Ministry keeps widows connected to Trussville church

Like most senior adults, Sara Booker strives to be self-sufficient, despite the fact that she has lived alone since her husband, Sam, died almost two years ago. When a need arises that she cannot handle herself, however, Booker knows just who to call — her deacon.
   
For the past three years, the Deacon’s Widow ministry at First Baptist Church, Trussville, has reached out to widowed members of the church like Booker. 
   
And it’s often the little things like changing light bulbs, she said, she appreciates the most. “We have someone to call and ask, and that really makes a difference,” Booker said.
   
According to Bobby Erwin, minister of senior adults and member involvement at First, Trussville, the goal of the ministry is to meet the needs of each of these individuals in a personal way.
   
“We want to make sure they still feel a part of the church, and we don’t want to let anyone slip through the cracks,” Erwin said.
   
He helped start the ministry when he realized the church had more than 150 men and women who had lost their spouses. Erwin knew the church could never hire enough staff to adequately minister to them all, so he found a way to involve the deacons in the work.
   
David Crowe, a deacon at Trussville, does not consider his participation in the ministry work, however. “This has been a blessing to my wife and I,” Crowe said. “It’s not a chore for us; it’s a joy.”
   
He said he and his wife, Rose Marie, have partnered together in the Deacon’s Widow ministry, and they try to keep in touch with their widows regularly. The Crowes also make a special effort to remember the ladies’ special days, like sending anniversary cards and going out to dinner on birthdays.
   
“It can be lonely to have had a spouse for a number of years and lose that,” he said. “We try to fill the void left by their husbands, especially when they are in need.”
   
Crowe especially appreciates the prayer support he and his wife share with their widows. He said that the ladies pray for needs in his life, while he prays for their needs.
   
Erwin said the ministry helps the church staff because the deacons know better what is going on in the lives of the widowed members and can communicate the needs to the staff.
   
“We ask the deacons to let us know if they hear something we need to know about, and we try to do the same,” Erwin said. “It definitely takes everybody working together to make it work most effectively.”
   
Jimmie Deese, a widow and member of First, Trussville, said the main thing she gets out of participating in the Deacon’s Widow ministry is the sense of belonging it brings. 
   
“Even though you’ve got family, so many times when you’re widowed, in your mind you don’t feel a part of things,” Deese said. “You find yourself backing off to keep from being a burden or a ‘fifth wheel.’
   
“But my deacon and his wife have made me feel like we (the other widows and I) are a special part of the group,” she said. “We go out to eat. We are prayed for. We are just family.”
   
Crowe said the widows’ ministry has helped him understand how important the commandment to love one another is. He said he believes all Christians need to go beyond their comfort zones and do things because God wants them to participate.
   
“For whatever reason, God has chosen for these individuals not to have a spouse at this time,” Crowe said. “That doesn’t mean that their life comes to an end.
   
“I can do things for them and still serve my family,” he said. “We can partner together to help them.”