Funeral Program

What should be included in a funeral program? Are you looking for ideas for Funeral Program?

When you are organizing a funeral, there is a lot you need to consider. Since a funeral is often promptly held after the person passed away, time is of the essence. A good guideline is within the first few days, following up on your loss, can provide some guidance.

Handwrite the letter on stationery rather than typing and printing from a computer. If you want to use a store-bought card, write a personal note on stationery and tuck it inside the card.

Write the letter in your own style, as if you are saying it, and make sure to give meaning the way you would normally speak to the person.

There is no reason to get too fancy and try to come up with a poem or verse unless that is how you normally speak (which could be weird) or unless you’re a writer by profession.

Funeral Program

We were deeply shocked to hear of the death of your brother in such tragic circumstances. What a terrible loss and ordeal for his wife and children!

Your bereavement is double since it is both personal and professional. {{Name}} was an invaluable asset for your firm — competent, kindly, generous, and such good company. He never failed to charm and impress us. A connoisseur of French cuisine, he and I clinched many a deal over a {{Dish}} and a bottle of {{Wine}}.

We shall miss him and his regular visits to our office. Please accept our heartfelt sympathy. Do not hesitate to call upon us if you think we can be of any help.

Best Regards, / Yours sincerely,

I recently conducted the funeral for my father, who died after a long episode of declining health. It was a joy and a privilege to work with my family in preparing this service. But many of our family are not avowedly Christian so I wanted to respect their spiritual traditions as well as be faithful to my own. I also wanted the theology to reflect my own liberal/progressive Christian understanding. In the days following dad’s death, I had a long talk with my mother about various matters theological including what I understand about life after death. What I said accorded with her understanding and is reflected in the words I chose to use in the service.

At the urging of some of my colleagues who attended the funeral to support me, I offer an annotated version of the order of service for others to contemplate and use. Please feel free to modify it to suit your own spiritual journey and needs. Names have been removed leaving blanks where other people’s names may be inserted.

Order of Service

I struggled with what to say to begin the service that would not be trite or over-pious or reflect a spiritual reality that I could not accept. In the end, I settled for an adaptation of these ancient words.

Opening: God be in our heads

and in our understanding;

God be in our eyes

and in our looking;

God be in our mouths

and in our speaking;

God be in our hearts

and in our thinking;

God be at our end

and at our departing.

Mum was particularly keen that we both thank everyone who came and note the absence of critical members of the family.

Greeting: We have gathered here today to give thanks for

and honor the life of. You have come because you are family – close family or extended family; or because you are friends – old, long-trusted friends or newer friends;

or because you know .......... through other connections in his life.

We have gathered to mourn the death of .......... and to grieve for our loss.

Or maybe you are here because you want to support those who grieve to surround

us with love, to bear us up on our continuing life journey.

Download this sample program now for your reference.

DISCLAIMER
Nothing on this site shall be considered legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is established.

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