Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals

Weddings

Congratulations on your engagement . . . and Welcome!

We hope that as a church, we can support you at this time in making preparations for your wedding and throughout your married life. We offer you the following guidelines to assist you in your preparations as you consider having you wedding ceremony at Southminster.
The first step in planning your wedding will be to arrange for an interview with our Minister, the Rev. Sherry Fugard. The interview is in two parts. First, the Minister will ask you to talk about yourselves as individuals, about your relationship, and about your hopes and plans for the future. Depending upon your situation, the Minister may recommend that you attend a marriage preparation seminar and will provide you with further details. Second, the Minister will ask you to talk about your plans for the wedding ceremony and will then discuss your plans and any further necessary arrangements.
You will need a marriage license (valid for three months from the date of purchase), which may be obtained at the City Clerk's Office, 4310 Queen St., Niagara Falls, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost (at the time of this publication) is $125.00 and is expected in cash or debit. The marriage license should be hand-delivered to the church office (open Tuesdays and Fridays 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.), as soon as possible after purchase.All people taking an active part in the wedding ceremony should attend the rehearsal.You may video-tape the ceremony (stationary camera only). The camera operator should also attend the rehearsal, in order to discuss with the Minister the most suitable vantage point.So as to not spoil the sanctity of your wedding ceremony, still pictures (except for a professional photographer) may only be taken as the wedding party comes down the aisle, during the signing of the register, during the unity candle-lighting (if part of the service), and during the recessional.Confetti may not be used in the church or on the church grounds.Also, please note that Southminster United Church is a smoke free facility. The Government of Ontario Marriage Act requires that no wedding will be performed for persons who have consumed alcohol or are being served alcohol prior to the wedding.
Marriage Licence Information - City of Niagara Falls Clerks Department: https://niagarafalls.ca/city-hall/clerks/marriage-licences/default.aspx

Baptisms

Baptism is a symbolic act in which a person is publically and officially received as a member of the Christian Church and welcomed into its community. A person can be baptized at any time in life. Some people bring their infant children to be baptized while others become baptized as adults. A person need only be baptized once in life because most Christian denominations accept one another's baptism.

Baptism marks the first step of a lifelong faith journey in the light of God's love, as a follower Jesus. In the case of infant baptism, since children cannot understand what is being done, parents make their own profession of faith and promise to bring up their children in the Christian faith, and the congregation promises to help support the parents. Baptism is one of two sacraments within the United Church of Canada, the other being Holy Communion. God acts in baptism by receiving the baptized through love into the family of Christ's church. The use of water symbolizes the cleansing of heart and mind and being spiritually born into the new life God intends for us all.