Two Year
Ministry Plan

Senior Honor is our elder care ministry, and each campus partners with at least one assisted living community to host worship services and offer support on a regular basis. September 11-17 was National Assisted Living Week, and all our campuses were able to come alongside their Senior Honor partner communities and offer special encouragement.

Our Anderson campus had some especially fun treats for their partner community, Dominion Senior Living. On Monday and Tuesday, volunteers handed out journals, handwritten notes of encouragement, and candy to staff and residents. Another day, a volunteer helped facilitate Bingo and hand out prizes supplied by Grace. And on Thursday, volunteers hosted a carnival! Residents played games, enjoyed carnival themed treats, and especially enjoyed connecting with some of our younger volunteers. A catered lunch was provided on Friday to cap off the week.

One volunteer had this to say about serving during this special week:

The staff who I knew thanked us profusely with tears in their eyes. They said all the little things (signs, candy bars, handwritten notes, etc) and the big things (lunch, Bingo, snack cart) lifted morale and were such an encouragement all week long. You could tell walking into the nursing home that week that there was a joyful buzz about the place. It was definitely a joy for us to serve them!

What a great opportunity to serve our community and show the love of Jesus in this tangible way. If you would like to learn more about Senior Honor or volunteer opportunities, click below.

While many of us prefer not to think about it, the process of aging is part of life. And part of stewardship for the believer is thinking and planning strategically so we can honor God and support our families as we navigate the aging process.

Legacy is a ministry that focuses on planning, caring, and finishing well. The goal is to equip our members to think biblically about topics like aging, spiritual and financial stewardship, caring for elderly parents, and investing in the next generation of believers. This summer, Legacy offered Aging Well, a class that addressed several of these topics: leaving a spiritual legacy, stewarding our bodies, stewarding our resources, stewarding for the future, and practical planning. Fifty of our members participated, and they were blessed to hear from different speakers and be equipped with helpful resources.

We are thankful to be able to engage these topics with hope and not fear in the context of biblical community. If you are interested in learning more about Legacy and future classes, please contact Julia Eldred at [email protected].

The number of people with dementia is on the rise, and for each person diagnosed, care is required. Many families are functioning as caregivers without any education or training, which leaves them vulnerable to confusion, fear, frustration, and ultimately, burnout. One way Grace is seeking to support these families is through Understanding Dementia—a Grace Institute equipping class designed to help families and caregivers of those impacted by dementia gain a better understanding of the disease.

We were able to partner with the staff of The Gardens to offer Understanding Dementia this past spring, and over 50 people participated. The class covered basic dementia education, practical coping strategies, local resources, a dementia experience, and the opportunity to ask specific questions about dementia to professionals in the field.

One couple who took the class had this to say about their experience:

Understanding Dementia provided us with explanations about how dementia changes a person’s brain—giving us a better understanding about the changes we saw in my dad’s capabilities and his behaviors. It also gave us an opportunity to ask questions, share our experiences, and receive useful resources and support that we so desperately needed.

I have struggled a lot in my new role as a caregiver for my dad, and this class provided me a safe place to express my emotions, to be open about the challenges we are facing, and to feel accepted and understood. The dementia professionals presented the material with compassion and happily shared their knowledge and experience with everyone in the class.

What a blessing to come alongside families so they can be fully known and loved in a challenging season. If you are interested in learning more about Understanding Dementia or other classes related to caregiving, please email Julia Eldred at [email protected].

Through our Senior Honor ministry, Grace Church volunteers provide worship services, build one-on-one relationships, and facilitate other opportunities at elder care communities across the Upstate. Our Harrison Bridge campus’ partnership with Fairview Park has been flourishing in recent months, and we’re excited to see Grace members connect with residents in unique ways.

Recently, volunteers and their families hosted a “Teddy Bear Story Hour” for residents, and it was a big hit with all who participated! Each resident received a teddy bear from a child, and then the residents and children read books and colored together. There is always a special connection between children and grandparents, and even though these individuals aren’t biologically related, that special connection was evident in the smiles on their faces.

Along with more special activities, Harrison Bridge volunteers will soon move from hosting services once a month to twice monthly. What a blessing to be able to include those of our church body who cannot physically attend church. We want our Senior Honor members to know they are valuable, loved, and cared for. Will you join us in praying for this ministry? If you’re interested in learning more about Senior Honor or volunteering at your campus, click below.

Senior Honor is our elder care ministry, and we are excited to share that we are now partnering with nine different facilities across the Upstate—The Gardens (PL), The Woodlands at Furman (TR), Eden Terrace (SP), NHC (PL), Senior Action Greenville (TL), Brookdale Brushy Creek (GR), Oakview Park (PV), Fairview Park (HB), and Dominion Senior Living (AN). Many of these facilities are opening back up to our volunteers after a year of lockdown due to the pandemic, and we are thrilled to see our friends in person once more.

Each of our campuses provides support to our Senior Honor members and facility staff through encouragement such as meals, notes, care packages, and gift cards. We are also back to holding services at several locations. A new facet of our ministry that we’re excited to see develop is engagement with students! Student ministries at a few of our campuses are beginning to serve in Senior Honor, and we know this provides unique opportunities for both our students and our Senior Honor members.

There are many other ways that we’re supporting, encouraging, and engaging our Senior Honor members, and we would love for you to join us. Please pray for this ministry, and if you’re interested in volunteering, click below to learn how you can participate!

While the limitations of the pandemic have been difficult for all of us, they have presented particularly isolating challenges for our Senior Honor members. Senior Honor is our elder care ministry, and many individuals have not been able to spend quality time in-person with their families for months now.

However, we have a new and exciting opportunity to help our Senior Honor members connect with their families! As a church, we are providing three SafeHug windows for our partner assisted living facilities—The Gardens, The Woodlands, and Eden Terrace. In addition, volunteers and members connected to The Woodlands and our Travelers Rest campus have donated funds to purchase two additional windows for this facility.

What a blessing for loved ones to be able to safely embrace one another during this season! We hope you will join us in praising God for his provision and praying for continued opportunities to serve those around us. To learn more about Senior Honor, click below.

Senior Honor is our elder care ministry, and it has certainly looked different this year! However, after seven months of “no in-person contact” with our Senior Honor members at The Woodlands at Furman, we were recently able to host an outdoor service. Over 30 residents and several staff members attended, and it was life-giving to see our friends in person once again. Senior Honor members were able to worship together and sit under the truth of Biblical teaching.

We hope you will join us in praying that we can continue outdoor services and find new, creative ways to connect with our Senior Honor community. Please pray that God would continue to provide a way for us to make disciples in a changing world.

To learn more about Senior Honor, click below!

Due to the spread of Covid-19, our Senior Honor ministry looks a lot different these days. However, we are excited to share some of the ways volunteers have adapted and gotten creative to continue ministering to those in our Senior Honor partner facilities.

Currently, we are partnered with eight senior living facilities to serve 700 residents through Senior Honor. Grace volunteers and some pastoral staff record a 20-35 minute teaching or devotional, and it is uploaded to a YouTube playlist every week. Our volunteer site coordinators are also provided with a packet of worship material including printable song lyrics and accompaniment MP3's for the weekly worship service. In this way, our Senior Honor members can still attend Grace every week!

Since many of our Senior Honor members are isolated from family and friends, volunteers are offering encouragement by sending cards and gift bags. Also, our PALS (People Actively Loving Seniors) are continuing to connect through FaceTime.

If you’re interested in learning more about Senior Honor, click below! To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please email Julia Eldred.