Funerals

A funeral is a celebration of your loved one's life and a time to mourn their passing. It is the opportunity for friends and family to express their grief; to give thanks for the life which has now completed its journey in this world and to commend your loved one into God's keeping.

The funeral service at St John's can be very short and quiet with only a few members of the family present or an occasion of great solemnity with music and hymns. The service should reflect what was important to your loved one and the times they shared with their close friends and family.

We have entrusted our loved one to God's mercy, and we now commit their body to the ground: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust: in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ...

Before the funeral the family (or closest companions) of your loved one will receive a visit from our Priest. The purpose of the visit is to talk about how the funeral can be made to reflect your loved one's life.

Funerals often raise profound questions about the meaning of life and death. Christians believe that Christ's resurrection is the triumph of good over evil and of life over death and has made eternal life available to us. We are here to help you with these questions and to support you in prayer and in practical ways at this difficult time.

If we can be of service please do get in contact.

For more details about church funerals please visit the Church of England's funeral web pages which include help about planning a funeral service.