Memorials

Memorial Officiant Guidance

All memorials for Foothills members will be presided over by a Foothills minister, in coordination with the schedules of the minister requested.
If a non-member has been regularly participating for more than a year, it will be up to Foothills ministers’ discretion who will preside over the memorial service.
However, we do not provide access to a Foothills minister for the memorial service of someone who is not a member or who has not been attending Foothills for more than one year. Instead, these individuals will be given access to the approved ministers list, comprised primarily of affiliated community ministers.
Anyone who rents the Foothills' facility (member or non-member) for their memorial must utilize either a Foothills minister or an officiant from the approved officiant list.

Deceased Database Process

Congregant Death Workflow (https://people.planningcenteronline.com/workflows/335347/steps/845118/assignees/26474115/ready)
- A minister reaches out to family members/close contacts of deceased to offer condolences and begin memorial planning. Key questions to explore include:
  - Is there an obituary?
  - Is there a memorial service planned? Be sure to share info with Kelsey for congregation notification/calendar
  - Is there a preferred means for reaching out to family (website, calls, cards, etc)?
  - Refer to meal train or other caring support workflows as needed
  - Caring anniversary reminders/invitation to Tangled Blessings or other support as appropriate (refer to Milestones or other workflows, snooze etc)
- Kelsey will reach out to minister/relevant staff to discern if there needs to be an announcement, and to whom.
- General guidelines (adapt as needed for the particular needs and sensitivities of any given situation)
- -Confirm that any necessary personal calls/reach outs from a minister have been made first
- -If the deceased is a member, send an email to all other active members.
- -If it’s someone deeply involved in a particular group, also send notice to participants in that group. Death notice processes are very personal and flexible depending on the deceased.
- -Will always appear in next all-church announcement as small blurb
- When a name lands in this step, Lauren will check in with other staff then proceed to move the person through the Inactive/Remove from Membership Workflow as appropriate
- Ask the family if they would like to order a plaque. Allow for 6 week turn-around time.
- Step 1: Ministers are notified of death. Elaine, Gretchen, Sean fully are notified by one another, other staff, family etc.
- Step 2: Add Death Date to Profile (under Pastoral Care Tab)
- Step 3: Outreach from Minister
- Step 4: Communicate to Congregation and Community as Appropriate
- Step 5: Send to Inactive/Remove from Membership Workflow
- Step 6: Memorial Plaque

Memorial Logistics Process

Determine Minister Lead and let Jenn know who is taking lead
Jenn reaches out to Family:
1) to determine the date to meet with the Minister and Jenn for logistics conversation and planning the service. and
2) Jenn shares possible dates for memorials services from looking at their calendars and PCO calendar.
- Sean https://usemotion.com/meet/revsean/memorials?d=60
- Elaine See Google Calendar
- Gretchen see google calendar
- Minister availability

Jenn adds the memorial date to the calendar in PCO.
- Minister notifies Music Director of date and presumed music needs/updating after service planning with family
- With size of service (Estimate)
- If Simulcast more volunteers
- Notify Minister of final date chosen
- Notify leads of the Special Service Volunteer Team to begin recruiting
- Notifies AV team for volunteers
Minister shares service details with Jenn for logistical set up/simulcasting needs.
- If we are simulcasting, we need 3 volunteers—one in the sanctuary and one on Zoom. Jenn will fill the roles.
If the deceased is a member, the Minister writes a letter to the congregation that includes the date and time of the memorial service. This letter is shared with Kelsey, who sends it to members of the congregation and publicizes details.

Jenn’s meeting with the family will cover:
- Make sure all contact info and names of family assisting with the memorial are collected - relationships to the deceased clear.
- Ask family if there will there be a reception
  - Help family determine what they want to serve/ what we provide
- Memory tables ?
  - Set up a time to bring items
- Flowers?
  - Share local florists / preferred vendors
  - Extra flowers for tables? Onstage / guest book table / food tables
- Ask family for correct DOB and DOD for OOS
  - Ask for a image - high resolution preferred for OOS
  - Show family sample of OOS
- Logistics of the memorial day

Ask family if they want to have a slide show during the service or during the reception at all / other option is picture on boards etc.
- If yes to slide show, have family drop it off 2-3 days before the service if possible to make sure it works with our tech
- Preferred progrhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1qc0CJr5Gpp7XV2vRssdIZlFkbd9wtw2fjEcAlRvJn5E/edit?usp=sharingam for slides is Google slides or powerpoint
- Remind the family that multiple images on one slide does not read well to the congregation.
Guest book? We can make one or family brings one
$$ for musicians - will handle that once Jenn knows what music needs are
Go over we have volunteers
Ask if they want a plaque made for $350 / 6 weeks to manufacture / no guarantee it will be ready by time of memorial
- Jenn orders plaque
Share about the family room on day of and go over arrival times for family/flower delivery/caterer delivery

Minister’s meeting with the family will cover:
- All service details
- Items on chancel: ashes, photos, etc.
- Pastoral check-in: How can we support you on the day of the service?

Music:
- Music slides
- Securing guest musicians
- Submitting check requests for musicians (Jenn will hand checks on day of/ or assign someone to)
- Minister contacts Benjamin about music needs.
- Benjamin is responsible for:

Program:
- In “Notes” include:
  - Birth and death dates
  - Name family wishes is used (e.g. )Dick instead of Richard or vice versa….)
  - Donation request (if applicable)
  - Quote
  - Information about reception
  - Obituary
  - Other inserts or songsheets.
- Minister should have all order of service details entered into PCO Services at least 4 days in advance. E.g. For a Saturday service, Caitlin needs all details by the Tuesday prior. Ping Caitlin when it is ready.

Add A Memorial To The Upcoming Memorials page on the website.

Step 1: Create Event in PCO Calendar
1. Log into Planning Center Online (PCO).
2. Navigate to the "Calendar" section.
3. Click on "Add Event" and enter the necessary details for the memorial service.
Step 2: Tag the Event
1. After creating the event, add the tag "Memorial" to help in categorizing and searching for the event.
Step 3: Add Image and Timing Details
1. Upload the memorial image to the event.
2. Enter the date and time of the memorial service.
3. If the specific time is not yet decided, make it an "all-day" event.
Step 4: Make Event Visible on Church Center
1. Go to the visibility settings of the event.
2. Select "Visible on Church Center" to make the event publicly viewable.
Step 5: Add Additional Information
1. If there is a Zoom link for the memorial service, add it to the event description.
2. Add a link to the obituary in the event description.
3. Provide the address where condolence cards can be sent.
4. Make a note in the description if the memorial service will be recorded.
Step 6: Confirm Event Listing
1. After a reasonable time has passed, check to see if the event is correctly listed on foothillsuu.org/memorials.

Post-Memorial Steps

Step 7: Upload Recording to YouTube
1. If the memorial service was recorded, upload the video to YouTube.
2. Make sure the video is set to "Unlisted".
3. Add it to the "Memorial Services" playlist on YouTube.

Guide: How to Upload Recording to the Memorials Playlist

https://scribehow.com/shared/Memorial_Service_Archive_Process_How_to_Upload_an_Unlisted_Video_on_YouTube_Studio__KlehyC1zTSqqYlVkZkobvw

Memorial Planning Process (Minister Planning)

Rev. Elaine contacts the family, secures a date and time for memorial after checking with Jenn.
Elaine meets with family to discuss the service, eulogy, and music choices.
Jenn gets details of flowers, catering, desire for an altar, memory tables, and AV needs from Family and Elaine.

Volunteer Memorial Process

AV/Simulcast Memorial Process

Simulcast Memorial Process

Template Email Re: Accessing a Simulcast/Zoom Memorial Service

Date and Time:

[Date of Service], [Time of Service] ([Timezone])

Location:

The memorial service will be held in person at Foothills and virtually via Zoom.

How to Access the Zoom Memorial Service

Go to the Foothills Unitarian Church's Memorials webpage: Foothills UU Memorials (foothillsuu.org/memorials)
Click on the specific memorial service for [Deceased's Name].
You will find the Zoom link there, which you can click to join the memorial service.

Basics of Accessing a Zoom Meeting

If you're new to Zoom, here's how you can join the meeting:

Click the Zoom link provided.
You may be prompted to download the Zoom application. If you already have Zoom installed, the meeting should automatically open in the app.
Once in the meeting, you'll have the option to turn on or off your video and audio.
There is a "Chat" function if you wish to send messages during the memorial, if appropriate.

Recording Availability

We understand that not everyone may be able to attend the live service. A recording will be made available under the "Past Recordings" section on the Foothills UU Memorials (foothillsuu.org/memorials) webpage three days after the service.

Day of Memorial Process

Pre-Service
- Plaque is installed ideally a week before by Rich Roberts.
- Space is prepared 2 hours before the service or the day before.
- A classroom is set up in RE for the family to gather before the service.
- Flowers can be delivered the day before or 2 hours before the service.
- Guestbook is set out to be signed.
Before Service
- Family arrives an hour before the service with items for the memory tables.
- Caterers arrive at least 30 minutes before to set up food.
- Volunteers arrive 1 hour before.
- Minister visits family after sound check, about 30 minutes before the doors open.
- Family takes their seats right before the service begins.
- Print up eulogy for the family.
Post Memorial (Day Of)
- Memorial service takes place.
- Reception / guests can visit the memorial garden.
- Checks collected for musicians.
- Clean up - requires 3+ volunteers.
- Send the guest book home with family/partner or make copies of pages and send home with multiple family members.
- Send home flowers and left over foods
- Send home pictures, memory table items
- Have a copy of the sermon available for the family
- A few order of services to go home with family

Post Memorial Process
- Pictures taken of event shared in a google album with family
- Video of the recorded service is shared on a private page on our Youtube channel with family members.

Memorial Email Templates

Invitation to fill out Memorial Form

Hi [Family Members],

I want to begin by sharing how truly honored I am to be part of the process of creating a memorial service for [Name of deceased]. It is a privilege to help honor her life and legacy in a way that reflects her spirit and the love you all shared.

As we begin this process, the first step is coordinating the completion of the Memorial Planning Form at foothillsuu.org/memorialplanning. The form only needs to be filled out once, so you may want to work through it together as a family. We’ve also produced a short video that will guide you through the process, which you can view at this link. Please don’t worry if you don’t have answers to all the questions—this is just the beginning of the planning process, and we’ll work together to fill in any details later on.

Once the form is completed, we can find a time to meet via Zoom to continue planning the service. Please let me know if there are times you are all generally available to meet.

Jenn Powell will be in touch soon to coordinate logistics, but I will take the lead on planning the service itself.

Again, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to help honor [name of deceased]’s life, and I look forward to walking with you through this process.

Warmly,
Rev. Sean
Foothills Unitarian Church

These are the questions asked of the family to plan the memorial