Natural Burial Ministry

There are three primary reasons that we, as a church, feel natural burial honors God and follows sound principles of stewardship. Our goal is to equip the local church, steward our finances well, and make wise decisions about the environment. The church should be a part of every stage of life, including death. Families are more personally connected to the body and the burial process. Traditionally, the church was very involved in burial. Simple biodegradable caskets (e.g., pine boxes) or shrouds will greatly reduce cost. There are two sides to caring for a body and planning a funeral. There is a logistical side and a care side that our Care teams and GroupLife staff will continue to provide. Natural burial will bring these two entities together and allow the church to be most engaged in the discipleship process through death and burial. This modern shift away from the church family has created a disconnect in how we view death. Returning to the earth and trusting God to resurrect our bodies is central to our Christian hope. Natural Burial Ministry is a program at Grace Church.