'Thursday 19 September proved to be a golden day all round in Wallingford, Oxfordshire: not just a gloriously warm and bright autumn day, but a day of new experiences for residents at Westgate House' writes Debbie Ducille.
Residents were invited to join in a Christian worship service based on ‘Messy Vintage’ : this is a way into worship for older people, regardless of their background or faith journey, and can be adapted for any setting – in the community, in churches or in care homes. It has come out of the worldwide Messy Church movement, which is a fun and creative way of ‘being church’ for families from all kinds of backgrounds.
The session was led by Debbie Ducille, Ministry Lead for Anna Chaplaincy, alongside local Anna Chaplain Wendy Moorin (with PAT dog Tilly) and pastoral worker Kate Arden-White.
Wonderful local volunteers Graham and Liz, plus staff members were all hands-on in the worship session, which included creative activities, readings, prayers and hymns with the 15 or so residents who gathered. All followed by tea and cake, of course!
Debbie and Kate were about to conclude a 65-mile sponsored walk from Alton (in Hampshire) to Abingdon, marking 10 years of Anna Chaplaincy as a national movement under BRF Ministries, when they dropped in at Westgate House for the afternoon.
'From one Anna Chaplain in Alton – BBC broadcaster Debbie Thrower – to a national network of nearly 400 Anna Chaplains, is certainly something to celebrate. It means that thousands of older people across the UK are having their spiritual needs met through safely recruited, trained, compassionate individuals every year', said Debbie Ducille.
'It was such a pleasure to join residents, volunteers and staff at Westgate House and we felt very welcomed by everyone,’ says Debbie. ‘The residents who participated in Messy Vintage were clearly enjoying themselves and willing to try new things as part of worship, which was wonderful to see.'
Our focus on this occasion was on learning from trees: they need to be rooted and grounded in order to flourish. This is a helpful picture for us, as people, of how we can put down deep roots of faith that sustain us.’
Residents went on to make ‘mini trees’ of their own, and continued to reflect on favourite trees, and childhood memories of climbing and scrumping!'
The opportunity for this additional activity in the Westgate calendar came about as a result of developing conversations between Catherine Semmence (Head of Volunteering for The Orders of St John Care Trust) and contact with Anna Chaplaincy. Anna Chaplaincy seeks to equip and enable individuals and their local churches in offering high-quality spiritual care among older people in their communities, who may be of strong, little or no faith.
This ministry varies a great deal across the UK depending on context, but often involves chaplaincy support in local care homes. This includes supporting the home’s provision of Christian worship and meeting other religious needs identified but, primarily, it is a ministry of presence and a gift of time, listening ‘care-fully’ to individuals – both residents, family members and staff - and their stories, hopes and fears.
Most Anna Chaplains are volunteers, such as Alison Andre in Marlborough, who reflected recently on her role in OSJCT news: https://www.osjct.co.uk/news/alison-brings-music-animals-spiritual-comfort-residents-coombe-end-court-volunteer-chaplain
‘All care home providers are required to offer appropriate, person-centred care which should include meeting the religious and spiritual needs of their residents,’ reflects Debbie.
‘However, this can be challenging for care homes, in the midst of so many other demands; also, clarification of what ‘spiritual needs’ might mean would prove helpful. I’m really encouraged that Catherine and the OSJCT trustees take this seriously, and are exploring ways to ensure that holistic aspects of care can be met throughout their homes. This honouring of a person’s faith background and desire to continue their faith journey - for some residents - plus the honouring of all individuals as spiritual beings on their life-journey, is crucial for overall well-being. I look forward to further supporting OSJCT in this endeavour.’
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