2 million people are currently living in nursing home in the US and Canada alone.
Psalm 92:14
Ultimately, success is when the services of Elder Source Senior Ministries are no longer needed, as described recently in our newsletter.
On The Road With Stan in Wilson, Montana
"There is something about the western US that attracts me. I have traveled all of the forty-eight states and can honestly say that there is beauty in every state, but some, especially in the west, have a hold on me, like Montana.Wilson, in the western portion of Montana, sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. A sign on the north edge of town boasts a city of 12,578 smiling faces. The town is a graceful mix of history and new growth, with an intentional effort to blend the two. Several of the downtown buildings, both old and new, are being covered in rough timber to give the town that unique western look.
After a stop to clarify directions, I find the place I was looking for, Montana Mornings, a senior care community. I later find that the name is also a philosophical statement, as each day is a brand new Montana big sky morning filled with purpose.
I learned years ago that our best advertising is by word of mouth from those who know us and tell their colleagues about us. I was making an exception this time by stopping unannounced, in hopes of meeting with the activity director.
I parked and entered the enormous log structure. Just inside the entrance hall was a large casual room with a vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace, and pine floors. The place had the feel of a lodge.
I spotted the receptionist and told her the purpose of my visit. She made a couple of calls and told me that I was in luck because the head of activities had just finished a meeting, and would be glad to meet me.
Angie looked to be about my age and had been in activities for twenty-two years. We sat down in a cozy corner near the large fireplace, and I began to explain the full scope of our ministry—from the free materials to the Harvest Prayer Chapters, all the way through including the Christmas Stocking Project and our chaplain program.
Angie seemed very pleased at what our ministry has to offer, but I was shocked when I heard that our ministry was not needed. I felt rejected, and she was smiling. At that moment I felt as if the sun was going down on my Montana Mornings visit.
She stood saying, “Follow me.” Down the hall and around the corner we entered a room that housed a small library of audio/visual materials and equipment. I was told that everything had been donated by the community.
We moved on down the hall to a small conference room; where, on the wall, was a calendar filled with activities and religious services. I also learned that an area church had adopted Montana Mornings and provided the bulk of the volunteers.
At that moment a man walked in, and Angie introduced us. Bob had retired from the pastorate, but didn’t want to retire from ministry. “Bob is our volunteer chaplain,” she proudly exclaimed. I was flabbergasted. After all, this was my dream of how it should be, but I had never seen it in reality. They really did not need us. The local churches were meeting the need.
Nearly three years has passed since the above article first appeared in our newsletter. As mentioned in the original article, I have to confess something to you. Neither Wilson, nor Montana Mornings exists. The story is fictional. However, it was a visualization of our desire that there will be a time when ESSM is not needed difference in the thousands of seniors our ministry touches?
Do you dare to dream big? Copy this article and give it to your volunteers and pastors. Be bold and look for that one church that will adopt your community. Look for that retired pastor who still wants to minister. Be that agent of change. Will you consider this? Please let me know if you do."
- Stan Means
As in the fictional story above, true success cannot come without the local church. Our desire is to facilitate partnerships between local churches and local facilities with the goal in mind that one church adopt one local facility -as a direct outreach of that church. This will take the involvement of the pastoral staff and church members of all ages. Although our focus is primarily on seniors in care centers, there are a number of home-bound seniors that are just as lonely and needy as those in the care centers. For us to be a true Titus 2 church we must change the way the we view retirement and seniors.
In 1996 (our first year of placing more than just Bible tapes in elder care facilities) 84 Resource Packs were placed in 84 Carolina facilities. The following year a survey determined that in all but three of those facilities, the materials were still in regular use.
Although those results were great, it was the discovery of why the remaining three weren’t using their materials that caused a major change in direction for Elder Source. All three facilities had new activity directors. It was therefore determined that, in order for the materials to be used on a continuing basis, volunteers must be included.
Volunteers are needed in participating facilities to use the materials with individual residents who can no longer get out of bed to attend a group activity or public worship service. Volunteers can also help by contacting their local churches or civic groups to acquire more donations of audio/visual materials and equipment. Volunteers are also needed to help with group activities. Contact us to find a facility near you that has our materials
We are a society that is growing steadily older. Projections of a future explosion of seniors - as the baby boomers reach retirement - will bring new challenges and opportunities. It will be commonplace to have both post-retirement age children and living elderly parents. With the not-too-distant sound of the age wave march, both business and government are taking long and serious looks at the opportunities and the financial impact.
Many church denominations and para-church organizations are looking at this coming age wave with excitement. Not only are the numbers of retired persons increasing in America, Americans are also living longer. The opportunities for Americans to enjoy their retirement years with good health and relative financial ease have never looked better. Neither has the opportunity for volunteerism.
With the coming age wave, seniors will continue to age to the point where many will need to be placed in some type of care facility. However, there will be a growing army of retired folks with time on their hands. ElderSource by Dobson Ministries sees the future bright as this wave will bring a new respect for the aged and new opportunities for service.
As Psalm 92:14 says, “They will still bear fruit in old age.”
Elder Source operates on a simple principle of giving materials away and encouraging the use of those materials to be the catalyst for ministry to a forgotten people. The materials are given to a facility through an activity director who is typically overworked and underpaid. He or she must rely on volunteers to meet the spiritual needs of the residents within his or her care.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for the activity director to recruit and keep good volunteers. The problem could be easily solved if the facility administration could hire a person, a Chaplain, to work part-time between one or more facilities. Unfortunately, not all facilities are in the financial position to add such a staff person.
It would be terrific if Elder Source could include a Chaplain with each Resource Pack. The program would then be totally complete. Since that is not possible, ElderSource can be a facilitator for those wanting to become Chaplains in elder care facilities, or for those facilities who would like Chaplains. Perhaps you know of a retired pastor or layman that could make an ideal chaplain at a facility near you. Let them know about ESSM and the need for facility based paid and volunteer chaplains.
Few things brighten the face of an older person like a child does. Elder Source encourages youth volunteers in a variety of ways. Youth can adopt grandparents, visit them regularly, and remember them on special occasions. Youth can get involved through their school chorus and band programs, through church choirs, and through civic groups. Schools can bring their students for a special after school reading program.
Happy Hearts Project
It is an enriching experience for the students of Southside Christian School,
and it brightens the day of every resident!
About two years ago, Southside Christian School began a wonderful service that has been rewarding for everyone involved. Through a partnership with Dobson Ministries, Southside Christian Elementary and Middle Schools have started what is called Happy Hearts. Each grade level partners with a local assisted living or nursing home facility.
The students in each grade make crafts or write letters to the residents once a month, visit the nursing homes at least once a semester, and do a variety of activities with the residents. In addition, the residents come to the school for ice cream parties and other activities.
The coordination and supervision of the crafts and activities is performed between a group of dedicated parent volunteers within the school and the activity directors of each of the nursing homes. These students have the unique opportunity to show Christ’s love to the elderly of our community and how He is at work in the lives of our youth. It is an enriching experience for the students of Southside Christian School and it brightens the day of every resident.
If you are an activity director or a chaplain in an eldercare facility and would like one of our Resource Packs to use with your residents, simply download our Application and Working Agreement (PDF).
If you have a family member or friend in an eldercare facility and would like to make our Resource Pack materials available to him or her, then pass this information along to the Activity Director or Chaplain of the facility, who should then contact us.
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