Your First Steps E-mail
Dear Friend,
God bless you for your interest in nursing home ministry. How valued you are to God and how close you are to His heart as you seek to minister to the least of these, as if you are ministering to Jesus Himself! We are excited for you, because we know that you will be drawn closer to Him, and you will meet people who will become precious to you, and who will draw closer to Him, too. Just to spend a little time with a person who is lonely, shut-in and often forgotten is such a wonderful gift to them. What a privileged and blessed journey you are beginning!
Jesus said, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:40

Your first steps to entering into the nursing home ministry Your First Steps

1. Pray
Ask for God to work through you and guide you every step of the way
2.  Contact a nursing home in your community
Make an appointment with the Activities Director and share your desire to visit people who do not have visitors. You will most likely be very welcomed!!
3.  Begin visiting and making new friends
Most residents long for a listening ear and meaningful interaction from a caring friend.




Some helpful tips:
  1. Be friendly with the staff and follow their rules and suggestions.
  2. Take a friend with you - one can pray as the other shares.
  3. A good opening would be: "Hello, my name is , I'm here visiting some friends and I thought you might like a visit."
  4. While getting acquainted, it is best to reveal information about yourself before you ask it of strangers. "I'm from , are you from this area?" "I have children, do you have children?"
  5. Respect their dignity – knock before you enter a room, try to get on eye level with them, call them by name.
  6. Bring small gifts – Bible verse cards, bookmarks, soft tissues.
  7. Read to them – the Bible, daily devotionals, short stories. Be sure to read slowly and clearly.
  8. When appropriate, touch their hand or shoulder, most of your friends will love gentle hugs.
  9. Give hope – always be prepared to share God's Word and pray when appropriate but do not force the Gospel – earn the right and privilege to share. Exercise discernment.
  10. Be willing to handle rejection with grace and don't be discouraged, it happens!
  11. If possible, bring a child/grandchild or a pet with you, and watch residents' faces light up!
  12. Don't attempt to help them in any way that could be harmful (don't move or feed them – this is only the responsibility of the professional staff)


Please know -
  1. Nursing home ministry does not require special talent or ability, only a love for Jesus and a compassion for His needy people.
  2. As you continue to visit and deepen your friendships, you will have earned more opportunities to share the Gospel of Jesus.  Sometimes people need much more of the love of God before they are open to hearing the Word of God.
  3. After a while, if you wish, you can expand to more visits or even develop a care team through your church.  Care teams can provide life-giving worship services as well as personal visits.

Your Next Step:

We are here to serve you as you serve God's people in long term care homes. After you make your first visit, it may be very helpful for you to talk with us in person or on the phone. Please give us a call at 440-930-2173 and we will be delighted to answer any questions you may have and to pray with you. You can also e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Although ministry in a care home is not difficult, it is a unique and specialized mission field. Since 1994, God Cares Ministry has been helping new volunteers, as well as experienced nursing home missionaries, develop fruitful outreaches. In addition to our website, www.GodCaresMinistry.com, we have essential resources to assist you in starting and/or growing strong:

Nursing Home Ministry - Where Hidden Treasures are Found
          A 250 page book to provide you with many principles for joyful visitation and effective ministry in a care home.

In the Garden with Jesus and Friends
          This guidebook gives you step-by-step guidance for developing a nursing home care team through your church fellowship.

God Cares News
          Our bimonthly newsletter is sent to encourage, instruct and inform those who are interested in nursing home ministry.

Living Water in a Dry Land
          This is a video training program with eight 20-30 minute sessions to prepare your care team for fruitful ministry.  This was taped from one of our live six-hour training seminars presented throughout the U.S.

Remember, you are not alone:

The Lord promises to be with you when you prayerfully step out in faith and abide in Him. (See John 15:1-17) May God richly bless you!

Chaplain Bill Goodrich
 
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