Every person from the parish of Acklington or with a connection to it (whether regular churchgoers or not) has the option of having a service in church either prior to, or following a burial or cremation.
The churchyard cemetery at Acklington is open to parishioners and is a beautiful resting place.
Funerals taken by a minister of the Church of England provide an opportunity for thanksgiving and the celebration of a life and also, just as important to us, is the care and consolation of those who have been bereaved. Not simply on the day of the funeral but also in preparation for it, and in the months following it.
When someone is close to death we can support you with our prayer and practical help. Those who are sick may appreciate being remembered by name in our prayers, you can choose to receive Holy Communion at home or in hospital and you might even perhaps want to make preparations for your funeral service when the time comes. The sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) can also be helpful for some.
When someone dies we work closely with your chosen Funeral Directors to ensure that the service meets your needs. Please give them clear direction about where the service is to be held and who should be asked to preside at it.
Prior to cremation or burial (traditional or ‘woodland’), a service can be held at St Lawrence or at a Crematorium, led by a minister of your choice. Occasionally families have asked for a brief service at the Crematorium, followed by a Thanksgiving Service for all friends and neighbours in Church. All of these arrangements can be made between the Funeral Director and the officiating minister.
The Minister will meet with the closest family and is more than willing to offer and receive suggestions about the funeral service itself.
Bereavement is a process that can stretch over some years. The Church wants to offer its support and to encourage the bereaved to use this as a time for renewing their own relationship with God. We can offer friendship as well as pastoral support and spiritual comfort.
All Souls, each year, at the beginning of November, we invite bereaved families to a Memorial Service at which those who have died in the past year are remembered by name. Anyone can add names to the list of those to be remembered whether or not their funeral was held in church.
You can also ask that the name of someone who has died be entered in the Memorial Book in Church.
Rest eternal grant unto them O Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon them.
See also: https://churchofenglandfunerals.org/