For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12).
Doing God’s work in this world is one important part of the mission at Redeemer, a 76-year-old Lutheran church with 110 members located on Wilmington Island near Savannah, Ga. For many years, members have done projects in the community, but in 2024 they saw the need for God’s work right in their own congregation.
As your congregation ages, do you see a growing need to assist older members? When one of Redeemer’s older members needed extra help, the congregation stepped up to the challenge, using their gifts and talents to meet her needs.
The longtime member, who was recently widowed and had no children, developed memory issues (for her privacy, we’ll call her Sally). At first it was a small inconvenience, but as months passed Sally became less able to manage her home, finances, health and activities. So Lynne O’Shea, pastor of Redeemer, and other church leaders, along with Sally’s brother (her only sibling) and her doctor, found a nearby assisted living facility that would suit her needs.
Sally also requested that a longtime member of Redeemer, a certified public accountant with experience managing client finances, be her financial power of attorney (POA). She asked another member, who is familiar with people with memory issues, to be her power of attorney for health care.
Once she moved into the facility, the congregation thought the hard part was done. But they discovered the challenging work was just beginning.
Sally’s home and property had been in her late husband’s family for more than 70 years. After they married, the couple moved into a house on the property and spent many years there. For Sally, it was “home,” and she continued to return there when she found that daily life in assisted living was difficult.
Look around your church next Sunday. Do you see anyone at your church who needs this or some other kind of help?
To provide for her financial support and safety, the property had to be sold. A licensed realtor and member of Redeemer prepared the legal document for Sally to sign and listed the property for sale. When it sold, the realtor convinced her to return the keys so she could no longer go “home.”
At that point, parishioners began to organize Sally’s move, cleaning and clearing the house of personal property.
Members worked with Sally to make sure her prized possessions went with her to the assisted living facility. Others organized an estate sale so that any remaining items were sold, and the POA for finance made sure that all the proceeds went to Sally. Finally, on a rainy Saturday, parishioners came with brooms and dustpans, plastic garbage bags, trucks and SUVs—and lots of heart—to empty the house of all the paper, plastic and other detritus that had accumulated over 40 years of living there.
“We laughed, we cried, we lifted, we carried, and we sweated,” said one member, who indicated that her hardest job was cleaning out the kitchen junk drawer. Each person worked according to their abilities, and by the end of the day, the house was empty and spotless—the way Sally would have made it, if she were able.
The workers—also older—thanked God for no accidents or injuries over the long workday. They also thanked God for providing the variety of skills and knowledge needed to complete the tasks.
Although the move and sale were heartbreaking for Sally, her story ended on a joyful note. Shortly after the move, Sally celebrated a milestone birthday. Organized by the realtor and the CPA, members who had participated in Sally’s move were invited to her birthday party. No one discussed the move or the workday—members kept it a “surprise” party. Sally was obviously surprised to see 22 people there to celebrate a special birthday just for her. She had a wonderful time, and so did everyone from Redeemer who helped with this tremendous project.
Helping members as they age is easier if a congregation has specialists in medicine, finance or realty, but the fact is that each member has gifts and abilities. Look around your church next Sunday. Do you see anyone at your church who needs this or some other kind of help?
