Memorial Services

› Memorial Reception

You are invited to have your memorial reception in Fellowship Hall after the service. Although families are responsible for providing food with help from friends or a caterer, hospitality is provided by SPC’s “Marthas,” volunteers from our church family who will help you with the reception. They were named in honor of Jesus’ friend Martha, who showed him warm hospitality.

We know that the reception becomes an important part of the mourning process and often turns into a meaningful reunion of family members and friends. The Marthas set up before the reception, arrange the buffet tables for food and beverages, serve during the event, and clean up afterward. They also provide hot and cold beverages, including coffee and tea, lemonade, cider or iced tea, and water. The church provides linens, paper napkins, candles, silver service, punch bowls, service plates, and cups and saucers.

After consulting with the church office (610-543-4712) or one of the pastors to arrange for the memorial service and deciding to have a reception in Fellowship Hall, the pastor will contact a Martha to work directly with you on the arrangements.

› Memorial Garden

Our Memorial Garden was created for rest, meditation, prayer, and the interment of cremated remains of active and former members and clergy who have been active in our congregation. This beautiful spot is located next to the church and adjacent to the Church Garden and is designed as a special resting place for the mortal remains of those whose spirit has been received into God’s eternal care. We hope that our Memorial Garden provides comfort to the bereaved by keeping the memory of loved ones alive in the place where they worshipped God and experienced the joy of shared life in the community of faith.

› Interment & Markers

Remains may be poured or scattered in the Memorial Garden or interred in a biodegradable container. Although interment locations may be chosen by the family, they will not be recorded or marked.

In keeping with the spirit of the Memorial Garden, all markers will be brass plaques of the same design, placed on the memorial wall of names. Each marker will include name and years of birth and death. No titles will be included. SPC will arrange for opening the interment site as well as ordering and installing the marker.

For additional information, please contact the church’s business office at 610-543-4712, which is responsible for processing applications and fees.

Regulations for the Administration of the Memorial Garden

Memorial Garden Rules and Application

For additional information, please contact the church’s business office at 610-543-4712, which is responsible for processing applications and fees.

Contact Us! We Would Love to Hear From You

Week-at-a-Glance

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May 22, 2025

  • May 22, 20257:30 pm - 9:00 pm

    Chancel Choir Rehearsal (Loeffler Chapel)

    Weekly rehearsal to prepare for music for offering in worship Sunday mornings.  New singers always welcome! 
    Led by Minister of Music, Meghan Meloy Ness.

  • May 22, 20258:00 pm - 9:30 pm

    AA (McCahan Hall)

    Swarthmore Presbyterian Church welcomes AA participants to weekly meetings in McCahan Hall. Entrance is via a door on the west end of the parking lot (across from the ABC House) under a covered walkway there.

May 24, 2025

  • May 24, 20253:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    Memorial Service (Sanctuary)

    A Service of Witness to the Resurrection and Thanksgiving for the life of Un Chol Shin.   Guests are invited to a reception in Fellowship Hall following the service.  Sarah Cooper Searight officiating.

  • May 24, 20254:00 pm - 5:00 pm

    Memorial Reception (Fellowship Hall)

    Guests attending the memorial service for Un Chol Shin are invited to greet the family, share rememberances, and enjoy some refreshments, and enjoy some refreshments at a reception in Fellowship Hall

May 25, 2025

  • May 25, 20259:30 am - 10:00 am

    Choir rehearsal (Sanctuary)

    Sunday morning preparation for worship.

  • May 25, 202510:15 am - 11:15 am

    Lord's Day Worship (Sanctuary and Livestream)

    SPC's Lord’s Day services embody a classic reformed worship tradition. The Word is proclaimed through liturgy, song, and preaching. Scriptures are generally read by lay liturgists. Music leadership is anchored by our choir. Our pastors share leadership and preaching responsibilities from week to week. Communion is offered on the 1st Sunday of each month.

    Services are livestreamed via YouTube beginning at 10:15 a.m. Sunday morning.

  • May 25, 202510:40 am - 11:20 am

    Godly Play (Godly Play room)

    Following "Time with Children" (which happens just before the Sermon) children age 3 through 5th grade are invited to attend Godly Play, a Montessori-based method that engages children through their innate meaning-making language: Play.

  • May 25, 202511:15 am - 12:00 pm

    Sunday Fellowship (Fellowship Hall)

    Please join us for beverages and snacks every Sunday following the 10:15 worship service.  Enjoy one another's company in Fellowship Hall and make a point of saying hello to someone you don't yet know!

  • May 25, 20254:30 pm - 5:30 pm

    Johnsonburg & Montreat Prep Night! (Fellowship Hall)

    Are you going to Camp Johnsonburg or Montreat this Summer?  Parents and youth, please come so we can make plans for these amazing trips!

May 27, 2025

  • May 27, 20259:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Summer Church Camp (SPNDS spaces)

    Caring for one another and Creation!
    Associate Pastor David Norse Thomas will be joined by many teachers from SPNDS (Swarthmore Presbyterian Nursery Day School) to explore caring for one another and creation through creative play, music and movement, art, science, story time, Godly Play, kids’ yoga and mindfulness, games, and outdoor fun.  Details and registration forthcoming.