Memorial Services
Celebrating The Life Of Your Loved One
Brecksville United Methodist Church
When a loved one dies…
When a death occurs in your family, you will be faced with many decisions during a very difficult time. Please contact our church office at 440-526-8938. Our staff will help answer your questions and connect you with our pastor who will work with you and your family to determine how to honor the life of your loved one.
We are happy to host a funeral or memorial service for anyone desiring a Christian service. Neither you, your family, nor the deceased needs to be a member of our church. We do not charge any sanctuary use fees for funerals or memorial services, but if you are able, you should designate an honorarium for each staff member involved:
- A $200 honorarium is appropriate for each pastor.
- $150 per musician
- $100 for an Audio/Visual Coordinator
- $50 for the custodian
- $75 for Funeral Coordinator (weekend services)
Funeral services can occur in our sanctuary, on the church lawn, at a funeral home, or another location of your choice. Our Sanctuary is a beautiful space with easy access to I-77. You can also choose to host a reception in our church hall after the service.
What to do next
- Call a funeral home. They will guide you through this process and answer many questions.
- Call our pastor and church office at 440-526- 8938.
- Make a list of family, friends, and colleagues to notify via phone about your loved oneās death.
- Work with the funeral home to gather information for paperwork, official agencies, and obituary.
- Determine a non-profit organization to whom people can contribute memorial gifts in honor of your loved one. Memorial gifts to Brecksville United Methodist Church support current and future ministries in our community.
Basic Service Outline
To honor the life of your loved one, our pastor will work with your family to plan a memorial service. A basic service includes:
- Greeting and Words of Grace
- Opening Prayer
- Hymn
- Prayer with Lord’s Prayer
- Psalm/Scripture Readings
- Eulogies by Family and/or Friends
- Homily by Pastor
- Hymn
- Dismissal with Blessing
Popular Scriptures for
Memorial and Funeral Services
Old Testament Scriptures
Job 19:25-27 – I know that my Redeemer livesā¦
Isaiah 40:1-8 – Comfort, O comfort my peopleā¦
Isaiah 40:28-31 – The Lord is an everlasting Godā¦
Isaiah 41:8-13 – Do not fear, for I am with youā¦
Ezekiel 37:1-14 – I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.
Proverbs 31: 10-31 – A woman of Noble Character
Psalms
Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherdā¦
Psalm 62 – My soul waits in silence for Godā¦
Psalm 84 – How lovely is your dwelling place.
Psalm 103 – Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 118:17, 19 – I shall not die, but I shall live.
Psalm 121 – I lift up my eyes to the hillsā¦
Psalm 130 – I wait for the Lordā¦
Psalm 139 – Search me, O Godā¦
New Testament Scriptures
Matthew 6:19-21 – Where your treasure isā¦
Matthew 25:31-40 – Just as you did it for oneā¦
Mark 16:6 – He has been raisedā¦
Luke 12:22-34 – Do not worry about your lifeā¦
Luke 24:5b-8 – Why do you look for the livingā¦
John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the worldā¦
John 6:35-40 – I am the bread of life.
John 10:14-18 – I am the good shepherd.
John 14:1-4, 18, 19, 25, 27 – Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Fatherās houseā¦
Romans 5:1 – While we still were sinnersā¦
Romans 8:1, 2, 11, 14, 17, 18, 28, 31, 32, 35, 39 – If Godā¦
Romans 14:7-9 – We do not live to ourselvesā¦
1 Corinthians 15:1, 2a, 12, 16, 18, 20, 35, 38a, 42b, 44, 54, 55,
57 – Where, O death, is your victory?
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 – If the earthly tent we live in is destroyedā¦
2 Corinthians 5:17 – Everything old has passed awayā¦
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – Do not grieve as others doā¦
2 Timothy 4:6-8 – I have fought the good fightā¦
Hebrews 11:1-3 – Faith is the assurance of things hoped forā¦
1 John 3:1-3 – See what love the Father has given usā¦
Revelation 21:1-7 – Then I saw a new heavenā¦
Popular Hymns for
Memorial and Funeral Services
Unless otherwise noted, numbers refer to the
United Methodist Hymnal
700 – Abide In Me
378 – Amazing Grace
364 – Because He Lives
534 – Be Still, My Soul
451 – Be Thou My Vision
369 – Blessed Assurance
557 – Blest Be the Tie That Binds
407 – Close to Thee
710 – Faith of Our Fathers
711 – For All The Saints
140 – Great Is Thy Faithfulness
77- How Great Thou Art
707 – Hymn of Promise
2051 – I Was There To Hear Your Bourning Cry*
368 – My Hope Is Built
117 – O God, Our Help in Ages Past
143 – On Eagle’s Wings
474 – Precious Lord, Take My Hand
348 – Softly and Tenderly
504 – The Old Rugged Cross
526 – What a Friend We Have in Jesus
701 – When We All Get to Heaven
*The Faith We Sing
Memorial and Funeral Receptions
One practical way the people of Brecksville United Methodist Church demonstrate Christian love is by volunteering to serve grieving families with post service receptions in the church Fellowship Hall or Parlor.
We arrange the service of beverages and light refreshments, such as cookies and pastries. If you would like more than a dessert reception, you will need to hire a caterer. If you hire a caterer, please arrange to have everything delivered to the church two hours before the reception and pay your caterer in advance of the reception to ensure a smooth delivery. If you choose to have food provided by family or friends, that can be coordinated as well.
We take care of the following aspects of the reception:
- Setting up tables and chairs
- Providing plates, cups, silverware, serving pieces,
- silk flower centerpieces, and linen tablecloths.
- Providing coffee, tea, water and light desserts (such
- as cookies, quick breads and pastries.)
- Preparing buffet tables for food service.
- Packaging leftover food for the family to take home.
- Cleaning up following the reception.
A donation to help offset the costs of services provided
is appreciated.