Funerals

Funeral Services at Buxton Methodist Church

Christians believe that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ give them hope and cause for thanksgiving in the face of death. In this faith, we entrust those who have died to the infinite mercy and love of God. A Methodist funeral service acknowledges this hope and offers bereaved people the opportunity to remember their loved one’s life and offer them into God’s care.

Taking funerals is an important part of the minister’s work and they will take time to visit families, offering comfort and support before and after the funeral itself.

To discuss a funeral service, please contact our minister, Rev Andrew Parker on 01298 23556 or email him at minister@buxtonmethodistchurch.org.uk.

FAQs

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 the church and a local minister, it is a good idea to find out if they are available before booking the time and date of the service.

For help with the practical arrangements and how to find a funeral director, visit uk-funerals.co.uk or www.nafd.org.uk.

What type of funerals do you offer?

The person who has died may have left details of the sort of funeral that they hoped for. 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.

Whether you would like a memorial, a celebration or a traditional service, we can discuss and offer help if needed in choosing. There may also be the option of having refreshments after the service in the church hall.

Burial or cremation?

Few Methodist churches have burial grounds and those that do are mostly full, so burials usually take place at the local cemetery.

Just over half of funerals today are cremations and services may take place entirely at the crematorium or as well as a church service. If cremation is desired, this leaves the question of what to do with the ashes. Crematoria have gardens of rest where they can be buried or scattered and many churchyards have a special place set aside for this even when there is no space left for graves.

What else do I need to do when a loved one dies?

You will need to register the death within 5 days of their death (includes weekends and bank holidays).

Go to at www.gov.uk/register-a-death.

You’ll get a ‘certificate for a burial’ to give to the funeral director, or an application for cremation which you need to complete and give to the crematorium.

You must do one of these before the funeral can take place.

Do you offer bereavement support?

The time between a person’s death and their funeral is often very busy and full of practical arrangements. Often it is only after the funeral that the full extent of loss affects the bereaved. Grieving is a natural and important part of coming to terms with and healing this loss and it may continue for several months. There are patterns and themes to bereavement but each person is different and it is important for people to be supported in finding their own way through grief.

For information about bereavement support, please visit the Methodist Church website here.

Alternatively, join a local support group. One run by High Peak CVS meets here in our church building. Find out more on their website here.