Fellowship, Christmas carols, communion, and homemade treats—these are a few of their favorite things.
About 50 senior members of Fuller Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich., participate in an annual Christmas worship service in which no one is left out.
“An effort is made to pick up every senior in the church,” said John Vandenberg, 88, explaining why he looks forward to the event every year.?“You get a lot of fellowship to assure every member that you are part of the body, we think about you, we do what we can to help make your day.”
Seniors age 65 and older are invited, and the majority of attendees are in their 80s.? Some live in nursing homes or are homebound.
“It’s a wonderful chance for many of these seniors to actually worship as a community instead of being visited,” said Rev. George Vander Weit, pastor of the church.
The service, held in early December, includes an abundance of Christmas carols, a celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and a short meditation. Afterward the seniors visit together and eat goodies provided by younger members of the congregation.
About the Author
Roxanne VanFarowe is a freelance writer who claims both Canadian and American citizenship and grew up in the Christian Reformed Church. She is a member of Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina.
