Funerals

For funerals, please complete the contact form linked HERE, and a staff person will contact you.

Masks are recommended but not required inside our building. This policy may change as we respond to ongoing pandemic developments. We appreciate your understanding.

For a printable PDF version of the following instructions and suggestions, CLICK HERE.

Planning a Funeral

At Nativity, funerals focus on four things: reassurance as loved ones are remembered, comfort and strength as we gather in community; faith in God’s promise for life together with our loved ones; and lastly hope, which is the result of God’s love given to us in the life and resurrection of Jesus.

To begin the process of funeral planning, here is a brief list of steps to initiate arrangements.

Contact us to begin setting a date, time, and place. Our pastors will make every effort to provide the service time, place and date requested. If you do not have a funeral home, we can make some suggestions.
Contact the funeral home or cremation services provider.
Meet with the pastor to plan the funeral worship and lunch/refreshments if applicable. At this meeting, a pastor will review the time and schedule of events, worship participants, lunch/refreshment details, Bible verses, and music. If you do not have suggestions for music or readings from the Bible, the pastor will make some suggestions.

Funeral arrangements can be overwhelming.

As you prepare to meet with the pastor and other staff, here are some things to consider.

Many families choose to have a visitation at the church an hour prior to worship. If so, we have tables, easels, and TV monitors for pictures as needed. It is suggested that going to the cemetery be done after the refreshment/lunch time or on another day.

It is helpful but not necessary to come to this meeting with an idea about the number of people who might attend, 7-14 pictures you might like used in the funeral bulletin, thoughts about using a slideshow before and after the worship, biography in the bulletin, and who if anyone besides the pastor might speak at the funeral. If a slide show is desired, it is the responsibility of the family to create the slide show and bring it to the church 24 hours ahead of time.

It is expected that all honorariums and fees be paid at the time of the funeral. If financial assistance is needed, please speak with the pastor. Many honorariums and fees are part of pre-planned funerals. Check with your funeral director ahead of time to determine if they are part of the pre-arrangement. An invoice for food expenses will be presented to the family on the day of the funeral. See below for a list of honorariums and fees.

Funeral Fees and Honorariums:

Funeral fees and honorariums will be discussed when meeting with the officiating pastor. If any fees or honorariums pose a financial burden, please talk with the officiating pastor.

Nativity Funeral Contacts:

Please call Pastor Glenn Seefeldt to begin the funeral planning process. His number is (612) 600-1817.
Nativity’s Food Service Coordinator is Heather Anderson. She can be reached at (651) 343-8502.