When Church Comes to the Care Home
It is 3.00 Friday and I am just leaving my second care home visit for the day. A last glance around to make sure I have my speaker and phone (source of recorded music), that no one has dropped any wafers down the side of chairs and I have collected up all booklets and instruments into my box which serves as storage and sometimes the communion table, that I have left behind large print church magazines on the table and then I am ready. A last goodbye to staff, and ‘see you soon’, signed out, in the car and now time to reflect.
My congregation members have either pottered back to the lounge for a cup of tea or have stayed in the quiet room to rest or chat. The average age is probably 85, all with memories of going to church but now church comes to them. Between monthly visits new residents arrive and others depart. In one home I have someone who played the organ for many years, someone who was in the choir and someone who had been a church warden. I have congregation members who tell me how much they have missed going to church because they could not get there, the times of service was too early or the church wasn’t very accessible. I have others who come along who have had no church experience and then I find them coming back again the next month.
Care homes do have a responsibility to ensure that the spiritual needs of its residents are met but even so it has been an interesting and very blessed journey over the last two years as our four care home communion services have evolved. Seeds of faith have been sown, and the monthly services have become part of the rhythm of home life. In three homes we now have our services in a separate room, so people are able to choose to attend or not.
In the beginning I wasn’t sure if my congregation members really understood what we were doing but when people return time and time again then it is clear they have come to worship. The services are advertised on the noticeboard and on occasion we may be joined by relatives and extra staff, who because of shifts, cannot get to church themselves. We love to sing; Lord of the Dance and All things Bright and Beautiful are particular favourites and everyone joins in with the Lord’s prayer. In one home two ladies say most of the service with me, so we do the service quite slowly, in another I am mindful of those who are hard of hearing and are lip reading me, so again we take our time. The introduction of tambourines and shakers, which fit well into the hand, have been successful and in one home some congregation members are so enthusiastic about having the instruments that we have moved on from having only two hymns or worship songs to having four. Praise and worship is done in style!
Designing the ‘perfect’ service book has been a challenge. Separate service sheets and hymn sheets are too confusing, sheets in folders too slippery to hold, A4 paper copies too much for arthritic hands but based on a ‘you said’, and ‘I observed’ basis I think we have recently achieved success. Last week we had our first A5 font 20 service book. Comments such as ‘I like this’, ‘I can read this’, ‘Can I keep this?’, is great feedback. A5 size, with font 20 print, with the words for the responses and hymns in bold seems to be the ideal shape for arthritic fingers and font size for failing eye-sight.
Although only a few of the residents are very local we have tried to make them feel as if they are part of our churches. I leave behind the large print bi-monthly church magazine which is full of interesting articles and information about local events and one care home is now bringing some members to our mid-week accessible activities. I never cease to be amazed at what is going on.
The Holy Spirit is gently working to bring faith and hope in twilight years in West Cumbria to four hidden congregations in our parishes.
Rev. Dr Ruth Illman