For many people, it’s important to have the church involved in major celebrations and memorials, especially weddings and funerals.
Baptism (some people call this Christening) is also an important life event, as well as being one of the two sacraments which the Church of Scotland practises. Our other major sacrament is communion.
Below you’ll find information about weddings, funerals and baptisms at the West Church.
Weddings
We’re always delighted to be involved in a wedding, whether this is our minister conducting a wedding at a venue of your choice, or a wedding in our own church. Weddings in our church are usually conducted by our minister but if you would like your own minister or pastor involved we can chat through what that might look like.
You don’t need to be a church member to have a church wedding, but it is important to note that Church of Scotland ministers are licensed to conduct religious weddings.
Typically this means that the wedding service would acknowledge the presence of God through such things as prayer, a bible reading and a blessing. However, this doesn’t mean that our weddings aren’t also very personal. There’s plenty of flexibility around music and other elements like poems or readings, the use of symbols, or including relevant cross-cultural traditions. If you’ve seen an idea you really like, talk to our minister about it - it might be possible!
We also have the facility to live stream weddings, which is helpful if you have family members or friends who are unable to make it on the day.
The first step is to contact our minister Rhona on r.cathcart@inveruriewestchurch.org to discuss provisional dates and arrange a chat. The purpose of this first chat is to get to know one another and find out what you are looking for and whether that matches with what we can offer.
Wedding costs are as follows:
- Church hire: £200
- Church officer fee: £80
- Organist (if desired): £80
- Multimedia: £50
There is never any charge for our minister’s services, as her time for such things is offered by the church to the community. You can of course make a donation to the church if you wish to do so.
It’s also sometimes possible for us to cater for a small, informal (and non-licensed) wedding dinner downstairs in our cafe area. Speak to us if you want to explore this option.
Funerals
You do not need to be a church member to have a church funeral. Funerals in our church will have a ‘religious’ element - it’s important to us that the presence of God and the love of Christ are acknowledged, along with the hope of something deeper and richer and longer lasting than our earthly existence.
If you want a funeral that fits within our tradition, then our minister will be happy to conduct this for you.
Most people begin by working with the funeral directors who liaise with us about arrangements for a funeral/memorial/celebration of life. We have excellent relationships with our local funeral directors who are very familiar with our premises.
Church funeral costs are as follows:
- Church hire: £200 (£100 for church members)
- Church officer fee: £80
- Organist (if desired): £80
- Multimedia: £50
There is never any charge for our minister’s services, as her time for such things is offered by the church to the community. You can of course make a donation to the church if you wish to do so.
Funerals can be live streamed to a private link if you have friends or family members unable to attend.
Funeral teas can also be organised in our cafe area by arrangements with our Acorn Centre team.
Baptism
Baptism (which some traditions call Christening) is a special occasion and one we take seriously as it is a sacrament within the Church of Scotland. A sacrament is a ceremony or ritual which we believe is both a means of divine grace and a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality.
But that doesn’t mean it isn’t also fun!
Our baptisms are generally warm and joyful occasions, whether the person being baptised is a baby or a fully grown adult - or any stage in between.
In the Church of Scotland, baptism always takes place within a worship service. We see baptism as a community practice as well as a spiritual one.
You do not need to be a member of the Church of Scotland to be baptised at the West, although in the case of adults, they often take membership vows at the same time. Adults looking for baptism have usually been part of our worshipping community for a few months and have also explored what baptism means with our minister.
Parents of infants being brought for baptism do not need to be church members but we do want you to have a willingness to explore being part of our community and to understand the vows you are expected to make on behalf of your child. It’s not just about getting the baby ‘done’, it is, we hope, the beginning of a developing relationship.
The first step if you would like your child baptised is to contact our minister Rhona on r.cathcart@inveruriewestchurch.org She will invite you in for a chat and to talk about what baptism involves.
Whether you are looking for baptism for yourself or a child, it is a good idea to come and join us for a few Sundays to get a feeling for whether we are the right Christian community for you.