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Contact the Church Office if........

The first step in arranging a significant event at Salem begins with a simple phone call.  Listed below are some of the processes our church secretary can help you arrange.

Announcing the Birth of a Baby
Your church family wants to share in your joy!  Please call the office with details so it can be announced via the bulletin or newsletter.

Baptism
Members of Salem will need to fill out the Baptismal form to have a family member, such as a child, baptized.  (Non-members will make an appointment to meet with a pastor.)
After pertinent information has been gathered, a date will be selected that is mutually agreed upon.  The secretary will put the date on the church calendar so the baptismal service can be properly planned.

The Saturday Before the baptism (usually the day before), a pastor will meet with you for a baptismal conference.  The parents, child, and sponsors should be present. The conference will include a discussion of the role of parents and sponsors in raising the newly baptized in the faith, and will also include a brief “run-through” of the baptism service.

Become a Member
Attend church.  Mark on the pew registration that you are interested in joining and provide your address and phone number.   Introduce yourself to a pastor or greeter.  Follow up with a phone call to the church office.  You will be invited by the Witness Committee to attend a prospective member luncheon to help you make an informed decision as to whether Salem is right for you.

Catechism
If you are new to our community of faith and have a young person in grades 6-8, call the office to receive a letter explaining the requirements and expectations.  Catechism I is for 6th graders, and Catechism II is for 7th graders.  These classes meet during the school year, currently on Wednesdays.

Catechism III meets on Saturday mornings.  This class is for 8th graders who are preparing for Confirmation.  Classes begin in August and end with the Rite of Confirmation on Reformation Sunday.

Change of Name, Address, Phone
Contact the secretary with your new information.  Changes will be included in the revised Church Directory which is generally published every three – four months.  Directories are placed in each member’s mailbox.

Communion
Make sure the church office knows of your illness or other situation that might prevent you from receiving Communion at church in order to schedule a home visit.

Counseling
The secretary will either set up an appointment for you, or relay the message to a pastor who will contact you for an appointment.

Financial Statement
The Stewardship Committee prepares statements quarterly and places them in the mailboxes.  The last statement for the year is all inclusive and should be used to prepare your taxes.  If you don’t receive your statement, call the office.

Funeral
Notify the church office as soon as possible so a pastor may provide you with support.  If you want the funeral at the church, the secretary will check the calendar and help coordinate a time/date with the pastor.  WELCA will be notified if you would like a reception or luncheon.

Hospital Visit
Please let the office know in advance of any planned hospital stays.  A  Pastor will contact you to offer support and your name will be included on the prayer list in Sunday’s bulletin.    (If you don’t want your name in the bulletin, you might consider having it put on the prayer chain.  Your concern will be kept confidential if you so choose.)

Home Blessing
Members are encouraged to have their home dedicated to the Lord.  Call the secretary, who will have a pastor contact you to setup a time for this special occasion.

Mailbox, Name Tag, Offering Envelopes
When new members join our congregation, the church secretary makes name tags.  These are placed in a mailbox, labeled with their last name, in the hallway outside the pastors’ offices.  The Stewardship Committee assigns offering envelopes.  If you are in need of any of these items, contact the church office.

Memorial
After a loved one has entered the Church Eternal, friends and family sometimes want to donate funds in their memory.  The secretary will establish the fund and direct donations to it accordingly.  The spouse or family can specify how the funds are to be spent.

Simply Giving
This program allows your monetary offerings to come automatically from a bank account you specify.  The church secretary will provide you with the paperwork.  Return it with a cancelled check.  The secretary will send it to the company who administers the program.

Submit an Article, Name for the Prayer List, etc.
Notify the church secretary by Wednesday afternoon of any prayer concerns or announcements you’d like placed in Sunday’s bulletin.  The deadline for the ‘Salem Spirit” and directions for submitting articles for the monthly newsletter are on the bulletin board.

Subscribe to “The Lutheran”
Sample copies of the magazine are available from the secretary or in the narthex.  You can order the magazine on your own from Augsburg Fortress Publishing (see Resources for Lutherans).

Tape of Sermon
Tapes of sermons are kept in the Parish Hall.  See the church secretary to check one out.

Use the Church for a Function
Request a “Facility Rental Request Form” from the secretary at least a month before your function.  This form can be e-mailed to you.  The completed form should be returned to the church office.  The Mission Team President will present it to the Mission Team for approval at their monthly meeting.

Wedding
The church office will provide you with the “Wedding Guidelines Pamphlet.”   Non-members should attend services  to meet the pastor and get familiar with them.
An initial counseling session is setup to choose a date and time, and discuss details about the wedding party, music, and other particulars.  Two to three months before the wedding, pre-marital counseling sessions begin.  The preparations culminate with the rehearsal.

Please note that weddings are not scheduled in the sanctuary during Advent or Lent.