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Make a funeral program

Make a funeral or memorial program for a funeral service, celebration of life or homegoing. The order of service is ready, you add the name, the readings and the songs.

I · The service

II · Contents

What goes in the funeral program

A funeral program is the folded sheet everyone receives at the door. The front carries the name, the dates and often a photo. Inside is the order of service: what happens, who speaks and which readings and songs the family chose. The back holds the pallbearers, the acknowledgment from the family and where the reception is. With Ordofolio you make one in an evening. The order of service is ready, with a short note on each part, and printing it is free.

You choose one of three services:

  • Funeral service: a Christian funeral or memorial service in church or at the funeral home, with scripture readings, hymns, the obituary and eulogy, a message of comfort and prayers.
  • Celebration of life: a gathering shaped by the family, with the life story, shared memories, music, a photo tribute and closing words.
  • Homegoing service: the funeral service of many Black churches, with the processional, selections, the obituary, acknowledgments and resolutions, reflections and the eulogy by the pastor.

Want to see the order first? Pick a service above and choose "See the order of service". Looking for a reading? Browse the scripture readings for a funeral and the poems to read at a funeral; Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd, is read at more funerals than any other text.

What goes in the funeral program

A funeral service has five parts:

  1. Gathering: the prelude, the processional, the words of welcome, an opening prayer and a hymn.
  2. The Word: an Old Testament reading or a psalm, and a New Testament reading.
  3. Remembering: the obituary, the eulogy, reflections from family and friends, special music and the pastor's message of comfort.
  4. Prayers: the prayers of the people and the Lord's Prayer.
  5. Commendation: the commendation, the benediction and the recessional.

The committal at the graveside, the pallbearers, the acknowledgment from the family and the reception go on the last page.

  1. I. Gathering

    PreludeProcessionalWords of welcomeOpening prayerHymn

  2. II. The Word

    Old Testament readingNew Testament reading

  3. III. Remembering

    ObituaryEulogyReflectionsSpecial musicMessage of comfortHymn

  4. IV. Prayers

    PrayersThe Lord's Prayer

  5. V. Commendation

    CommendationBenedictionRecessional

  6. VI. After the service

    CommittalPallbearersAcknowledgmentReception

italics = optional

A celebration of life has no fixed prayers. The life story, shared memories and a photo tribute take the place of the readings and the message. A homegoing follows the church service with its own parts.

III · How it works

Four steps, done in an evening

  1. Choose the service

    A funeral service, celebration of life or homegoing. The order of service is then ready, with a short note on each part.

  2. Fill in each part

    The name, the dates, the readings, the songs and who speaks. Choose from the library or write your own words.

  3. Let the pastor or officiant review it

    Send a link. They read the program, leave comments and approve it before you print.

  4. Download and print

    A PDF for home printing on Letter paper, one for the print shop and a large-print version.

One sheet of Letter paper, printed on both sides and folded once, gives four pages: 4 and 1 on the outside, 2 and 3 on the inside.outside41inside23fold line1folded

IV · Printing

Printing at home or at a print shop

You get three PDFs. One for home: two half-letter pages on each side of a Letter sheet, printed on both sides and flipped on the short edge. One for the print shop, with single half-letter pages, for a larger run. And a large-print version for those who no longer read small type.

At home you fold each sheet in half and staple the stack in the fold. The program measures 5.5 by 8.5 inches, the size of a folded Letter sheet. Print one sheet first as a test; a funeral home or church office can often print the rest the same day.

V · Privacy

The name and the photo stay with you

  • No account needed
  • Everything stays in your browser
  • A shared link is encrypted
Read the privacy policy

VI · Examples

How it looks

VII · Texts

Popular texts

Scripture readings

Poems

VIII · Questions

Frequently asked questions

How fast is the funeral program ready?

Most families finish it in an evening. The order of service is ready, so you only add what is yours: the name and the dates, the readings, the songs and who speaks. You can print right after, at home, at a print shop or at the funeral home.

How many pages does a funeral program have?

Often 4 or 8 pages. A program with titles and names is short; one with the obituary, full readings and the words to the hymns is longer. The page count is always a multiple of 4, because every folded sheet gives four pages. Ordofolio fills the program up to the next multiple, for example with a poem.

What does it cost?

Nothing. Making and downloading a funeral program is free, and you do not need an account. The large-print version is free too.

What is the difference between a funeral service, a celebration of life and a homegoing?

A funeral service follows the order of a church service: scripture readings, hymns, the eulogy, a message and prayers. A celebration of life is shaped by the family: welcome, music, memories, a reading and closing words. A homegoing is the funeral service of many Black churches, with selections, the obituary, reflections and the pastor's eulogy. Your pastor or officiant says what is possible.

Are the scripture readings already in the program?

Each reading comes with its reference and a short note. The King James Version is free to print and Ordofolio puts it in the program for you. For a modern translation such as the NIV or ESV you paste the text yourself, and Ordofolio adds the credit line its publisher asks for.

Who can see the program?

Only you, as long as you do not share it. Everything stays in your browser on your own device. If you share a link with the pastor, the program is encrypted and the key sits in the link, after the hash sign (#). Our server cannot read it.

IX · Further reading

Further reading