A local funeral home has noticed a trend in recent years, more and more residents are starting to shy away from religious styled funerals and sometimes opting out altogether.

Jones Funeral Home is hosting a presentation Thursday afternoon at the Moose Jaw Public Library to discuss the ceremonies involved with laying a loved one to rest, including the funeral itself. David Moore is a Pre-plan specialist and celebrant who will explore the impact of not having a funeral.

He finds more people are shying away due to the religious undertones that are often involved, even when the deceased was not a religious person. Moore says the process of preplanning will allow a person to choose exactly what happens at their service, including how much religion is included.

The decision against having a funeral can often have a negative impact on family members who are left to grieve.

"Because there has not been a healthy kind of way to deal with grieving or the grieving has never been entered into, a result is the saying that 'we're still waiting for mom to walk through the door' because they've never had a way of closing the door on one era and opening it to another one."

"Planning Your Funeral" is being held at the Moose Jaw Public Library at 2:30 Thursday afternoon.