First Presbyterian Church of Allentown Memorial Garden on the west grounds of the Church property is a place for those who wish to maintain a witness to their faith even unto death. The Memorial Garden is a place of hallowed ground where generations can go for solitude and to be close to their memories of loved ones who have departed from our midst. The Garden serves as a place for worship, fellowship, meditation, and prayer as well as for the interment of cremated remains. The Garden is maintained in quiet dignified beauty, a place of peace, serenity, and spiritual renewal.
Cremation
Cremation is accepted in the modern church as consistent with the resurrection and eternal life. Because the entire Garden is a memorial, ashes are to be placed into the soil, either directly or in a biodegradable container, so that they become a part of the living garden.
The Chapel
The Garden makes use of the Outdoor Chapel and the grounds immediately surrounding it, making it available as a place for meditation, worship, and prayer.
The Gardens
Flowers and shrubs ring the setting with a shaded area behind and a sun garden across from the Chapel platform. The sun garden is built up behind a sitting wall that provides many places for rest and contemplation. Benches are provided throughout as places for rest, contemplation, and meditation.
Additional trees and shrubbery provide a visual and sound break from the nearby traffic. All areas suitable for interment are fully accessible by a permanent walkway. The Chapel has a lawn area suitable for small services or other appropriate events.
Eligibility
Interment of ashes will be open to all members of the First Presbyterian Church and their immediate families, former members, and others (with Session approval). The name, birth and death dates of those interred are permanently maintained by the church and are recorded on a plaque centrally located in the Garden.
