• Funeral Arrangements
• Memorial Garden
• Funeral Planning Form in PDF Format

1. In consultation with your pastor and the funeral director, set the time of the funeral or memorial service. In a memorial service the casket is not present. Services are not held on the Lord’s Day, except in cases of absolute necessity.
2. Flowers are appropriate as tokens of love and esteem. However, it is wise to avoid elaborate display. If you prefer not to have all expressions of sympathy and respect in the form of flowers, it is desirable immediately to designate a memorial fund opportunity to which friends may give. Gifts to the Westminster Memorial Fund will be acknowledged through the church office to both donors and families of those remembered.
3. Whether or not to have a “viewing” at the funeral home is a matter of personal choice. Such a meeting with friends may be helpful in the comfort it offers. The casket may be closed, if desired, in which case those visiting are coming to make a call to express their sympathy. When visitations are held in Westminster's Parish Hall, they are not to include open casket viewing and are subject to availability in light of the church's busy schedule.
4. The brief committal service at the grave is structured to minister to the needs of the family. All those attending the funeral need not come to this final intimate act at which scripture is read and prayer is offered. Committal services in Westminster's Memorial Garden may include all who have come for the service in the church. Those present bear witness, in the face of death, to their belief in the resurrection to eternal life.

1. Remember the funeral service is an act of worship. Its purpose is to glorify God, who is Lord of life and death, to commend the dead to God’s love and mercy, to mark with our love and respect the completed mortal life of the deceased, to comfort the sorrowing with the Word of God, and to witness to our faith in Jesus Christ who is the resurrection and the life.
2. The appropriate place for the funeral service of a Christian is in the church of which he or she has been a member. the significant moments of a Christian's life from baptism to burial should take place where the setting, symbols, and associations are directed toward the God who created us, loves us, and receives us.
3. The content of the funeral or memorial service is guided by our Directory of Worship and our Book of Common Worship, and is the responsibility of the officiating minister. The general order includes the reading of appropriate passages of scripture, the offering of prayers, the singing of hymns, and the benediction.
4. The singing of hymns, which are strong affirmations of our Christian faith, is appropriate and helpful in the service when enough worshipers are present. All music shall be consistent with the biblical affirmations of God’s power over death.
5. During Christian services, conducted by the pastoral staff of Westminster Church, in the church or elsewhere, the casket is to remain closed and covered by a pall or simple spray of flowers. “We look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18). When viewing is desired immediately prior to a funeral service at the church, the open casket may be arranged for this purpose in the East Narthex. The casket will be closed ten minutes prior to the beginning of the service.
6. If it is desired that a minister of another church conduct or assist in conducting the service, it is proper to notify the Westminster Presbyterian Church officiating minister immediately that he/she may extend the invitation on behalf of Westminster to the guest participant.
7. The Christian service of witness to the resurrection should be considered complete in itself, and another hour and place beforehand should be appointed for any fraternal or civic rite.
8. Some families may prefer that committal of the body be prior to the congregational service of worship, in order that worshipers may center their thoughts on God, our refuge and strength, rather than on the physical remains of the deceased. First, a brief graveside service of scripture and prayer is held for the family. Then the family and congregation go to the church sanctuary for the service of worship. This practice was followed by the early American Protestants.
9. Since the resurrection of the body is a certain hope for all who put their trust in Jesus Christ, there is no reason to reject methods of disposal of the body other than burial; therefore, cremation or the donation of the body or parts of the body for medical use or research are Christian possibilities for those who desire to do so.
10. Please contact the church office at 217-522-4415 for the fee schedule for members and non-members.
11. Tape recordings of the services in the sanctuary can be made upon request. The original tape of the service will be provided to the family at no charge. Additional copies of the tape are available for $2 per tape.
12. Photographs of the deceased may be arranged in Narthex areas or Parish Hall but are not to be used in services in the sanctuary.
13. Westminster Church will arrange for a meal for the family or reception for worshipers the day of the service. A meal for the family may be served at the church or delivered to the home for family members to serve themselves.

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