FUNERAL PLANNING

INFORMATION BROCHURE

LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH 13724 W. MEEKER BLVD.

SUN CITY WEST, AZ 85375 PH: 623-584-2000

WEB: WWW.LOLAZ.ORG EMAIL: INFO@LOLAZ.ORG

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As you plan for a Celebration of Life Service at Lord of Life Lutheran Church

for a loved one we pray that God gives you comfort

and grants you peace during this difficult time.

Even as we celebrate the gift of God’s promise of everlasting life, planning the service for your loved one can be the most difficult act you will have to deal with in your lifetime. Please know that your pastors and the entire staff at Lord of Life are keeping you in our prayers and are here to help. Please use this booklet as a guide as you consider your options for the kind of service you wish to have as we celebrate the life of your loved one.

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Service At Lord of Life there are two places to have the service; our Chapel which holds 80 or under comfortably or the Sanctuary which holds up to 750. Some prefer the Chapel for its intimate setting while some prefer the spacious atmosphere of the Sanctuary. We usually let the estimated number of attendees make the choice as to where the service will be held. Flowers The beauty of flowers adds to the comfort we seek during a Memorial Service for those we love. You are invited to use a florist of your choice, or ask the office for the florist the church uses if you need a suggestion. The florist will need to know the time to deliver the flowers, especially if the service is held when the office is not open. The ushers will help place the arrangements before the service. We do discourage flowers being placed directly on the altar. The ushers will help you retrieve the flowers following the service. Bulletins The church office will provide the service bulletin. You are invited to choose a bulletin cover. We have options for you to look over and hopefully find the one that helps convey the message of the day. If you would like to personalize the bulletin cover, our office staff can help. Hymns and Scripture Readings Your pastors are ready to help you as you decide what lessons you would like to have read and what hymns and songs you need to help find closure. If your loved one had already picked out some favorites, that does make it easier for you. Your pastors will help in any way they can, if choices need to be made.

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Eulogy, Readers, Picture Displays It is common for family members and friends to want to say a few words of remembrance during the service. Check with your pastors about how best to arrange this in the service or if it fits better in the reception. If family or friends would like to participate in the service by reading a lesson or a special reading, discuss it with the pastors to make sure it works well in the service. Families like to display photographs and memorabilia of their loved one and we are happy to provide tables and easels in the Social Hall. Please coordinate a time when those items would be brought to the church and set up prior to the service. It is customary to have a picture of the deceased at the memorial service. Costs There are some fees involved with a service at the church as there would be at a Funeral Home. Our Director of Administration will be happy to discuss with you, the details including the cost for a place in the Lord of Life Columbarium if you are interested. If you have cremains that need to be placed in the Columbarium at Lord of Life, the pastors will be happy to discuss the interment service with you. If you need information about the Columbarium, please see page 9 of this booklet.

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After the Service The following are some resources to help assist you in the grieving process.

Lord of Life has a Grief Support Group that meets on Thursday at 1:30 pm on campus.

Below is a list of books that may be helpful in the days and months to come:

“Praying our Goodbyes” by Joyce Rupp “Making It Through the Toughest Days of Grief” by Meg Woodson “I Wasn’t Ready to Say Goodbye” by Brook Noel and Pamela D. Blair - Surviving, coping and healing after the sudden death of a loved one. “Healing after Loss” by Martha W. Hickman - Daily meditations for working through grief. “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young - A daily devotion from the words of Jesus.

General

Celebration of Life services are held for members of Lord of Life only. Exceptions may be made with the approval of and in consultation with one of the pastors on staff at Lord of Life. Only the pastors on staff at Lord of Life preside over the Celebration of Life services.

The pastors, in consultation with the family, will schedule these services with the understanding that they might displace an otherwise scheduled activity at the church. Great care will be taken to work around these other activities but it is understood that memorial services and Celebration of Life services take precedence over all other events except worship.

Thank you for your help and understanding as the pastors and staff at Lord of Life work to help you and your family through this painful time.

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Music

It is the policy of this church that our organist will provide the music for the service. If our organist is unavailable, a substitute will be provided.

Guest Book

The family is to provide a guestbook to the pastor in advance of the service to be included in the setup for the service. If for some reason the family does not have a guest book, one is available in the church office for a cost of $12.00.

Smoking

Please remind family and friends that we are a smoke-free campus. There is no smoking permitted anywhere on campus including sidewalks and parking lots.

Alcohol and Drugs on Campus

No alcoholic beverages of any kind are permitted on campus with the exception of wine for Holy Communion. Alcohol will not be served or permitted to be distributed as part of any event on campus. The sale or distribution of illicit or prescription drugs is prohibited on campus. Use of illicit drugs on campus is prohibited. No psychoactive or hallucinogens of any kind are to be used in any food or drink served on the campus.

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Firearms on Campus

It is very important that we remember at all times that this is a holy place, a sanctuary. No firearms of any kind are permitted on the campus with the express exclusion of on duty agents of city, county, state or federal law enforcement. Military issue rifles for the express intent of a military funeral or memorial service will be allowed only after obtaining the required licensing from the county and only with complete compliance with the funeral/memorial policy and only under the direct supervision of qualified active or retired military personnel.

Military Honors

If the deceased is eligible, and the family wishes to have military honors at the funeral, this is to be discussed with the pastor, who will officiate at the service, in advance. The family is responsible for contacting Luke Air Force Base where appropriate or a mortuary to make arrangements with a veterans’ organization. Military honors will be conducted in the courtyard following the worship service. Presentation of the flag, taps and a 21-gun salute may be included. In the event of a 21-gun salute, the military personnel will be positioned in the parking lot behind the administration building.

Food and Beverages on Campus

No food or beverage (except water) is allowed in any worship area or worship area narthex. Clear unaltered spring, bottled or tap water is allowed. We have a policy that no beverages with red coloring (fruit punch, cranberry juice, etc.) are allowed anywhere on campus.

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Animals

Prior notification to the church and approval by the church is required to bring animals on campus for funeral/memorial services. All animals brought onto the property for the service must remain outside the buildings and be fully and completely under control. All animals will be cared for in a humane way, provided adequate shade and access to water and will be cleaned up after by their owner. All costs associated for disregarding these policies will be passed onto the family. The church may exclude any animal, including a service animal, from the facility when that animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

Non-Theological Acknowledgements

The Celebration of Life service for your loved one will be a thoughtfully planned worship service. If for any reason a service that doesn’t include worship of God is planned, it will be held in the Social Hall or courtyard area of the campus. These services can include military honors, Masonic ritual, etc. No service of any kind will be held on campus that is in direct conflict of the beliefs and principles of Lord of Life Lutheran Church.

Receptions

Women of the ELCA (W-ELCA) provide receptions for members only. W-ELCA will provide bars, cookies, coffee, tea and water for receptions. Any additional items desired are ordered, delivered and paid for by the family. W-ELCA will provide serving assistance only, for these items. If a caterer is desired, the caterer must be approved by the church in advance.

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Memorials

The family is urged to discuss with the pastor as to how memorial gifts are to be designated. The pastor may suggest memorials to any number of long term or short term ministries or missions of the church. All undesignated memorials are to be used or applied at the discretion of the Congregational Council. The family will be given a list of names and addresses of all memorial contributors. If no designation had been previously made, the family is given a final opportunity at this time to make a designation. Any memorial gifts given directly to the family should be brought to the church with 7 business days of the memorial service. We do hope this information is helpful to you as your plan for your loved ones Celebration of Life. If there is any additional help that we can provide, please feel free to call one of our pastors or our church office.

Fees

Fees for funerals/memorials and other facilities use can be found in the Fee Schedule below. In the case of a very small funeral/memorial service, the pastor may at their discretion, adjust the fees. All donations received for a reception hosted by the Women of the ELCA (W-ELCA) will go directly to W-ELCA. A suggested donation for this service would be $1.00 per person.

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Funeral/Memorial Use Fees The following fees are provided for a member’s funeral/memorial:

Fees for Members*

Organist or Pianist $125.00

Soloist $100.00

Pastor Discretionary Suggested $200.00

Reception $100.00 Minimum or $1.00 Per Person

Whichever amount is larger

Guest Book $12.00

Fees for Non-Members*

Organist or Pianist $125.00

Soloist $100.00

Sound/AV Tech $75.00

Pastor Discretionary Suggested $300.00

Reception No Services Provided

Worship Space $200.00

Social Hall $250.00

Guest Book $12.00

*Additional fees may apply for special or unique requests.

Please make all checks out directly to the individual. If you are not a member, additional costs apply. Please call the church office 623-584-2000.

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Columbarium Fees A double niche is $1,250.00, a single niche is $1,000.00. Reservation donation includes the urn(s), name plate(s) and badge. Please see our Director of Administration for reservation and further information.

NOTES:

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

The information contained in this brochure is to assist you in planning memorials or funerals

here at Lord of Life Lutheran Church.

All information contained in this brochure is provided as part of the Facility Use Policy, Form 1020.00. All information contained herein is governed by the latest revision of this policy.

Y:\Facilities\Facilities Use\1020.08A Revised10/23/2019