Weddings at Joy

What is a Wedding?
The Rubrics (directions) for “Marriage” in the Lutheran Book of Worship state:
Marriage is a service of worship in which the invited guests are not mere spectators, but participants in the service. They are there not simply to watch, but to be a congregation of God’s people. Marriage is a glad occasion overflowing with joy, and those who celebrate it rejoice in the gifts of God—life, health, strength, sexuality, and the family—all that the creator declared from the beginning to be “very good.”

What is a Marriage?
Again the Rubrics state that marriage:
was known, practiced, and honored in the Old Testament. It is moreover a structure which belongs to all humanity. It is essentially a covenant of fidelity between a man and a woman made with society’s sanction, grounded in the steadfast love of God. God’s abiding faithfulness is the model: as God is, so should we be.

Who Can Be Married at Joy? Those eligible for marriage at Joy are: • Members of the congregation, • Those undergoing instruction for membership, • Those whose parents or grandparents are members of the congregation. • Those who do not meet the above criteria may request to be married at the discretion of the pastor and church council.

How Should We Begin?

Those who plan to be married should begin with prayerful consideration of God’s love, the sanctity of marriage, and their own faith and commitment. They must discuss with the Pastor the nature of marriage and the form of the service, and should confirm the date and time of the wedding as early as possible. There are no weddings held during Holy Week. The couple must also complete a Prepare-Enrich Pre-Marital Inventory or some other agreed upon Pre-Marital counseling course.

The Presiding Minister must be ordained and authorized by the appropriate civil authorities to perform marriages. Unless other arrangements are made with the approval of the Pastor, the Pastor of Joy will be the Presiding Minister.

What does it cost to be Married at Joy?

A Christian marriage is a ministry of the church for the members of the church. This ministry implies that couples do not “come to the church” to get married, but are married in the context of a community of faith. Such a marriage implies a meaningful relationship with the community of faith and the intent of the couple to live their lives as part of that community. With this in mind, there is no cost for the use of the facilities for members and those in the process of becoming members of Joy. In the case of a non-member who happens to be a part of a community of faith, but for whatever reason is unable to be married in their church building, the following fees will apply:

	For Members	For Non-Members
Sanctuary	No charge	$500.00
Fellowship Hall	No charge	$200.00
Organist*	$150.00	$150.00
Pastor	$200.00	$200.00
Custodian	$150.00	$150.00
Prepare/Enrich Inventory	$30.00	$30.00

*An additional fee of $50 will be assessed for the Organist time for rehearsal of soloist.

In keeping with the sanctuary design and arrangement for the church services, we ask that no item of the church furnishings be moved or altered. The baptismal font, particularly, is fragile and irreplaceable; other items such as the altar and paraments are significant and are to be respected as part of the fixed setting. Candelabra may be used, so long as the drip-less candles are chose, and flowers may be brought in to adorn the chancel area and pews. No tags, pins, tacks, wires or adhesive may be used to fasten decorations in place. Please call the church office if you have any questions.

A $150.00 deposit (to be applied to total fees owed) will be due at the time of scheduling the ceremony. The total balance will be due ten days before the rehearsal. Make all reservations through the church office and submit plans for the ceremony and schedule of activities to the church office. The wedding party must not assume that admittance to the church is available on short notice. Visits to the church are welcome but must be arranged in advance to ensure that the building will be open and that there are no conflicts with church activities.

The sanctuary

Fellowship Hall