Funeral | Memorial Service

Planning a funeral or memorial service can be an overwhelming task.  It can be a challenge to work through the details while walking through a time of loss. As a church family, the Pastors of the Tabernacle are always available to assist families during these difficult times of transition. We work very closely with the family, as well as the funeral director, to make sure the wishes of the family are carried out in every detail.  

There are several differences between a Funeral Service and a Memorial Service.  Both celebrate and honour the life of a loved one.  A Funeral Service is more traditional while a Memorial Service tends to be more non-traditional. Memorial Services are becoming increasingly popular as more people are choosing cremation. A funeral will usually occur within a few days of the individual’s’ death.  At the discretion of the family, a funeral will have an open casket ceremony (where the body can be viewed) or a closed casket ceremony. A Memorial Service also pays tribute to the life of the deceased; however, the body of the person that has died is not present.  The Memorial Service can occur days, weeks, even months after the person died.  

Typically, services are held in a church building, however, they can be held at the funeral home or at the cemetery. Along with Scripture and song preferences, the pastor will ask for details of the deceased’s life to allow those in attendance to truly focus on the person who has passed away and remember specific details about them. For information about funerals and memorials contact Pastor JoAnn Angelo, Director of Pastoral Care at (716) 712-1707 or angeloj@thetab.org.