Weddings
We at Saint John United Church of Christ want you to know how pleased we are that you are considering our church for your marriage ceremony. Marriages are very special services of worship for the couple, for their families and for their friends. Thus, the church is concerned with making sure that this special worship service which you are considering will be a significant moment in your lives as well as an appropriate service of worship for this church.
The Book of Worship of the United Church of Christ reminds us that…The essence of marriage is a covenanted commitment that has its foundation in the faithfulness of God’s love. The marriage ceremony is the glad occasion on which two people unite as partners in the mutual exchange of covenant promises. The one presiding acts as an official representative of the church and gives the marriage the church’s blessing. The congregation joins in affirming the marriage and in offering support and thanksgiving for the new family.
To help you plan for your wedding and to know the traditions, requirements, and expectations of the church, we have prepared this guide for you. It is our joy to work together with you to make this special day a joyous one.
How to begin
Download and submit the forms, call, or email the church office and indicate your interest in being married at the church. Return the completed and signed Building Use and Wedding Information Forms to the Church’s Office Administrator. After it is received, you will be called by the Pastor to schedule an interview. All services held at our facility are considered extensions of our worshipping body, thus all weddings must be officiated by our clergy. If you wish to invite a visiting pastor to also be involved in your wedding, please let the Pastor know from the beginning.
You may ask the Office Administrator to “pencil-in” a tentative date for the rehearsal and wedding service on the master calendar of the church. This date remains tentative until after the couple has sent in their deposit, their application has been approved, and secured a schedule for their premarital counseling sessions.
Premarital Counseling
Those desiring to be married at St. John United Church of Christ commit themselves
to a series of premarital counseling sessions with the pastor. This typically entails (3) 1 hour sessions with the pastor, in which the time is split between planning and discussing details of the ceremony, personality and relationship survey, and conversations about the marriage relationship.
Please note: All arrangements are to be deemed tentative until the second interview in the series has been completed. The Pastor is the sole arbiter of whether or not a proposed or scheduled wedding will occur at St. John United Church of Christ, and will communicate any indications to the contrary to both parties involved immediately and directly.
Expectations
A wedding at St. John United Church of Christ is a Christian service of worship. We presume you desire to be married in a church because you are a person of faith. The wedding is a time of praise, prayers, and invoking God’s presence and blessing. Those not comfortable with a wedding in the context of a community of faith should request information from their town/city clerk about others in the state who can officiate at weddings.
Building Use Policy
At St. John United Church of Christ we take pride in our beautiful and historic facility for the ways it helps us to carry out the various activities of “being Church” During times when the spaces are not used for Church activities, we welcome their use by non-profit groups and by persons needing space for their non-profit activity. As well as for use by both members and non-members for wedding services.
These facilities are available to groups whose goals are consistent with those of St. John UCC and its mission. All groups or individuals desiring to use our facilities must complete an application and submit the application and deposit to the church office for review. Final approval of application is decided by the St. John UCC Church Council.
Forms Below are in PDF and DOC formats
Wedding Policy DOC
Wedding Policy PDF
Facilities Use – By Member – DOC
Facilities Use – By Member – PDF
