{"id":1879,"date":"2020-05-01T14:39:17","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T18:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/?p=1879"},"modified":"2020-08-08T21:35:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-09T01:35:37","slug":"9marks-care-older-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/2020\/05\/01\/9marks-care-older-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Menikoff: How Can We Care for our Older and At-Risk Members?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019m writing these words under a requirement to shelter-in-space. I\u2019m homebound. For the first time in my adult life, I know what it\u2019s like to be confined to the four walls of my modest, ranch home. It\u2019s not the worst of times, but it\u2019s not the best, either. Being homebound is hard.<\/p>\n

The church I serve normally has several homebound members. We have widows, widowers, and cancer patients on chemo. Not knowing when the COVID-19 threat will abate, many of them are beginning to wonder how long they should abstain from a corporate worship service. I\u2019m homebound for a few weeks. They worry about being homebound for a few months\u2014or longer. Now, more than ever, they need the care of their church.<\/p>\n

Caring for the most vulnerable in our congregations is not rocket science, but it takes a healthy dose of both discipline and love. We must have discipline to keep this kind of outreach from becoming the last<\/em>thing we do. We must have love to keep this outreach from becoming something we simply have<\/em>to do.<\/p>\n

What can our churches do as we anticipate an increasing number of homebound members in the months ahead?<\/p>\n

1. Craft a plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Besides encouraging every member to reach out to each other regularly, we\u2019ve divided up our congregation among the elders. While we aren\u2019t meeting, we want to be sure each member hears from an elder at least once every two weeks. That range may vary depending on the size of your church. The key is to have a plan that, at least on paper, ensures every member has a personal opportunity to share a prayer request with an elder.<\/p>\n

2. Target the vulnerable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A young, married couple with family a few blocks away is in a different position than an elderly widower living in a nursing home across town. That couple needs outreach, yes! But the World War II veteran who\u2019s truly alone needs more. It\u2019s good to systematically work through your membership, but highlighting the especially needy is crucial. Paul says to \u201cHonor widows who are truly widows\u201d (1 Tim. 4:3). Likewise, we\u2019re to pay special attention to those with unique needs.<\/p>\n

3. Be creative.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The past few weeks, I\u2019ve teared up being part of drive-by receptions for the recently married and graduates. Are cars lining up to say hello to your octogenarian church members? I\u2019m not saying they have to, but in these days when a sit-down visit isn\u2019t possible, dropping off a few cookies with a wave and a smile may be the next best thing.<\/p>\n

4. Pick up the phone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had some of the best pastoral \u201cvisits\u201d with the elderly over the phone during the COVID-19 pandemic. My strange schedule has given me the freedom to talk longer. I\u2019ve learned Jerrie lost an uncle to the Spanish flu; I\u2019ve learned Jane doesn\u2019t need to do much shopping because she cans every summer. I end each phone call praying for their needs and praising God for our crucified and resurrected Savior. It\u2019s time well spent.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the personal visits will begin again\u2014probably with more awareness of the need for social distancing. Meanwhile, this pandemic should not be squandered. While we\u2019re all stuck at home, let\u2019s minister to our homebound members with renewed vigor.<\/p>\n

Aaron Menikoff is the senior pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Sandy Springs, Georgia.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[May 1, 2020]<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing these words under a requirement to shelter-in-space. I\u2019m homebound. For the first time in my adult life, I know what it\u2019s like to be confined to the four walls of my modest, ranch home. It\u2019s not the worst of times, but it\u2019s not the best, either. Being homebound is hard. The church I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10812,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[510450],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1879"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1916,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879\/revisions\/1916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.colby.edu\/coronaguidance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}