The following policy and procedures govern the conduct of all Celebration of Life services and Memorial services for members of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church. The congregation has no obligation to provide the same services to non-members nor to families whose deceased relative is not a member of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church. Circumstances may warrant the church to offer some services to persons who are non-members; however, they will be offered on a case-by-case basis. There may be an occasion when a member has an immediate family member for whom the church may choose to offer services. We define IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS as spouses, children, parents, parental guardians, siblings, and grandparents. The church will seek to honor the wishes of the immediate family for the conduct of the service as faithfully as we can without compromising our beliefs and practices.

Celebration of Life services for Members and Attendees:

• The administrative office should be notified as soon as possible following a death. Please call (301) 431-2800 to inform the Director of Administration. If the church office is closed, the family is encouraged to contact the Servant Leader or the Assistant Servant Leader of the Diaconate Ministry, or you can email us at info@mtjezreel.com. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time, and we're here to support you.
• The Senior Pastor and the Diaconate ministry will contact the immediate family to offer prayer and spiritual support. The Director of Administration will contact the family to plan the Celebration of Life.
• The Senior Pastor at Mount Jezreel Baptist Church understands how vital and heartfelt Celebration of Life services are during challenging times. While the Senior Pastor typically leads these services, if he is unavailable, he will thoughtfully select an associate minister or guest pastor to honor your loved one. Additionally, families are welcome to have a family member or close friend deliver the eulogy, provided the Senior Pastor approves it. We aim to support and honor your loved one with compassion and respect.
• All Celebrations of Life services held at Mount Jezreel Baptist Church, or the funeral home, are conducted with care and respect. These services will be closed casket during and at the close of the service, honoring the dignity of the deceased. Families have the option to allow loved ones to lie in state prior to the service, providing an opportunity for remembrance. Upon entering the sanctuary, families and friends may view the body of the deceased if they choose, offering a moment for farewell. Additionally, all fraternal order services are scheduled during the family hour (one hour or 30 minutes) before the Celebration of Life begins, ensuring ample time for family and friends to gather and prepare to celebrate the life of their loved one.
• Since a Celebration of Life service is a heartfelt and sacred Christian worship gathering, our Servant Leader of Music and Arts will thoughtfully select music that deeply reflects our faith and beliefs. Families are welcome to suggest songs close to their hearts, but the Servant Leader’s choices will guide the musical journey to honor our shared faith and maintain spiritual harmony. The Director of Administration will work closely with the immediate family to thoughtfully plan and prepare the service in partnership with the church community. Please refer to the ‘Provide bulletins for the service' section for helpful guidance on preparing the Celebration of Life bulletin.
• Celebrations of Life are held during the week at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., or noon, excluding Mondays. Because these services are deeply meaningful moments for families, the church sincerely dedicates itself to giving them the highest priority during the week. We encourage families to contact the mortuary service provider promptly to coordinate and select a suitable date. Additionally, we kindly ask families to avoid scheduling Celebration of Life services on national holidays out of respect and consideration for all involved.
• The church lovingly hosts a fellowship meal after the Celebration of Life service, offering a source of comfort, warmth, and support to everyone attending during this difficult time. Mount Jezreel Baptist Church Hospitality Team will prepare special meals with care for the family. We are pleased to cover the costs for the first seventy (70) family members and guests as a gesture of love and compassion. If more loved ones wish to join in the family fellowship meal, we kindly ask the family to help cover the additional costs at the rate the caterer charges. Please know this service comes from our hearts and is meant to bring peace and togetherness to all who gather in this moment of remembrance.
• The church understands how important it is for families to feel supported during times of loss, and unfortunately, we do not offer nursery services for Celebration of Life services. We are here to help in any other way we can during this difficult time.

Celebration of Life services for Inactive Members:

Mount Jezreel Baptist Church recognizes that life can present various challenges and understands that periods of inactivity can occur for different reasons. We define an inactive member as someone who has not attended worship or any Truth discipleship class in six (6) months and has not made any financial contributions to the church during that time. We are dedicated to handling each situation with compassion and will consider any special circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Celebration of Life services for Non-Members:

Mount Jezreel Baptist Church genuinely understands that losing a loved one is an emotionally challenging experience. We deeply empathize with your pain and are here to offer comfort and support during this difficult time. While we do host Celebration of Life services for non-members—those who do not regularly worship with us or actively support our vision or mission—we recognize the importance of honoring each individual’s memory. Bereavement is a meaningful part of our ministry, and our caring Senior Pastor and Church are dedicated to providing compassion and comfort during these times (if available). If a service for a non-member is approved, the family will be responsible for all related fees, including the use of the Fellowship Hall if they wish to gather and share a meal in remembrance of their loved one.

Video Presentations:

Video presentations are an excellent way to enhance our service. To ensure everything runs smoothly, please submit your video presentation to our Technical Arts Ministry (420MJBC@gmail.com) church office at least forty-eight (48) hours before the service. We appreciate that all videos be in digital format and kept within a five-minute to ten-minute duration/loop. Thank you for sharing your creativity and helping us create a meaningful experience for everyone.

Celebration of Life Fees:

There is no fee charged for Celebration of Life services for active members of the congregation.

Senior Pastor Fee: $300

Sanctuary Usage Fee: $700

Fellowship Hall rental: $500 plus food costs.

Musician/Psalmist Fee: $100 per person

Technical Arts Technician Fee: $100 per person

Janitorial Service Fee: $100

Upon receiving notice that a church member has passed, the Director of Administration will follow the compassionate procedures outlined below:  

• Contact the family to express our heartfelt condolences. When you're ready, kindly arrange a time to meet with them within the next 24 to 48 hours. This meeting will help us gather meaningful information for the Celebration of Life service, allowing the church and the family enough time to prepare with care and thoughtfulness.
• Before meeting with the family, the receptionist and relations coordinator will carefully print a copy of the profile and activity record for the deceased member. This will help us compassionately understand the members’ journey, including the date they fellowshipped and the ministries they participated in, enabling a more meaningful and empathetic conversation.a
• For members who joined before the church’s computer system was implemented, the Director of Administration and our Communications Ministry will carefully and patiently search the church membership records to find the date when they were fellowshipped, ensuring they feel valued and supported.
• The Senior Pastor of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church and the funeral home will work together to find a day and time that honors and accommodates everyone, ensuring a heartfelt and respectful Celebration of Life service.
• During the Director of Administration’s initial contact with the family, they will be gently informed about the services provided by the church, as sometimes families are unaware of these thoughtful offerings. The church will graciously provide a fellowship meal for up to seventy (70) persons in the church Fellowship Hall. This meal may be served after the service or burial or delivered to the family's home for their comfort and to gather with close friends and loved ones.
• If the family chooses to cover the cost of food for more than seventy (70) people, the Director of Administration, working with the Servant Leader Hospitality Ministry, will determine the appropriate fee. Please know that the Fellowship Hall can comfortably accommodate up to 100 individuals, ensuring everyone has a welcoming space.
• The Director of Administration will contact the Servant Leader of Hospitality Ministry directly to inform them of the expected number of attendees, the date and time of the Celebration of Life service, and the delivery location. They will also specify the meal, which will include a meat, a vegetable, a starch, dessert, and a drink.

Provide bulletins for the service:

• The family will be kindly invited to provide their estimate of the number of bulletins that may be required.
• Mount Jezreel can provide up to 200 bulletins featuring a color photograph of your loved one on a single-fold, black-and-white design. The Director of Administration will kindly request an estimate of the number of bulletins needed. Families also have the option to collaborate with an external vendor to create a personalized bulletin, offering a meaningful reflection of their loved one's unique story, at the family’s discretion and expense.
• If you’d like the administrative staff to create a standard bulletin for you, please kindly provide an electronic picture (420MJBC@gmail.com) for the front of the cover (preferably high resolution).We're happy to assist and look forward to helping you with this.
• The family will also need to select and provide the poem or Scripture passage if they wish to include one, adding a personal and heartfelt touch to the bulletin.
• The Director of Administration will email Mount Jezreel’s standard funeral outline to assist the family in understanding what is needed for a Celebration of Life or Memorial service.
• The church genuinely and compassionately wishes to honor the family’s wishes during this difficult time. While we have a standard order of service to create a meaningful and respectful ceremony, please understand that we may not be able to fulfill every request. All requests are subject to the Senior Pastor’s approval, and some may be declined in order to maintain the flow and reverence of the service.
• The family may choose the Scriptures or kindly ask the serving minister to select them. If the minister takes on this task, the Director of Administration will reach out to coordinate and obtain the scripture text for the bulletin. Typically, this includes a passage from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
• The Servant Leader of Music and Arts generally selects songs. If a family requests a solo, they must ensure the soloist’s availability and willingness to perform. The Servant Leader of Music and Arts must be informed if the soloist requires accompaniment. The soloist’s name and chosen song must be included in the bulletin.
• If the family wants reflections, select up to five (5) people to speak for up to 2 minutes each. Contact these individuals and provide their names to the Director of Administration for the bulletin. No one is permitted to come forward spontaneously to give reflections. Reflections are optional.
• The Mount Jezreel Baptist Church does not allow viewing after the service, either on campus or off-site. The funeral homewill bring the remains to the church at least one hour before the service for a viewing prior to the service.
• The family should select six (6) or eight (8) men to serve as pallbearers. It is best to have eight (8). If the names are known, the family will submit them to the Director of Administrationfor the bulletin. If the names are not known, they will be listed as Pallbearers.

The church resolution will be prepared and read by the Director of Administration. Acknowledgments from other churches and cards will be acknowledged only.