|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Wedding Policies & Planning
Non-members Information
In the United Methodist Church, we
understand marriage to be a blessing
from God given to a man and a woman.
In turn you give yourselves to each
other in this holy covenant. In
times when our culture has adopted a
casual and sometimes cavalier
attitude toward marriage, the church
has a greater responsibility to
shepherd and nurture married people
in their life together.
To have your wedding at Oswego
Prairie, it is not necessary that
you be a member of our church. But
you must be (a) intentionally
seeking a Christian wedding and (b)
at least one of you must be
Christian in both faith and
practice.
Two to four consultations with the
pastor are required before the
wedding. As part of these meetings
you will work with the pastor on the
form and content of the service. The
pastor has final approval over all
aspects of the service.
A rehearsal is normally scheduled
prior to the wedding service. This
is usually scheduled for the
preceding evening.
The Marriage License is to be
brought to the rehearsal. Since
Oswego Prairie Church is in Kendall
County, the Marriage License must be
obtained at the Kendall County
Courthouse in Yorkville.
Please note that, as a United
Methodist Church, there is no
smoking or alcoholic beverages
permitted in the church building.
Below are the fees for weddings at
Oswego Prairie:
-
Use of sanctuary and church facility
$250.00
-
Custodial fee $ 75.00
-
Clergy fee $200.00 (meetings and
counseling included)
-
Organist fee $100.00
-
Additional Musician’s fee Set by the
musician
-
Bulletin preparation $30.00 plus the
cost of the bulletins.
-
Rehearsal Fee $50.00
Weddings are scheduled in advance and
secured by payment of fees.
The wedding itself must be approved and
arranged with the pastor and church
office.
All fees are to be paid in advance of
the wedding (no later than the
rehearsal).
Please contact the church and ask to
speak with Reverend Shin if you have
further questions.
|
|
SERVICE OF CHRISTIAN
MARRIAGE
The service of Christian
marriage is provided for couples who wish to
solemnize their marriage in a service of
Christian worship, parallel in its structure
to the
Sunday service, which includes the
proclamation of the Word with prayer and
praise. Christian marriage is proclaimed as
a sacred covenant reflecting the Baptismal
Covenant.
Everything about the service is designed to
witness that this is a Christian marriage.
Both words and actions consistently reflect
the belief that husband and wife are equal
partners in Christian marriage and that they
are entering into the marriage of their own
volition.
Those present are understood to be an active
congregation rather than simply passive
witnesses. They give their blessing to the
couple and to the marriage, and they join in
prayer and praise. It is highly appropriate
that the congregation sing hymns and other
acts of worship.
Holy Communion may or may not be celebrated.
If it is, it is most important that its
significance be made clear. Specifically:
(1) The marriage rite is included in a
Service of Word and Table. (2) Not only the
husband and wife but the whole congregation
are to be invited to receive communion. It
is our tradition to invite all Christians to
the Lord's table. (3) There should be no
pressure that would embarrass those who for
whatever reason do not choose to receive
communion.
The decision to perform the ceremony is the
right and responsibility of the pastor, in
accordance with the laws of the state and
The United Methodist Church. All plans
should be approved by the pastor. The
pastor's "due counsel with the parties
involved" prior to marriage, mandated by The
Book of Discipline, should include, in
addition to premarital counseling,
discussing and planning the service with
them and informing them of policies or
guidelines established by the congregation
on such matters as decorations, photography,
and audio or video recording. Any leadership
roles taken by other clergy should be at the
invitation of the pastor of the church where
the service is held. The organist or person
in charge of the music should be consulted
and work with the couple in all decisions on
music selection.
Ethnic and cultural traditions are
encouraged and may be incorporated into the
service at the discretion of the pastor.
Any children of the man or the woman, other
family, and friends may take a variety of
roles in
the service, depending on their ages and
abilities. They may, for example, be members
of the
wedding party, participate in the Response
of the Families and People, read scripture
lessons, sing or play instrumental music, or
make a witness in their own words.
In the case of couples who are not church
members or are not prepared to make the
Christian
commitment expressed in our services,
adaptations may be made at the discretion of
the
pastor.
|
Copyright© 2009 Oswego Prairie Church., All rights reserved. Materials on this website including text, graphics, and HTML code may not be copied, reprinted, published, translated, hosted, or otherwise distributed by any means without written permission.
Logo design and website design by Ministrybeehive Christian Communications |
