Assisted living

Church Growth Through God’s Eyes

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.          Acts 6:7 KJV

Nursing home outreach doesn’t carry with it the razzle-dazzle of building programs, youth ministry or Holiday pageants, but it does offer a unique way to connect to our community. That is exactly what we see in this passage from the book of Acts. The number of Christians grew rapidly not because of some church program but because they agreed to work together in unity to take care of feeding poor widows.  Imported from phone 083

In the early days of the church some things brought about growth that we will not be able to replicate (Such as five hundred people seeing Jesus alive after His resurrection). But there are other principles which we can follow in any culture, time or place. Showing the love of Christ by caring for our older generation connects us with their friends and families in a deep and powerful way.  That is not to say that we could simply use nursing home ministry as a strategy to build our church; but rather that amazing things happen when we align ourselves with the heart of God. Ministering in a nursing home blesses not only its residents but also those of us who serve. Teen-agers are reminded that their energy can give a smile or bring tears of joy. Middle aged people find out that the value of their own life will not change with age. Retired folks discover that residents will treasure their friendship because so few ever come to see them anymore. Through His amazing plan God will help His church to grow in numbers as together we draw closer to Jesus Christ.

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Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents

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You may have already heard this story but and as a nursing home chaplain it touches my own heart . Ruby, whose mother is a nurse at the facility where she began her project, has given us all a wake up call about how needed and effective the simplest acts of kindness are for residents in long term care. My prayer is that people will not just give to here Gofundme page or like her on Facebook but that they will see the opportunity to do something in their own community. The small gifts that Ruby brings are an expression of love that can only be given in person; one hug at a time! Please watch because I guarantee you’ll love this video!

New Book on Care Ministry

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“I gained a whole new appreciation for what new beginnings meant when my wife and I chose to retire last year. Our lives had radically changed direction the year before when Nancy had survived major cancer surgery; which was followed by six chemotherapy treatments over nine months. Then as summer rolled around while she was getting her strength back, things seemed to come into place for us to move to Florida.

At first we eagerly raced ahead towards what seemed an exciting though uncertain future. Driving away from chilly, rainy Pennsylvania, we both felt like shouting, “Wahoo we’re going to Florida! No more ice! No more snow!

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No more dark colorless months of barren and cold landscapes!!” But somewhere in the middle of making new friends, finding new doctors and settling into a new church we realized that the challenge of beginning again was much bigger than we thought it would be.

For me, one vital part of starting over for me was to begin to volunteer in a nursing home ministry…” (From New Beginnings in Care Ministry)

New Beginings

It’s been quite a while since I released anything new on Nursing Home Ministry. The book “New Beginnings in Care Ministry” is a reflection of my coming to see a wider view of Long Term Care ministry in my own ministry restart. Care ministry looks beyond simply the traditional nursing home setting into the lives and needs of special needs children, residents in special needs assisted living as well as those in memory care. If your life has been touched by long term care, through a family member, your job or as a volunteer this collection of stories and insights with lots of photos are just for you. It is my prayer they will both be a practical as well as a spiritual be a blessing in your own personal journey. This is available in both softcover and E-book formats through Amazon.

New Beginnings in Care Ministry