Funeral Policies
Zion Evangelical
Lutheran Church
Enola, PA
Funeral Services
Although funeral services may be
held in funeral homes, the best place for conducting a funeral service upon the
death of a church member is in the sanctuary of the church to which he or she
belonged. At such times of loss, all
may be reminded by even the place of service of what our hope and assurance are
in Jesus Christ. Therefore, all members
of Zion are encouraged to use the church building for funeral services, and its
sanctuary is offered for the funeral services of Christians whose membership in
the church is in some other locality as well.
There can be alternative methods for the conducting of services at the time
of death. These could include a private graveside service for family members as
soon after death as possible and/or a public service of worship (memorial
service) conducted at the church later.
The pastor is available to
go with the family to the funeral home to assist in making arrangements if
desired.
The pastor will be happy to
meet with the family to plan any funeral worship arrangements or, if it is the
desire of the family, she/he will develop the funeral liturgy.
Date and Time of Funerals
Dates and times for funerals
at Zion are to be arranged in consultation with the pastor based on
availability and the preferences of the deceased’s family.
Who Will Officiate?
Pastoral ethics require that
Zion’s pastor conduct all funeral services held at Zion, unless by agreement
with another pastor, he/she is invited to share in the funeral or act on behalf
of the pastor of Zion. Any requests for
another pastor or lay person to officiate or assist in the service must be
approved by Zion’s pastor.
Structure of the Funeral Service
A funeral service held in
the church is a service of worship, celebrating the deceased’s life and the
promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Consequently, all parts of the service are to be consistent with the
present worship practices of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and
Zion Lutheran Church.
Generally, the outline for
the funeral and burial service as found in the Lutheran Book of Worship will be followed. The family may suggest other items to be
included in the service, with the approval of the pastor.
The
celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, shared in community around the
familiar center of the table, is full of healing power for those who
grieve. This sacrament is the gracious
sign of the completion of baptism, the foretaste of the heavenly banquet, and
the anticipation of all the faithful reunited before God and Christ, the Lamb
of God. Therefore, it is appropriate to
share Holy Communion as part of the funeral service. All those gathered for the service will be invited to the Table.
Family participants as
readers and communion assistants in the liturgy are welcomed.
Pastoral
Services to Members of Other Congregations
Sometimes pastors are asked
to be involved at the funerals of people from other churches. Zion’s policy is that the responsibility and
authority for pastoral acts or services rests with the pastor of the
congregation where the deceased held membership. If Zion’s pastor is asked to provide pastoral services for
members of other congregations, she/he will contact the clergy of the church in
which the person held membership before providing the service. The pastor who performs a service for a
member of another congregation is obligated to provide information regarding
that pastoral act or service performed to the pastor of the congregation in
which the person held membership. If
the request for pastoral service involves an individual who has had conflicts
with his/her pastor or congregation, the immediate family will be urged to
resolve the difficulty prior to receiving pastoral service.
Funerals for Non-members
Conducting funerals for
people who have no connection with the church is a normal part of the
ministerial obligation. However, it is
usually inappropriate to hold such a service in the church, and not all the
parts of the service (i.e. references to baptism) may be appropriate. By certain omissions and choices of
alternate selections this service may be adapted for such funerals.
Funeral Music
Normally, the organist at
Zion will play at all funerals in the church, as he/she is familiar with the
instrument. If the organist is
unavailable for the service, s/he will make a reasonable effort to provide a
suitable replacement. In cases where an
outside organist is desired, permission must be secured from the pastor and the
Director of Music. Additional musicians
or soloists may be utilized. (see Fees section) Please note that the use of taped music or pre-recorded
accompaniments is discouraged.
Music
performed at a service of Christian burial is understood as an act of worship,
offered to God in devotion, thanksgiving and praise. Therefore, all music used during the funeral service (including
prelude and postlude) must be sacred in nature and approved by the pastor and
the Director of Music. The pastor will
consult with the family regarding special requests for music to be used during
the service.
Services by Fraternal Orders,
Lodges etc.
Services by fraternal
orders, lodges, veterans groups or other organizations are not appropriate at a
Lutheran funeral service. If they are
held, they should be limited to the funeral home or graveside, and must be
coordinated with the pastor prior to the service. Such services are not to be confused or combined with
the burial office and committal.
Decorations
Paraments on the altar,
lectern and pulpit will remain the color of the day or season.
Families
may wish to display the deceased’s cremains, as well as certain mementos or
pictures of the deceased and his/her family.
The following guidelines would be applicable in these situations:
* Any displays or pictures must be
appropriate to a worship setting.
* No nails, tacks, staples or screws shall be put in
the walls or attached to the pews.
* All decorations must be removed within 12 hours of
the conclusion of the service.
* No furniture shall be removed from the church
building.
Flowers
Only fresh cut flowers and
planters may be used in the sanctuary.
Flowers may be left for use on the altar for Sunday worship services
only if the flower calendar is vacant for that Sunday. Contact the church’s Flower Coordinator for
more information. Other flower
arrangements may be left for placement other than on the altar.
Closed Casket
All caskets must be closed
for the burial service, but may be open during the viewing (or preceding the
viewing, for the family only), if desired.
When closed, the church pall covers the casket (see below). The coffin remains closed throughout the
service. When the service is in a
funeral parlor or private house, the coffin is closed and in place before the
liturgy begins. The funeral director
shall be instructed concerning such matters as timing, closed caskets, music,
flowers, etc.
The coffin is to be placed
in the position with the feet toward the altar. The position reflects the accustomed
role of the deceased in the church -- facing the altar as part of the
congregation. The paschal candle, which symbolizes Christ’s triumph over the
powers of death, is lit as a reminder of the deceased’s baptism into Christ.
Use of Pall
The congregation will
provide a funeral pall to be placed over the casket during the service. The
pall recalls the white robe given in Baptism, the robe of Christ's
righteousness. The pall further has democratizing value, for it prevents both
the display of a costly coffin and embarrassment at a simple one. This action
of placing the pall over the coffin will take place prior to the liturgy. The pall will be the only thing covering the
casket while in the church building.
Nursery
Under
normal conditions, the church does not provide a nursery for funeral services.
Parking / Traffic Assistance
Parking
assistance is generally provided by the funeral home. The church does not have any resources to assist in traffic
control on city streets or highways.
Family Fellowship Meal
When
available, the church will do everything possible to accommodate requests for a
family fellowship meal following a funeral service. The Women of Zion will prepare the meal. Family will be give contact
information. If the family wishes to
provides its own food, the Fellowship Hall may be used with prior approval.
Bulletins
If bulletins are to be given
out during the service, they will be prepared by the church secretary.
Memorials / Trust Funds
In
certain circumstances, the family might request a trust fund or contribution to
a charitable organization in lieu of flowers.
These arrangements must be made with an organization outside the
church. The church will not manage,
receive or distribute designated funds for an outside institution.
Undesignated
funds and funds designated for an established project at Zion will be received
by the church as part of the Memorial Fund.
Funds designated for a project not previously established will be
received by the church only after approval by the Congregation Council.
Fees
If
the deceased or a member of their immediate family is a member of Zion, there
is no fee for the use of the facilities.
For all other individuals, additional fees may be assessed. Fees are payable (by cash or check made
payable to “Zion Lutheran Church”) on the day of the funeral. Normally, fees for the pastor and organist
are paid through the funeral director.
The following fees apply: Member Non-Member
Use of Church No
fee $100
Pastor Honorarium Honorarium
Organist
Service $125 $125
Work with soloist $35 additional per soloist $35 additional per
soloist
Sexton $50 (upstairs only) $50
(upstairs only)
$100 (upstairs and
Fellowship Hall) $100
Sound System Operator $10 $10
Use of Fellowship Hall $100
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
265 North Enola Drive, Enola, PA 17025
717.732.9652
Approved by Worship & Music
Committee 4/21/05; for Council approval
