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Blue Christmas idea tried and tested

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 ...

Reaching out with Robins

Barbara Worsley, All Saints Church, Mundesley, North Norfolk
I feel genuinely heartbroken for all those who have been denied the opportunity to properly say goodbye to their loved ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Prayer ministry shawl

Cathy Myers
This is something that a friend has shared with me. After her Dad had died, a couple from her local ...

Blue Christmas

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

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Vigil Eucharists

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

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Remembering Tree

Cathy Myers, Life Events Team
At St Barnabas, Dulwich we wanted people to be able to record the names of people they love but no ...

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 ...