You have a choice of updated nondenominational worship services for this Sunday! Both are suitable for older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
- According to the traditional church calendar, May 28 is Pentecost Sunday. Themes for this service include wind and fire, two biblical images for the Spirit of God.
- Watch the 45-minute church service for Pentecost Sunday here.
- Or use this written agenda to provide the Pentecost service yourself.
- You might want to include a snack of sliced strawberries, which look like little flames 🔥
- This Sunday is also the day before U.S. Memorial Day — also celebrated in other countries as Remembrance Day. The church service looks at the meaning of sacrifice.
- Watch the 42-minute church service on sacrifice for Memorial Day here.
- Or use this written agenda to provide the Memorial Day service yourself.
- Before the service, elders might enjoy making simple Remembrance Day paper poppies 🌺
Make it interactive
I was delighted to get a note last week from a memory-care Life Enrichment Director in Wisconsin, who wrote:
My residents look forward to [worship] every week! We always pause the video and talk about the it at the pause. We then write things out on our white board and then we compare them with what you say when we un-pause the video. (emphasis mine)
It has been so rewarding and fulfilling to be able to lead the worship service every week for my residents with your help! We have gotten 20 plus residents to engage and come to the worship services. This is huge, especially for memory care residents.
I love this director’s approach! All of my church videos include time for group discussion, and I definitely encourage it. For memory-care residents in particular, engagement is so helpful and imparts the dignity of participation.
Thank you to all of you for providing spiritual care for elders.
Peace be with you,
Photo by Elia Mazzaro on Unsplash
Spiritual Eldercare 