Dear friend,

Did you know that the Church of England alone performs around 180,000 funerals a year?

Funerals provide us with a great opportunity to engage with families in our local community in their time of need. And when we do, we can move from being hardly considered by these families at all - to being thought of as a dear friend, providing comfort at a very difficult time.

In this edition you'll discover insights into supporting bereaved families on the day of the funeral - and after the service.

And if you'd like to explore how to engage with your community through 'rites of passage', there are three new articles on the Engage website - looking at Weddings, Christenings/Dedications and Funerals.

With best wishes,

Rev Richard Hardy, Care for the Family
www.engagetoday.org.uk

"Praise be to ... the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble..."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

7 ideas for engaging with your community through funerals - and after the service

1. Gather a team around you to help with the funeral and also with the pre- and post-funeral visits. Take one person with you when making the initial visit to arrange the service. Have that member of the team present in the service, maybe even officiating in some capacity. The day after the funeral, and again ten days later, ask the same person to pay a visit to those most closely associated with the loss. Look to introduce them to a local 'befriending scheme' or 'bereavement support group'.

read more...

Supporting bereaved people in your community

Churches conduct well over half of all funeral services. Are our churches missing an opportunity to demonstrate Jesus' compassion, not just in providing a funeral, but in seeking to understand and meet the longer term needs of those who are bereaved?

read more...

Learning from the experiences of bereaved people in church

When someone has been bereaved, going to church can be quite a difficult experience, for all sorts of reasons. We have a precious opportunity to support those who are grieving in our congregations. And we can be much better equipped to support people in our own churches when we learn from the experiences of those who have 'been there' themselves.

Here are some ways in which churches have been a fantastic support, and some advice from those who found that their churches didn't seem to know how to help...

read more (PDF)...

Supporting bereaved parents - how the church can help

The death of a child of any age leaves parents totally bewildered and struggling simply to exist day by day, and hour by hour.

The tragedy of a child's death also has a profound effect on all those in the church who knew them, including ministers and other pastoral carers. In the midst of the grief, shock, profound disappointment and sadness, it is absolutely vital for the bereaved parents that the church provides some of the support and care that they so desperately need.

read more...

Events to offer hope and comfort

When a person has been bereaved, they can feel very isolated. Getting together with others who are going through a similar experience, and have some insight and understanding, can bring comfort amidst pain.

Here you'll find details of some of Care for the Family's events which offer hope and comfort to people in their grief. Please tell your church and community about these events:

A Different Journey Day

Bringing hope and encouragement to those widowed at a young age.

• Coventry - Saturday 13 March
• Falkirk, Scotland - Saturday 15 May

A Different Journey Weekend

Spend time with others who have been widowed at a young age.

• Woking - Friday 25 to Sunday 27 June
• Sheffield - Friday 19 to Sunday 21 November

A Day for Bereaved Parents

Kath and Mike Coulson, whose son Philip died aged 7, help parents who have lost a child to find a way through grief and discover a 'new normal' in their lives.

• Woking - Saturday 24 April
• Leeds - Saturday 22 May
• Cheltenham - Saturday 12 June
• Belfast - Saturday 13 November