Memorial Services

Every celebration of life is unique. At Unity Church our ministers and staff spend time with families to help co-create a service that offers space to express love and grief and to share in honoring the life of your loved one. 

If you have experienced the recent death of a loved one, and would like the support of our ministers or would like to have a conversation about holding the memorial service at Unity Church, please complete our request for congregational care form or call the church office at 651-228-1456 and ask to be connected with a minister.

Planning the Service

There are several components that go into creating a memorial service at Unity Church.

1. A Unity Church minister will guide your family as you plan the service. Meeting with the minister is the first step of the planning process and offers time and space to express the full range of emotions as you process your loss. At this meeting we will also determine a date and time for the service. Unity Church will try our best to accommodate your preferences, but it's helpful to have a few dates and times in mind.
2. Once a date has been established, you will write an obituary or announcement for publication. Please use our Sanctuary address, 733 Portland Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104, for inclusion in the announcement. If you would like to include Unity Church as suggestion for donations, please do that in the announcement as well.
3. Unity's Director of Music Ministries will provide a pianist or organist for memorial services for members of the congregation. If a family has additional music requests, our director may be able to offer you contact information for local musicians. Securing the services of and paying for additional musicians is the responsibility of the family.
4. A printed order of service (memorial program), containing biographical information and images, will be provided. The family will work with church staff to submit photos for inclusion. The deadline for submissions is generally three business days prior to the date of the service. 
5. The family should consider if there are items they would like displayed either in the Sanctuary during the service or in Parish Hall during a reception. Unity Church can provide tables, easels, and any necessary technology. 
6. A room will be provided as a place for close family to gather before the service. The minister will join the family, offering a brief prayer or time for centering before the family enters the Sanctuary for the service. The gathered family generally enters the Sanctuary while the church bell is being tolled.
7. ​Floral arrangements for the Sanctuary and/or reception are the responsibility of the family.
8. Consider if a receiving line is how you would like to greet your guests. Some families appreciate this time of connection while others choose to forgo a formal receiving line and greet guests during the reception.
9. Church members have the option of the congregation hosting a reception after the service. Cookies, bars, coffee, tea, and water are provided as part of this hospitality. Non-members are invited to have a reception at the church for an additional fee. Arrangements should be made in cooperation with church staff if a family would like to have a catered reception. 
10. Unity Church has ample parking and all levels of the building are accessible for individuals with differing mobility needs. 

Services and Fees 

When you join a church, you are joining a community that will care for you from birth to death. For those who have committed to membership at Unity Church, most of the fees involved in a memorial service are included with that membership. 

Services included for Unity Church members:

• Minister or officiant to perform the service
• Use of church space (Sanctuary, Ames Chapel, Parish Hall, etc.)
• Reception with bars, cookies, coffee, tea and water
• Pianist or organist for the service
• Staff support
• Order of service (memorial program)
• ​Guest book by request
• Child care by request

Unity's commitment to care for those in need extends beyond the walls of the church. The cost for non-member memorial services is $1500. Half the cost is due when you meet with the minister and the remainder is due before the service. Payment can be made online.

Services include with non-member fee of $1500:

• Minister or officiant to perform the service
• Use of church space (Sanctuary, Ames Chapel, Parish Hall, etc.)
• Pianist or organist for the service
• Staff support
• Order of service (memorial program)
• ​Guest book by request

Special arrangements can be made to offer your service via livestream. An additional fee of $150 is charged for both members and non-members.