Rituals and Life Transitions

Throughout the year Pastoral Team leads the congregation in rituals that mark life transitions or recognize special times in the life of the congregation. If you would like more information about any of our rituals and life transitions, please contact one of the pastors.

Parent/Child Dedication
Baptism
Anointing rituals
Lord's Supper
Church Membership
Covenant Renewal
Engagement and Pre-marital Counseling
High School Graduation Reception
Marriage/Weddings
Retirement Rituals
Care Teams
Memorials/Funerals/Memory Garden

Parent/Child Dedication — CMC offers this dedication in praise for God’s work in forming the newborn child and placing the child in the care of parent/s and the church. Parent/s commit themselves to the calling of raising the child in the church so that the child can come to their own faith in Christ at a later point in time. The dedication takes place during a worship service, during most times of the church calendar. We recommend this ritual in the first six months of life, and recognize that there are circumstances in which parents make this commitment later. Parent/s are invited to share with the congregation what the dedication means for them in about 300 words or choose a hymn that they would like to have included in the worship service.

Baptism — CMC offers baptism by water a few times every year. Baptisms usually take place in the baptistery (behind the sanctuary stage), in which two pastors submerge the person being baptized. Baptism is an act of God, of the church, and of the believer; it’s also a sign that the believer has repented, received forgiveness, renounced evil, and died to sin. Baptism by water is a pledge to serve Christ and minister as a member of Christ’s body according to the gifts given to each believer. CMC youth who would like to be baptized attend Catechism Class prior to baptism. Other adults preparing for baptism usually meet several times one-on-one with a pastor.

Anointing Rituals — CMC offers anointing during worship several times each year. Stations are located on the main floor and in the balcony. At each station a pastor or pastoral elder is prepared to anoint a person on their palm or forehead and to pray for the request the person is bringing to God. The pastor or pastoral elder often checks in with the person in the weeks following the anointing ritual.

Lord’s Supper — CMC celebrates the Lord’s Supper (sometimes referred to as Eucharist or Communion) throughout the year. This ritual begun by Jesus with his disciples has a range of moods and many dimensions. It is always a meal of remembrance of Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection. It is always a meal of reconciliation with one another and with God. It is always a meal of hope for the fulfillment of God’s reign. In the Anabaptist tradition the Lord’s Supper is a ritual in which we recall our baptismal covenant with Christ and the church, even the willingness to lay down one’s life. We invite all baptized believers—members and attenders of our congregation and guests—to share in the bread and cup. We serve gluten-free bread and grape juice.

Church membership — Our covenant litany describes our shared understanding of membership in this congregation. Our membership process includes preparation through meeting with a pastor, participating in the Exploring Church Membership class for adults, or participating in a catechism class for youth. We receive groups of new members several times throughout the year. We receive members through baptism and confession of faith, or by a letter of transfer and confession of faith. We also offer associate membership to persons who carry membership in another congregation or denomination. Like most congregations, we have an ongoing membership list that we update annually with our conference. We also regularly review our covenant and share with each other our personal commitments. We invite all those who worship regularly with CMC to consider becoming members.

On Sundays when we are receiving new members we invite persons to share their current testimony of faith in Jesus Christ in light of our covenant litany. The congregation responds with a pledge of commitment to the new members and we offer a gift of bread. There are many Bible passages related to bread, including God providing manna in the wilderness and Jesus announcing, "I am the Bread of Life." Hans de Ries, a 17th century Dutch Anabaptist wrote: We, though many, are one body since we are all participants in one bread. As the bread is milled from many grains and is then one so that we can no longer distinguish the fat from the lean, just so we are one in Christ.

Covenant Renewal — As a congregation we welcome all our members to renew their covenant with Christ and the church regularly. If you are participating in the life and witness of CMC and not yet a member, please talk with one of the pastors. We would be happy to help you prepare for this step in your faith journey. Our covenant litany describes our shared understanding of church membership

Our covenant renewal takes place in January. During worship the congregation will affirm our Covenant Litany together. Members are given opportunities in small groups and in worship to share “100 word testimonies” about what membership in this body of believers means for them. In this adaptation of CMC’s practice we continue to value sharing our commitments to Christ and the church face-to-face, even as a larger congregation.

Engagement and Pre-marital Counseling — CMC pastors are trained to guide couples in a series of premarital counseling sessions using Prepare-Enrich, an excellent resource for couples. Couples pay a $35 fee for the relationship inventory materials, but the counseling sessions with one of our pastors are free for members and regular attenders. As a congregation we are part of a city-wide effort to encourage premarital counseling, so our pastors officiate at weddings only when couples have taken the preparatory step of premarital counseling. We recommend premarital counseling for about 6 sessions, beginning 4-5 months before the wedding. Thinking of getting engaged? Talk to one of your pastors.

High School Graduation Reception — High school seniors have the opportunity to set up tables in the fellowship hall displaying various highlights from their school years and mingle with the congregation. Members of the congregation can visit, discuss accomplishments and write notes/cards to the students while enjoying cake together.

Marriage/Weddings — CMC celebrates the life-long covenant of marriage between two people. CMC pastors will officiate weddings that suit their schedules, so we recommend making your request well in advance. As a congregation we are part of a city-wide effort to encourage premarital counseling, so our pastors officiate at weddings only when couples have taken the preparatory step of premarital counseling. We recommend premarital counseling for about 6 sessions, typically beginning 4-5 months before the wedding. Couples typically offer the officiating pastor an honorarium ($100-150) for the rehearsal and ceremony. Our pastors are happy to collaborate with other clergy who may be part of the wedding. For more information about use of the CMC sanctuary, contact the Church Administrator.

Retirement Ritual — For many adults, retirement represents a major life transition, with both accomplishments to celebrate and losses to grieve. CMC offers an opportunity each year for those who have recently retired or will soon be retiring to be recognized and blessed as they enter this new chapter of life. A retirement ritual is included in Sunday morning worship, and participants have the opportunity to bring an object to worship that symbolizes something they are laying down from their working life.

Care Teams — CMC has a network of small groups and other friendships that provide mutual care for persons in our congregation. For some acute situations that households are facing, a Care Team may be formed to provide support and discernment. A Care Team is led by a pastor, includes 4-5 others discerned by the pastor and the person(s) seeking support, and follows Care Team guidelines. Households who might benefit from a Care Team include: persons facing serious physical or mental illness and caregivers, challenging parenting circumstances, discernment in job transition or other major life events. To assess whether a Care Team might be helpful, contact a member of Pastoral Team.

Care Team Guidelines

Memorials/Funerals/Memory Garden — Pastoral Team has created several documents that can be helpful in planning ahead for a funeral or memorial service. Pastors are available to provide counsel as you think through end-of-life preparations and decisions. CMC pastors will officiate at funerals, burials and memorials. Officiating pastors meet with family members in advance to plan the service. Families typically offer the pastor an honorarium ($100-150.) CMC has a relationship with two local Mennonite congregations who have cemeteries on their grounds for burial. We also invite those who choose cremation to consider the CMC Memory Garden as an option. Contact the church office to make arrangements for purchasing a space in the Memory Garden.