As God is my judge, Jesus Christ is my redeemer.
Services
Do we bury or cremate? What are our options?
One of the major decisions that affect the direction of the funeral services is whether it is to be a burial or cremation. Hopefully the decision is able to be based around knowing what the intentions of your loved one was.
Do you have a grave?
If you are to purchase a new grave at your desired choice of cemetery then it is advisable to meet with the cemetery administrators and select a grave location that meets your needs. At this time, it is also wise to consider the future needs of your family and maybe extend family as to what other graves should be purchased adjacent to your chosen grave.
In addition to the use of an existing grave or the purchase of a new grave, a second component known as the “opening and closing” of the grave, basically the digging, must be considered in the costing of the funeral. In the case of an existing grave there may be additional costs to remove any existing masonry or the slab covering the opening if it is a full monumental grave.
Choice of Funeral Service Venue.
The choice of where to hold the Funeral Service will reflect greatly on what content is to be shared. If your choice is a church venue than the entire service and its content is governed by the guidelines of that faith. For example, if you were to hold the service in a Greek Orthodox Church than usually there is no photograph of the deceased to be in the church and no eulogies. In other places of worship, secular music might not be acceptable. I only mention these issues to make you aware that there can be limitations to be considered.
Cremation Procedure
If cremation is chosen, then the senior next of kin or authorised person is required to complete an Application for Permission for Cremation with Statutory Declaration seeking approval for the requested cremation to take place. This application form is known as a “A” form. The funeral director than compiles the correctly completed MCCD, APCC and A form and forwards them onto an independent doctor who is a listed Medical Referee with the New South Wales Government Health Department. The Medical Referee being satisfied with all documents forward to them issue a Medical Referee’s Cremation Permit.
Once this process being satisfactorily completed a cremation can know take place at a authorised crematorium facility.
The Funeral Service
This is the opportunity for family and friends to gather in support of each other and to reverently farewell their loved one. A service can vary from very little or no family input or involvement through to, “We just want to do as much as we personally can”. The limitations of service content are only bound by the respect and limitations of the venue being utilized for the service.
A funeral service is normally lead by a celebrant or minister of religion. If you don’t have anyone in mind or know a minister of religion your funeral director should be able to connect your family with a person who they think is a “good fit” for you.
Content of the Funeral Service
The content of the funeral service generally commences with familiar music/songs that remind us of who it is we have come to say farewell. The gathering is welcomed to the service by the celebrant/clergy with a brief in sight as to the service content.
Often the service will commence with eulogies. A well written eulogy gives an insight into the life lived. Most people gathered have only shared in a limited aspect of someone’s life. They might have been a work colleague, or a friend from the local soccer club etc…
The eulogy shares the persons whole life, where they were born, their parents, early fife, schooling and young adult years, who they went on to form relationships with, how their own family came about, working life and above all, what is that made them who they are. If more than one eulogy is to be shared, care should be taken so as not to repeat what has already been said.
So, each speaker needs limitations on what they are sharing and how long they are speaking for. No matter how well written or how clever the content, to long and people lose interest. One page of typed manuscript is about five minutes reading time.
A celebrant might then share some other content such as poems etc…
Generally, in the service there can be a time of reflection, it is a time set aside for some music to be played whilst people reflect on what their relationship meant to them. Also, it might be an opportunity for members of the gathering to come forward and place a flower or similar on the coffin. Or just to come forward and say goodbye.
In our modern day it seems almost obligatory that a photographic display is shared. If this is a chosen option, then you need to liaise with the funeral service venue as to what formats are required to run the visual presentation. Good advice is to make sure you test run it the days before the service on the venues specific system that you will be using. Most issues arise between the systems not having compatible versions of software drivers.
A burial service will either require the use of an existing grave your family may have access to, or the purchase of a new grave at a recognised cemetery. If an existing grave is to be used then the permission of the owner of the grave, known as the grantee, must be obtained, and then that line of ownership to be recognised by the operator of the cemetery.
If you are to purchase a new grave at your desired choice of cemetery then it is advisable to meet with the cemetery administrators and select a grave location that meets your needs. At this time, it is also wise to consider the future needs of your family and maybe extended family as to what other graves should be purchased adjacent to your chosen grave.
In addition to the use of an existing grave or the purchase of a new grave, a second component known as the “opening and closing” of the grave, basically the digging, must be considered in the costing of the funeral. In the case of an existing grave there may be additional costs to remove any existing masonry or the slab covering the opening if it is a full monumental grave