Articles for tag: Funeral Ministry

October 18, 2009

By Marshall Hayden Those of us who serve in ministry with a church family are asked by members and the community to do several things. People seek counseling; and most of us refer more often than we accept. Groups are looking for a speaker; and we will accept the events we feel good about. Couples come asking us to perform a wedding. Some we accept. Several we decline. But there is one request that, as a minister, I have never turned down. A funeral is an opportunity for meaningful service, and often a chance to open hearts to the good

October 18, 2009

Christian Standard

Care & Counseling Grief & Suffering

Words of Life and Death

Â by Larry W. Timm When death occurs, a minister encounters a unique and sacred duty. The deceased is someone”s loved one and God”s valuable creation; there is sanctity in both. Death erases neither. When asked to speak at a funeral service, our attitude will influence our preparation and proclamation. If we see a funeral as an interruption in our ministry instead of an expression of it, we will be poor stewards of this important opportunity. However, if we approach each funeral as a unique and sacred part of our calling, we can offer leadership and service as caring shepherds.

May 16, 2007

Mark A. Taylor

Family & Relationships Marriage

Dismissing God Along with the “˜Reverend”

A minister reflects on why funerals often invite honest listening while weddings can sideline the church—and why easy online wedding licensing signals a deeper loss of reverence for God and Christ’s church.

September 4, 2005

Jim Herbst

Church Life

God and Little Old Ladies

Senior saints carry long stories of prayer, hospitality, and perseverance. Jim Herbst reflects on how overlooked faithfulness in Pittsburgh strengthened his ministry and reminded him that God’s slow work is relentless.