Baptisms
Sunday morning services of Holy Baptism are always a celebration at Good Sam, as we welcome new Christians in claiming their identity as a beloved child of God. We offer baptism on specially chosen Sundays:
- The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord (January)
- The Feast of Pentecost (May/June)
- The visitation of our Bishop (varies)
- The Sunday after All Saints’ Day in November (November)
Click HERE to email the Rector with your questions or to learn more about Baptism.
Confirmations
Confirmation takes place once a year at Good Sam. If you were confirmed before in another denomination but now practice the Christian faith in the Episcopal Church, a different prayer is offered to receive you into this denomination. Being Confirmed or Received makes a statement that you identify yourself as Christian and an Episcopalian, an active member of The Church of the Good Samaritan, at least for this part of your journey. If you are new to our parish, this ritual can help ground you as a member. Click HERE to email the Rector with your questions or to learn more about Confirmation.
Marriages
We believe in committed, lifelong partnerships that express the love of God in a bond of mutual support and fidelity, for both opposite- and same-sex couples. When a couple desires to be married, one of our priests works with them to plan their ceremony. Our policy is that at least one party to the marriage be or become a member of Good Sam. Pastoral consideration is given for adults who grew up at Good Sam and now live at a distance from Knoxville who are coming “home” to be married. We ask for a six-month preparation period to complete the necessary counseling and planning. Click HERE to email the Rector with your questions or for more information about Marriage.
Funerals
When a loved one dies, we seek the comfort of the community of faith. One of our priests works closely with the family to create a service of worship that honors the departed and communicates the faith of the Church—that in Christ Jesus, not even death has the power to separate us from the love of God.
While you are still in your health, plan for the hard choices that come with death. Make an outline of your wishes for your burial. Do you have favorite hymns or passages of scripture that you would choose? Do you wish to be cremated? When you make these choices, you help your family through a difficult time. For more information about planning a funeral, click HERE to email the Rector.
The Good Samaritan Memorial Garden
Members and their immediate family may choose to be buried in our Memorial Garden. Remains are buried directly into the earth in a ceremony conducted by a member of the clergy. There is a Memorial Garden board in the sanctuary that contains the names of those laid to rest in the Memorial Garden. We ask the family for a $500 donation to the Memorial Garden Maintenance Fund. Click HERE to email the Rector with your questions or for more information about the Memorial Garden.