Funerals
If you have a loved one who has recently passed, or are interested in discussing your wishes for a funeral before the time has come, please contact the pastor.
Below is a sample order of worship for a funeral service that can be changed as appropriate. Common changes include: number and selection of hymns (please choose anywhere between 0-5 hymns for the service and the selection of Scripture passage to be preached. If you do not have a preference for the Scripture to be preached, an appropriate funeral text will be chosen.
There is a time for eulogies during the service when anyone may come forward. I recommend writing down your thoughts as a way to collect what you would like to say. Please submit your eulogy to the pastor before the service so he can read over them and read it for you if you are unable to speak during the service.
At your preference, you can speak with the pastor on the phone or have him come to your home to meet with you and family members for funeral planning and counseling. Grief counseling is available free of charge at any time.
When able, the deacons of the church provide a meal after the service to give the family and friends a time to mourn and celebrate the life of the deceased together. If you would like a funeral meal after the service, please tell the pastor approximately how many people would be in attendance. Donations to cover the cost of food are appreciated but not required.
The pastor can officiate the service alone or with any co-officient who believes in the Essentials of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
The pastor is also available to conduct a brief graveside committal service in addition to the worship service.
Below is a sample order of worship for a funeral service that can be changed as appropriate. Common changes include: number and selection of hymns (please choose anywhere between 0-5 hymns for the service and the selection of Scripture passage to be preached. If you do not have a preference for the Scripture to be preached, an appropriate funeral text will be chosen.
There is a time for eulogies during the service when anyone may come forward. I recommend writing down your thoughts as a way to collect what you would like to say. Please submit your eulogy to the pastor before the service so he can read over them and read it for you if you are unable to speak during the service.
At your preference, you can speak with the pastor on the phone or have him come to your home to meet with you and family members for funeral planning and counseling. Grief counseling is available free of charge at any time.
When able, the deacons of the church provide a meal after the service to give the family and friends a time to mourn and celebrate the life of the deceased together. If you would like a funeral meal after the service, please tell the pastor approximately how many people would be in attendance. Donations to cover the cost of food are appreciated but not required.
The pastor can officiate the service alone or with any co-officient who believes in the Essentials of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
The pastor is also available to conduct a brief graveside committal service in addition to the worship service.
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If you desire to read it, the practice of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church regarding funeral services may be read below.
Chapter 6: Christian Burial of the Dead
BOOK OF WORSHIP
CHAPTER 6
CHRISTIAN BURIAL OF THE DEAD
Chapter 6: Christian Burial of the Dead
BOOK OF WORSHIP
CHAPTER 6
CHRISTIAN BURIAL OF THE DEAD
- 6-1 Above all, a Christian burial should be a witness to the faith of the believers, to their confidence in the resurrection of the body and everlasting life. It is a time of worship in which glory is given to God for His care of the bereaved, for His trustworthy providence, and for the hope God’s people have in Jesus Christ. The focus of the burial service is God who has raised Jesus Christ from the dead and given believers an earnest appreciation of their own resurrection. It is a time for the reaffirmation of the Church’s faith and a time for expressing joy in the assurance of eternal life.
- 6-2 The Place of Worship: Ordinarily a service of burial should be conducted in the place of common worship. As this is the place for baptism and marriage, it is also the place where witness to faith in the resurrection is made.
- 6-3 The Parts of Worship: A burial service, which shall be entirely under the control of the Minister, should include the reading of appropriate passages of Scripture, from both the Old and New Testament; it should include an exposition of some passage by the Minister, prayers of thanksgiving for the life of the deceased and prayers of intercession for the bereaved, the singing of appropriate hymns, and a reminder to all of death for every person and judgment to come, along with a solemn reminder that each must repent and turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to gain eternal life. It is not appropriate to include a civic or fraternal rite in this service. If such is desired, it should be conducted at another time and place.
- 6-4 The Casket of the Deceased: It is not necessary for the casket to be present for the worship service. It should not be open if present. Decorations and ostentatious display of flowers should be avoided. It is permissible for Christians to dispose of bodies by burial, cremation, or donation for scientific purposes.
- 6-5 The Committal: Ordinarily the committal should be reserved for the immediate family and close friends. It may be performed either before or after the worship service. It should consist of a few selected passages of Scripture, a brief prayer of thanksgiving for the life of the deceased, a committing of the body to its place of rest, and a committing of the soul to God, concluding all with a benediction.