by Ray Paget
While much of the effort of the pro-life community is focused on saving the lives of the unborn and providing compassionate counsel and help to their mothers, there is a much larger segment of the population that receives little positive attention or assistance - the sick and the elderly.
Today there are more citizens over the age of 65 than there are teenagers. And, my generation, the Baby Boomers, will flood the retirement ranks in the next twenty to thirty years. The ongoing actions of death activists like Jack Kevorkian and the growing concerns over the costs and availability of health care for the elderly have placed a discounted price tag on our sickly and aging citizens. Many believe that because of advanced age or disabilities their lives are expendable.
Although statistics and demographics give us valuable information about our aging nation, they don't give us answers as to potential ministry responsibilities and opportunities in response to these facts. Our churches need to recognize the impact that these societal changes are having on communities and prepare themselves for new methods and avenues of ministry.
Since its inception, Baptists for Life has been committed to developing evangelistic ministries that honor and promote the sanctity of life at any age - gestational or chronological. Our goal is to help the local church understand the issues and respond through evangelistic ministries of compassion and mercy.
In answer to the challenge of preserving the life and dignity of the sick and elderly in our communities, Baptists for Life will soon introduce a Respite Care Ministry for the local church. This outreach fits well into the overall goal of the Sheltering Church Ministry. It is user friendly, easily implemented, and relatively budget free.
A local church respite care ministry not only provides opportunities for believers to care for the needs of members of their own fellowship, it also opens doors to neighbors' who are struggling for answers and seeking help with a sick or dying loved one. Families dealing with a disabled child or facing a temporary setback due to the illness of a husband or a wife can benefit from the assistance of a believer committed to modeling Jesus Christ in his or her community.
Many communities already have organized hospice care available through visiting nurses or other health agencies. For the most part these organizations do a commendable job providing medical care and assistance to the patient and family facing a terminal illness. Few, however, tolerate any spiritual emphasis or overtures.
BFL's respite care program is not the same as hospice. It is designed to provide encouragement, companionship and non-medical assistance. The training, though, will incorporate some hospice volunteer instruction. It is important that believers involved in respite care understand the philosophy and work of hospice. Depending on the care available in your area, some hospice organizations look for church volunteers to serve in a respite capacity. A knowledge of hospice will prove very helpful.
Some might question the local church's role in providing a respite care ministry to the community. Does respite care have a Scriptural basis upon which it can be considered a legitimate local church outreach? I believe it does.
The primary purposes of the local church are to bring together a fellowship of believers for the worship of God, observance of the ordinances and the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. It doesn't matter if it is Awana, neighborhood Bible studies, door-to-door evangelism, or respite care, the goal of any church-sponsored ministry should be to make disciples. Though respite care may be an unusual evangelistic outreach, it is, nevertheless, another effective way to get the Gospel into our neighborhoods. It also provides a positive outlet for believers to live out their testimonies as transformed people proclaiming a life-changing message.
New ministry opportunity for churches
Baptists for Life has instituted a new ministry, called LIFT. It stands for Loving Individuals in Final Transition. This church-based ministry to the terminally ill, will serve people from both within and without the congregation. The care is overseen by a Care Coordinator, a member of the local church, who works in concert with all members of the caregiving team (doctors, nurses, social workers, etc). The goal is to provide relief for the family and assure that all the patient's needs are met (physical, spiritual, social, emotional). Baptists for Life provides training manuals and trainers, as well as ongoing support and encouragement.
The Lord Jesus commanded us to "Go ye therefore and teach all nations..." He practiced what He preached. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 4, we read that Jesus went out of His way to meet a Samaritan woman by a well. After engaging her in conversation, he offered her a living water that would satisfy her thirst eternally. Respite care ministry is that type of outreach. It calls us to go out of our way for the Gospel's sake, engage ourselves in the lives of people, and offer to quench their thirst through the eternal hope through Jesus.
The ministry of prayer
People who are caring for a loved one -- be they terminally or chronically ill, disabled, or just suffering the effects of aging -- need God's sustaining grace. Download this Prayer List for Caregivers and use it as a guide as you pray for yourself and other caregivers in your church.