A funeral service is a sad event, as friends and relatives gather to comfort one another in their grief and to commit the person who has died to God’s care. However there is also room for celebration too, to give thanks for a life and to share memories.

Funerals ministry and bereavement care have always been an integral part of the ministry of St Mary’s church and we are pleased to offer these things today for those who would like a Church of England funeral service.

How do I arrange a funeral?

Normally funeral services are booked through a Funeral Director who negotiates dates and times with the minister involved. Next the minister will arrange to meet you in your home to discuss arrangements for the service. They will talk through the different elements of the service with you, help you with choices for readings and hymns, and gather information for a tribute (unless a family member or friend will be delivering this). If you are having specially printed service sheets, they will also offer to liaise with the Funeral Director about which parts of the service need to go into it.

On the day of the funeral, the minister will be there to meet you at the church or chapel as you arrive with the cortege.

Where?

Most funerals today take place in a crematorium, though some families prefer to have the service in a church building. Being on a school site, it’s not possible to have a funeral service at the new St Mary’s church but we are certainly able to hold memorial services, whether that might be on the same day as the funeral or at a later date.

In addition, due to a special arrangement we have with St Mary Magdalene  in Tanworth-in-Arden, we are pleased to be able to offer you Tanworth church for the funeral service, subject to availability.

Connecting with St Mary’s

St Mary’s is a caring and prayerful church family. In the weeks around the funeral we will include you in our prayers at our Sunday morning services. You are also very welcome to join us for Sunday worship at The Coppice School, either for our 9am traditional Communion service or our more modern and lively 10.30am service.