Buy APPROACHING END LIFE | General Books

ABOUT THE BOOK

In her more than forty years as a minister, Rev. Donna Schaper has been approached hundreds of times by people wanting to know how to prepare for the end of life in both practical and spiritual matters. Countless others have turned to her for guidance on how to handle the death of a loved one. From making a will and planning a memorial service to finding peace in the toughest circumstances, Approaching the End of Life offers practical and spiritual guidance to anyone wrestling with the end of a life. With sensitivity and humor Rev. Schaper helps readers face aging and mortality with freedom rather than fear. She encourages readers to find a spiritual home of some kind—even if it is far from the doors of a church—and offers helpful suggestions on memorials and funeral services that will be well suited to the departed while serving the loved ones in their grief and celebration. The book also includes practical resources such as a service planning checklist, a template for a funeral or memorial service, and more.

Introduction
1: The Best Funeral Ever
2: What to do when you get sick and hear the knock of death on your door
3: The importance of the After Life
4: Early dotage, Mid Dotage and Late Dotage: Facing Mortality with freedom
5: Spiritual Preparation for Death
6: Connecting the Practical and the Spiritual
7: Really Bad Funerals do Happen
8: Finding a Spiritual Home Before Death
9: My Lord What A Morning
Further Reading and Resources
Funeral and Memorial Service Planning Checklist
Glossary of Funeral and Memorial Service Terms
Words and Music for Funerals or Memorial Services
Template for a Funeral or Memorial Service
Budget for a Funeral or Memorial Service