We begin with practical advice which is to get in touch with a Funeral Director first before contacting the church. Our local funeral directors are excellent.
If you live outside the area and need advice then do contact us and a list of local directors can be supplied.
Once you have contacted a funeral director they will get in touch with local clergy and a funeral date will be organised. You will then be contacted by a member of the clergy and a meeting will be arranged to discuss the funeral requirements.
The funeral will then take place either in the church and/or a crematorium.
Useful homework for funerals
The Church of England offers a service that includes prayers, scripture reading and hymns but we want to personalise it as much as we can.
In order to make it special for the family we will ask:
What music would you like while people are entering and leaving the church?
Suggestion: a quiet piece on entry and a lively piece on exit. In addition, you can have a piece of music in the middle of the service, perhaps after the address, which allows time for people to have quiet personal memories of the deceased.
What hymns?
Suggestion: Two or three is usual but you can have four.
What reading(s)?
Suggestion: It is increasingly usual to have a poem and/or a piece of prose included in a service in addition to scripture.
Who do you want to take part in the service?
Suggestion: It is sometimes nice to allow a friend or family member to share memories – called a eulogy – or to read a poem. Be aware that time is more restricted in a crematorium than in church.
How many seats do you wish to reserve for close family members or friends?
What charity do you wish to support from the collection or do you wish it to go to the church?
Burial
The churchyards in all the ARCH Benefice churches are open for burial to residents of the parishes or where provision has been made for family members to be buried with relatives.
We discourage the placing of artificial flowers on graves. We would also request that you take any plastic wrappers and other non-compostable items away after tending the grave.
We will remove withered flowers from graves as they will make the churchyard unsightly.
Headstones require permission before installation and local monumental masons will inform you of any restrictions on the choice of design. Our goal is to provide an "English country churchyard atmosphere" that can also be efficiently maintained and we would value your help in this aim.