EQUIPPING THE CONGREGATION FOR A MINISTRY TO THE AGED.
Contributors: Drew University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 43
Subjects: Religion, General.; Religion, Clergy.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Gerontology.
Description: The number of Americans over the age of 65 is increasing dramatically. This increase, in conjunction with certain theological imperatives, requires that the Church develop new and effective ways to minister to this group. The First Wesleyan Church of Ramseur, North Carolina felt a need to respond to this group in new and healthy ways. The author and congregation developed a project that enabled the church to minister to a select group of aged persons.

Reaching the point where helpful ministry took place was a challenging and sometimes difficult endeavor. It was achieved through training sessions led by various government resource persons and speakers to help prepare the congregation for ministry. These resources included: Hospice, the Home Health Department, a nursing home chaplain, and other similar experts in the field of elder-care. The end result of visitation to several aged persons was enhanced by the knowledge that the congregation gained through the training sessions.

The congregation was able to minister both to the community and also the local aged of the congregation. This ministry was developed into a home mission to the aged in the congregation. The broader effect, however, was a ministry to anyone within the congregation in a crisis situation. This ministry was developed by those who originally carried on the work to the elderly of the community. This ministry goes beyond the elderly and positively impacts many lives.

While the intentions of the congregation of First Wesleyan Church were centered on the elderly, the results of that ministry are very different from what was originally planned. In the process of ministry, the church began to see the needs of the entire community and developed a burden for that community. This includes outreach, issues of justice and mercy, and genuine compassion. Although the thrust of the ministry project was an effort to help the elderly, the results are broader and much more comprehensive. Whereas the goals of the congregation were fairly narrow, the experience of developing and carrying out the ministry led to a deeper understanding of what it means to truly minister.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-12, Section: A, page: 4812.

Thesis (D.MIN.)--DREW UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0064.