Funeral Guide
Dear Friends in Christ,
We hurt with you today, and we rejoice in Jesus' promises of eternal life. We are honored and blessed to serve you as you plan the funeral of your loved one.
Now come all the details of planning the visitation, service, interment and luncheon. Your funeral director will do a fine job of helping you with many of the details regarding their services. We are here to help you begin to plan the "church" part of the funeral.
We desire to plan every worship service of Christian burial as a time which is deeply respectful, celebrative, joyful and personal. I would like to meet with your family at the beginning of your planning process. At that time we will discuss the choice of hymns, Bible passages and other aspects of the worship service. Also, I will want to hear about special aspects of your loved one's life you would like to highlight in the service. Please call our office as you begin to plan the funeral.
We also wish to walk with you through these upcoming weeks and months, with grief counseling and referral services. Please call us if we can help in any way.
Sincerely,
Pastor Tom Parrish
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
Funeral Checklist
1. Please call the Church Office (612-874-0133) as soon as possible to let us know of your loved one’s passing, so we can grieve with you and pray for you and your family at this difficult time.
2. Reach out to Pastor Tom to set up a meeting to help you plan the funeral service, set the date and time, choose scripture and song selections, and spend some time talking about your loved one.
3. Arrange for the bulletin to be made by our church secretary or choose to do it yourself.
4. If you have a slide show, please bring it on a jump drive. You may bring pictures and memorabilia to display.
5. Make sure the following people are available if you need their services: Pastor, Custodian, Sound Tech, Musician(s), Sound Tech, Videographer (for streaming), Lunch Coordinator.
6. Let us know if the funeral home is involved in the service. If not, please ask family or friends to help display flowers and pictures.
7. Estimate the number of people who will attend the luncheon.
Suggested Order of Service
Prelude
Welcome and Prayer
Hymn
Remembrances (Obituary and other)
Video Testimony if available
Scripture Readings
Hymn
Message
Closing Prayer & Benediction
Recessional Hymn
Technology
St. Paul’s has state-of-the-art sound and streaming, which requires expert staff to run it. Our sound engineer will make sure your service runs smoothly, including a picture slide show. Online streaming on YouTube is available through the services of our videographer.
Luncheon Information
We believe that surrounding the family with love by providing a simple meal following the memorial service is an important part of our ministry at St. Paul's.
We have two basic options for funeral luncheons.
$3 per person: Dessert, Nuts and Coffee
$6 per person: Ham Sandwiches, Turkey Sandwiches, Pickles, Potato Chips, Coffee and Dessert
$200 for expenses beyond the cost of food
Please call the Lunch Coordinator to discuss plans, choices and payment in advance. Please pay in full when you order the lunch.
Suggested Honoraria
Pastor: $200
Custodian (required): $100
Sound Tech (required): $200
Organist/Pianist (if needed): $200
Videographer (if needed): $200
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
1901 Portland Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-874-0133
StPaulsChurch.info
Updated February 2025