Winfield church finds golden ministry at nursing homes

Nursing home ministry encompasses much more than simply visiting the sick. Steve Lawrence, pastor of Harmony Grove Baptist Church in Winfield, views nursing homes and assisted living facilities as extensions of the church field, ripe for harvest and greatly in need of laborers. In the six months that Lawrence has been ministering at a local facility, he has seen six professions of faith.
   
Family members of nursing home residents have joined his church as well as nursing home staff. Elsewhere, churches and individuals are doing nursing home outreach through worship services, Sunday School and even Vacation Bible School, in last-chance efforts at soul survival.
   
Lawrence’s vision for nursing home ministry expanded as he became aware that many residents do not have a relationship with a church. He also discovered transplanted northerners living in facilities here, brought to the South by adult children in search of more affordable health care for their aging, ailing parents. “I’ve been acquainted with residents from New York, Michigan, Indiana and other states.”
   
To properly minister to residents, Lawrence advocates providing not just Sunday services but an organized presence in the middle of the week, something lacking in many nursing homes.
   
He also works to extend ministry  to the families of residents and includes assisted-living facilities in that effort. “Lots of nursing home residents’ first steps are in assisted living.”
   
To accomplish his vision of garnering more laborers for the task, Lawrence has approached Marion Baptist Association Director of Missions Mark Gallups to begin association outreaches to the area’s three nursing homes and three assisted-living facilities.
   
“There are people who are here in our nursing homes who never see anybody,” Gallups pointed out.
   
While representatives of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) said there is no state-level organization for nursing home outreach, Eileen Wright, associate in discipleship and family ministries, and Daniel Edmonds, director of Sunday School, pointed to churches and individuals who are faithfully serving the facilities.
   
For example, the father of Sammy Gilbreath, director of evangelism for the SBOM, has led about a dozen people to the Lord in an assisted-living facility in Montgomery.
   
Bill Gilbreath, a resident of Elmcroft at Halcyon for the past two years, is a lifelong soulwinner.
   
Acting on his desire to see people saved, personal evangelism in an assisted-living facility was a natural step for Gilbreath, who figured he might have led as many as 100 people to Christ in his life. Yet he continues to witness with urgency. “They’re so close to the end, they sure need it as bad as anybody.” Gilbreath, a retired salesman, teaches Sunday School at the facility and substitutes for a Tuesday morning Bible study led by a volunteer from a local church.
   
Like Lawrence, Gilbreath emphasized relationship building in the process of evangelism. “They come and go, and you have to introduce yourself to them and get to know them closely.” He’s even had converts among the Alzheimer’s patients in the facility. “It’s a joy to me. I like to feel like I belong to a rescue squad.”
   
In Winfield, Lawrence not only serves his congregation of more than 150, but he also provides ministries  at nearby Beverly Healthcare, a nursing home facility of 128 residents, as well as Kemp Meadows, an assisted-living facility of 16–18 residents. “It’s almost like I have two churches that I pastor,” said Lawrence. He had a similar ministry at an area nursing home in a previous pastorate.
   
He understands that “most pastors would cringe” at taking on more responsibility, so he also suggested delegating to lay leaders. “It needs to be someone who’s apt to teach, although I think it does mean something to them [residents] if they know that it is a pastor.” Lawrence fits a midweek nursing home service into his own busy schedule because he approaches the congregation there as he does his church. “Basically I share with them what I might share with my own church.”
   
Nursing home ministry, however, poses unique challenges and demands, Lawrence said. Residents represent many denominations, so taking a nondenominational approach and avoiding denominational debate without making theological compromises is important.
   
“I’m going to try to keep this nondenominational in the presentation, but I’m Southern Baptist, and it’s going to come out,” he said.
   
Illness and death are constant companions. “I’ve had people say to me, ‘How can you go into these places? It’s depressing.’ And it can be if you’re not mentally prepared. But it’s a place of blessing, too.”
   
Just announcing that a midweek service is available, however, won’t guarantee a congregation,  Lawrence said. “If that’s all you’re going to do, they won’t come. You’ve got to gain their trust.” That entails visiting residents’ rooms and getting to know even the room-bound.
   
Lawrence’s concern for nursing home residents probably grew from early experience. His first job as a 15-year-old was doing maintenance for a nursing home. “I had the opportunity to get to know some of the residents,” he recalled. “I realized these were people, too. Many of them have very interesting pasts that they’d love to share with you.”
   
Since becoming a pastor Lawrence has ministered in nursing homes in every community he has served. He also serves on a local advisory council that gives him insight into residents’ needs. He also educates his church congregation on preparations to make before they have the need of a nursing home
   
He encourages involvement, including from youth, whose simple acts such as filling bird feeders at the nursing homes can be a blessing.