Special Ceremonies
You can find out more about the sacrament of baptism on the United Church of Christ’s website.
Baptism
Baptisms are performed during regular Sunday worship. We baptize infants, children, youth, and adults whether or not they or their family are members of the congregation.
In keeping with the polity and theology of the United Church of Christ, we celebrate the sacrament of baptism as “an outward and visible sign of God’s grace.”
In addition to baptisms, we have been asked if we also offer Christenings, Naming Ceremonies, Renaming Ceremonies, and/or Baptism Reaffirmation. And the answer is simply, “Yes.” We are happy to work with you to mark the important life transitions and spiritual milestones on your (or your family’s) journey.
Please contact our pastor, Rev. Dr. Kevin Downer, to explore and/or arrange a Baptism, Christening, Naming Ceremony, Renaming Ceremony, Baptism Reaffirmation, etc..
Funerals and Memorials
The loss of a loved one is never easy. Our pastor, deacons, and congregation are here to pray with you, comfort you, and help you plan a service that is fitting.
Please contact Pastor Kevin to set up a time to meet in person, over the phone, or online. Call or text him on his cell phone to speak with him urgently.
In the meantime, we encourage you to review the frequently asked questions, helpful considerations, policies and fees below.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life are similar. A funeral includes the interment of your loved one’s mortal remains as par of or immediately following the service.
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Contact Pastor Kevin. He will set up a time to meet with you in person, by phone or online.
He will listen to your needs and help plan the service appropriate to you, your loved one, and your family’s needs.
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Yes. We can help you plan a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life in our sanctuary, graveside at a cemetery, a funeral home, or elsewhere.
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We have wifi available and have successfully used Zoom and Google Meets to stream weddings, funerals, baptisms, and other events to include guests who were unable to physically be present. Pastor Kevin can work with you in this regard as well.
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Yes, you may. There are several options available depending on your needs; including the following:
a simple reception, i.e., light snacks provided by family, friends, and/or members of the congregation;
snacks and Hord ‘overs provided by family and friends or catered;
a sit down meal catered or cooked onsite
Use fees may apply, see below.
Please see reception fees and consideration below.
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The Woodstock Cemetery Association oversees the Woodstock Hill Cemetery.
For questions regarding plots, burials, or the cemetery related fees please contact Steve Brainerd, Hill Cemetery Sexton at 860-428-3682.
Policies and Fees
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Funeral services are a priority activity for our congregation. Contact Pastor Kevin as soon as possible and he will work with you to schedule the service. Even if the date and time is uncertain, we strongly encourage you to contact the pastor and “pencil in the tentative date(s).”
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Professional Service Fees (members and nonmembers):
Pastor $300 ($200 for a graveside service)
Organist $250 (See related note)
Cleaning Service $75 (See related note)
Facility Use Fees (nonmembers) :
$300 Sanctuary
$300 Reception with Light Kitchen Use, i.e. light prep work with use of the refrigerator(s) only.
$400 Reception with Full Kitchen Use, i.e., use of oven, range, refrigerator(s), dishes, and/or dishwasher
50% of Facility Use Fees are due at time of booking.
Facility Use Fees:
Member fees and discounts apply to services in which the deceased or an immediate family member of the deceased is an active congregant of FCCW. As such, for a member’s service there is no charge for use of the facilities, including the Sanctuary, Harrison Hall, the Downstairs Hall, or the Kitchen .
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A deposit totaling 50% of Facility Use Fees is required to secure the date for your wedding loved one’s service. The remaining balance for the facility usage, as well as applicable professional service fees are due before or on the day of the service.
Separate checks made payable to
Pastor, Rev. Dr. Kevin Downer
Organist, Leilani Nixon
Special musicians
And all other fees to “FCCW” or The First Congregational Church of Woodstock
Facility use deposits for funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life are 100% refundable.
If FCCW incurs additional costs for cleaning or repair (beyond normal wear and tear) as a result of the event, the couple may be billed additional charges.
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Our church organist, Leilani Nixon, has ‘first right of refusal’ to play at all services that take place at the Church, based on her availability. If another organist or accompanist is chosen, a fee may be charged.
Fees do not include the cost of special musical arrangements, tracks, MP3s, etc. The family is responsible for providing special musical arrangements or compensating the church or organist for the cost to procure the special materials for the service.
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Cleaning service fees apply to funerals with more than 50 guests and to all nonmember receptions held at the church.
It is expected that the Church will be left in good condition, however, if the Church incurs additional costs for cleaning and/or repair (beyond normal wear and tear) as a result of the service, the family will be responsible for the additional costs.
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Furniture will not be moved in any of the rental facilities except as arranged through the Pastor. The family is responsible for returning the furniture to its pre-service/pre-reception state.
For non member services, all food, beverages, and other refreshments are the responsibility of the family.
Arrangements for flowers, videographers and/or photographers are the express responsibility of the family.
Delivery times for flowers must be agreed to and pre-arranged with the Pastor.
If you wish to leave flowers in the Church for Sunday service, please make arrangements with the Pastor.
Smoking, alcoholic beverages, and illegal drugs are strictly prohibited in the building and on the grounds of the Church.
and all local and state laws are followed.family
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Members of the First Congregational Church of Woodstock are eligible to pay their funeral expenses in advance, subject to the FCCW Professional Service Rates (above) at the time of payment/purchase. Additional charges may be incurred if special music is requested at the time of the funeral.
The Treasurer shall deposit receipts for pre-paid funeral/memorial services expenses in a non-lapsing off-budget account. The Church secretary is responsible for maintaining records of pre-paid funerals/memorial services and shall share a record of such pre-paid funds with the Minister, Treasurer and the Board of Trustees.
The family member or agent responsible for requesting the funeral/memorial service shall submit a ‘Building and Use Application’ form and Funeral/Memorial Service Information sheet to the Church office and Pastor in advance of the actual service.
If the Professional Services Rates substantially change by 20% or more when the service is actually scheduled to take place, the increased cost may be required to be paid to the Church at the discretion of the Pastor.
Should the family decide not to exercise use of the pre-paid expenses, a refund may be requested from the Church or the value may take the form of a donation to the Church in the name of the deceased family member. -
In keeping with CDC guidelines, masks will be required during times of high community transmission and recommended in times of moderate transmissions.
Current transmission rates for Windham County and recommended protocols can be found on CovidActNow.org.
Weddings
Saying “I do” is a big step in your relationship and a milestone event in your lives. And we would be honored to work with you to craft a ceremony that is as traditional, contemporary, or unique as you are.
Please contact Pastor Kevin to set up a time to meet in person, over the phone, or online.
In the meantime, we encourage you to review the frequently asked questions, helpful considerations, policies and fees below.
Congratulations! 🎉
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Congratulations! 🎉 〰️
Frequently Asked Questions
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No! You need not belong to this church or any church.
We work with couples who share a deep faith, mixed faiths, eclectic spirituality, and are unsure what they believe.
Members of the congregation do receive a fee discount. (see below for more detail)
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Yes! We are an inclusive, Open and Affirming Congregation.
As a matter of faith, we celebrate diversity as a blessing and committed, loving relationships as a sign of God’s love for all people.
Our Pastor is openly gay and married his spouse in Canada nearly 17 years.
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The ceremony can be as traditional, contemporary, or unique as you are.
Pastor Kevin enjoys working with couples to develop a ceremony that speaks to who you are and truly reflects your traditions and celebrates the love and commitment that you have for one another. He will work with you to explore words, vows, readings, and symbolic actions and will encourage you to incorporate only what holds meaning to you.
Contact Pastor Kevin to share your ideas and receive his helpful guide “12 considerations for planning a wedding ceremony.” the guide includes questions to consider and example readings, vows, symbolic rituals and more.
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Yes. We have example readings, vows, music, symbolic rituals, e.g. Unity Candle, Sand Ceremony, etc. and more. Pastor Kevin has officiated at more than 50 weddings, civil unions and relationship blessings. During this time he has gathered many examples and created a helpful guide for planning a meaningful wedding ceremony.
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No worries! We have wifi available and have successfully used Zoom and Google Meets to stream weddings, funerals, baptisms, and other events to include guests who were unable to physically be present. Pastor Kevin can work with you in this regard as well.
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Yes! Rev Kev is available for weddings both on site and off site. He has officiated at weddings in homes, restaurants, on lakes, and even at a renaissance festival in period costume.
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As an active congregation, wedding ceremonies are a part of our historic and present ministry. It is the normal practice that for weddings held in our facility that our pastor would officiate at that ceremony. If the couple wishes to have another clergy member share in the ceremony, these details must be arranged with the Pastor.
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Yes, we have a commercial kitchen and facilities to accommodate up to 75 people for a sit down dinner/reception. Please see reception fees and consideration below.
Policies and Fees
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Weddings are booked on a first come, first served basis and as such you should contact Pastor Kevin as soon as possible. Even if you are not certain about the date and time, we strongly encourage you to contact the pastor and “pencil in the tentative date(s).”
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Member fees and discounts apply to weddings in which at least one of the engaged couple or one of their parents is active congregant of FCCW.
Professional Service Fees:
Pastor No Charge
Organist $250 (See related note)
Cleaning Service $75 (See related note)
Facility Use Fees:
There is no charge for use of the facilities, including the Sanctuary, Harrison Hall, the Downstairs Hall, or the Kitchen.
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A deposit totaling 50% of Facility Use Fees is required to secure the date for your wedding. The remaining balance for the facility usage, as well as applicable professional service fees are due prior to the start of the service.
Separate checks made payable to
Pastor, Rev. Dr. Kevin Downer
Organist, Leilani Nixon
Special musicians
And all other fees to “FCCW” or The First Congregational Church of Woodstock
Facility use deposits are 100% refundable up to 60 days prior to the wedding, 50% refundable up to 30 days prior to the wedding, and 25% refundable there after.
If FCCW incurs additional costs for cleaning or repair (beyond normal wear and tear) as a result of the event, the couple may be billed additional charges.
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Our church organist, Leilani Nixon, has ‘first right of refusal’ to play at all services that take place at the Church, based on her availability. If another organist or accompanist is chosen, a fee may be charged.
Fees do not include the cost of special musical arrangements, tracks, MP3s, etc. The family is responsible for providing special musical arrangements or compensating the church or organist for the cost to procure the special materials for the service.
-
Cleaning service fees apply to funerals with more than 50 guests and to all nonmember receptions held at the church.
It is expected that the Church will be left in good condition, however, if the Church incurs additional costs for cleaning and/or repair (beyond normal wear and tear) as a result of the service, the family will be responsible for the additional costs.
-
Furniture will not be moved in any of the rental facilities except as arranged through the Pastor. The couple is responsible for returning the furniture to its pre-service/pre-reception state.
All food, beverages, and other refreshments are the responsibility of the couple.
Arrangements for flowers and photographs are the couple’s express responsibility.
Delivery times for flowers must be agreed to and pre-arranged with the Pastor.
If you wish to leave flowers in the Church for Sunday service, please make arrangements with the Pastor.
The Church provides altar candles for the service. Other decorative or symbolic candles such as a Unity Candle are the responsibility of the couple.
Smoking is prohibited in the building or on the grounds of the Church.
Use of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited.
Rice and confetti may not be thrown on Church property.
Use of alcoholic beverages is allowed only for a Wedding toast. It is the responsibility of the couple to ensure that alcohol is not served to any minor and all local and state laws are followed.
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In keeping with CDC guidelines, masks will be required during times of high community transmission and recommended in times of moderate transmissions.
Current transmission rates for Windham County and recommended protocols can be found on CovidActNow.org.