End of Life Ministry

Although many prefer not to think or talk about death, it remains a part of our lives.  Each person will face death among friends, within their families and finally themselves.
Our biblical faith helps us to face the reality of death and embrace it with hope.
We believe that planning is one way of preparation to deal with death; to make decisions and share them with close friends and family.
We provide resources and counseling for members and attendees.
When death occurs a pastor meets with the family or relatives to plan a service of celebration and remembrance.

Dealing with Death Packet

This booklet was prepared by a committee appointed by the College Mennonite Church Community Life Commission to provide information and to encourage planning as a way of preparing us to deal with death. For this 2024 revision, members of College Mennonite Church, East Goshen Mennonite Church and Waterford Mennonite Church partnered together. Many parts of this resource will be shared among these congregations while each congregation will also have specific information unique to each setting. Thoughtfully taking time now to make decisions and share those decisions with close friends and family can be a significant gift to family and community, bringing a sense of peace. This will make it much easier to finalize plans when the time of the dying process and death occurs. You are invited to enter into this booklet and the additional resources supplied in this folder in whatever order suits you best. Wherever you begin to engage this resource, we hope it will be a benefit to you.

Download a digital version of the Dealing with Packet here, or pick up a hard-copy in the CMC office. 
Download

Grief Support

Nearly every year we offer a grief support group in the fall. We also provide a series of grief booklets through Stephen Ministries that are designed to offer guidance and encouragement especially over the course of the first year after a loved one's death. These resources are available both in English and Spanish.

Memorial Garden

A Memorial Garden is located in the church's courtyard to be used for the scattering of ashes/cremains of CMC members or related persons for whom CMC is their church home. The loved ones of CMC members are memorialized with the placement of an engraved plaque on the designated wall space. 
Application for Disposition of Cremains