Funerals and bereavement

At Hetton IM Church we are well aware that every family experiences the trauma of bereavement from time to time. We have many years’ experience of supporting people through this most difficult of life’s events. We understand the pain of loss even in the midst of Christian hope. Our ministers are always available to help plan and conduct a funeral or thanksgiving service.

As Christians, we believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gives hope and a cause for thanksgiving in the face of death. A funeral is used to mark the end of a person’s life here on earth. Family and friends come together to express grief, give thanks for the life lived and commend the person into God’s keeping. It can be a small, quiet ceremony or a large occasion in a packed church.

How do we arrange a funeral?

Most people will use the services of a local funeral director, who will provide advice and organise all the practical arrangements. If you would like a funeral to involve Hetton IM Church and one of our ministers it is a good idea to find out if they are available before booking the time and date of the service. The person who has died may have left details of the sort of funeral that they hoped for. Our ministers will want to support families in keeping to such arrangements as much as possible and in making the service a personal and appropriate occasion. Taking funerals is an important part of the church’s work and our ministers will take time to visit families, offering comfort and support before and after the funeral itself.

Annual Memorial Service

Towards the end of each year we hold an Annual Memorial Service where we gather with many families who have lost a loved on during the past year. The 2019 Annual Memorial Service will be held at 10:30am on Sunday 24th November, to which anyone is invited to attend.