• Mission Statement of Community Presbyterian Church:

We are a loving body of seekers and believers in Jesus Christ,
“Seeking to know and grow in Christ together”,
through God’s Word, prayer and our worship of God;
through fellowship and our shared life together;
and through evangelism, service and outreach;
creatively bringing Christ’s message of hope to our community and world.

• Purpose of Memorial/Funeral Services at Community Presbyterian Church:
  
  
  • As declared by the Directory for Worship in the constitution of the Presbyterian Church: The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central doctrine of the Christian faith and shapes Christians’ attitudes and responses to the event of death. Death brings loss, sorrow, and grief to all. In the face of death, Christians affirm with tears and joy the hope of the gospel. Christians do not bear bereavement in isolation but are sustained by the power of the Spirit and the community of faith. The Church offers a ministry of love and hope to all who grieve (W-4.10001).
    
    
  • Memorial/Funeral services held in the Sanctuary of Community Presbyterian Church are to be services of witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as a celebration of the life of the deceased, bringing a ministry of love and hope to all who grieve. All Memorial or Funeral services held in the Church Sanctuary are to be officiated by a Pastor of a Christian church for the purpose of comforting the bereaved and bearing witness to our eternal and living hope in Jesus Christ.
    
    
• Guidelines for Memorials/Funerals held at Community Presbyterian Church
  
  Memorial Plans
  • All memorial plans should provide for arrangements which bear witness to our resurrection hope in Jesus Christ, inviting the Christian community to offer support and comfort to the bereaved through our common faith in Christ.
    
    
  • Our Christian faith supports burial, cremation, or donation of the body of the deceased for medical purposes.
    
    
  • A family or individual is encouraged to meet with the Pastor to establish preliminary plans for the Funeral/Memorial service and other memorial arrangements.
    
    
  • At the time of a death the Pastor and Church Administrator is notified at the earliest opportunity, and the Pastor will meet with the family regarding memorial plans, including the Memorial/Funeral service. The pastor is available to meet with the family and the mortuary for any memorial arrangements being made through a local funeral home.
    
    
  • Memorial monetary gifts given the name of the deceased will be gratefully received and distributed by the Church. Gifts received will be acknowledged both to the donor and to the family of the deceased. The Session (Board of Elders) will distribute these memorial gifts through consultation between the family and pastor as to the designation and purpose of the gift.
    

The Memorial/Funeral Service

• A Funeral service (with remains present) or a Memorial service (without remains present), is a Christian service of worship. Whenever possible, services should be held in the Church Sanctuary, to unite this service to the Church’s continuing life and witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The service may be held any day of the week, depending on needs of the bereaved family and community.
  
  
• Pastoral care and use of the sanctuary shall be made available to all, regardless of Church affiliation or lack thereof. When planning for a Memorial/Funeral service for a citizen in the community who was not actively involved in the life of the Church, special care will be taken to extend Christ’s love and comforting grace to the family in their time of bereavement.
  
  
• The character of a Funeral/Memorial service recognizes the reality of death but celebrates the gift of eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Therefore, Funeral/Memorial services will be services of Christian worship, including prayers, Scripture readings and songs focusing on our eternal and living hope found in Jesus Christ, as well as thanksgiving for and celebration of the life of the person who has died.
  
  
• Services are scheduled and designed by the pastor and the bereaved family in consultation together. Arrangements are not considered finalized without that consultation. Other participants may be invited to participate in parts of the service upon approval by the Pastor and family.
  
  
• It is not necessary that the Pastor of Community Presbyterian Church officiates at a Memorial/Funeral held in the Sanctuary of Community Presbyterian Church, but it is required that a Christian Minister will officiate. When another Christian Minister officiates, the Pastor of Community Presbyterian Church will be consulted regarding the planning of the service. The officiating Pastor’s name and phone number are to be provided by the bereaved family at time of requesting use of the sanctuary.
  
  
• Fraternal rituals (Masonic or other) should be conducted and completed before the Funeral or Memorial service begins.
  
  
• There is no fee for use of the Sanctuary or Hall for a Memorial/Funeral service, reception or for pastoral services.
  
  
• Arrangements for musicians and music honorariums should be made in consultation with the Pastor.
  

Committal Service

• Graveside Committals or other Committals are arranged in consultation with the Pastor.
  
  
• The Committal service includes readings from Scripture, prayers, words of committal, and a blessing, reflecting the reality of death, entrusting the one who has died to the care of God, and bearing witness to our living hope in the resurrection from the dead through faith in Jesus Christ.
  

Memorial Receptions

• Arrangements for use of the reception hall, including set-up, food/beverage service, and clean-up are made by the family and friends of the deceased in consultation with the Church Administrator, working with a Church reception liaison.
  
  
• For Church members, the reception after a memorial/funeral service is planned by the Deacons, working together with the Church Administrator, the family and the congregation in arranging for reception services.