Ministry to the Elderly – Jim Wilkerson
I approached her after the service and knelt down to look across the arm of her wheelchair and said, “Ms. _________ are you hopeful, do you have hope?” At that moment when her eyes are moist and I am due at church to preach another sermon in 25 minutes, I cannot afford to ask, “How are you doing?” I can see how she is doing. She was walking a month ago, dressing herself and always arriving to the service well dressed, with a lovely smile and words of encouragement. She arrives late to our weekly Sunday worship service, she can barely propel herself in her chair through the halls, someone is dressing her that does not care about her appearance near as much as she did, and instead of smiling she is holding back tears. She said she was scared. She said she had thought and done things that she was not sure God would forgive her for. I opened the Scriptures and read several passages to her and gave her a sense of their meaning, and she said, “Yes, I believe that, I am trusting in him, and I needed to hear that again.” We prayed, she grinned and I stood to leave to go and preach to another people who are driving, walking, talking, singing, playing, dressing themselves but are struggling everyday to trust Jesus.
Ministry to the elderly is an honor God has given to his church because God honors the elderly. In Leviticus 19:32 we read, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” The Lord honors the elderly by enabling his church to live in the fear of God honoring the aged. The church is called to esteem and respect the elderly recognizing their value, importance and significance as the image bearers of God. In our present culture because the elderly do not make it to the covers of popular magazines, unless they have had some work done, into the end zones (No, Bret Farve is not elderly), or rise to the top of the movie or music charts we often mock them or are ashamed of them. In our churches because the elderly cannot increase our membership or enhance our media, children’s or music ministry they are not valued. But the elderly of our society are to be cared for by the church in her good works and words. The apostle Paul exhorts us in Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” God calls us to minister to the elderly inside and outside of the church (Mt.15:1-9; Eph.6:1-3; 1Tim.5).
We must always seek to keep a balance between ministering within the particular covenant community of the church and outside those walls to our neighbors. At RPC we have the honor of ministering to the elderly each week at Fairhaven Assisted Living Center. On Sunday at 4:00 PM we host a worship service for the residents. Most of these residents are not able to take themselves to respective churches in the community. Many of them are Christians who are “shut in” from their churches and we have the privilege of bringing the corporate worship of God to them. Some of these residents are hearing the Word of God again or for the first time as they have not been in worship since their childhood or at all in their lifetime. On Wednesday at 6:00 PM we host a Bible study and prayer time with the residents. During this weekly meeting we read the Scriptures to them trying to encourage them to answer questions as they learn from the text and a sense of the text is given to them. We also pray with them and for them during this time. In both of these meetings the residents greatly enjoy the singing of hymns. Through these two meetings with the residents we are able to encourage them as they face various trials and joys, and encourage and exhort them to trust in Jesus Christ with a steadfast and persevering faith by his grace. The leadership of RPC wants to encourage all who are able to participate in this important ministry of the church. If you have any questions about how to participate please ask one of the elders: Scottie Deloach, Kevin Nichols or Jim Wilkerson; or one of the deacons: Brian Brewer, Ron Hannon or Tom Pearson in person or by email at redeemerpres@bellsouth.net .
These two meeting opportunities with the residents allow us to share God’s gifts through teaching, singing, playing music, and encouragement in relationship. But these meetings open the door for other ministry opportunities where you can use other gifts and talents that God has given you in an ongoing ministry at Fairhaven. As you think about how God can use you in this important ministry keep in mind these three suggestions. The residents and staff at Fairhaven need the church to show genuine care for their needs. The residents at Fairhaven and their families need the church to be sensitive and aware of the relationships they have with one another. The residents at Fairhaven need the church to share the love of God toward them in Word and deed in the midst of the joys and trials of aging. As we follow Christ by faith let us seek to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters (1Jn.3:16) and go together into the field of ministry to care for our neighbors.
As I walked through the front door I greeted her in the hallway. I was met with a sneering look and words that I cannot express here. I continued to greet her week after week. One morning I looked to the back of the room we were meeting in for worship and she was sitting on the back row. I greeted her afterward and she made little response. The next week she appeared again on the back row. I received a call that week from her nephew and he wanted to know what had happened to his great aunt. She was changed and she was professing faith in Jesus Christ. I went to see her that week and she was smiling not sneering, blessing not cursing. Her countenance had changed because God had taken her heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh, Jesus’ heart. He had given her life in Christ. Two weeks later she passed away. The beauty of the story that I have not told is how she get to the back row. An elderly man with Alzheimer’s who could not talk, but who knew Jesus and knew she did not, he got her there. He sat with her on the couch in the hallway and tried to get her to go to the worship service. He befriended her during the week by sitting or walking with her. He whistled hymns that came to mind. He held that mean woman’s hand. And with him she came to worship. He brought her to his Savior, and she beheld the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Leave a Reply