Our church has provided worship experiences for many years at Skyland, Blue Ridge on the Mountain, Morning Star, and The Hermitage. On the first Wednesday of each month, we visit Morning Star at 10 a.m., and go to Skyland following that. Usually, Jeff offers the message, and I lead the hymn singing, with Barbara Vance serving as pianist. Of course we have to call on others to help out from time to time, when one of us can not be present. We are very fortunate to have several wonderful church members who can fill in, and they do it with joy. A number of our choir members and other church members come to help lead in the music, and we usually sing the hymns in harmony, with a pleasant and full quality. The residents greatly appreciate our visit each month. Several other churches participate in this ministry.
In addition to this monthly ministry, we are part of a large group of churches which offer worship services on Sunday afternoons for all four of the care facilities. For these five or six annual services, the WMU and the Baptist Men share the responsibility, again tapping the resources of our talented and gifted membership for music and devotions. We try to use lay people for leadership of these services.
This Sunday afternoon, June 25, the men are in charge of a 3 p.m. worship at Morning Star. Charles Proctor will give the devotion, and I will be leading music and offering a solo. Linda Stewart will accompany the music. We would love to see others join us for this service. Extra voices always help to make the music more joyful, and the residents love to see people, and to receive a hand shake and a smile.
I would guess that none of us would "choose" to live in a care facility, if the choice was ours to make. I know that if I were a resident at a rest home, I would greatly appreciate and look forward to church services that were offered. I'm glad that FBC Sylva is providing this significant ministry, and that I can be a participant.
Bob Holquist