Christians recognize the inevitability of death, and the Christian gospel powerfully addresses the reality and the experience of death. Christians are expected to affirm their confidence in Christ's victory over death and the grave and to proclaim that death cannot separate human beings from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Such is the faith by which Christians live and in which Christians die.
     The belief of Christians in the resurrection from the dead is not a belief which denies the reality of death or suggests that persons have within them some form of immortality. Rather, it is a belief that God's love and power are greater than the power of death, so that though we die and cease to exist, we are given new life, a new existence in God's eternity. All this, Christians affirm because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the first day of the week.
     The Christian community has special responsibilities toward persons who are dying and toward those who are bereaved. Persons who are confronted with imminent death should not be isolated from the Christian community nor should members of the community try to convince them that they are not dying. Instead they should be supported with love, and affirmed as persons loved and forgiven by God.
     When a person dies, the minister should be notified immediately. The minister, as well as others in the congregation, should go immediately to make contact with the family. It should be remembered that what is important on such an occasion is not what is said, but what is important is one's presence, and whom and what one represents. The minister should listen and be sensitive to the needs of those bereaved. It is expected that prayer will be offered with the family during the initial contact. If the minister of the congregation is not available, then one or more of the ruling elders should represent the church.
     Ministers need to realize that the funeral is a cultural event as well as a religious event. Consequently ministers should be sensitive to customs regarding death and burial of the dead which are characteristic of each particular community and honor those customs whenever possible. This necessitates that ministers work creatively with funeral directors to ensure that there is adequate understanding on the part of the minister of various funeral practices and that there is an informal understanding of the funeral director with respect to the minister's theological understanding and practice.
     The Christian funeral service is understood as a service of worship and should be approached as such. Thought should be given to the designing of the service, and it is expected that those present will participate in corporate worship. The singing of hymns, reading of scripture, preaching of the gospel, confession of sin, affirmation of faith, the celebration of the Lord's Supper are all appropriate to the Christian funeral service. In designing such a service, the family should be consulted and their desires should influence the shape and design of the service. It is strongly recommended that Christian funerals be conducted at the church. The casket shall be closed at all times during the service of worship.
     It is not necessary to have the body of the deceased present for the service of worship which is occasioned by death. Services of worship with the body being absent are recognized as appropriate and equally meaningful as when a casket is present. Such a service may be scheduled before or after the committal service, if the body is to be interred.
     The committal service should be performed with dignity and simplicity. It is to be brief, with scripture, prayer and a statement of the Christian hope.
     In all matters pertaining to the burial of the dead, ostentation, excessive expense, preoccupation with the cosmetic are to be avoided. The church is encouraged to support the wishes of the family of the bereaved with respect to memorial gifts in lieu of or in addition to flowers. At the church the use of a funeral pall is strongly recommended.
     Christians have a responsibility to think through the different acceptable methods for disposing of the body of one who has died. Persons are urged to consider the matter long before death is imminent and make a decision with respect to the disposition of their bodies at the occasion of death. If the decision has not been made prior to one's death, the family should be assisted by the minister to examine the options. Interment, cremation and donation of the body for medical purposes are all Christian methods of disposing of the body.