Regarding death notice messages, should you get permission from the family?

• A. It depends on the family’s wishes
• B. Not required if the church is involved
• C. True
• D. Only if notified by church

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is respecting the family's control over how a loved one is publicly remembered. You should always seek the family's permission before sharing a death notice or any related message. This honors their wishes, protects privacy, and helps prevent sharing details that may be inaccurate or distressing. Even if the church is involved or coordinating the notice, that does not replace the need for explicit family consent about what information is shared, how it’s framed, and where it appears. If the family has a preferred name usage, tone, or timing, those preferences should guide the notice. In practice, ask what to include, what to omit, and through which channels the notice should be announced, and keep a record of the consent.