Please contact the Office at 604-261-6377 or admin@shuc.ca to inquire about booking a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When someone we love dies, many decisions must be made, often when we are grieving and in shock. Our ministers are here to help you in planning services at the church.
As Christians, we uphold the dignity and sacredness of life and give thanks for life through rituals that mark the occasion of death. Some may take place in private, or with close family members and friends; others may be a public witness to faith.
Remembering and celebrating a person’s life
- The timing of an appropriate memorial is generally arranged in conversation between family members and our SHUC minister; planning of the service begins as soon as possible after a death.
- At the service, a casket containing the person’s body, or an urn with their cremated remains may or may not be present. This is usually arranged with a funeral home.
- The minister will outline the service with those gathered to do the planning. The service normally includes scripture readings, a short meditation, prayers, a time of remembrance about the person’s life, and some music. Family members and others may be asked to share remembrances or read scripture.
- A simple order of service or printed bulletin will be prepared if desired. Church staff can refer you to an outside printer if a more elaborate bulletin is desired.
- If the service takes place in the church, people can be welcomed as they arrive. Greeters may be members of the church, or family and friends.
- A brief service of committal may also take place at the time of interment of the body or ashes at a cemetery or crematorium.
Post-service reception
Memorial receptions can take place in our church Hall or Lounge and are a time to share memories of the person who has died, through conversations, photos and video displays that help make it a deeply meaningful time.
