A preplanned Christian funeral service will give you one last opportunity to tell your dear ones what is dear to you.

Picture this imaginary conversation between a pastor and a member:

“Good morning, Mrs. Smith! How can I help you?”

“Good morning, Pastor! I am thinking of planning out my funeral service and have some questions.”

“Certainly! What a great idea to make arrangements ahead of time before that day comes. A preplanned Christian funeral service will give you one last opportunity to tell your dear ones about the faith that is so dear to you.”

“Exactly. But where do I even start?”

“Remember that in a Christian funeral service we want to share clearly both law and gospel, especially since some people who may attend might not normally go to church. We want them to hear the Bible’s truths that ‘the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23) and that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus’ ” (Romans 3:23-24).

“Do I have to use those Bible verses, or can I pick others?”

“Normally there are three to four different sections of God’s Word read during the service. Often, I preach a sermon based on the person’s confirmation verse. Take some time to select your favorite Bible passages, remembering the goal: to proclaim peace, comfort, forgiveness, and eternal life from God’s Word.”

“What about hymns or special music?”

“A typical funeral service will have one to three congregational hymns. While I could help you find a soloist, congregational hymns are a reminder that you are a member of two families: your personal family and your church family. The Christian hymns that you choose give both your immediate family and your church family the opportunity to sing all praise and thanks to our Savior-God that your soul is at rest in the perfect glory of heaven.”

“That’s a lot to think about.”

“And there are even more details that you will want to go over with the funeral home director. Our congregation has prepared a document to help you plan. It gives you a place to suggest readings and hymns for your funeral service and share reasons why. Let me print off a copy. Take it home. Discuss it with your family. I will be happy to review it with you once you have it filled out.”

“Thanks, Pastor. This has been very helpful.”

“Thank you for stopping by. I pray that I will be with all those who gather on the day of your funeral service, as we hear the peace and comfort the gospel brings and join our voices to sing praise and thanks to the Savior-God for the gift of your eternal life at Jesus’ side in heaven.”

Learn more: View and print this document to help you think through your Christian funeral service. Fill it out and share it with your pastor and/or close family members.

Author: Daniel Schmidt
Volume 113, Number 11
Issue: November 2026
Image: iStock