Funerals

In the Presbyterian Church, we refer to a Funeral or Memorial Service as a Service of Witness to the Resurrection. Except for compelling reasons, the Service of Witness to the Resurrection for a Westminster member should be held in the Sanctuary or Chapel. In ambiance, architecture and association, the church joins the major events of the life of faith: baptism, public confession of faith, the Lord’s Supper, perhaps marriage, and certainly the promise of resurrection. Thus it is appropriate for services to be held in the church and at its direction.

It is the intention that the service be personal, keeping in mind that the purpose of the service is to praise and thank God for the knowledge that in life, as in death, we are in God’s hands. Members of the family are invited to participate in the service if that is their desire. A limited number of persons may be invited to offer remembrances during the service, having been prearranged with the officiating pastor. A booklet Planning Tomorrow Today, and an enclosed form designed to afford one an opportunity to express any desires one may have concerning procedures to be followed at the time of death, is available in the Church Office.