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Grief Companionship & Funeral Speeches

Being accompanied
through the farewell.

"Grief is not something to be overcome – it is an expression of love that is still looking for a place."

Grief needs space, time and someone who listens — without judging. As an ordained priest and grief companion, I accompany you from the farewell into everyday life after the loss.

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Michel Makumpa – Grief companion & funeral speaker
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Ordained priest New Apostolic Church Erding

About

Michel Makumpa

Grief is not a problem to be solved — it is an expression of deep love. My task is not to ease the pain, but to accompany you on this path: honestly, warmly and as an equal.

"To accompany every person in their grief — regardless of their origin and belief — that is my calling."

As an ordained priest in the New Apostolic Church in Erding, I have led memorial services and services of remembrance for many years. I combine this foundation with my current training as a grief companion (BVT), to offer support that reaches from the farewell to long-term companionship.

Everything you share with me in our conversations is subject to my duty of confidentiality and remains strictly confidential at all times.

Compassionate & present
Without judgement
Open to all faiths
Confidential
In training (BVT)
Star Children qualification in preparation
Personally reachable

My services

What I can do for you

From the first hour after a death to well beyond — I accompany you wherever you need me.

Grief companionship

One-to-one conversations and regular companionship in the time after a loss. I create a protected space where grief is allowed to be — for as long as needed.

Individual companionship

Funeral speeches

A personal funeral speech that honours the life of the deceased. As an ordained priest, I can also lead religious ceremonies in full.

Religious & secular

Group companionship

Grief groups for people who wish to share with others who are affected — a place of community and mutual understanding.

On request

Star Children

Companionship for parents who lost their child before, during or shortly after birth — with compassion and no detours.

Specialized companionship

Learn more →

End-of-Life and Palliative Care Companionship

Companionship for dying people and their families in the final phase of life — drawing on my spiritual ministry, currently in development for my freelance practice.

In development

Learn more →

Memorial design & keepsakes

A farewell should do justice to the person we have lost. I help you create a ceremony that truly touches.

🎵 Music coordination Choosing and coordinating the right pieces for the farewell
📡 Live stream Broadcasting ceremonies for those who cannot be there in person Coming soon
📖 Biography Capturing the life of the deceased in words
🎞 Memorial film Bringing photos and memories together into a moving film
📷 Memory album A personal photo album with images from the ceremony, a text and the life story of the deceased — handed to the family in person

How I work

The path we walk together

No two appointments are alike — but here is what a collaboration typically looks like. Every conversation is subject to my duty of confidentiality and remains confidential at every step.

1

First conversation

Free and without obligation. I listen, you share — at your own pace.

2

Planning

Together we clarify what you really need and how I can help.

3

Companionship

I am there for you — at the ceremony, in conversations, in everyday life.

4

Aftercare

Grief does not end after the funeral. I stay by your side for as long as you wish.

A Word on Artificial Intelligence

Why Grief Needs a Human Being

We live in a time when artificial intelligence is finding its way into almost every part of our lives, including where loss and farewell are concerned. And that is exactly where its limits show: the look in someone's eyes, their expressions, the way a beloved person carried themselves, none of that can be recreated once that person is no longer here. Grief means stepping into the pain and learning to live with the loss, it is, as I often put it, the search for a place for love within one's own life.

That is why I always say: talk to a person, not to an AI. Artificial intelligence can be a valuable aid, for questions or research, and because I work with AI myself, I know exactly where its limits lie. But when it comes to grief itself, to the loss of someone you loved, what you need is a person who truly sees you, who steps into the pain with you, and who is genuinely present. A grief companion who has lived through something similar can often understand you better, from their own experience, not only from gathered information.

Do not isolate yourself. Talk to people, to friends, to your family, even though they are often grieving the same person themselves and may not always have the strength you need right now. That is exactly where a grief companion can stand by your side. As I understand it, artificial intelligence cannot replace this closeness.

Contact

Let's talk.

The first conversation is free and without obligation. I usually get back to you within 24 hours.

Phone 08122 – 4970376
Mobile 0155 – 62903398
E-mail Trauerbegleitung@makumpa.de
Address Am Wirtsacker 55
85435 Erding, Germany
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Facebook Trauerbegleitung makumpa
Instagram @trauerbegleitung.makumpa
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Active in the districts of Erding and Freising — and wherever I am needed
Home visits and on-site companionship are possible. If you prefer to stay at home, I also accompany you by phone or video call — with no regional limits.

My flyer to read and share:

Download flyer (PDF)

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I reply personally — no automated system.

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