Planning a Funeral
Planning a funeral or memorial can be quite involved. What follows are the answers to the commonly asked questions.
Every funeral service or memorial service is an important occasion. The service provides the opportunity for those who attend to express their grief and to extend sympathy to the bereaved, to honour the person who has died, and to proclaim hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The various elements of the service need to be given careful thought and detailed planning.
How to arrange a Funeral?
Contact our office (email: office@stalbansleura.org.au or call: (02) 4782 4503 so that we can visit you (and/or your funeral director) to make arrangements.
It is always best to speak to us before finalising any arrangements concerning use of one of our ministers or building.
Funerals conducted in our church buildings are normally taken by one of our ministry team.
How to arrange a Pre-planned Funeral?
If you are of the mind to pre-plan your own funeral or that of a loved one, we can meet with you, plan the funeral in advance, and then keep a secure record for future use.
Funeral or Memorial Guidelines
There are guidelines as to what we are able to provide and achieve within the confines of the church service. What follows aims to clarify some of the elements that would appear in a funeral or memorial service to help you in planning. The minister who meets with you will be able to help you with each aspect.
The ‘Service’
St Alban’s uses the Funeral Service of the Anglican Prayer Book (specifically the Book of Common Prayer or An Australian Prayer Book). There is a great deal of flexibility and scope for shaping the occasion around the desires of the family and friends involved.
Bible Readings
We suggest two readings. Perhaps readings that might have held significance for your loved one or passages that offer hope and comfort at this time of grief. The passages would be printed in the Handout and could be read by a family member or friend.
Here are some appropriate passages:
Preaching
One of the central features of the funeral service is to receive God’s wisdom at a testing time. In the midst of our sadness, to bring comfort and support; in the midst of loss and uncertainty, to speak of forgiveness and hope; and in the face of despair and doubt, to bring the promise of the gospel to all who hear.
Prayers
Prayers in a funeral service can be a helpful and special way to give thanks to God for your loved one or be a way to care for those who are grieving. There are a number of prayers suggested in the Funeral Service which could be prayed by a Christian friend or family member.
Tributes
The giving of a tribute or eulogy is a lovely way to reflect back on a life lived. Tributes are often most meaningful when they capture elements of what your loved one valued most (i.e. family, faith, special interest etc.)
Our guideline for the funeral service is that the tribute time be limited to 10 minutes (approximately 1000 words). This could involve one or two people. It is helpful to have the tributes written down, both for future record or publication and to assist if someone needs to step in when grief or nerves become too much.
There will always be more to be said than we have time to say in a funeral service.
Location Capacity
Our church seats 100 people comfortably, with extra chairs for larger funerals available.
Hymns/Songs
Singing or playing of Christian hymns or songs which held significance for your loved one can be a special way to honour their wishes. If hymns or songs are included in the funeral service it would generally be no more than two.
Here are some well-loved Christian hymns/songs:
Note: We have an organ at our church building.
What costs are involved?
At present, our standard cost for a funeral is $800*. This includes:
Additional Charges:
Organist/Pianist: If you wish to have hymns/songs played, we can arrange an organist/pianist for the occasion – this will cost $150.
Hall and Kitchen: This is an additional fee of $500 and will need to have your own Public Liability Insurance organised through the dioceses here: www.tinyurl.com/OneOffHire
Visual Elements: St. Alban’s does not have facilities for an overhead projector or screen in the church, however there is a mobile projector available in the hall at no extra cost.
Live-Stream: We do not have the capacity to provide our own live stream, however livestreaming can be provided through an external provider.
It is expected that the facilities will be left in a clean condition. Cleaners can be arranged at extra cost if needed.
* For regular members of St Alban’s, please inquire about our member rate.
We hope that these guidelines have helped you in your preparation. Please feel free to contact us in the office at your convenience to make any arrangements. office@stalbansleura.org.au or call: (02) 4782 4503
Again, our desire is to be as helpful as possible at this time of grief.
