This is a short video that our church filmed recently highlighting the opportunity and need for nursing home outreach. For those of you who have followed by blog for a while you know that my passion has been to reach into Long Term Care homes around our community. Ministering to the needs of residents is about more than simply singing a few songs or showing up on the holidays. Serving the needs of those in long term care means also reaching the community around them, including family members, staff and other volunteers. My prayer is that you will hear God’s call to give time, energy, prayer and resources in this New Year ahead to make a difference in the lives of those in the Long Term Care Community.
Nursing Home Ministry
Praying for Others
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ Luke 18:1-3 ESV
For the last 23 years in nursing home ministry God has helped me to learn a lot about prayer. Though you may have never set foot in a nursing home you will discover that prayer requests are remarkably the same everywhere. People in nursing homes battle with depression, fatigue and loneliness around the holidays like everyone else. As an outreach worker you often ask yourself; “What is my small faith in the face of such needs?” Jesus gives us some answers in the story that He told about a widow and a judge. 
First, she built a relationship with the judge by going to see him every day. Every day as he sipped his morning cup of tea, he would hear a knock. When he went to open his door there the widow would be again asking; “Give me justice in my dispute with my enemy!” Maybe he even began to anticipate her visit and prepare for it. In our case we pray, not to some uncaring local magistrate; but to our Father in heaven. He is loving, merciful and kind. Why not begin where the widow began? Why not come every morning with expectant faith; knowing that Jesus is eagerly waiting to hear our knock on His door. Learning to pray for others means persistently building our relationship with God and then trusting Him to meet their needs.
Taking Care of Mom
Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19:27 ESV
Jesus struggled to breath and nails pinned his hands and feet to wooden boards behind him and the crown of thorns pressed down around his head; but in the middle of his suffering Jesus was thinking about his mom. As the oldest son it was his responsibility to make sure she was taken care of. At that moment there was only a small cluster of friends and family around Him and when He saw John next to Mary His choice of caregiver was made.
As a result of John’s new responsibility we find later on that his ministry was far less public than some of the others. Peter became the chief spokesman for the church and Paul traveled all over the world as a missionary, but John stayed home. He was taking care of Mary. Now of course there is nothing wrong with people serving as evangelists and missionary leaders; but God has called some of us to care for those closer to home. Did you know that according to U. S. government statistics; 70% of those in long term care will not receive a single visit this year? Just like Mary, they are Jesus’ mother, older sister and brother. Father’s day passes and no one even calls. Mother’s day arrives and they do not get a flower or a hug or a kiss unless someone hears the call of Jesus and is willing to go. Why not take a moment and ask God if you could be that someone today?
Recently our pastor accompanied me at my nursing home ministry and mad this short video to encourage others to answer God’s call in our own communities. I pray that your heart will be touched and that this Christmas you find a way to reach out and share the love of Jesus Christ to Jesus’ mother and sister and brother in your own town,God bless
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