Whether sudden or anticipated, the death of a loved one involves many decisions and details. The following procedures serve as guidelines when a CMC member or regular attender wishes to involve the CMC community in funeral or memorial service planning and grief support.
Family Responsibilities:
- Contact a CMC pastor or the church office (540-433-2148)
- Set up any personal displays or memorabilia in the Fellowship Hall for visitation
- Set up any flowers in the Fellowship Hall and front of sanctuary for funeral or memorial service
Pastoral Responsibilities:
- Assist the bereaved member(s) in contacting a funeral home and attending to legal, theological, and cultural decisions, such as whether to have a funeral (open casket or closed casket) or a memorial service, viewing and visitation, a private or public ceremony, burial or cremation, etc.
- If another facility will be used, determine how CMC members can be helpful as needed
- Notify appropriate CMC small group to plan in-home meals as needed
Pastor(s)/Church Administrator:
- Review CMC pastoral files to see whether the family has made funeral/memorial plans
- Review Memory Garden registry to see whether family has made plans to inter ashes in the CMC Memory Garden
- Assess the availability of the CMC building for a visitation, funeral or memorial service, and bereavement meal
- Notify all church members of the death, and of plans for the visitation, funeral or memorial service
- Communicate with member’s small group to provide a meal before or after visitation, if needed
- Meet with a family representative to discuss dates, times and family needs for a bereavement meal, including meal choices, table arrangement and dismissal from the service to the meal line
- Discuss funeral/memorial service and bulletin details with family
Church Administrator Responsibilities:
- Communicate with long-term renters (esp. Community Preschool regarding use of Fellowship Hall for set up, visitation and service and Rosetta Stone regarding weekday parking)
- If CMC facilities will be used for visitation, funeral or memorial events, notify ushers of anticipated need for their services and identify head usher.
- Arrange for a sound technician as needed. Often sound is also needed in the fellowship hall during a meal following the service.
- Notify custodians of cleaning and facility preparation needs
- Notify Hospitality Committee about needs for a meal before or after funeral/memorial service
- Communicate details of the service to ushers and parking attendants
- Be available for office services and serve as “floater” to help out as needed before and during funeral/memorial service (if weekday) or designate someone to serve in this role
Hospitality Committee Responsibilities:
- Solicit church members for prepared food donations, food preparation, serving and clean-up assistance, and purchase food as needed for meal ($500 maximum cost)
Provided by CMC for Funeral or Memorial Services:
- Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall usage
- Audio services
- Bulletin, if desired
- Ushers and Parking Attendants
- Song leader
- Pastoral services
- Extra custodial duties
- Bereavement meal
Not provided by CMC for Funeral or Memorial Services:
- Childcare
- Videotaping of memorial service
- Payment of hired musicians
Bereavement Meal Menu Choices (Current CMC budget for meals is $500).
Choose one:
Sandwiches – Turkey, ham, cheese on assorted breads
Fruit, Cheese, and cracker tray
Choose One:
Vegetable soup
Raw Vegetable tray and dip
Choose One:
Brownie or cookie tray
Fruit
Choose One:
Potato chips
Pretzels
Beverages:
Hot tea, coffee, decaffeinated coffee
Water
Approved by Pastoral Team April, 2019