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Remembering on Mothers Day

Buckinghamshire vicar
It is such an obvious idea in a church context, but for the last few years, we have always had ...

Helping Funeral Directors to plan

Andrew Dotchin
Each year (about November) as I plan next year's diary, I have to tell the Rural Dean and the Archdeacon ...

When children don’t come to the funeral

David Robertson, Vicar, South Ossett.
Some families don't feel able to bring young children to family funerals. When this happens, I ask if there is a ...

Monthly Memorial Service in accessible language

Merry Evans
We have had a monthly memorial service in my parish for some years. As we take large numbers of funerals ...

How ‘Light a candle’ helped a dispersed family

Life Events Team
    This vicar from Ely explains how the 'Light a candle' feature on the Church of England Funerals ...

When there’s no body

David Robertson, Vicar, South Ossett.
I conducted a funeral service recently for a family where Grandma had left her body to medical science. The family ...

Blue Christmas idea tried and tested

Book for conversations in the second half of life

Joanna Cox, National Adviser in Adult Education and Lay Development
The Church of England’s National Adviser in Adult Education and Lay Development commends ‘Seasons of my Soul’ - a book ...

Blue Christmas

Mary Hawes
Many bereaved people find Christmas unbearably difficult. Where all around are enforcing celebration and good cheer to all people, those ...

Value of tweets/social media in eulogies

Lucie Lunn
When visiting a family in preparation for a funeral, the deceased's daughter told me about the tweets she had posted ...

Keep in touch with contacts by e-newsletter

Rev Bryony Taylor
One good way in which you can keep in touch with people who you meet through the occasional offices is by ...

Church’s ‘Funeral Arranger of the Year’ Award

Life Events Team
The Life Events team heard about a lovely idea from St Mary's church in Sunbury-on Thames. Each year in December ...

Sharing and checking the eulogy beforehand

The Revd Jenny Webb
One thing that works well for me, after meeting the family or friends, and talking about their loved one, is ...

Poppy prayers

The Revd Canon Sandra Millar
This simple script for a prayer using poppies can involve everyone in prayers at a Remembrance service. Ensure as far ...

How LED candles can help grieving families

Life Events Team
In this video a vicar in Ely Diocese explains how LED candles can be helpful to children for remembering loved ...

A way to care for your local funeral director

Charles Chadwick
While it's common for funeral directors to show their appreciation of those who officiate at funerals with Christmas cards, calendars ...

Vigil Eucharists

Jeremy Brooks
Increasingly now, church families have asked for a vigil eucharist to be held on the night before a funeral. This ...

Walking with the coffin

Buckinghamshire vicar
When a funeral has been in church, I invite the whole congregation to follow the coffin out at the end ...

Using Posada to build community over Advent

Originating in Hispanic countries to celebrate the nativity story, Posada is a period of time during Advent when figures from ...

Baby funeral bedtime story

Rev Linda Tomkinson
Baby funerals are always difficult. In the service, I read the baby their last bedtime story from the actual story ...

Remembering people who’ve died: what works, and why?

Ministry around bereavement and remembering is a hugely important part of church life. As public awareness and conversation about loss ...

A Candle for Kaylen

Andrew Dotchin
The night before a recent funeral for an 8 year old, I organised a Facebook event called 'A Candle for ...

Blessing a Chapel of Rest

Andrew Dotchin
In recent years I have been asked to bless Chapels of Rest for two local independent undertakers. I attach the ...