Dear BPCWA worshipper, Over the years, through God’s providential leading and opening of doors, we have been able to incorporate into our regular outreaches visits to Nursing Homes in Perth. Although (or perhaps I should say especially since) these visits have been largely curtailed due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, my burden for the church is that it would be important that the nursing homes should not be “out of sight, out of mind”. The nature of these visits has also changed over the years. Hence, I thought it would be good for me to remind all in the church not to forget this useful ministry by providing a recap and an update on this ministry. Also, I hope this pastoral will stir each person to ensure we fulfil our aims at each precious visit, whenever the homes re-open to us.

What do we do? Firstly, I would like to stress that the church supports this not merely as a form of social community support for the elderly. Instead, our focus for this as a church ministry, like all other ministries, must always serve a spiritual purpose. If not, we will fail the residents, and more importantly God, if we view our visits as being merely social. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we regularly visited 4 Nursing Homes, namely Hall & Prior Concorde Nursing Home, Brightwater Onslow Gardens (Subiaco), Alice Ross-King Care Centre (Bullcreek), and Bethanie Subiaco. At the time of writing this, all (including even Alice Ross-King which has stayed open for most of the time) are closed to our visits as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns. During these visits, we conduct what the homes call a “Hymn Service”. Previously, it was open to all worshippers to go. But now, rostering is required due to the need to limit numbers and maintain vaccination records for a group of people. And each visit to the homes is constrained to about an hour only. We start by singing a few hymns with the residents before an appointed person delivers a short message to the residents. The service then concludes with hymns after which we will speak individually to the residents.

Why do we go? 1) To enable believing residents to worship God. Those who go to the nursing homes will understand the precious privilege we have in church each week. As able-bodied worshippers, we often take coming to church for granted. However, for the believers who stay in the homes and are unable to go to church, we “bring” the church to them. I recall the sentiment and look of the late Mrs Iralee Arnott who often yearned to be able to come back to church but yet could not. We take Christian fellowship for granted. We take the opportunity to sing hymns to praise our Lord with His people for granted. We may even wonder why the sermon is so long. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. For these that stay in the homes, we may very well be the only Christians whom they get to exchange a few godly words with for the rest of the week until we visit again. To hear the hymns sung, though by a few people, remind them of the church that they used to faithfully attend to worship God with other believers. 2)To give them the Word of God. The aim is not just so that residents can sing their favourite hymns. We want them to know God’s Word because it is the only thing that can transform lives, even at their age, and prepare them to meet God. When the Bible is read or taught, some of them with failing eyesight may no longer be able to read God’s Word themselves. So, the church-assigned speaker and rostered visitors are the mouthpieces through which residents get to hear God speak His words to their hearts. 3)To encourage the saints. Since I preach for the Chinese worship services in the afternoons and cannot be at the homes, this is where our people, through the Nursing Home ministry, can minister to the saints by encouraging them. Let us remember the words of Christ that when “. . . I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me . . . Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mt 25:36, 40b) 4) To confirm the salvation of the professing Christians and to witness to the unbelieving. The service needs to reach the unsaved, and also confirm and encourage the professing believers there.How often it is that when we visit the homes, we have testimonies of residents who grew up from young in churches, attended Sunday Schools, and have fond memories of church. Yet, when they are posed with the question as to whether they were sure of their place in heaven, they respond with a mere “I hope so”. We cannot underestimate how many who have come under the name of Christian churches, some who are even pastors’ children, but yet have not had the true gospel preached to them, nor understand the free grace given to them through Christ’s substitution on our behalf. As we go, we repeat gently and prayerfully the true gospel week after week – the gospel of grace and truth in Christ Jesus our Lord.We must never fail to do this whenever we get to visit. 5) To reach nursing home staff and families of residents. In this respect, our outreach to the Nursing Homes is not just intended for the residents but also to the staff of the Homes, as well as to visiting relatives. We take the opportunity to get to know them and invite them to our church when the occasion presents itself. For those who get to go, please do not forget to do this! Do not waste the precious opportunities God gives in the homes in this aspect. Just as we do with the professing believing residents, we present the gospel at each message and in our time of one-to-one interactions with them. Some are initially opposed to attending a “church” service and may just sit afar off observing. We befriend them and draw them in in the hope of them joining us regularly. As we visit each time, we look out for the residents whom we have built a rapport with and speak to them of the great salvation we have received by faith in Christ. 6) To be a testimony for Christ. This is ultimately an outreach. Our teams represent Christ at each visit, bringing His message and being His mouthpieces. This is, as mentioned earlier, not just a moral or social outreach to merely keep the elderlies company or to express our care for their physical well-being. I am thankful that though a Home had to once again reluctantly close off visits due to COVID-19 protocols, yet their comment of the team there was that “This group of volunteers are amazing and well supported by residents, staff and family members who highly benefit from the church service provided on Sunday afternoons.” These are our purposes in going – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)!

How can we support it? Nursing Homes aren’t necessarily the most pleasant of places to some who visit. I recall an elderly worshipper who, after visiting one of the Homes, was rather depressed for a period of time. But these are the homes for the residents, just like your residence is your home. If God has given you the liberty to walk, sing, and have the health to be able to minister to others, let us use it for His purposes. How you may ask? 1) Ask to be rostered. Well, by joining and supporting the Nursing Home when you are able to after restrictions are lifted. Even now, if the call comes for more volunteers to be rostered to visit the homes, will you put your hand up for it? It will certainly give you a more thankful heart for the health that God has graciously seen fit to give you to use for Him presently. It will give you great joy that you are able to go into the homes every week to praise Him and listen to His Word. After all, the Nursing Home ministry is conducted on the Lord’s Day – a day that our Lord has left aside for His work and His testimony. As others labour for you that you may worship God on the Lord’s Day, will you also labour to bring the worship of your Lord to others through this ministry as well? WCF reminds us to be spending the Lord’s Day “taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy” (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 21:8). 2) Go with your family if the roster permits. Go with your young ones when they are able.  I am glad that before the COVID-19 restrictions, some families had started bringing their children to these homes to start training their children to serve there as well. Such as when we want to train our young ones not to avoid menial tasks by attending busy bee, this is another opportunity to train our young ones not to avoid serving in less pleasant settings. In the past, some of the residents got particularly attached to some of the children visiting. 3) Pray often, if not daily, for this ministry. And finally, pray for the ministry while we are not able to visit during this time. This is a time when the light cannot shine into these homes through our services. Pray that the homes will remain open to us. Pray for those rostered when you cannot attend. We must pray that God will use this to help residents keep His word in their hearts, encouraging the believers and bringing salvation to the unbelievers. After all, this is a particularly hazardous time for the vulnerable, especially when outbreaks may occur in the homes during this pandemic. We must pray that the gospel of salvation sown may at God’s good pleasure, take root in their minds and hearts. But all this is possible only when we go. So let us ask ourselves – in this or other such ministries … what is your answer to these questions?

Is your life a channel of blessing?
Is the love of God flowing through you?
Are you telling the lost of the Savior?
Are you ready His service to do?                    

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor