on vibrate only. I don't leave for just any call, but if there is something where many hands are needed, then I will go. I think God understands. ;-)

[mcaldwell]

As long as you use some courtesy as you both have mentioned, I think you would be hard pressed to find a pastor or preacher who would not understand a FF/EMS volunteer having to step out to help those in need.

Kind of the example he's likely preaching about, isn't it?

[TNFF319]

Thanks for the replys.

[scvfd412]

I also take my pager to church, keep it on c (which is vibrate for my tones only) I normally sit in the back anyway, so I don't cause too much of a disturbance when I leave. And I only leave when I think I'm needed more.

[DeputyMarshal]

Basic Pager/Phone Etiquette

These should apply not just to church but to any other public space you happen to visit where people are trying to attend to something other than your pages and phone calls (lectures, meetings, shared offices, any restaurant fancier than McDonalds, etc.:

1) Pager/phone off unless you expect urgent calls that legitimately can't wait until afterwards when you're on your own time.

2) If your pager/phone is going to stay on, put it on vibrate.
2a) If your pager/phone doesn't have a vibrate setting, get one that does, turn it off, or stay out of public spaces with it altogether.

3) If you're going to answer the phone, take it outside the hall and far enough away from the door not to be a distraction to those inside.
3a) Everybody else in the room came to hear something else. Nobody wants to hear your phone call.

4) If you plan on taking calls (phone calls, emergency dispatches, etc.), sit near a door (preferrably in the back) and on an aisle so you can leave with the least disturbance to the rest of the audience/congregation/whatever.

5) If there's a sign posted with pager/phone rules on it, follow the rules, you're a guest. A "no pagers" policy means "no pagers".

[ndvfdff33]

I take it with me but keep it on low or vibrate and I sit at the very back of the church

[SWLAFireDawg]

For me, church is "personal time". The phone and pager stays in the truck. When I get back in the truck I check both.

I would never leave my wife and child at the church so I can make a call that may take who knows how long, and I won't take two vehicles for the slight chance of getting a page.

Church helps me cope with the bad things we see, and helps center my spirit enough so those bad things do not affect my personal life.

Just my opinion.

[pletch]

Understanding

Most of the member of out department go to the same church, so if we left our pagers, the town would in trouble for a couple hours. We all leave the volume low and on vibrate, the congergation understand the interruption and the pastor dosent mine either. And some belive were doing gods work as it is, my church even reconized up for that, so dont be embaresed, be proud.

[DFDMAXX]

For me, church is "personal time". The phone and pager stays in the truck. When I get back in the truck I check both.

I would never leave my wife and child at the church so I can make a call that may take who knows how long, and I won't take two vehicles for the slight chance of getting a page.

Church helps me cope with the bad things we see, and helps center my spirit enough so those bad things do not affect my personal life.

Just my opinion.

Amen. Nicely put.

[insectguy]

My radio stays in the car

Since my church is outside of my immediate response area, I could do no one good by having it with me. Once I leave the edifice, I turn it on again.

One of our guys remarked I should change churches to stay in the area Sunday mornings. Uhh...no. I don't think so. I think they have a higher opinion of my abilities than reality dictates.

Besides, there are enough "unchurched" members on our department to more than cover for me.

They didn't like it very well when I responded they could always give up drinking so they could be in a better condition to respond on Sunday mornings. :-)

[mcaldwell]

They didn't like it very well when I responded they could always give up drinking so they could be in a better condition to respond on Sunday mornings. :-)

I am sure that went over well.



The other easy solution is to ASK!

See what your pastor says about it. I suspect he will echo what most have said here, and if nothing else, you won't insult him by walking out on his sermon.

[fireman606]

Our pastor was a volunteer fireman. He didn't have his pager with him of course during the service, but you can bet that it was in his office and after the service it was on his belt again and when it went off, he was gone. For the rest of us in church, we all had our pagers on, either on vibrate on the new models or turned real low on the older pagers. I think that God understands that it is important to help people in their time of need and if it happens during church, so be it. Plus, isn't it nice to get out of church for a little while?

[cgaines78]

I carry mine on vibrate. If it goes off I go to back of church to restroom and playback and if I can help I will go. My pastor already knows what I do and has no problem with it. My wife has been left a few times but we have many friends that will get her home. I would not carry mine if my church was not in my district as I don't respond to my paid department due to being out of the area and of no assistance to them.

--Chris

[Catch22]

Basic Pager/Phone Etiquette

These should apply not just to church but to any other public space you happen to visit where people are trying to attend to something other than your pages and phone calls (lectures, meetings, shared offices, any restaurant fancier than McDonalds, etc.:

1) Pager/phone off unless you expect urgent calls that legitimately can't wait until afterwards when you're on your own time.

2) If your pager/phone is going to stay on, put it on vibrate.
2a) If your pager/phone doesn't have a vibrate setting, get one that does, turn it off, or stay out of public spaces with it altogether.

3) If you're going to answer the phone, take it outside the hall and far enough away from the door not to be a distraction to those inside.
3a) Everybody else in the room came to hear something else. Nobody wants to hear your phone call.

4) If you plan on taking calls (phone calls, emergency dispatches, etc.), sit near a door (preferrably in the back) and on an aisle so you can leave with the least disturbance to the rest of the audience/congregation/whatever.

5) If there's a sign posted with pager/phone rules on it, follow the rules, you're a guest. A "no pagers" policy means "no pagers".

Well said.

My personal outlook is this: God calls upon certain people to do the job that we do, and it is the christian thing to help others in their times of need. Who are we to defy God's calling. One pastor I talked with about the situation actually opened my eyes and mind to this idea.