Nursing Home Ministry

Jesus in the Storm

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” Matthew 8:23-27 ESV

One blessing about ministering at nursing homes is that it is easy to find out if people are listening. The feedback is immediate and often I get interrupted with a question in the middle of a message or in between songs. That is a great incentive to keep things short, sweet and to the point. This almost nine-minute message was pushing the limits of my dear friends’ ability to focus, but it felt as if God was stirring at Life Care Center. Please continue to pray for us as there is a special sense of His moving and purpose this year. Have a blessed Sunday all. I hope you will be challenged and encouraged by hearing once again about Jesus in the storm!

Revival at Nursing Home

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

What comes to your mind when you hear the word revival? Is it long lines of people waiting for the doors of church to open? Is it an altar full of people praying after the service? I would answer, “Yes and Amen!” to both. But revival is also about joy in the place of hardship and faith in an environment of wheelchairs, doctor’s visits and painful nights. Revival at nursing home isn’t about the numbers, the excitement or the breathless expectations of large meetings. Nursing home revival is about the love of Jesus breaking out in miraculous ways, of residents praying for one another and of nurses wiping a tear away when they hear their special people singing. Revival is about God breaking through in the most unexpected place and at times we never imagined. In 1962 Doris Mae Akers was directing the choir. As they neared the end of their rehearsal time, Doris felt the presence of God in a such a special way, that she said, “You are not ready to go in,” Later that night, still sensing that God had something more, she took pen in hand and wrote words that we have been singing for the last sixty-three years, “There’s a Sweet Sweet Spirit in this place. And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord.” Are you looking for something more in your walk with the Lord Jesus? Then linger in prayer and worship, listen in the quiet place of prayer and determine to take whatever time is needed for God to break through. Then, “Without a doubt we’ll know, that we have been revived. When we shall leave this place!”

Making New Connections

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Corinthians 12:20-21

One of the greatest challenges that many people face today is isolation. We as a society find ourselves separated by age, wealth, education and race. Sadly, this kind of segmentation is common even in the church. Our church announcements end up sounding something like this,

“The eyebrows will be meeting in room 112b on Wednesday nights, the feet are having a luncheon at noon on Saturday, and a short-term mission trip for the toes and fingers will be leaving next Sunday afternoon.”

This sort of dissection of the body of Christ seems completely natural to us because that is what we have experienced everywhere else all our lives. And though some of these specialized get-togethers are sometimes helpful, the dangers of isolation and segmentation are nowhere more pronounced than among the elderly who often find themselves in long-term care. And even in long-term care facilities the specialization that drives further isolation has been accelerating over the last ten or fifteen years. For example, those with memory issues are locked in their own ward, others no longer able to walk are placed in a separate wing, and the list goes on. Worst of all is that these people are not only isolated, but they are also usually soon forgotten by family, friends and neighbors, and even by the church. The parts of the body of Christ that God had designed to be connected to them don’t miss them because they are busy meeting with the other toes and fingers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today God is calling the church to do more than hold worship conferences, youth rallies and women’s conventions. God’s heart is to go out into the highways and byways, which includes the long-term care facilities in our community. For those who sense God’s calling, I am making a short book called, “New Frontiers in Nursing Home Ministry,” available for free in its Kindle format all this week.