Planning the service
Funeral order of service: templates and examples for four kinds of service
A funeral order of service puts the music, prayers, readings and tributes in a clear order, with timing. Choose the kind of service below to see a sample order, then email yourself a printable planning sheet.
By Jon Horton · Updated
Church funeral service
About 45 to 60 minutes
The classic Protestant funeral, held in the sanctuary with the casket present. It moves from welcome, to worship, to remembrance, to the message of hope, to farewell.
| Min. | Part of the service | Who | Sample or notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0+10 | Prelude (music as guests arrive) | Organist or recorded music | Quiet hymns or the person’s favorite instrumental pieces. |
| 10+3 | Processional / family seated | Pastor, family | The pastor leads the family in. Guests stand. |
| 13+2 | Opening sentences | Pastor or officiant | “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25, KJV) |
| 15+3 | Welcome and opening prayer | Pastor or officiant | A brief word of welcome, then a short prayer for comfort and thanksgiving. |
| 18+4 | Hymn or congregational song | Everyone | “Amazing Grace,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” “Blessed Assurance.” |
| 22+3 | Scripture reading | Family member or reader | Psalm 23 (KJV), then John 14:1–3 or Romans 8:38–39. |
| 25+3 | Obituary / life reflection | Pastor or family member | A short account of the person’s life: family, work, faith, what they loved. |
| 28+10 | Eulogy or tributes | Two or three speakers | Keep each tribute to three to five minutes. |
| 38+4 | Special music or solo | Soloist or choir | A song that mattered to the person or the family. |
| 42+12 | Message of hope (homily) | Pastor | A short sermon on resurrection hope and God’s nearness to those who grieve. |
| 54+3 | Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer | Pastor, then everyone | A prayer for the family, then the Lord’s Prayer together. |
| 57+3 | Closing hymn | Everyone | A hymn of hope, such as “Be Thou My Vision” or “How Great Thou Art.” |
| 60+1 | Benediction | Pastor | “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee…” (Numbers 6:24–26, KJV) |
| 61+3 | Recessional / invitation to the committal and gathering | Pastor, pallbearers | Pallbearers carry the casket out. Announce the graveside time and the gathering afterward. |
Planning tips
- Give each speaker a time limit before the service, and tell the pastor so someone can gently keep it.
- Ask the musician to play the prelude at a low volume so people can talk quietly.
- Print the hymn titles and verses in the program so no one has to find a number.
Memorial service (without the body present)
About 40 to 50 minutes
Held after a private burial or cremation, often in a church, chapel or hall. It can be formal or relaxed. A photograph or an urn on a table gives people a place to look.
| Min. | Part of the service | Who | Sample or notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0+10 | Gathering music / photo slideshow | Family or volunteer | Looping photographs with music while guests arrive. |
| 10+3 | Welcome and call to worship | Pastor or officiant | “We are here to give thanks for the life of ___ and to comfort one another.” |
| 13+2 | Opening prayer | Pastor or officiant | A prayer of thanksgiving and comfort. |
| 15+4 | Hymn or favorite song | Everyone or soloist | One song the person loved. |
| 19+3 | Scripture reading | Family member | Psalm 23 or Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 (KJV). |
| 22+4 | Life story | Family member | A short obituary read aloud. |
| 26+12 | Remembrances | Two to four speakers | Short stories, three minutes each. |
| 38+8 | Reflection or short message | Pastor or officiant | A reflection on gratitude and hope. |
| 46+3 | Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer | Pastor, then everyone | Pray together. |
| 49+2 | Benediction and invitation to the reception | Pastor or officiant | Go in peace, then point everyone to the food. |
Planning tips
- Place a table with a photograph, a candle and a guest book near the entrance.
- If the ashes are present, say so in the program so guests know what to expect.
- Plan a reception right after. A shared meal is part of the service.
Celebration of life
About 60 to 90 minutes
More relaxed than a traditional service. It often includes an open microphone, a slideshow and food. You can still include prayer and scripture, and many families do.
| Min. | Part of the service | Who | Sample or notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0+15 | Arrival, music and slideshow | Family or volunteer | Photos on a screen, the person’s playlist, name tags for relatives. |
| 15+3 | Welcome and opening words | Host or officiant | “Thank you for coming. We’re here to celebrate ___ the way ___ would have liked: together.” |
| 18+2 | Opening prayer or moment of silence | Pastor, officiant or host | A short prayer, or a shared moment of quiet. |
| 20+3 | Scripture or poem | Reader | Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 (KJV), Psalm 90:12, or a short poem. |
| 23+5 | Life in photographs | Family member narrates | Walk through the slideshow, telling the story as it plays. |
| 28+15 | Tributes | Three or four planned speakers | Children, a friend, a coworker. |
| 43+15 | Open microphone | Anyone | “If you have a memory, come share it. Please keep it to two minutes.” |
| 58+5 | Favorite song or musical tribute | Everyone, soloist or recording | A song that gets everyone singing along. |
| 63+5 | Closing words and prayer | Host or pastor | Thank guests, offer a blessing and invite everyone to eat. |
| 68+30 | Reception / meal | Everyone | Food the person loved. A memory table or guest book. |
Planning tips
- Have a host stand ready with a gentle cutoff for the open microphone.
- Ask two or three people to speak in advance so there is no silence at the start.
- Put out a basket and index cards so shy guests can write a memory instead.
Catholic funeral Mass (outline)
About 60 minutes, plus committal
An outline only, based on the shape of the Order of Christian Funerals. Your parish priest or funeral coordinator decides readings, music and details, and some parishes do things a little differently. Treat this as a way to follow along and plan the program, not as a rubric.
| Min. | Part of the service | Who | Sample or notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0+5 | Reception of the body at the church | Priest, family | Greeting, sprinkling of the casket with holy water, and placing of the white pall as a reminder of baptism. |
| 5+5 | Entrance procession and opening song | Priest, ministers, everyone | Entrance hymn while the casket is brought in. |
| 10+3 | Greeting and opening prayer (Collect) | Priest | The priest welcomes the family and prays. |
| 13+3 | First reading | Family or lector | Often from Wisdom, Isaiah or Lamentations. |
| 16+3 | Responsorial psalm | Cantor, everyone | Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd,” is very common. |
| 19+3 | Second reading | Family or lector | Often from Romans or 1 Thessalonians. |
| 22+12 | Gospel and homily | Priest or deacon | The homily focuses on the Resurrection. It is not a eulogy. |
| 34+3 | General intercessions (Prayer of the Faithful) | Family or lector | Prayers for the deceased, the family and all who mourn. |
| 37+15 | Liturgy of the Eucharist | Priest, everyone | Preparation of the gifts, Eucharistic Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer and Communion. |
| 52+5 | Words of remembrance (if permitted by the parish) | One family member | Brief, at the end of Communion and before the Final Commendation. Ask the priest first. |
| 57+5 | Final Commendation | Priest, everyone | Invitation to prayer, silence, a sign of farewell (incense or holy water), a song of farewell and the prayer of commendation. |
| 62+5 | Procession to the place of committal | Priest, family | The casket is carried out, often to a song of hope. |
| 67+10 | Rite of Committal at the cemetery | Priest, family | Scripture, prayer, blessing of the grave, committal, the Lord’s Prayer and a blessing. |
Planning tips
- Call the parish office first. They usually have a funeral planning guide and a coordinator.
- In the Catholic funeral the homily proclaims hope in the Resurrection. Tributes are usually offered briefly, if at all, or at the reception or vigil.
- If a rosary or vigil is planned the night before, add it to the program with its own time.
Get the printable order-of-service planner
A one-page fill-in sheet for the order, the people, the songs and the minutes. Print it and take it to your meeting with the pastor.
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What is a funeral order of service?
The funeral order of service is the plan for the service, in order. Guests see it as the list in the funeral program. The pastor, musicians, readers and speakers see it as a script for when they are on. When it is clear, the service feels calm and unhurried, even though a dozen people have a part in it.
You do not need to invent one. Almost every Christian funeral follows the same simple movement: we gather, we worship, we remember, we hear the message of hope, and we say goodbye. The samples above give you the sequence and the minutes. Adjust them to your person, your church and your family.
The parts of a funeral service, explained
Gathering: prelude, procession, welcome
Quiet music while guests arrive. The family is seated, often after the pastor leads them in. The service begins with a welcome and opening sentences from Scripture, such as “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25, KJV).
Worship: prayer, hymn, Scripture
A short prayer, a hymn the congregation knows, and one or two readings. Psalm 23 is the most common. Others are John 14:1–3, Romans 8:38–39 and Revelation 21:1–4. See Bible verses for a funeral for a longer list by theme.
Remembering: life story, eulogy, tributes
A short life story, then one to three people speak. A eulogy is a single spoken tribute. If you are writing one, see how to write a eulogy and our eulogy examples. Give every speaker a time limit in advance.
The message of hope
A short sermon or reflection, ten to fifteen minutes, on the hope of the resurrection and God’s nearness to those who grieve. If you are the person who has to give it, see our funeral sermon outlines.
Farewell: prayers, benediction, committal
Prayers for the family, the Lord’s Prayer, a closing hymn and a benediction. If there is a burial, the committal follows at the cemetery. A complete script is in our graveside service guide.
Sample wording for the printed program
Here is how a church order of service looks when printed in a funeral program:
Prelude
Welcome and Opening Prayer — Pastor James Cole
Hymn: “It Is Well with My Soul”
Scripture: Psalm 23 — Anne Delgado
Life Story — Beth Hart
Tributes — Jean Brandt, Dolores Park
Message of Hope — Pastor Cole
Prayers and the Lord’s Prayer
Benediction
Committal at Oak Hill Cemetery
Put the names of the people who lead each part. It helps them know they are on, and it is a small way of honoring them.
Timing the service
Add up the minutes in your order. A funeral that runs over by fifteen minutes feels long for everyone, and the funeral home or cemetery may have another service after yours. Some practical numbers:
- Hymns take three to four minutes each. Verses add up.
- Tributes run longer than planned. Cut the number of speakers, not the time limit.
- The message should be ten to fifteen minutes. Shorter is almost always better.
- Allow five minutes for the family to leave and the casket to be carried out.
- Add a buffer. Plan for 45 minutes if you have an hour.
Choosing hymns, readings and speakers
Start with the person. What did they sing? What did they read? Whose voice would they want to hear? If you cannot decide, choose the familiar: “Amazing Grace,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” “Blessed Assurance,” and Psalm 23 will comfort almost any congregation.
When the plan is set, print the program with our funeral program template, and after the service use the thank-you card wording. For everything in one place, see the funeral planning hub.
Common questions
What is a funeral order of service?
A funeral order of service is the list of what happens at the service and in what order: the music, prayers, readings, tributes, message and benediction. It is usually printed in the funeral program so guests can follow along, and it is the plan the pastor, musicians and speakers work from.
How long should a funeral service be?
Most funeral services run 40 to 60 minutes. A memorial service is often 40 to 50 minutes, and a celebration of life with an open microphone and a reception can run 60 to 90 minutes. A graveside committal alone takes about 15 minutes.
What is the usual order of a funeral service?
A common order is prelude music, procession, opening sentences and prayer, a hymn, Scripture, a life story, tributes or the eulogy, a message of hope, prayers and the Lord’s Prayer, a closing hymn, and a benediction. The committal at the cemetery follows.
Where does the eulogy go in the order of service?
Usually after the Scripture and before the message, as part of the tributes. In a Catholic funeral Mass, a brief word of remembrance is usually offered near the end, just before the Final Commendation, and only with the priest’s permission. Always ask the pastor or priest.
How many hymns or songs should there be?
Two or three is typical for a 45-minute service: one near the start, one in the middle, and one at the close. Congregational hymns that people know give guests a way to take part. A solo or special music is a welcome addition.
What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?
A funeral is held with the body present, usually within a week of the death. A memorial service is held without the body, often after a burial or cremation, and may happen days or weeks later. The order of service is similar. A memorial is often more flexible.
Can I lead the service myself?
Yes, many families ask a friend or lay leader to lead. Start with a simple order, assign each part to a person, and rehearse once. Our Lay Funeral Leader Kit has the complete order, committal words and prayers for a lay leader.
Keep reading
- Funeral program templatesEditable funeral program templates for Canva, Word and Google Docs. Finish a beautiful program tonight — instant download, $15.
- Graveside serviceA complete graveside service script — gathering words, scripture, committal and benediction — that anyone can lead in 15 minutes.
- Eulogy WriterHow to write a eulogy in 5 steps, with a guided writer that turns your memories into a full, personal draft you can read with confidence.
- Eulogy examplesRead full eulogy examples for a mother, father, grandparent, friend and spouse — then write yours with a guided eulogy writer.
- Funeral thank you cardsWhat to write in funeral thank you cards — for flowers, food, donations, pallbearers and the pastor — with a free printable.
- Funeral sermon outlinesFuneral sermon outlines for a believer, a sudden death, a long life and a hard loss — with scripture, structure and sample lines.