Celebrant Pam Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Funeral Celebrant Los Angeles

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Articles Submit: Funeral Celebrants: A New Career

by Pam Vetter

Someone has died suddenly in your family. Now, what are you supposed to do if you don't go to church? Who will you have speak at the funeral? What needs to be organized for the funeral service? What are your options for a meaningful service? This is a scenario being played out around our nation and around the world every single day. Families, who have never had to deal with death before, are being thrown into the process of organizing a personalized funeral service for their loved one.

With many funeral services being scheduled only a few days after a death, there is no time to do extensive research. There is no time to study your options. There is only time to deliver. More families are turning to Certified Funeral Celebrants in their time of need. As a result of an increasing demand for Celebrants, more people around the nation are turning Funeral Celebrant into a career, by attending training with the In-Sight Institute.

Glenda Stansbury, Dean of the In-Sight Institute, travels around the country with Doug Manning, President of In-Sight Books, teaching a variety of people how to become Certified Funeral Celebrants. The training is available in different cities year round. Stansbury said, "Every person has a different motivation that brought them to the training, but the commonality is the desire to 'do funerals right.' We have funeral directors, chaplains, teachers, social workers, writers, nurses, clergy, bereavement specialists, and business leaders who take the course. It takes someone who has a love of being with people, someone who is comfortable in crisis or painful situations, someone who can write creatively, and someone who is comfortable with public speaking."

The training process is intensive. Stansbury explained, "Celebrants are trained to sit with the family and allow them time and a safe place to tell the stories of their loved one. Out of that time, comes the stories that will form the basis of the funeral. Families will often say that the funeral was wonderful, but the family time was the most healing part of the process. The Celebrant works with the family to put together a tribute that incorporates pictures, music, ceremonies and, most importantly, the story of the loved one. Since most of the funerals that Celebrants perform are not tied to a church, we provide resources for Celebrants to use including readings and ceremonies. Without going overboard, we try to put the 'wow' factor back in the funeral experience so that people leave the service realizing that they have taken part in something important."

In-Sight Institute has trained more than 750 Celebrants from Trinidad, Philippines, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada. Stansbury said, "Each time I leave a training, it gives me hope that more families are going to be touched by these very special people. Celebrant Training is the reason I went back to school at the age of 50 to get my degree in Funeral Service. Every family deserves to have a funeral that reflects the life, spirit and traditions of the person who died. Celebrants fill the gap for people who do not have a minister to call on and deliver personalized, meaningful services."

Certified Funeral Celebrant Pam Vetter, from Los Angeles, agrees with Stansbury. "I delivered a funeral service just this morning for a wonderful 78 year old woman who had so many amazing stories to share. There were tears, laughter, and memories that brought pure joy. Her pictures, her music, her funeral service her way. It had religious elements with scripture and prayers, but there was no filler, the focus was clearly on her life story. The family thanked me with hugs, through their smiles and tears. I thanked them for allowing me to be a part of the process. In the end, everyone deserves to be honored, remembered, and celebrated in a special way."

Together, Stansbury and Manning have developed the training design and materials for Funeral Celebrant Training. Stansbury has just completed her BS degree in Funeral Service. Manning has been an author, speaker and counselor in the areas of grief and elder care for the past 25 years. Prior to that, he served as a minister and pastoral counselor for 30 years. Vetter, a former radio news anchor, continues her work with families as a Certified Funeral Celebrant in the Los Angeles area.

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