Cremation with Services/Viewing @ a Church

Cremation with Services/Viewing @ Church is a cremation with a viewing and a funeral service at the church.   This service includes picking up your loved one from the place of death, bringing them to the funeral home, completing all of the legal paperwork needed to acquire a death certificate and cremation permit, the crematory fee, the fee the Medical Examiners Office charges for authorizing the cremation process, embalming (disinfection and preservation of human remains), dressing, cosmetics, casketing of your loved one in either a “rental” casket, (most preferred) or in a purchased casket, (must be wood), transportation to and from the church, the viewing of your loved one for up to 2 (two) hours prior to the funeral service.  At the conclusion of the funeral service, your loved one is transported back to the funeral home and then onto the crematory.  The cremated remains are returned to the family in a simple, hard plastic urn, which is suitable for shipping, scattering, burial, or storing.  These services also include 100 memorial folders with a picture of your loved one above a poem or prayer, and service information, (additional ones can also be ordered should the family expect a lot of guests), a guest book and a box of 25 “Thank You” notes.

It is customary to give the clergy an honorarium, (financial gift) for preparing and officiating the service.  This “gift” ranges from $100-$200.   Some churches have a required honorarium to open and staff the church for the services, as well as turn on the air conditioning or heater, whichever applies.  The funeral home staff is also in attendance to ensure all the needs of the family are met.   This service can be very personalized by doing a video of your loved one throughout his/her life, displaying pictures on picture boards, bringing in moments that reflect your loved ones passions, hobbies, or simply their favorite things.  The service may also include personal stories shared by family members and friends, reminiscing about favorite times and experiences shared, lessons learned, and what one treasured most about the individual.  Services for this can take up to an hour or more, contingent on your wishes and your guests participation.   It is best to always check with the church to find out what they will and will not allow in their Sanctuary.  There is no “right” or “wrong” way to do it but we must always respect the guidelines of the church.  Remember, services are for the living, so it’s important to do what makes you feel most comfortable. 

When there is going to be a public viewing, the family would bring in the clothing and underclothing they wish to have on their loved one.  We also ask that the family brings in their loved ones favorite parfume/aftershave, lipstick, (if used), nail polish normally worn by their loved one and any jewelry they would like placed on their loved one for the viewing and services.  All jewelry is removed prior to the cremation services.  If the family wants the jewelry to stay with their loved one, we still remove all of the jewelry and will then place the items inside the urn so that there is never a question about whether or not the jewelry is with your loved one.

The cremated remains are returned to the family within 48 hours of the funeral services.  Because crematories can only operate from sun up to sun down, cremation will usually occur the following day of the funeral service.  Shipment of cremated remains to a designated residence or cemetery, is at an additional charge.  Those families that chose to have the cremation container on display may decide to purchase an urn more suitable for display.

In the State of Arizona, the law reads that only the legal next of kin can authorize the cremation process if the deceased did not sign their own “Cremation Directive”.  The first would be the spouse.  Should there be no spouse, it falls to all of the surviving children.  Should there be no children, it falls to the parents, then the siblings, then the cousins, aunts, or uncles.

Certified Copies of the Death Certificate are $15 each in the State of Arizona.  You get one free for Social Security purposes and one free if you were a Veteran.  Certified copies are needed if there is a financial gain.  For your information, we have provided a list of things you will need Certified Copies of the Death Certificate for.  We have also provided some valuable information for survivors, see our Survivors Checklist.