Funerals

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”. (John 11:25-26)

The death of a loved one is a difficult experience. We grieve the loss of one who has been close, but we do not show sorrow as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4: 13). It is our desire and privilege to minister to the families of our congregation in their time of need. It is through the Word of God that we have hope at the time of the death of a loved one (Romans 15: 4).

This policy is provided to assist our families in planning and to give guidelines when arranging a funeral at Christ The Mediator and Christ The Good Shepherd churches.

Date and Time of Funerals

When a death occurs in the family, you should contact the Rector or Priest in Charge immediately via the Parish Office during office hours or after hours by calling the Clergy directly. Apart from providing the emotional support, a meeting with the responsible clergy-person will be arranged. Dates and times for funerals are to be decided upon in consultation with the Rector or Priest in Charge, based on availability and the preferences of the deceased’s family. All funeral arrangements are to be approved by the Clergy. Funeral services will need to be planned around already scheduled events such as other funerals, weddings, conferences, workshops, etc. Please do not make arrangements with the undertaker until you have had the initial meeting with the responsible clergy.

The family will be invited to meet with the Clergy to discuss funeral arrangements.

Who Officiates?

Pastoral ethics require that the Rector/Priest In Charge conduct all funeral services held at Christ The Mediator or Christ The Good Shepherd, unless by permission and agreement with another priest, he/she is invited to share in the funeral or act on behalf of the Rector/Priest in Charge of the Parish. Any requests for another Priest to officiate or assist in the service must be approved by the Rector/Priest in Charge. Please note that this approval must be gained first before discussions are held with the other priest concerned.

Structure of the Funeral Service

A funeral service held in the church is a service of worship, celebrating the deceased’s life and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Consequently, all parts of the service are to be consistent with the present worship practices of the Anglican Church and the outline of the service is taken from the Anglican Prayer Book. The family may suggest other items to be included in the service, with the approval of the clergy.

Funerals for Non-members and Inactive Members

Conducting funerals for people who have no connection with the church is a normal part of the ministerial obligation. However, it is up to the discretion of the Rector/Priest in Charge to allow him/her or the church to participate.

Funeral Music

Only music appropriate to an Anglican worship service shall be used. Only the Parish Organist is allowed to use the pipe organ. Families may choose not to use the organist. All musical arrangements (pianist, soloist, etc.) must be arranged for and taken care of by the family. As with weddings, a funeral is a service of Christian worship. Therefore, sacred or Christian music would be appropriate. Taped instrumental and accompaniment music, soloists and solos, anthems, and guest musicians must have the approval of the clergy. The use of hymns is strongly encouraged and may be selected by the clergy or organist - in consultation with the family during the service planning process. In cases where an outside organist/pianist is desired, permission must be secured from the Rector. In this case the organist would have to provide his/her own keyboard.

Tributes & Video Presentation

Tributes are to be short and to the point and it is strongly recommended that only one person is allowed to do a tribute.

If a video is to be used during the service, permission must be obtained with the relevant clergy. The family of the diceased will have to provide all their own equipment as the church does not have these.

Decorations

Families may wish to display the deceased’s remains, as well as certain mementos or photographs of the deceased and his/her family.

The following guidelines would be applicable in these situations: Any displays or pictures must be appropriate to a worship setting.

No nails, tacks, staples or screws shall be put in the walls or attached to the pews.

All decorations must be removed within 3 hours of the conclusion of the service.

No furniture shall be removed from the church building.

Flowers

Only fresh cut flowers and planters may be used in the sanctuary. Our Parish Florist may be contacted via the Parish office. Arrangements for flowers are between the family and the florist.

Closed Coffin

All coffins must be closed for the duration of the funeral service, but may be open during the viewing – prior to the start of the service, if desired.

Parking / Traffic Assistance

All parking is to be confined to the parking area in front of the church. The inside parking is reserved for the Clergy and Layministers of the Parish. No parking is allowed in the road in front of the church except for the hearse and family cars. The church does not have any resources to assist with traffic control. Please note that the “Car Guard” who operates in the parking area does not work for the church. The church will not be held liable for any loss or damage to any vehicle.

Hall Hire

The use of the Parish Hall does not form part of the funeral arrangements but may be hired through the Parish Office, for refreshments and fellowship after the funeral service - subject to its availability. The cost of catering for the fellowship is not included in the hiring fee. All catering and the resources for the catering are to be carried by the family.

Collections

This is done in consultation with the family and with the approval of the Clergy and Wardens. Fees which will be reviewed annually by the Parish Council shall be charged to cover the following:

Church
Clergy
Committal
Verger
Cleaner
Organist

The use of the church’s organist is optional. If the family chooses not to use the organist then the applicable fees are omitted. The Wardens have the discretion to wave certain fees for parishioners who are in good standing with and have served the parish well.