College of 21st Century Services
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College of 21st Century Services
Dean Mark Krause, CFuE
Dean Mark Krause, CFuE
How do you respond to a family who says, "We don't want a traditional funeral?" You'll learn how to go beyond tradition with innovative offerings and become certified as a funeral celebrant trained to provide meaningful alternatives to clergy-led services.
Friday, July 19
2:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Registration and Check-in
4:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Orientation
5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
University Reception
6:00 p.m.
University Dinner
Saturday, July 20
8:00 - 8:45 a.m.
Breakfast
8:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Introductions
Mark Krause, CFuE
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
A $27,000 Wedding vs. Your Final Celebration
Allen Dave Jr.
According to WeddingStats.org, there are about 2.6 million weddings conducted each year in the United States, and the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is projected to be $26,953. What makes a $27,000 wedding a perceived value, one on which consumers willingly spend significantly more than on our services?
Find out how Allen Dave made the transition from wedding planner to final event planner, bringing wedding planning practices and hospitality to funeral service. Want to hear how his lack of preconceived notions and "we always did it this way" rationale put him ahead of his competition and gained him customers in a highly competitive market?
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Which Casket Would You Like With Those Chicken Wings?
Mark Krause, CFuE
Including the 41 percent of their customers who select cremation, Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Service find that up to 80 percent of all their customers opt for the hospitality of food in their plans for final tribute. How did that evolve? What exactly does Krause offer? And what type of revenue stream does that consumer-driven service enhancement generate?
Learn how Krause made the connection between food service and funeral service and then designed and delivered what his customers wanted. Discover additional similar types of service enhancements the firm is using to help create meaningful tributes.
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Consumer Educational Seminars: Connecting Celebrant Ceremonies, Cremation and Hospice
Ernie Heffner, CFuE
Educating the public requires a comprehensive plan, a meaningful message, a system for consistent implementation and thoughtful preparation. This session provides an outline for taking a proactive approach toward 21st century death care services and specifically toward better meeting the needs of families who choose cremation. You'll examine:
- the correlation between no ceremony cremation and the celebrant option
- how celebrant ceremonies can boost market share
- the investment required for training and educating the public
- operational logistics and time commitments for celebrant ceremonies
- where to expect pushback and who may need attitude adjustments
- creating seminars and the subject matter to include in your presentations
- seminar time commitments, invitation options, best times and locations
- speakers, staffing requirements, equipment needs and handouts
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
70 Percent of Services Are Conducted by Eternal Hills Staff ... Not Clergy!
Tim Lancaster, CCFE
Want to know how this came to be? Think there is any connection between Eternal Hills' 60 percent market share against three competitors and their approach to providing meaningful services?
Operating in a market with a cremation rate ranging from 55-68 percent, Tim Lancaster will lead you through a process that has resulted in 70 percent of consumers choosing to have Eternal Hills professionals conduct the service rather than clergy. The real key and focus is not on product but rather on communication.
According to customer surveys, Eternal Hills has exponentially greater satisfaction when their own staff conduct services than when they leave their business and future in the hands of a preacher. What's more, though they charge $200 for Celebrant Services, families still try to give the celebrant a gratuity personally after the service.
Critically important is the attitude and approach of the arranger, which leads to consideration of permanent memorialization being important to the customer. This success story is not just theory but real how-to instruction on "why we do what we do" and "how we have applied these theories.”
And, finally, in the case of more traditional denominations that hold services at Eternal Hills, the staff acts as the "master of ceremonies" and incorporates the traditional clergy into the service rather than just handing him or her the reins.
5:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Annual Sports Tournament
Join your ICCFAU colleagues for a friendly game of volleyball.
Sunday, July 21
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Creating Exceptional Services for the Families You Serve
(presented courtesy of a sponsorship by Batesville Casket Company)
Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D.
This curriculum evolved out of a need to offer death care providers with a learning experience that focuses on their unique needs. Themes to be explored include:
- understanding the importance of a value-added service culture
- defining the new customer: characteristics, the bad news and the good news
- three keys to the future: focus, flexibility, responsivenessu evaluating service quality on five important factors
- exploring the service triangle: a customer-centered model
Wolfelt is director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado. An internationally noted author, educator and grief counselor, he is on the faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School's Department of Family Medicine.
A past recipient of the Association of Death Education and Counseling's Death Educator Award, Wolfelt is an educational consultant to hospices, hospitals, schools, universities, funeral homes and a variety of community agencies across North America. Wolfelt writes the "Children and Grief" column for Bereavement magazine and is author of many books on grief, including his newest release, "Healing Grief at Work: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Workplace Is Touched by Loss." Wolfelt has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Larry King Show, The NBC Today Show and Nick News.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Creating Exceptional Services (cont'd)
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Celebrant Training
Doug Manning and Glenda Stansbury
Celebrants offer an alternative to services provided by clergy persons for those families who are not affiliated with a church or who do not wish to have a traditional religious funeral service. They are trained to design services that are completely personal, incorporating those unique stories, songs and experiences that defined the deceased. Celebrants schedule a special "Family Time" meeting when the family can share memories, anecdotes and defining moments in the loved one's life. They will then base the essence of the service on the remembrances of the family, and family and friends will be encouraged to participate. Celebrants develop a library of resources available for readings, music, ceremonies and personal touches. They consult with the family to help them choose elements of the service that reflect their loved one. They are bound by a Code of Ethics for complete confidentiality in all dealings with the family.
| Becoming a Certified Celebrant After completing this college, students will be certified as celebrants. The training for celebrants as established by the In-Sight Institute seeks to provide the most comprehensive and sensitive training available for people who wish to develop this as a profession or to add to their current job description. It is important that a family knows they are being served by someone who understands the process and is prepared to offer the very best funeral possible. |
| What Does This Service Cost Families? The celebrant fee is usually higher than the fees charged by clergy for performing a funeral in a specific area. They can range widely across the country from $200 to more than $800, depending on type of service, location, travel and other expenses. A celebrant spends approximately 10 hours in preparation for a memorial service or funeral, as well as the expenses of training and maintaining a resource library. |
| What is The In-Sight Institute? The In-Sight Institute has one mission: helping people help people. This has evolved over the years, expanding from grief care books and seminars to include celebrant training and certification. Founder Doug Manning is a best-selling author, sought-after speaker and a grief expert relied on by the media. His first book, "A Minister Speaks About Funerals," was self-published in 1978, and in 1979, he wrote his best-selling book, "Don't Take My Grief Away From Me." In 1983, Manning wrote "When Love Gets Tough: The Nursing Home Decision." With the immediate success of that book, he made the commitment to follow his dream full time. He changed careers and founded In-Sight Books as his publishing and seminar company. In-Sight Books now publishes more than 40 products by Manning and a few select resources by other authors. The In-Sight Institute is the training arm of the company providing celebrant training. |
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Celebrating Training (cont'd)
5:00 p.m.
Dinner
Monday, July 22
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
6:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:00 p.m.
Cryptones concert
Tuesday, July 23
Class pictures will be taken on Tuesday
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Graduation/Reception for Students Completing Four Years
7:00 p.m.
Cryptones concert
Wednesday, July 24
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Celebrant Training (cont'd)
10:30 a.m.
Presentation of Certified Celebrant Certificate and Class Diploma