Congregational / Community Initiatives

Your “congregation” may or may not have a particular religious or spiritual affiliation. But there will be a shared set of values and perhaps specific practices associated with illness, the dying process, after-care of the body and grief support for the bereaved. Such affinity groups have become increasingly prevalent, and interested in addressing end-of-life concerns in a meaningful, respectful and socially congruent way.

Working with groups to achieve a well-crafted set of values, and then developing the tool kit to meet those values in the context of the life / death threshold can have a profound impact.  This type of preparation for the illness or death of members can help to transform such experiences into practices that strengthen the bonding within the entire community.

Speaking Engagements, Workshops and Facilitated Conversations

We offer customized stand-alone presentations to private groups and organizations on a variety of topics.  Here are some examples:

• Advance Healthcare Directives and POLST (Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment) Forms
• End of Life Planning (Goal Setting, Team Building and Legal Empowerment of the Core Team)
• Challenging Conversations
• Legacy and Ethical / Spiritual Wills
• Cross-Cultural Funerary Beliefs and Practices
• Care of the Body After Death
• Natural Burial (aka “Green” Burial)
• Current Trends and Innovations In After-Death Care
• Shrouding Circles

Community Education

We also offer in-depth study of topics such as those above packaged into a series of presentations or end of life planning workshops (e.g. for community college and other public settings). Contact Last Respects Consulting or call (831) 588-3040 for assistance in creating a program that supports the growth of your community’s knowledge and skillfulness.