Funeral Policy

Arrangements

Please call the church office, 480-488-3283, to let the Rector and staff know of your loss.
In some cases, arrangements are made through a funeral director, who in turn will consult the Rector.  Even though it is difficult and stressful, the Rector encourages members to discuss and plan in advance the options of burial, cremation or donation for medical purposes and to discuss some of the options for the memorial service, ie: hymns, eulogies, readings and the participants.

Guidelines

In the Episcopal Church, a funeral may be held with the body present in a coffin or with the ashes present; or a memorial service may be held in the church after the remains, whether in a coffin, or ashes, have been committed to the final resting place.  The Rector will be happy to discuss the theological and pastoral considerations for all of these approaches, as well as the timing of the service.  The Rector will also be happy to provide or make referrals for grief counseling.

Following the guidelines of our Book of Common Prayer, baptized Christians are properly buried from the church, and we encourage a service to be held at a time when the congregation has the opportunity to be present.  You do not have to be a member of Good Shepherd in order for a funeral service to be held here.

Planning

The Rector will meet with the family to plan the service, including any music, in accordance with the liturgy provided in the Book of Common Prayer.  

Good shepherd can provide space for a reception following a funeral.  The Rector and family can discuss the use of Maitland Hall, a caterer and the policies and procedures.
Arrangements for flowers for the altar can be arranged by our Flower Guild but are paid for by the family.

Music

If the services of the regular organist are requested, given his/her availability, a $150 fee will be charged.  The service of other organists or other musicians may be used only with permission of the regular organist.  In such cases, the regular organist will receive the normal funeral fee. The regular organist’s fee is payable before the service and includes:

• Consultation with the Rector to select the music requested by the family
• A short program of organ music preceding the service and a recessional

When additional services of a soloist or other musicians are required, then the fee is $175 and will include the above items plus accompaniment and rehearsal.  The fees quoted are the minimum and apply to services with modest music.