North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship

Funeral /Memorial Service Definitions

Affiliation

A person with a close connection or partnership with NDCBF

Frequent Guest/ Frequent Visitor

Associated or attended worship service often, as well as contributed financially to NDCBF

Immediate Family

Parent or guardian, spouse, child(ren) and / or sibling

Member

Person with a Member ID number and / or card

Non-Member

Person without a Member ID number and / or card, or affiliation with NDCBF

Planner

Bereaved person making funeral/ memorial service arrangements for the deceased

Service Arrangement Meeting

Meeting arranged and facilitated by Staff with planner and ministry support to finalize funeral/ memorial support and services.

North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship

Funeral / Memorial Service Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to outline the police and procedures for a family who suffers the loss of a love one.

Member/ Non-member Rite of Burial

All NDCBF members and their immediate family are welcome to hold funeral/ memorial services at NDCBF. Planners of funeral / memorial services are encouraged to hold funeral / memorial services at funeral homes when possible for non-members.

Frequent guest who live within the DFWarea are also eligible to hold funeral / memorial services at NDCBF. Non-member funeral services will be provided based on available resources.Non-members, will not be permitted to host a funeral/ memorial service at NDCBF, unless otherwise stated by Pastoral Staff/ Leadership Team. If a non-member experiences hardship, NDCBF will make every effort to make a donation towards planning the funeral / memorial services at another facility.

Support

Facility

Funeral locations may vary based on expected attendance, church calendar, and type of service.

Tuesdays or Thursdays at 11:00am are the preferred days and time for holding funeral / memorial services. Building space and staff are more readily available during the weekdays. When weekdays aren’t available, funeral/ memorial services may be held on Saturdays at 11:00am. Saturday services are discouraged due to preparation time for Sunday morning worship.

Generally, NDCBF does not offer wake services on separate days from the funeral/ memorial services. Instead, NDCBF offers a viewing 1 to 2 hours before the scheduled service time. Planners are encouraged to schedule wakes / viewings with a funeral home. NDCBF facility will be available for up to 5 hours, which includes flora reception, viewing, service/ memorial, and repast)

Memorial services may be held in the Worship Suite.

Services requiring a viewing may be held at the Plano or Sherman facility depending on availability and anticipated attendance.

Location options > 500 people expected- Sherman Location

< 500 people expected – Plano Location

Funeral / Memorial Service Support Available

AVL Services Available

Memorial DVD Slide Shows– slide show presentation with pictures (pictures must be presented to staff in a jpeg. format) and music.

Memorial DVD- funeral/ memorial services recorded and planner provided a DVD of service.

Memorial Power Point Slide – picture display of the deceased, with deceased name, date of birth and date of death.

All AVL support must be approved by AVL director. All AVL services must be requested by planner. Planner must provide needed material within 24 hours of Service Arrangement Meeting. AVL support is subject to AVL staff and volunteer availability.

Benevolence/ Helping Hands Service Available

At the request of planners, donations toward funeral / memorial service may be granted, according to Benevolence/ Helping Hands Committee approval. Planner will be required to complete Benevolence Application and participate in benevolence process.

Members are welcome to apply for benevolence up to $500.00

Non-members are welcome to apply for benevolence up to $250.00

Memorial Supplies Services Available

Sympathy card may be sent.

Floral or plant arrangement may be sent to deceased immediate family. Floral or plant arrangements are to be sent to show support if and when funeral/ memorial services are not hosted at an NDCBF facility.Arrangement may not exceed $60.00 including delivery fee. If arrangement total exceeds $60.00, approval from Senior Pastor/ Leadership Team is needed prior to ordering. Unless otherwise approved by Senior Pastor/ Leadership Team floral or plant arrangement are sent to parents/ guardians, spouse, and/ orchild(ren).

Music Service Available

Options for Church Officer, Staff, or Member

Support from the music department may range from a soloist and staff musicians to an ensemble or choir. The relationship of the deceased to the congregation often drives the number of volunteers willing to support the service. A standard selection of hymns will be provided for the planner to select from to be performed during the funeral/ memorial service by an NDCBF musician. Non-NDCBF soloists, ensembles or choirs are welcome to perform during the funeral/ memorial service with a musical sound track (cd) or non-NDCBF musician.

Options for Frequent Guest, Non-Member

Support from the music department may range from a soloist, instrumental music, or compact disc. NDCBF will provide a standard selection of hymns to the planner to select for the funeral/ memorial service. Non-NDCBF soloists, ensembles or choirs are welcome to perform during the funeral/ memorial service with a musical sound track (cd) or non- NDCBF musician.

Approved Hymnals

Processional:

Soon And Very Soon

We’ll Understand It Better

Just A Closer Walk

Hold To God’s Unchanging Hand

Hymns of Comfort:

Amazing Grace

Blessed Assurance

‘Tis so Sweet

Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross

What A Friend

The Lord Is My Light

Precious Lord

It Is Well

Recessional Hymns:

O I Want To See Him

When We All Get To Heaven

I’ll Fly Away

Going Up Yonder

I Will Trust In The Lord

All musical selections must be approved by the Minister of Music. All musical selections must be selected within 24 hours of Service Arrangement Meeting.

Pastoral Support

Planners may request Senior Pastor or other NDCBF ordained ministers to participate in service. Pastor’s availability will be discussed during funeral/ memorial Service Arrangement Meeting. Every effort will be made to meet the request of planners.

Non-NDCBF ordained pastors/ ministers participating in funeral/ memorial service must be approved by NDCBF’s Senior Pastor/ Leadership Team.

Program Support

Planners may request NDCBF to provide programs for funeral/ memorial service. NDCBF will provide up to 250 programs. All programs unless approved by Pastoral Staff or Leadership Team will be a standard letter sized bi-fold program. If planners are expecting more than 250 attendees, NDCBF will provide a pdf copy of the program for the planner to have printed at their expense. Programs must be requested within 24 hours of Service Arrangement Meeting.

Repast Support

As of April 1, 2014 NDCBF will no longer offer voluntary repast or repast support. Repasts are only acknowledged at the request of the planner. NDCBF will approve planner to host repast at a NDCBF location up to two hours immediately following interment.

Planners will be asked to make a donation to NDCBF towards repast. Donation must be received within 24 hours of Service Arrangement Meeting. Planner will be asked to donate a minimum of $5.00 per expected attendee with a minimum of $250.00. NDCBF will commit to support repast up to$125.00 through donation or absorption of cost of food.

Repast suggested locations:

  • Plano Worship Suite up to 80 attendees
  • Plano Atrium up to 200 attendees
  • Sherman Fellowship Hall up to 175 attendees

All food and beverages are to be served only in the Worship Suite, Atrium, or Sherman Fellowship Hall.

Travel Support

All travel assistance is as needed and approval will be granted on case by case review

  • Bereaved travel must be approved by Benevolence Committee / Helping Hands
  • Ministry support (staff, church officer, choir, ensemble, musicians, etc.) travel must be approved by Senior Pastor / Leadership Team
  • Pastoral travel must be approved by Senior Pastor / Leadership Team

Travel outside the metroplex is at the discretion of volunteers

Fees

Members

Members and their immediate family members (parents/ guardians, spouse, or child) may use NDCBF facilities at no cost. Donations towards funeral/ memorial service will not be refused. Members may inquire about donations for funeral/ memorial service. For example planner may request donations to NDCBF in the name of the deceased in lieu of flowers.

Non-members

NDCBF will extend counseling and when possible Helping Hands assistance to non-members. When NDCBF is unable to extend counseling and Helping Hands assistance to non-members, NDCBF will refer bereaved to other resources.

Government/ state officials that are non-members may be approved to host a funeral/ memorial service at NDCBF facility by Pastoral Staff or Leadership Team. Funeral/ memorial service donations for government/ state officials are accepted. The proposed requested deposit and fee should have a minimum of $1,400.00 with a maximum of $7,000.00.

Non-members, obtain approval for use of NDCBF facilities, due to liability expenses of NDCBF facility.

Funeral Supervision

NDCBF Coordinator

An NDCBF Funeral Service Coordinator must be on NDCBF grounds for all funeral / memorial services. Coordinator will be available and the facilities will be open one hour prior to the scheduled viewing or funeral/ memorial service. Coordinator will coordinate funeral/ memorial service on NDCBF grounds and will do their best to accommodate family and guests. Coordinators decisions will be final in all matters while on NDCBF grounds. No smoking, alcohol, or illegal drug use will be permitted on NDCBF grounds.

NDCBF Custodian

An NDCBF custodian will be responsible for securing, cleaning and closing the facility.

NDCBF Funeral / Memorial Page 1