A funeral is a way of saying goodbye and reflecting on the uniqueness of a persons life. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God's keeping. Funerals can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion in a packed church. At the heart of every funeral led by a Church of England minister is the good news of Gods love for every human being.
A church will always be there to help you through one of lifes most difficult times. Everyone is entitled to either a burial service (a funeral) or to have their ashes buried in their local parish churchyard by their local parish priest regardless of whether they attended church or not.
The national Church of England funerals website has all you need to help you arrange a funeral, including a service walk-through.
To find advice on where to hold the funeral and finding a minister, look here.
If you are considering burial arrangements, our Churchyard Regulations lay out the basis on which parish clergy are permitted to authorise memorials. Once you have read this and spoken to the parish priest, you may find useful this Memorial Application Form.
Many people have found it helpful to think ahead about some of the issues concerning death and dying using a relaxed caf and conversation session called Gravetalk (as seen in the video below) which many churches use. Contact your local church or email for more information on this.
Information for clergy and churches and helpful videos can also be found here.