If you're thinking about volunteering at a local nursing home and happen to be a lover of old hymns, consider offering to do a Christian Music Hour every month or even every week, if you have the time.
A small group from my church does just that each month at Care-age of Brookfield: we put together the songbooks and the music from favorite CDs (including selections by everyone's favorite singer, Tennessee Ernie Ford). And my friends Nancy and Pam help the Activities aide on duty transport residents, turn songbook pages, and generally make members of our senior-citizen chorus feel happy and loved.
What's more, the Carrillo family pitches in. Each month, dad Chris delivers an excellent biblical message, custom-prepared and carefully tailored to the needs of those residing in a long-term care facility. And we get wonderful assists from his children Cole, Braden and Danica -- help ranging from sharing sunny smiles with everyone to turning pages, from passing out gospel tracts to helping everyone get to their tables for lunch when we're finished.
Here are the songs we'll be singing this month as we celebrate Thanksgiving and prepare our hearts for Christmas:
We sing different hymns each month, sometimes focusing on special themes. For instance, every year we spend an hour or two or three singing songs that feature heaven prominently, such as these:
It's quite a popular event; we usually have anywhere about one-third of the home's residents in attendance. Not many of us sing very well, but we certainly know how to make a joyful noise unto God!
If you're intrigued and have questions about developing such a program in your community, perhaps I can help; don't hesitate to drop me a note.
A small group from my church does just that each month at Care-age of Brookfield: we put together the songbooks and the music from favorite CDs (including selections by everyone's favorite singer, Tennessee Ernie Ford). And my friends Nancy and Pam help the Activities aide on duty transport residents, turn songbook pages, and generally make members of our senior-citizen chorus feel happy and loved.
What's more, the Carrillo family pitches in. Each month, dad Chris delivers an excellent biblical message, custom-prepared and carefully tailored to the needs of those residing in a long-term care facility. And we get wonderful assists from his children Cole, Braden and Danica -- help ranging from sharing sunny smiles with everyone to turning pages, from passing out gospel tracts to helping everyone get to their tables for lunch when we're finished.
Here are the songs we'll be singing this month as we celebrate Thanksgiving and prepare our hearts for Christmas:
- We Gather Together
- Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
- Now Thank We All Our God
- Great Is Thy Faithfulness
- Come Thou Almighty King
- Faith of Our Fathers
- O God, Our Help in Ages Past
- Holy, Holy, Holy
- Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart
- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
- O Little Town of Bethlehem
- O Holy Night
We sing different hymns each month, sometimes focusing on special themes. For instance, every year we spend an hour or two or three singing songs that feature heaven prominently, such as these:
- Abide with Me
- Rock of Ages
- In the Sweet By and By
- Sweet Beulah Land
- Be Thou My Vision
- Be Still, My Soul
- It Is Well with My Soul
- Hallelujah! What a Savior!
- Finally Home
- Shall We Gather at the River
- How Great Thou Art
- Beyond the Sunset
It's quite a popular event; we usually have anywhere about one-third of the home's residents in attendance. Not many of us sing very well, but we certainly know how to make a joyful noise unto God!
If you're intrigued and have questions about developing such a program in your community, perhaps I can help; don't hesitate to drop me a note.
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