Publisher's Synopsis
Preaching Personalized Funerals in The Digital Age shows how to reach out to grieving families in sorrow through personalized profiles. It shares practical advice and examples for dealing with a wide variety of funeral circumstances and dilemmas, gleaned from 30 years of ministry. Pastors will learn why personalizing a funeral is important to Christian ministry. They will also discover how to gather information to share a personalized profile of the deceased. It shows how a personalized message builds a bridge to the listeners so that the pastor can share the Gospel to open hearts. It demonstrates how to gather information from the family and friends to build a personal profile of the deceased. Practical examples show how to weave the details from the interview and other sources into a personalized profile. The book shows how to deliver the Gospel at a funeral in a simple yet profound way. "Funeral for a Funny Lady" shows when it is appropriate to use humor in a funeral service and when it is ill advised to use funny stories. Personalized Funerals guides the reader on using cutting-edge technology to personalize a funeral service and offer comfort to the listeners. It illustrates how desktop publishing and Digital Tributes can use photos of the deceased and his or her family to enhance the service. Readers learn how to use the Internet - through the church website - to reach the community after the service by posting Webcasts of the message, the text of the eulogy and posts of readers about the deceased. Readers learn how to deal with several of the most difficult funerals: suicides, infant deaths, teen deaths, murder victims, accidental deaths, handicapped people, abusive parents, bitter people and unloving parents. They will see the need and benefit of continued ministry to mourners long after the funeral. An extensive index provides easy access to topics, people, themes and concepts.
