In article >,
Dave Smith > wrote:

> Ranee Mueller wrote:
>
> >
> > > The church charges no rent for the hall. It charges for a set fee per
> > > person for coffee, tea and juice. It charges another set fee per
> > > person for sandwiches, veggie plates and desserts . Those things are
> > > all provided by the members of the women's group. IIRC correctly it
> > > is $1.25 per person for drinks only or $4.25 for "the works".
> >
> > Is this for _members_ of the church, or people who just show up
> > because they think they need to have a funeral at a church? I ask
> > because I've never heard of a church renting the parish hall for a
> > funeral. It is scheduled to be used if the family is going to use it
> > after the funeral, but no money is exchanged.
>
> Well, that's the thing about it. It's basically for church members, but
> anyone can take advantage of it. My father's memorial service was held at
> my brother and sister in law's church. Other than weddings and funerals,
> Dad hadn't set foot in a church for 40 years or so. We were given the
> option of having a reception catered by the women's group but declined,
> having at the house instead. However, my wife arranged for a post interment
> service reception for my friend at her church. He belonged to the same
> denomination, but attended a church in a nearby city when they lived in
> this are. He had lived out of the country for 25 years or so. They also did
> it for an elderly woman my wife knew who had previously been a member of
> the church but had left it at least 10 years before she died.
>
> As far as I understand it, it's not like anyone can come in and do it, but
> it seems that so long as the church of the minister is involved in the
> service you have the option to use the church hall and to be catered to by
> the women's group.

I don't know how it works in Canada, but in the US, *somebody* has to
pay. I've been involved in church finances several times. Unless
*somebody* pays, then the church goes broke and closes. Buying and
running a church can be quite expensive.

One of the ways to offset the cost of the mortgage is to rent the
facility out. Unless managed carefully, this is a losing proposition.

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA