Funerals

REVISED GUIDELINES FOR MEMORIAL/FUNERAL SERVICES (4/2021)

The following guidelines have been developed to enable everyone to understand the procedure followed for Memorial/Funeral Services.

The celebration of eternal life, as we call all memorials/ funerals, is a time to remember that we come from God, we celebrate the gift of life, and we return to God.  As such, Christ is always in the center and the reason we celebrate the eternal life of the ones we love.

We take our charge seriously to support and care for the bereaved.  We consider this a holy calling.  We are grateful that you have chosen St. Mark’s to help you honor your loved one and celebrate God’s gift of eternal life.

The first section of these guidelines is to provide a list of services that St. Mark’s Lutheran Church can offer in support of the family and friends of a person who has passed on to life eternal.  Spiritual support for all of God’s people at the time of the loss of a friend or loved one is a vital part of our church’s mission.

We stand ready to provide the following services at the time of a death.  Please note that members of St. Mark’s are entitled to certain benefits.  However, we will do our best to accommodate all circumstances. 

• The use of our church facilities to hold a Memorial/Funeral Service arranged by our Pastor in consultation with the family of the deceased. The church office phone number is (619) 427-5515.

• The church will prepare and print a basic worship bulletin for the Memorial/Funeral Service.

• The Pastor will contact and meet with the bereaved family.  If the family desires, Jacobson Hall may be used to hold a gathering after the Memorial/Funeral Service.  

• Funerals/ memorials for church members can include coffee, lemonade and cake (or cookies) as part of the service.  Any additional food and paper products (plates, utensils, etc.) must be supplied by the family of the deceased.  

• Non-members will be asked to provide the refreshments and paper products for this fellowship time.

• The Pastor will meet with the family to create the service. 

• If possible, the Pastor will notify the congregation of the death of a member and of arrangements for the Memorial Service at worship services and through our email newsletter and use of the “Prayer Chain”.

• St. Mark’s will provide an organist /pianist for the Memorial Service.  Since this requires additional time for the organist/ pianist, there will be an additional fee for both members and non-members. 

• An audio technician can be provided.  Audio recordings of the Memorial/Funeral service may be available.     

ADVANCED PLANNING

The Member Care Team and Legacy Committee had a panel discussion during our Christian Education time.

The panel talked about getting your affairs in order, making plans for your end of life desires. We talked about a program called Five Wishes and had several handouts that will help you share this important information with the people who love you.
St Mark’s funeral planning form
St Mark’s guide for Christian Funeral or Memorial Service 
The audio on the program wasn’t terrific but it gets better about 9 minutes into the recording, if you’re interested in watching it.

AFFORDABLE CREMATION & BURIAL SERVICES
The San Diego Memorial Society is a 501 (c) 4 nonprofit organization incorporated in 1958, that helps protect consumers by providing simple, dignified, inexpensive cremation and burial plans.  They pre-negotiate the pricing so you know you’ll get the best pricing that San Diego County can offer and skip the high pressure sales tactics.  When you need such services, or want to do advance planning for your family, you simply choose the package of services you want from a straight-forward menu.  You can check out their pricing and information on their website:  www.sdmsonline.com  or call them at 858-391-1267.

The San Diego Memorial Society can also help at the time of death, even if a membership has not been established in advance.  The one-time membership fee of $55.  My mother and step-father had joined a the Los Angeles Memorial Society 10-20 years prior to their deaths.  Using their membership, I was able to arrange for their cremations and services with minimal cost and stress.  I strongly encourage you to check out the San Diego Memorial Society or talk with Sheri Barker about the benefits.

A Mission Healthcare speaker came to Fredericka Manor to give a presentation on Advanced Care Planning and the social worker shared three main cremation options and broke them down into the categories of Nordstrom, Macy’s and Target.

She said:

Glen Abbey is the Nordstrom of funeral homes and cremation is around $2,500. Community Mortuary is the Macy’s and Target is Trinity Funeral Services which is less than $1,000.  She also said Legacy Funeral Services in La Mesa is a more affordable option.

FUNERAL/MEMORIAL FEES

It is customary that all fees be paid on or before the date of service.

Fees to musician,  AV Tech and pastor (for non-members) should be paid directly to the person performing that duty.  Pastor will supply name of person. 

For non-members, please make check for worship space payable to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

(4/21)

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