Beyond the Business: Cultivating Fellowship and Learning in Funeral Service Peer Groups

Beyond the Business: Cultivating Fellowship and Learning in Funeral Service Peer Groups

At Homesteaders Life Company, we understand that funeral service goes beyond providing end-of-life arrangements. It's about supporting families, fostering meaningful connections and navigating the complexities of grief with care and compassion. For funeral providers, these emotional and professional demands can sometimes lead to feelings of burnout and isolation. That's why it's important to participate in funeral service peer groups-structured spaces that reconnect professionals with their purpose while fostering fellowship and ongoing learning.

We've gathered insights directly from funeral professionals in peer groups to help you understand the value of these communities and how to make the most of them.

Why Join a Funeral Service Group?

Peer groups offer funeral professionals a unique and invaluable space to exchange insights and address challenges specific to their industry. Members often discuss strategies for grief support, such as creating personalized remembrance ceremonies or incorporating cultural traditions into services. They share approaches for managing funeral arrangements during peak times, like coordinating staffing for large services or implementing scheduling systems to balance workloads. Peer groups also provide a supportive environment to navigate sensitive conversations with grieving families, offering advice on how to handle delicate situations with empathy and professionalism.

These gatherings foster camaraderie through shared meals, deep discussions, and collaborative learning experiences. For instance, some groups have worked together to improve communication with families by developing tools like follow-up surveys or pre-need consultation scripts. Others focus on staying ahead of industry trends, such as the growing demand for green burial options or virtual memorial services, and brainstorming ways to implement these innovations effectively. By exchanging diverse perspectives and exploring tailored goals, members of peer groups not only enhance their professional skills but also strengthen the collective resilience of the funeral profession.

Todd Harra, President of McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes and Crematory and author of Last Rites: The Evolution of the American Funeral has experienced these benefits firsthand as a participant in the Holman-Howe Study Group since 2021. Introduced to the group through a mentor, Harra reflects on its positive impact: "It has been a real boost getting together with, and learning from, people who are doing amazing things in funeral service."

Harra's group operates guided by the tagline "Looking forward, together." In their Facebook group, they regularly share best practices, like how to streamline processes for cremation services or market new pre-need insurance offerings. They also discuss real-time challenges, such as navigating price transparency regulations or handling a sudden influx of trade calls. Harra recalls one member who shares his approach to highlight how small details-like cleanliness, greetings, and atmosphere-can significantly impact families' experiences and positively represent the funeral profession as a whole.

"Just like any other funeral director, I am always looking for ways to improve and pivot, and peer groups provide a great forum for that," Harra said.

Beyond insights and strategies, Harra highlights the networking and fellowship he has gained. "I now have more trusted friends across the country, so if I have a trade call, I have a friend I can trust to do the work," he added.

How to Start or Join a Peer Group

Joining or starting a funeral service peer group is a rewarding step toward professional development. Homesteaders recommends reaching out to local or state funeral service associations to connect with established networks. Many associations offer active groups that provide immediate opportunities for involvement. Alternatively, engage with colleagues at industry events or join online forums and social media groups tailored to funeral professionals.

If you'd like to start your own group, begin by identifying peers or colleagues who share your interest in professional growth and collaboration. With a little organization and outreach, you can create or join a supportive community that fosters learning, fellowship, and ethical practice. Organizations like the Death Care Collective or The Order of the Golden Rule offer excellent starting points for building or enhancing a group. By introducing peer group sessions into existing structures, you can create a supportive community with minimal effort.

Getting the Most Out of Your Group

Once your group is formed, establish a regular meeting schedule, choosing a consistent day each month to help members plan. If your group spans multiple regions, consider hosting virtual meetings using free or inexpensive platforms like Zoom or Google Meet to make participation accessible. For in-person gatherings, select a comfortable and convenient location, such as your funeral home, a restaurant, or a community space. Invite like-minded individuals with diverse experiences to enrich discussions, and consider incorporating guest speakers-

such as industry experts or grief counselors-to offer fresh insights, whether they join virtually or in person.

Define a format for your meetings, such as rotating leadership roles, to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute. Consider hosting industry experts or grief counselors to offer new insights and guidance. A bonus is that those guests might become regular visitors to your peer group!

Finally, be sure to take time to process, reflect and revisit the topics from your last meeting. Focus on sharing tangible examples of how you applied insights to your daily work.

Suggested Topics for Funeral Service Peer Groups

Bringing variety to your peer group topics is essential for keeping discussions fresh, engaging and impactful. Variety in topics encourages members to think critically, reflect personally and apply new insights to their daily work. Tackling diverse topics fosters deeper connections within the group, as members learn from one another's perspectives and expertise. Below are some ideas for discussion topics to help your group cover a wide spectrum of important issues while promoting both professional growth and personal development:

• Managing Grief and Supporting Families: Consider sharing resources you and other group members use to support bereaved families. Not sure where to start? Homesteaders has a variety of grief resources starting with our Grief Care Library that includes For Grief, a website of grief resources including a bookshop, videos, forums, a speaker's bureau and more.
• Industry Challenges and Trends: Discuss market shifts, including rising cremation rates and the growing demand for personalized service experiences, while staying informed about developments in preneed planning and funeral services.
• Work-Life Balance and Avoiding Burnout: Share strategies for recognizing signs of burnout and maintaining personal well-being, helping members navigate the demands of the profession with resilience.
• Ethical and Environmental Considerations:Delve into sustainability initiatives, green burial practices and approaches to addressing ethical dilemmas in the funeral industry.

Suggested Books for Your Funeral Service Peer Group

Incorporating books into your peer group discussions can provide deeper insights, spark meaningful dialogue and introduce fresh perspectives on important topics in funeral service. Books offer a structured way to explore complex subjects and encourage group members to engage with new ideas. Plus, they take some pressure off the group to continue bringing fresh content. Including these books in your peer group will not only enhance your knowledge but also inspire meaningful conversations and a deeper connection to your work.

• It's OK That You're Not OK by Megan Devine: This book offers a compassionate framework for exploring grief, helping professionals deepen their understanding of the grieving process and develop more empathetic approaches to supporting families during their most vulnerable moments.
  • Tip: You can find more books on grief at the For Grief Bookshop. Books are organized by type of loss and by age of the reader.
• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty: Filled with humor and heartfelt reflections, this memoir explores cremation and the meaning of death through the eyes of a young mortician, making it an engaging and relatable read for professionals in the field.
• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande: This book examines what truly matters at the end of life, highlighting the importance of dignity, choice, and compassion in care, which aligns closely with the values of funeral service.
• Greening Death by Suzanne Kelly: Focused on eco-friendly burial practices, this book explores the growing movement toward sustainability in death care, offering practical insights and innovative ideas for those interested in green funerals.

Funeral service peer groups go beyond professional development-they foster community, combat burnout and inspire meaningful conversations about grief, ethics and innovation. By creating or joining a peer group, you'll cultivate not only your business acumen but also a deeper understanding of the critical role funeral services play in society. Start building your group today and take the first step toward a more connected and sustainable future in funeral service.

Are you in a funeral service peer group? Share some insights in the comments below. Consider these prompts to guide you.

• How do you ensure that your group discussions stay fresh and relevant to the evolving needs of the funeral profession?
• What topics do you think should be prioritized in a funeral service group to foster both personal and professional growth?
• Have you read any of the books above? Do you have recommendations that we have not listed?
• What are some innovative practices you've introduced in your funeral service group to encourage deeper learning and fellowship?