Guidelines For Weddings at Redwood Park Church

Preliminary Interview

A preliminary interview will be done with the couple seeking to be married by a pastor of Redwood Park Church. This will be done to meet the couple, review the Scriptural foundations for marriage as well as the polices of the Redwood Park Church. This preliminary meeting will also seek to determine whether the proposed wedding is within biblical bounds and church policies and hence can be performed by a Redwood Park pastor. (Priority is given to weddings of those who are in regular
attendance at Redwood Park Church. Those from outside of the church family will only be considered for a wedding, if a pastor is available and willing to conduct the ceremony and that a church marriage mentor is also available and willing to lead the pre-marital

counselling sessions.)

Prerequisites for Marriage

Couples being married at the Redwood Park Church and/or by a Redwood Park Church pastor must give evidence to sufficient personal and emotional maturity as a foundation for

healthy marriage and particularly to honour the sanctity of marriage as taught in the Bible. Among other issues, at Redwood this means:
(i) Should the pastor in his judgment, using tools like the “Prepare” evaluation believe that it is not in the best interest of the couple to be married, the pastor may choose to not conduct the ceremony.
(ii) A wedding ceremony will not be conducted for a committed Christian believer to an unbeliever or a
non-Christian believer.
(iii) A wedding ceremony for people with divorced backgrounds will only be conducted if the pastor
personally determines that such a marriage is within biblical grounds. This will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

“Prepare” Premarital Evaluation

A “Prepare” evaluation completed before premarital counselling. The “Prepare” evaluation is used as a guide for premarital counselling. Some pastors may use other material in addition to “Prepare.

Premarital Counseling

The couple are required to take six hours of premarital counseling using the “Prepare” materials as a guide prior to marriage. These can be done in different length segments either with a member of the pastoral staff or a marriage mentor.

Participation in the Alpha Course

 Redwood Park Church would ask that any couple seeking to be married at the church take the Alpha course as a part of their preparation for marriage. Alpha is a basic introduction to the Christian faith. Those seeking to be married in a church need to understand what the church is all about.

Love And Respect

Couples will need to purchase and read the book “Love And Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

 

Financial Obligations For Wedding

Ceremonies conducted at Redwood Park Church and/or performed by a church pastor

Redwood Park Church Facility - Cost:                                     (payable to Redwood Park Church)

Rehearsal & Ceremony

For Regular Attendees of the Church: $50.00 (Covers janitorial costs)
For non-regular attenders: $100.00

Pastor

Regular Church attenders are encouraged but not required to give the pastor an honourarium.
A gift is also appropriate for the marriage mentor leading the premarital counseling.

Non-regular attenders:
To conduct rehearsal and ceremony: $150.00

Other Fees

Required Premarital counseling $150.00
Prepare Premarital Evaluation $100.00
Sound Technician services $50.00

Instrumentalists - The use of instrumentalists and musicians is at the discretion of the couple being married and is their responsibility to arrange.  Redwood Park Church does not supply a list of instrumentalists or musicians.