Tales from the Team

Aged care ministry

I really enjoy Tuesdays. Tuesday is aged care ministry day for me. It’s a time to connect with a variety of folk in three of our parish homes, namely, Beresford Hall Rose Bay, Vaucluse Nursing Home and Moran Village. As part of our aged care team, I help to organise and run 30-40 minute services, along with Rev Paul Perini, Tanya Bosch, Verity Thompson and Catherine Kalokerinos.

I’d like to tell you about a new initiative we started this Lent. In response to a request from one of our Moran residents, we started a weekly Bible Study in the bar just off the main atrium at Moran Village. Each week, Paul led us in a 40 minute study of a passage from John’s gospel. We had an attendance of about 8-10 each week, and feedback was so positive that the group requested we continue after Easter. We’ve decided to study the book of Philippians starting in May. What a joy to share in God’s word with our Moran friends, and boy do they ask some interesting questions!

Another highlight of this ministry is the opportunity to conduct individual visits to residents’ rooms at Beresford Hall, at their invitation. Paul and I usually go together, and we’ve had the pleasure of conducting Holy Communion with three residents in what is becoming a regular practice. One of our very dear elderly Beresford friends was brought to the Easter Sunday church service last weekend, his first church attendance in a long time.

I consider it a privilege to participate in this ministry. It’s such a simple thing to be friendly, speak words of encouragement, tell people that God loves them, explain that Jesus offers full and free forgiveness, enjoy a laugh or a joke, chat about family members, and hopefully bring just a little ray of joy into what can be for some people a long and even lonely day.

I get as much as I give, and Tuesdays remain for me a very happy day in my week.