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For the fourth week of Lent, the video worship service theme is prayer. This nondenominational church service is suitable for older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and includes lots of classic hymns and familiar forms, including the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father).
Watch the 46-minute church service on prayer here.
One year
I can hardly believe it, but this week’s service marks my one-year point of making worship service videos in response to Covid-19 lockdowns. I clearly remember realizing that I had to do something, and fast, to provide weekly spiritual care during this significant time of year — Lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter.
To my astonishment, the Spiritual Eldercare YouTube channel now has:
- More than 50 full-length, dementia-friendly church services.
- 86 sing-along classic hymns and spirituals arranged for people with dementia (slower, shorter, and in a lower key, with easy-to-read lyrics).
- 20 sing-along Christmas carols arranged for people with dementia.
- Several special-event videos, such as a Communion service and a gospel music mini-concert.
As of today, the channel also has 560 subscribers — who represent hundreds more who actually view the services. And those subscribers only account for about 20% of the views!
I’ve gotten the most beautiful notes from people around the world who found the channel because they could no longer get out to church, or take their loved ones to church, or allow clergy into the building. I am humbled and grateful to God for this unexpected direction and blessing.
If you’re an activity director, volunteer, or other loving care partner who uses these videos, THANK YOU! You are my heroes, and I trust that God has and will continue to bless you richly for your loving service.
Starting next week: updated videos!
Now that I have a year’s worth of church services videos on the YouTube channel, I’m going to start updating them rather than recording brand-new ones. I’ll go through them to fix minor issues that arose from my initial lack of video know-how, but the content will remain basically the same.
This approach will, I hope, free up some time for me to start creating new Bible study guides for older adults with dementia — which are most-searched-for resources on the site — and to start in-person visits again (woo hoo!).
I’ll continue to post the updated videos every week. You may notice my shorter, pre-pandemic hair and my “old” office background, but I trust those won’t detract from the services themselves 🙂
I will also continue to make new videos as time permits (I’m planning on once a month), so please let me know if you have ideas or special requests.
Photo by Rendy Novantino on Unsplash
Spiritual Eldercare 
Elisa! Thank you so much for your quality song and service videos. I am blown away that you freely share and allow us to use the resources that you have created. During this time of covid and lockdown I have used the hymn and song resources for sing alongs and small group services. They are so easy to use and my folks love the songs. When I can’t have a piano player it is nice to know that I have a range and quality we can sing to well and the slides are so easy to read. I also love your services. I tend to do my own services but am no where as skilled as you. I just feel like I am cheating to play someone elses. I think this week though I will use yours. I like to listen to them even if I haven’t yet played them for my LTc services. God’s blessings to you and I certainly look forward to the Bible Study resources too.
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Paula, your note made my day! It is my pleasure and honor to provide these resources; you’re a hero in my book because you care about the spiritual well-being of elders. Thank you!
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Hi
Just want to let you know how much my senior group and myself enjoy your services, they are fabulous.
I’m so grateful you share your gifts and talents with us for God’s glory.
Just one question (or maybe it’s a request): have you or could you make a service on grieving?
Thank you💕 Elisa for all your hard work and may the Lord continue to bless you and the work you do!
Greetings -Eveline
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Eveline, thank you so much for this encouraging note.
I’m also incredibly grateful that you reminded me about a service I did last summer on lament and grief. I just finished repurposing it, and will send it out along with the Palm Sunday service in tomorrow’s blog. You can also find it here: https://youtu.be/UvdHzzvqxI8 It’s been such a rough week (and year), so meant a lot to me to hear it again myself! Bless you for your service to seniors.
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