ULC Video Academy

In your duties as a Universal Life Church minister you may be asked to officiate a funeral. Although funerals are somber occasions, they can also be incredibly powerful. Being asked to preside is a great honor.

In order to perform a meaningful tribute to the deceased, careful planning and preparation are key. The first step will be to meet with the family and gather information for the ceremony. We recommend using the ULC funeral planning sheet available for free on our website. You'll need to work out details like date and time of the service, what type of service is requested, and how many people will be attending. If friends or family members will be delivering words of remembrance please make note of this, however, the family might also ask you, the minister, to deliver a formal eulogy. If you did not know the deceased personally, try to learn as much as you can about the person when meeting with the family. Every detail will be helpful for crafting a meaningful tribute to their life.

Now for the service itself, a funeral ceremony generally includes a few basic elements. The ceremony will begin with a brief opening statement from the officiant. Take a few minutes to introduce yourself, offer condolences, and explain how the service will proceed. Typically the family will request a specific song or reading that reminds them of the deceased. Including a song or reading can help to personalize the ceremony and make it more meaningful for everyone involved. Following the reading, is the time for remembrance. The remembrance is a period of reflection and personal remarks commemorating the life of the deceased. The central focus of this section will be the eulogy, but you may also invite other family and friends to share a few words. Now comes time for the family to say goodbye as the deceased’s remains are committed to their natural end. The committal process will vary depending on how the family has chosen to put the deceased's body to rest. In the closing statement, you may choose to share some final thoughts of your own or even read a relevant passage of literature that would provide a fitting end to the service. If a post ceremony reception has been planned, now is a good time to offer a reminder to the audience.

Remember though that these are just guidelines, ultimately your job is to tailor the ceremony to the family's wishes. The service can be modified to accommodate all manner of religious views, ceremony elements, and personal preferences. It is customary to make yourself available after the ceremony in case attendees have any thoughts about the service or are in need of guidance. Finally, it is always a good idea to check in with the family a few days after the funeral. A simple message letting them know that they're in your thoughts can mean a lot. Officiating a funeral is no easy task, but with the proper preparation you can conduct a fitting tribute to the deceased, and give meaningful closure to their family and friends.