Special Events

Are you looking for space for a special event?  Good Shepherd regularly hosts events such as meetings, seminars, family reunions, weddings, and receptions. 

In general, events must fit within the core values of our ministry (worship, discipleship, and/or service), or must help to strengthen family or community bonds.  Typical "church" limitations apply; there can be no alcohol or drug use, no weapons in our facility (other than in the possession of commissioned law enforcement officers) and all participants must maintain a  respectful demeanor. 

We have fee (donation) information listed below for general events and weddings (there are some specific extra charges for weddings).  The Board of Trustees reviews all requests, and must authorize any use of the facility.  In addition, the Pastor reviews all requests for use of the facility for religious purposes, or use of the Sanctuary or Chapel for any purpose. 

Please contact the church office as soon as possible to check and reserve dates, and to begin the process of requesting approval.  A deposit of $75.00 is generally required.  Our Facility Use Request Form may be found here in PDF form; as you are planning your event, please review it closely, as it contains specific requirements and limitations not included here.

General Fees

All fees are paid as donations to the church.  For weddings, also refer to the table below this one.  All fees are subject to change - please contact the church office to be check our current fees.
 

Sanctuary Rental per day or any portion thereof (seats 380 in pews)*	$250.00
Bruce Chapel Rental per day or any portion thereof (seats 60 in rows of chairs)*	$85.00
Cooper Hall Rental per day or any portion thereof (seats 150, seated at tables)*	$200.00
Kitchen Rental per day or any portion thereof*	$85.00
Other Area Rental*	$75.00
Building Coordinator per hour *	$15.00
Nursery Attendants per hour (provides two attendants per hour) *	$35.00
Sound/Video Technician per hour	$25.00
Custodial Fee, flat rate for Sanctuary	$65.00
Setup Fee, flat rate for Sanctuary	$50.00
Sanctuary Altar and/or Altar Rail Moving Fee	$200.00
Custodial Fee, flat rate for Bruce Chapel	$50.00
Setup Fee, flat rate for Bruce Chapel	$50.00
Custodial Fee, flat rate for Cooper Hall	$75.00
Setup Fee, flat rate for Cooper Hall	$50.00
Custodial Fees per hour, over and above reasonable time for flat-rate charges	$25.00

* Some fees differ if the person is a member of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church.  In these cases, that person's designated giving to the church's General Fund (as recorded by the Finance Secretary) in the preceding 12 month period will count against facility rental costs.  With Trustee approval, a member may also take responsibility for oversight of the Nursery and Kitchen.  Please see the Facility Use Request Form for details and any additional fees..

Weddings

In addition to any fees listed above, the following apply to weddings. All fees are subject to change - please contact the church office to be certain!
 

Pastor honorarium	$100.00
Additional Pastor fees for weddings outside the church	$10.00
Weddings farther away than 30 miles (fee plus expenses)	$30.00
Pre-Marital Counseling (when provided by New Beginnings - See Below)	Negotiated
Wedding Coordinator (required for all weddings in the church facility)	$100.00
Wedding Coordinator with Guest Minister	$125.00
Organist or Pianist honorarium (when provided by church)	$100.00
Soloist honorarium (when provided by church)	Negotiated
Sound Technician honorarium, flat rate for rehearsal and ceremony	$50.00

Generally, at least ninety days notice is required for weddings.  This allows time for all preparations, including pre-marital counseling (see below).  We also understand that our community includes many military couples, and unexpected deployments sometimes require short-notice weddings.  We will help out as much as we can in these circumstances.

While we discourage weddings on holiday weekends, in those instances where they do occur, additional fees are charged. 

All fees for weddings, including honoraria for all personnel involved, are due in the office at least three days prior to the event. 

The Pastor reserves the right to assign weddings to other clergy who are affiliated with the church.  In those cases, the additional "Guest Minister" fee for the Wedding Coordinator is not charged.

Any outside clergy must be invited by the Pastor of the church to perform any services within the church facility.  Please note that this is a rare occurrence, and any clergy invited in must hold appropriate ministerial credentials as recognized by the United Methodist Church.  These are denominational requirements. 

The Wedding Coordinator provides critical services, helping out with planning and organizing the service, as well as hosting the wedding party on the day of the wedding itself.  Please note that this is not a "wedding planner" who will assist with dresses, tuxedos, limousines, and making arrangements for the reception.  Services of the Wedding Coordinator are provided only within the confines of the church facility.

Additional information is provided when the couple meets with the Wedding Coordinator and the clergy who will officiate at the service.