Advance Planning
When Death is Expected or When Death Comes
Our pastors are available in case of any crisis involving you or your family. Please notify the pastors as soon as possible after the death of a loved one. One of the pastors will offer you loving care on behalf of the church.
Please contact the church: 770-993-6316. If the church office is closed, please leave a message or call the Emergency Pastoral Phone: 770-649-4514.
Arranging a Service
Your pastors, in scheduling the date and time of a memorial service or funeral at the church, wish to be sensitive to your family’s needs. A decision on the date of the service will take into consideration the arrival of out-of-town family, availability of the worship space, as well as the pastors and musicians.
In the case of a service at a funeral home, time and date will be decided in consultation with the director of the funeral home, who will confer with the pastors. The date and time of receiving friends at the funeral home should be decided as soon as possible so that all participating parties can be notified.
Types of Service
Committal or interment service in the Memorial Garden or at the cemetery grave site. Usually lasting only a few minutes and consisting of scripture, prayer, and benediction, such a service may be held privately, with family and close friends present. These services precede the memorial service.
Memorial service at the church, in which remains are not present.
Funeral service at the church takes place within days following death, with a closed casket or urn present.
Funeral services at the funeral home and graveside service.
The Worship Service
The pastors, with consideration by the Director of Music, are responsible for planning the service itself and will be happy to consult with you regarding hymns, other appropriate music, or favorite texts from the Bible that would be most meaningful to you. The music selected for the memorial service should embody the same standards applied to the music chosen for Sunday morning worship. Ordinarily, recorded music is not a part of the memorial service, except in extraordinary circumstances.
The Service
The service will not eulogize, but instead will celebrate the gift of the life of the deceased that will bear witness to our common faith, and that will meet the needs of the mourners. We believe it is appropriate not to have more than two/three outside speakers.
Flowers and Guest Book
If flowers are important to you, we have a flower stand available for use, and we are happy to place any flowers you receive up front in the Sanctuary spaces if you’d like. Flowers can be delivered one hour prior to the service to ensure that an elder will be there to receive them. If you are having flowers delivered via an online service, please inform the church office by calling 770-993-6316.
Recommended Florist
Best Little Flower in Roswell
10800 Alpharetta Hwy #228
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 642-7878
We can provide a guest book at no charge to the family if you do not have one.
Bulletins
Bulletins will be prepared by the church staff after the pastor and family have planned the service.
Elders
A select group of elders will assist the family, staff, and ministers on the day of the funeral or memorial service. They will act as ushers for the service - reserve pews, pass out bulletins, and answer any questions you or your guests might have. These volunteers are there to officially represent the church at the service.
Order of Worship
Prelude
Call to Worship
Prayer of Adoration
Hymn of Praise
Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon
Prayer for Illumination
Old Testament (or Scripture) Reading
Musical Offering
New Testament (or Scripture) Reading
Homily
Affirmation of Faith
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s Prayer
Commendation
Closing Hymn
Benediction
Closing Voluntary
Suggested Scriptures
Psalm 121
Psalm 23
II Timothy 4:7
Romans 14:7-8
Philippians 4:4-8
Matthew 22:36-40
John 14:1-6, 25-27
Suggested Music
Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal
1 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
39 Great Is Thy Faithfulness
65 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
215 What Wondrous Love Is This
238 Thine Is the Glory
275 A Mighty Fortress is Our God
307 God of Grace and God of Glory
326 For All the Saints
366 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
450 Be Thou My Vision
611 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
625 How Great Thou Art
643 Now Thank We All Our God
649 Amazing Grace
687 Our God, Our Help in Ages Past
802 The King of Love My Shepherd Is
834 Precious Lord Take My Hand
836 Abide With Me
The Worship Space
Our Sanctuary accommodates 1000 people. The Historic Sanctuary can accommodate up to 100. The Memorial Garden can accommodate a service of committal for a small group of family and friends. The Welcome Center will be set aside as a place for family to gather and pray prior to the service.
Reception
The Funeral Reception Guild may offer the family a reception after a funeral, memorial service, or graveside service held on the premises of Roswell Presbyterian Church. The pastor will work to secure a reception if this is desired pending the availability of the funeral reception guild.
Reception Space
Use of technology outside of the worship space (i.e. Narthex) is limited to use of the TV in the Courtyard Room for the purpose of showing pictures, etc., but must be organized and supervised and carried out by the family.
Technology use for the Service
Occasionally, families want there to be audio recordings, livestream, audio/video during their memorial service. As part of the service (in the main Sanctuary), an A/V technician will be available to handle the sound needs. This service is provided to the families at no charge.
Fees, Honoraria and Donations
There is no charge for the use of the church for memorial services or funerals, nor do the pastors, organist, or sound technician expect payment for conducting services. Support of the bereaved families is a ministry of the church and the pastors.
Many times families want to express their appreciation for the pastor, organist, and/or sound technician, in which case an honorarium can be given at the discretion of the family. This honorarium can be given directly to the recipient.
Many request that friends and family members contribute memorial gifts to the church or to other causes in lieu of flowers.
If the family wants to have additional musicians, soloists, or inclusion of livestream, there will be an additional fee.
Amounts are approximate. These fees should be paid directly to the soloist/instrumentalist/live stream operator.
Soloist: $175 (minimum fee)
Guest instrumentalist: $225 (minimum fee)
Livestream operator: $75/hr (minimum 2.5 hours)
There is no fee for the reception that the RPC Funeral Guild provides, however, a donation is always welcome to offset the cost of the food and beverages. That donation would be paid directly to the church, click here.
Congregational and Pastoral Care
Grief support groups and books will be provided quarterly for one year. In addition, RPC offers Healing and Wholeness services twice a year. Ongoing support and care are offered as part of the continued ministry at RPC. To learn more contact Rev. Rev. Ryan Jensen at ryan@roswellpres.org or 770-649-4507
Stephen Ministers
Stephen Ministers are dedicated, trained church members who offer confidential, one-on-one support to those experiencing a time of crisis or need. The caring relationship is always male-to-male and female-to-female for those in need age 18 and older. Stephen Ministers are trained to listen and provide support. To learn more about Stephen Ministers, click here.
Memorial Garden
Throughout our lives as Christians, the Church ministers to our needs. We are baptized in the church, nurtured by its teachings and are fulfilled by service in its mission. At the end of our lives, we find comfort in knowing that the church provides interment and/or memorialization on consecrated church property.
It is in the spirit of closing the circle of ministry from birth to death that Roswell Presbyterian Church has created a Memorial Garden in our cemetery. The Garden provides a well-maintained and consecrated site for the interment of ash remains and memorialization of church members and their families.
Application and Acceptance
Any member of Roswell Presbyterian Church may make arrangements for interment of ash remains and a memorial nameplate by filling out an application. Members of Roswell Presbyterian Church and their immediate families are eligible for interment.
Upon payment of a $750 fee per family member, the member will receive an acceptance notification signed by an appropriate church representative. The original application and acceptance will be maintained in the church office. Such acceptance will be subject to the policies and regulations governing the Memorial Garden which from time to time may be changed of modified without notice by the Session.
The purchase fee is non-refundable, but rights may be assigned to a family member or other qualified person by written designation.
Interment
The ash remains will be interred within the Memorial Garden in the biodegradable containers in which the ashes are received.
Specific plots are not purchased. Space will be assigned by the Memorial Garden Committee and designed on a plan of the Garden retained in the Church Office. The Committee will attempt to honor requests for interment in contiguous spaces. It is intended that the interment of remains in the Garden will be available in perpetuity.
When the more than 700 available spaces have been used, remains will be reverently interred in previously used plots, in order of initial interment.
Records and Documents
The church will maintain a record documenting the names of all those who are memorialized in the Garden. The church will keep a grid showing the locations of occupied or assigned spaces. This documentation is available for viewing upon request.
Administration of the Memorial Garden
The Garden will be administered by a committee appointed by the Building and Property Ministry. Final approval of any policy to govern the Garden will rest with the Session.
WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION
Planning a Funeral, Memorial Service or Committal Service.
Advance Planning for End-of-Life Services
The church office will keep this information on file. You may revise this information at any time.
APPLICATION FOR INTERMENT OF ASH REMAINS
I hereby apply for the right to inter the ash remains of the following person(s) in the Roswell Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden: