I often say that I don’t know how people live without faith—without Jesus, or without hope. And I mean that because hope is central to nearly everything in my life. Society uses the word hope casually and often. I hope this works out. I hope things get better. But do we pause long enough to ask what we really mean? Is that hope, or is it simply wishful thinking dressed up in polite language?
AGE FRIENDLY The population of the United States is aging. A 2017 study found that “within just a couple decades, older people are projected to outnumber children for..
Many residents in our community seek to live fully each day by focusing their energy on the light of hope. Addressing the joys and challenges of aging while living..
Assessing for Hope As a chaplain working with older adults in long-term care, part of my call is to complete spiritual assessments with residents. In obtaining their..
A Community's Birth Communities of people are fluid. We change houses or jobs, get a promotion at work or join a church. Years later, some may choose to move into a..
Our assisted living community celebrated the life of one of our beloved residents a few weeks ago. Preparing for worship, I thought about how a community of saints can..
The Impact of Clergy Age on Churches When I was ordained back in 1981, I accepted the call to serve St. Andrew’s UCC, a small congregation in the old industrial city of..
Connecting Through Small Groups: A Story Last week, at the continuing care retirement community where I serve, the speaker for our senior class group that day called two..
My mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia several years ago, and she has had increasing memory problems. Mom is one of close to six million people living with dementia..
Community is a core concept that we value deeply at United Church Homes. When the Board, staff and residents gathered in 2015 to articulate a new vision, mission and..