About Northaven

 
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Celebration Garden

Phase 1 is complete

Phase 1 of the Northaven Celebration Garden was completed in October, 2009. The dedication of the garden took place on All Saints’ Day, November 1, 2009, when the congregation processed from the sanctuary to the garden, led by the Ringlieder Bells.

Phase 2 is under way

Phase 2 construction will include installation of four benches, a cantilevered arbor over the labyrinth, and lighting fixtures on the cross, columbarium wall, arbor and sconces at the entry. A fountain representing birth and baptism in the cycle of life will also be installed. The estimated cost of Phase 2 is $80,000, and construction will begin as funds become available.

How To Participate

There are three ways members and friends of Northaven UMC can help fund this project so that construction can begin at the earliest possible date:

  • Make a "lead" gift for the Celebration Garden
  • Dedicate a donation in honor or memory of a friend or loved one to the Celebration Garden
  • Made a donation to the Celebration Garden to reserve a niche in the columbarium or space in the memorial (flower) garden

Any "lead" gift over $2,000 will automatically reserve space in the columbarium or memorial garden for the donor and spouse/partner, following approval by the Celebration Garden Committee.

For further information, please contact Dotti Timmins through the church office at (214) 363-2479.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why have we built a Celebration Garden at Northaven now?

This Garden was initially planned and postponed by the Building Committee because funding was not available. Over the past year, lead gifts, honorariums and memorial gifts have provided substantial funds designated for this purpose. Many members have been vitally interested in this project and have volunteered to help make it a reality. Other churches who have installed columbaria report a significant increase in spirituality in the life of the church. In addition, cremation followed by inurnment or interment offers a much less costly burial event.

2. How can this Garden be used as a “second worship center” in addition to the Sanctuary?Mosaic cross

The Garden is designed to reflect the cycle of life, from birth & baptism (fountain) through life's many twists & turns and changes in direction (labyrinth) to a celebration of the end of earthly life and the promise of life eternal (mosaic crosses, columbarium, memorial garden). It will be a place for private and community prayer & meditation, and will provide unique opportunities for Easter morning, All Saints Day, weddings, confirmation class training, and other special services.

3. What is a columbarium?Columbarium in the snow

A columbarium is a permanent wall structure of spaces (niches) for urns containing the ashes of loved ones, where one or two urns can be located in each space. The word “columbarium” is derived from Columba, the Latin word for dove, and its literal translation is “dovecote,” a resting place for the dove. The dove in the Christian tradition is the symbol of God’s spirit and peace.

4. Do any other local churches make such multiple uses of their columbaria?

Most local churches with columbariums include an intimate patio or small garden for grieving, healing, prayer & meditation, often with a fountain included. None have the space, layout & features designed in Northaven's Celebration Garden for large celebration events of the entire church community. Websites for a few U.S. churches show that their columbaria gardens include a labyrinth and are designed for such community use.

5. What is a labyrinth?

The labyrinth combines the imagery of a circle and the spiral, creating a meandering, but purposeful single path. Labyrinths are part of the Christian tradition and became particularly important after they were built into the floors of the great Gothic pilgrimage cathedrals of France in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The most famous and heavily visited design is in the nave floor of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres, outside of Paris. Northaven’s labyrinth is 30-feet in diameter, with eight circuits or paths, plus a perimeter walkway. It is constructed with buff and rose-color paver stones to outline the paths and lines, and is ADA compliant for wheelchair accessibility.

6. Who will be eligible to be inurned or interred in this Garden?

Eligibility is offered to Northaven church members, church participants, and other individuals applying, following approval by the Celebration Garden Committee in consultation with the Senior Pastor.

7. How much does it cost for inurnment in a columbarium niche or burial/scattering of ashes in the memorial garden?

The cost of columbarium inurnment is $1,800 for a single urn placed in a niche and $2,000 for two urns (couples or partners) in a niche. Burial in a biodegradeable urn in the memorial garden will cost $1,250. Scattering of ashes in the memorial garden will cost $1,000. All costs include engraving name(s) and birth & death years on the granite faceplates or memorial plaques and on the marble urn capstone (lid), plus perpetual care of the Celebration Garden. This does not include the cost of cremation, which runs about $900 in the Dallas area. Any incremental gift level above the inurnment or interment costs above are tax deductible.

8. How does this cost compare with (i) other columbaria in the Dallas area, and (ii) local-area traditional cemetery burial in a casket?

While costs range from about $1,500 to $3,500 for church columbaria in the Dallas area (not including cremation costs), Northaven's planned costs are about average. The cost for a traditional casket burial at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home runs from a minimum of $13,000 up, depending on the casket quality/features and funeral home services provided.

9.What is the overall cost of building this Celebration Garden? How much funding do we have now and how will we raise the remaining funds needed?

Preliminary construction cost was estimated near $290,000, including a 10% contingency. We now have $203,716 in payments from lead gifts, memorials & honorariums plus $4,060 in pledges for a total of $207,776. We mailed a letter on August 25 to all active & inactive members (plus selected visitors) who have not yet made a gift or burial space purchase, asking them to consider financial support for Phase 2 of the Garden, We do not intend to use debt financing to cover these costs. The Garden is being built in phases: Phase 1, which is now complete, included the mosaic cross wall, columbarium, labyrinth, entry columns, arbor posts, sidewalks, and front steps. Phase 2 will include electrical lighting, cantilevered arbor (for shade over the labyrinth), fountain and four benches.

10. What size lead gift would be appropriate?

To date, lead gifts have ranged from $3,000 up to $25,000, with several in the $5,000 - $10,000 range. Honorariums & memorial gifts have ranged from $50 to $1,000. Any lead gift above $2,000 will entitle the donor to a reserved space in the columbarium wall or memorial garden.

11.Who will be responsible for maintaining the Celebration Garden? Who will be responsible for administering the paperwork & records required for the Garden?

The Celebration Garden Trustees, who report to the Building Trustees, will be responsible for maintaining the Garden, supported by annual maintenance funding from a separate account kept by the Committee. This Committee will also be responsible for all records and paperwork required for the columbarium and memorial garden and will assist in planning and executing the placement of ashes in the garden.

12.How does this Garden reflect the architecture, history & culture of Northaven UMC?

The Garden is shaped in a circle with interior circular pathways, reflecting the Sanctuary design. The mosaic tile cross from the old Lecture Lounge was reconstructed on a wall in the Garden, honoring all the classes & theological training that occurred in that room in the old church building. The new NH logo - the cross extending thru the skylight - with all its meaning for diversity and inclusion surrounded by God's grace, is installed as a smaller mosaic tile cross on the columbarium wall.

13.Will the Garden have lighting for evening use? Will it be a safe and secure place to visit day or night?

The Garden is enclosed by a 6-foot high ornamental iron fence, including a security gate with a code lock. Lighting to be installed in Phase 2 will allow evening use while providing safety and security. The columbarium wall and mosaic cross wall will also contain recessed lighting under the wall capstones to illuminate the crosses and the granite faceplates and memorial plaques in the evening.

14.What is the fountain design for the Garden?

The Design Team is currently redesigning the fountain (i) to be more consistent with the Granbury stone used in the columbarium, mosaic cross wall and entry columns, and (ii) to possibly provide a baptismal font for both symbolic and ceremonial use. This redesign is in its early stages and will be shared with the congregation when completed. The fountain installation is planned for Phase 2, and will likely be the final element of the Garden to be constructed.