Weddings, Funerals, and Special Events
Mastering Ceremonies.
In today’s secular society, the only personal contact many people have with a pastor is some public occasion: a wedding, funeral, baby dedication or baptism, an awards ceremony.
These settings, where clergy are front and center, offer unique opportunities to minister.
The bubbling joy or the piercing grief of these events waken people, if only for a moment, to pastors and to the divine realities they represent. Birth, death, and human achievement become, in C. S. Lewis’s words, “a megaphone to rouse a deafened world.” And pastors who are called upon to lead, officiate, or pray during these events do well to consider how to speak clearly through them.
This book offers clear, tested counsel on how to prepare for special occasions and how to conduct the events themselves. Each chapter is written by a pastor who has had extensive experience in that area. These church leaders relate honestly their failures and successes—and the lessons learned—as they’ve ministered during weddings, funerals, and special events.
Top Highlights
“The underlying message of every funeral service is hope. Believers can have assurance and confidence in facing the grave. As a pastor, I bring divine help to enable the family to cope with change, loss, and the process of rebuilding.” (Page 104)
“The underlying thought I want to leave is that the Bible provides solid answers about life and death, and Jesus Christ provides meaningful support to those who grieve.” (Pages 102–103)
“Funerals are exciting because we possess a legitimate reason for hope and comfort.” (Page 96)
“As a pastor, I have a unique perspective. I’m a friend, but I’m also in a position of authority. I’m close enough to ‘weep with those who weep’ but removed enough to bring objective truth.” (Page 97)
“In the biblical view, life on earth is temporary. It is depicted as a shadow, a weaver’s shuttle, a handbreadth, a vapor. The Bible makes it clear that real life is eternal life. Death, overcome by Christ, brings timeless life. For believers, it is not to be feared. We are triumphant in the resurrection of Christ.” (Page 84)
This is the tenth volume of The Leadership Library, a continuing series from LEADERSHIP, the practical journal for church leaders published by Christianity Today, Inc. Others in the series have included Well-Intentioned Dragons, Learning to Lead and Preaching to Convince.
More than a collection of theory, The Leadership Library provides practical, proven ways to handle the most difficult areas of everyday church life.
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