Funeral 101: Practical Ideas for Presenting Positive, Healing Funerals

Virtually anyone who is involved in pastoral ministry will be called to minister to grieving families. This gives us a brief window of opportunity to either help the family or add to their burdens. This book is a guide to providing effective, positive ministry to grieving families under our pastoral care. A death in a family creates a need for positive grieving and healing. The heart of each family member will be open to ministry for a period of time regardless of their spiritual standing. This presents a tremendous opportunity for a minister to effectively guide the family through a process of positive grieving that will lead to healing. It is vital for the minister in these situations to be as prepared as possible to accomplish this task. A lack of preparation or insufficient knowledge can actually add to the weight of grief the family is experiencing. It is possible to guide the family to positive grieving. This facilitates closure and effective healing. This book is a very practical guide through that process. It is filled with practical ideas proven through real life experience. The book also provides a wealth of funeral sermons and illustrations that have been proven effective in bringing positive grief and healing. Whether ministering to the family of a person with a strong spiritual heritage, or the family of a person with no church connection whatsoever, the need remains the same. These families need to grieve. They need to know how to do this in a positive way. The tools offered in this book will help the reader accomplish this vital task. It is possible to bring people through the process of grief in such a way that they actually feel better about themselves. Being the person who facilitates this positive ministry is extremely rewarding. Use the tools, share the tools, and you will find joy in ministry to wounded families.