Whether you’re a pastor or a friend, there could be a time when you’re asked to speak at someone’s funeral. Before writing your speech or sermon, there are a few tips to keep in mind so that you get all of the details organized in order to give the person a proper farewell.
Commitment
When you write funeral sermons, you need to commit to the process. Don’t rush through it because you might miss adding the heart and soul behind your words. You should also try to use intent throughout the sermon. Try to get information about the person’s background or some of the memories that the person’s family and friends have, especially if you’re a pastor who has only known the person a short time.
Script
Avoid talking at the funeral without some type of script in front of you. This could lead to forgetting important details or forgetting some of the meaningful words that you want to tell the family. When preparing funeral sermons, consider writing details on note cards if you don’t want to take full pieces of paper in front of the crowd.
Timing
You don’t want your sermon or speech to take too long. There will likely be singing and others who share their thoughts at the funeral as well. A sermon that’s about 15 minutes in length is usually appropriate and can allow you to offer complete thoughts about the friendship you had with the person or some of the accomplishments that the person had throughout life.
