The LTC (Nursing Home) Ministry of Christian concourse

 

The long-term care missionary work of Christian Concourse began in the Spring of 1991 as an effort to respond to the need for a unified, interdenominational approach to meeting the volunteer needs of Hampton Roads' care facilities. In fact, this goal of harmonious cooperation between churches is inter-woven in the pursuit of all our activities.

 

We operated as Christian Concourse under the kind auspices of Churchland Christian Fellowship, pastored by Rev. Edward Strange, until 1993. In the Spring of that year we incorporated in the State of Virginia under the name of Chapter & Verse as a non-profit corporation and filed with the Internal Revenue Service as a "501-C-3" tax-exempt organization. We changed our name back to Christian Concourse on January 1, 2004 because this name better describes our mission. 

 

Our support for the ministry comes primarily from individual donors. Financial statements are available upon request. All of our ministry is provided without charge. Actively cooperating with care center staff professionals and the leadership of local congregations, we work toward providing all of the Christian volunteer needs of all care facilities in the Hampton Roads area.

 

As a practical expression of this vision, we are involved in the following activities: We provide a liaison between the Christian community and care facility staff. To that end, our director, Jerry Johnson and his wife, Dar, participate with the Hampton Roads Activity Professionals Association. We coordinate various volunteer activities, Christian entertainment, and Care Package programs in local facilities. A list of the types of things we have scheduled and/or participated in includes pet therapy, horticultural therapy, choreographed youth singing groups, one-on-ones, transportation for residents, chaperones for field trips, fund raisers for medical research for the elderly, and distribution of large print Scriptures and magazines. We have assisted needy residents in obtaining resources for medical attention and participated in equipping a chapel in a nursing home.

 

Rev. and Mrs. Johnson conduct monthly "church services" in several nursing homes in South Hampton Roads. The services are designed to encourage the believers in the facility in their faith in Jesus Christ and to allow others to see Christian fellowship focused on the grace and mercy of the Gospel of our Lord. Our format is simple: accompanied by a "Kereoke" player/speaker, we sing with the residents familiar traditional and gospel hymns, a couple poems and/or inspirational articles are read, and a short, relevant sermonette is shared from our heart. 

 

Through this website, in workshops and conventions, and through promotional presentations we seek to recruit, train, equip, encourage and assist care facility volunteers within the interdenominational Christian community. We also promote the concept of developing a network among the various churches within each local community in Hampton Roads and for them to commit together to stay aware of and meet the volunteer needs in the facilities in their neighborhood.

 

To aid churches and facilities in their Christian ministry to care facility residents, we have written and produced A Handbook for Nursing Home Ministry.  This is a comprehensive manual providing practical information, suggestions, guidelines, material and ideas for nursing home ministry.

 

Specially developed for use in long-term care center ministries, we produce and distribute a large-print hymn book with 36 old favorites including 31 hymns and 5 Christmas carols.  There is a set of CD's available that go with the hymn books.  Additionally, we produce and distribute in the Fall of the year a large-print Christian Christmas Carols booklet and accompanying instrumental CD. 

 

As a resource for volunteers and nursing home staff who do "church services" in care facilities we provide on this website Worship Service Programs .  These are a "church bulletin" which incorporates a poem, a responsive reading, an order-of-service, selections from "Our Hymn Book" and a "sermonette."  With the sermonette is a written opening prayer and a benediction.  For those doing nursing home ministry, these are available to download for free at the link above.

 

As equipment is made available to us through donations from the community, Christian Concourse places computers in care facilities, on loan to the activities department or to individual residents. There is no charge to the facility or the individual for this service. We load public domain software on each unit including a comprehensive Bible study program, a word processor, database, spreadsheet, calendar, and games. Over the years, we have placed many machines in the field, including units at Lake Taylor Hospital, The Ballentine, Norfolk Healthcare Center, Autumn Care of Norfolk, Consulate of Norfolk, Cypress Point of Virginia Beach, Beth Shalom Home in Virginia Beach, Sentara Village of Chesapeake, Autumn Care of Chesapeake, Kings Grant House, Newport News Nursing and Rehab, Carrington Place of Chesapeake, and Coliseum Park of Hampton.

 

For more information or to get involved in this exciting mission field of ministry contact us today!