NJ - KEVIN HICKSON Funeral Service

CHURCH SERVICE 

The East Chapel, Rockhampton Crematorium,  

INTRODUCTION – PS NATHAN JONES 

Good afternoon my name is Ps Nathan Jones. I have been asked by the family and have the privilege of conducting Kevin’s service today.

If you have you mobile phone with you, can I ask that you make sure it is set to silent or turned off during the service 

WELCOME – PS NATHAN JONES

I would like to welcome Family and Friends - within the healing embrace of God's love. We have gathered here to remember and celebrate the life of KEVIN HICKSON and to entrust him into God's eternal care. 

ENTRANCE AND CARRYING OF THE CASKET 

 SONG: 

 You’ll never walk alone- Susan Boyla 

BIBLE READING AND PRAYER: 

Revelation 21:4-7 

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.  

7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 

LET US BOW OUR HEADS IN PRAYER: 

Heavenly Father, we welcome You here today as we say our farewells to KEVIN. We ask You to Comfort us in our sorrow, strengthen us with hope, and breathe peace into our troubled hearts. Help us to bless you for the gift you gave us in KEVIN, for the joy he gave to all who knew him, for the memories that will abide with us, and for the assurance that KEVIN lives forever in the joy and peace of Your presence. Guide us through this time of sadness with the light of Your love and the strength of Your compassion - we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

Message:  We have Hope 

Friends, we are gathered here today to say goodbye to a precious life, and to support KEVIN’s family. 

 I had the privilege of spending some time with KEVIN last week and to pray with him. In spending some time with KEVIN, I know that he had made a decision to respond to the love of God. 

This afternoon I would like to take a moment to talk with you, and although this is a time of incredible pain and sadness, there is hope. 

The Hurt 

No matter how eloquent the words that are spoken today… 

No matter how beautiful the music is… 

No matter how kind friends are in their expressions of care and concern… 

There is still a very genuine and valid sense of sorrow and loss that is experienced when a loved one is no longer with us. 

Even when a person has faith, and this family does, there is still a sadness that exists because someone we love is no longer with us – we are no longer able to enjoy their company, their friendship, and their fellowship. 

We see within the pages of the Bible a compassionate God who is touched with our feelings, our pain and our infirmities. 

We see Jesus’ teaching in His Sermon on the Mount, He said: 

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." (Matthew 5:4) 

The Help 

The bible says that we have help in times of trouble 

Psalm 46 tells us: 

God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in time of trouble.   

God is committed to helping us through the difficult, the turbulent times of life. 

God helps us by His abiding presence and the comfort of Holy Spirit. 

God helps us through friends who are supportive, who are there for us, who are non-judgmental. 

The Hope 

We have help and we also have hope.  

God understands our hurting and pain — He is in-touch with the feeling of our pain and infirmities. 

When the world says:

It’s all over. 

It’s finished.  

No more.  

The end. 

God says: 

"I will have the last word." 

To that, we respond: We believe, and we choose to walk by faith, and not by sight. 

We have something very positive and tangible to look forward to in the future. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[f] so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.  

14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.[g]  

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died[h] will rise from their graves.  

17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 

18 So encourage each other with these words. 

Not only does God offer us hope with the promise of the resurrection, but the resurrection offers us the promise of reunion. 

Today we have hope and we are assured that through Christ Jesus there is life. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER: 

Our father who art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy Name. 

Thy kingdom come. 

Thy will be done, 

On earth as it is in heaven.  

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our trespasses,  

As we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

But deliver us from evil. 

For thine is the kingdom, 

And the power, and the glory, 

For ever and ever. 

Amen. 

EULOGY: 

Graham Mcintosh 

Kaylene Hickson and Jeff Hickson 

Mikayla Zielke and Brandon Zielke

TRIBUTE: 

REFLECTION SONG AND POWERPOINT  

And now if you could turn your attention to the screen, the family have prepared a special presentation of some of their memories of KEVIN. 

Song: Bev’s Special Song for Kev 

 You Raised Me Up - Westlife 

Song by Joel Diya during the placing of petals  

Amazing Grace 

Hallelujah 

PLACING PETALS ON KEVINS COFFIN  

Invite immediate family  

Followed by friends who would like to place petals 

Prayer: 

Lord God, we give you thanks and ask you to give us the grace to entrust, (KEVIN HICKSON), into your care and love. Into your hands, dear Lord, we commend him. Receive him into your arms of mercy. And may his family and all who are gathered here find comfort in the knowledge and hope that [KEVIN] is with you, right now. 

Committal: 

In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commit the body of KEVIN HICKSON to rest. 

Benediction: 

The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, 
And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, 
And give you peace. Amen 

Wake:  

Following the service today the family would like to invite you all to join them for the wake, this will be held at:  

5 Arthur Appleton Place, Norman Gardens  

(Parking available on next street Redwood Cl, Norman Gardens on a vacant block.) 

FAREWELL:  

Spirit in the sky by Norman Greenbaum