Information for a Service of Burial of the Dead

Purpose of Form
This form can be used to plan your own funeral (which is a great help to your loved ones and enables the church to better serve your family and honor your wishes) or to plan the funeral for a loved one after their death. 
 
Please indicate below if you are using this form for planning your own service, or for planning the service for another person.
Funeral Form
I am filling this form out for...
General Information for Church Records

Below we will ask questions for our church records. Please answer them to the best of your ability.

First, middle, and last
Church Membership (Select all that apply for the person to be buried.)
Funeral Service Info
Altar Flowers
Families often choose to have a floral arrangement placed on the altar for the funeral service.
The altar is the only place flowers are permitted in the church. We do not have floral sprays on caskets, floral stands at the front of the church, etc.

Only real flowers (not artificial flowers) are permitted.

The family (or a family friend) is responsible for ordering and paying for the altar flowers.

Floral arrangements given by family and friends cannot be kept at the church. Please list where these flowers, should they be sent, are to be delivered.
Memorial Gifts: If family and friends would like an alternative way to memorialize the deceased, the following are suggested. You may select more than one.
Yes, the body/remains will be present:
Pallbearers
Pallbearers assist the funeral home staff in moving the casket from the hearse to the church.
If a casket will be present, family may choose pallbearers. (This is not required, as the funeral home staff can take care of this if no pallbearers are chosen.)
If you are not planning to have a casket present, some families choose to list people as honorary pallbearers. This is totally optional.
Please select from the options below.
Pallbearers
  • If you would like pallbearers, please choose 6 people to assist with moving the casket from the hearse to the church. Please list their names below as you want them printed in the bulletin.
  • If you would like to name honorary pallbearers, please list their names below as you want them printed in the bulletin.
  • Pallbearers (real or honorary) must be living people.
What type of service would you like?
Will the service include Holy Communion? (Note: in the Episcopal Church, all Baptized Christians of all denominations are welcome to receive Communion.)
Would you like music at the funeral? In the Episcopal Church, only sacred music is permitted in the church. No secular music can be used. Music can include organ ($300 fee for organist), Carillonneur ($100 fee), and/or a Soloist (fee negotiated). These amounts are paid directly to the musicians.
What type of music? Please choose all desired.
If hymns are sung, usually there is an opening hymn, a hymn sung before the Gospel reading, and a hymn at the end. If there will be Holy Communion, one or two hymns may be sung as people are receiving Communion. Based on your music preference selected above, please list up to 4 congregational hymns, and any other music you might desire (e.g., "A soloist to sing The Lord's Prayer"). Or you may write something like "The church may choose music" or "I'm not sure, please contact me to discuss." The Music Director of St. Alban's is available to meet with you to assist in selecting music.
Note: Only a reading from the Gospel is required. But it is typical to also have a reading from the Old Testament, a Psalm, and a New Testament reading. People often choose to have family or friends read the scripture lessons. You may write the names of up to three people as readers. The clergy will rehearse the reading with them prior to the service. If you would like the church to select a reader, please write "Church may choose."
Please select an Old Testament Reading (Choose One)
Please select a Psalm (Choose One)
Please select a New Testament Reading (Choose One)
Please select a Gospel Reading (Choose One)
The church can live-stream funeral services via a link on our YouTube channel and Facebook page. The URL can be shared with friends and family. Would you like to have the service live-streamed?
Information for Graveside Service
Typically, after the church service, there is a graveside committal service in which the urn or casket is taken to its final resting place. Some families choose to have the graveside service before the church service, or at a later date.
St. Alban's columbarium is also available for inurnment. The fee for a niche for one urn/receptacle is $2,000.00; for two urns/receptacles, the fee is $3,500.00. These monies go to establish a fund for the maintenance of the columbarium in perpetuity. Contact Wesley Jacobs (wes@stalbanswaco.org) to arrange purchase of a niche.
What are your plans for the committal (often called "graveside service")?
If you plan to have the graveside service at a cemetery following the church service, will you have a police escort? (This is only for the church's information. The family coordinates this with the funeral home.)
Information for Reception
St. Alban's does not provide a reception, but we are happy to allow the family to use the Parish Hall (for large receptions) or the Welcome Center/Courtyard/Higgins Parlor (for smaller receptions) for family and friends to gather. The church will provide coffee, water, and tea. The family is responsible for food. If you would like, the church can order sandwich trays, but the family is responsible for payment of the order. Church staff and volunteers typically are able to help with set up before the reception and clean up afterwards. Please note this is subject to change based on availability.
Do you plan to have a reception at the church?
If you will be hosting a reception, will you be providing food?
Audio/Visual Equipment Will you need audio/visual equipment at the reception? Please select from the options below:
Display Table Will you need a table to display photographs or other items?
Nursery Care
The St. Alban's nursery can be made available for use during the funeral. Two St. Alban's nursery attendants are required for use of the nursery. Our children's minister will schedule nursery attendants. The family of the deceased is responsible for the nursery attendants fee and will make checks payable to them. Once nursery attendants are scheduled, we will contact the family with payment details.