funeral

Funerals

Gateway of Light

New Beginnings

A funeral service, like a wedding or birth of a child, is a life event that you have only one
chance to make as special and personal as possible. A well-planned, personalized funeral
service is a fitting celebration of the life that has been lived. At Gateway of Light
Ministries we are very skilled listeners. We encourage you to express any preferences
you have. We want to help you and your family decide what feels right for you.

Although the exact nature of funeral rites and ceremonies can differ greatly from one
religion or culture to another, different kinds of funerals fulfill the same purposes.
Remember to take these important purposes into consideration.

A meaningful funeral will:

		Bring together a community of mourners to remember the deceased.
		Create opportunities to express our grief and to offer each other emotional
		support.
		Allow us to search for meaning in life and death.
		Provide mourners with a sense of closure.

No two funerals are alike, nor should they be. We can help you personalize a funeral in the way you want your loved one remembered. We will do whatever is possible to help
you create a meaningful ceremony.

There are many traditional choices to make; simple or elaborate, remembrance or
religious rites, chapel or graveside, burial or cremation. Additionally, your choices of
music, flowers, location, can all reflect your individual tastes and wishes. As you
consider your choices, also think about the people who will attend your services.
Sometimes, something as simple as a certain piece of music or type of flower can offer
loved ones a great deal of comfort when it elicits a special memory or significance.
Below are some ideas to help you personalize a funeral service.

Ideas to Personalize a Funeral Service

		Write a letter to the person who has died and express all of the feelings you ever
		wanted to say and place it in the casket.
		Bring in the favorite song of the person who has died and have funeral director
		play it during the visitation and/or funeral service.
		Bring photographs to the funeral director to be used on a “memory board” for the
		visitation and funeral service.
		If your loved one had a hobby, bring some of their works in to be displayed at the
		church or funeral home. For example your funeral director could take quilt work and drape it over the casket.
		If you or your loved one have favorite scripture readings, let your funeral director
		know and they will see to it that they are incorporated into the service.
		If your loved one composed poetry or essays, we can reproduce several copies
		so that people might take these with them from the funeral home. They could also be recited as a part of the services.
		If the person who died was not a regular churchgoer, consider a memorial service
		in a favorite place that perhaps reflected their lifestyle; like a park, the marina or even a basketball court.
		Eulogize the person who has died during the funeral or visitation. Oftentimes the
		clergy person did not know the person who has died. Who better can do that than someone who better knew the person who died.
		Place cherished items in the casket like pictures of the grandchildren and other
		family members, a photo of the family pet, a favorite golf club, a pool stick, a well worn baseball cap, or a religious item.
		In processing to the cemetery, consider a favorite place your loved one liked to
		go, like their favorite park, or the beach, or even a favorite restaurant.

A Final Note
During the first few days after a death, family and friends surround you. You are busy
planning the funeral and may not have time to think about yourself until later when you
are alone with your grief. After you have planned the funeral, take care of yourself.

You can expect to experience a wide range of emotions. Grieving is hard work, and you
may feel tired and lethargic without understanding why. Lighten your schedule if you
can, eat healthy foods, and exercise to renew your energy. Take time to be alone with
your thoughts, but also spend time talking to close family and friends about your loss.
You need to express your emotions.