Dear Sir,
I was interested to read about Tim and Margaret Bruton’s Carers for the Older Generation Group (June en). I hope it goes from strength to strength, blessing many older people.
And I wondered how many of your readers know that we (our charity, the Pilgrims’ Friend Society) hold free training workshops for churches to help them set up similar groups or works within the fellowship?
With its history of more than 209 years of caring and supporting older people, PFS clearly has significant experience and knowledge of older people, and we are sharing this under our ‘Christians for Older People’ programme.
The organiser of a large church in Horsham said that our training had exceeded their highest expectations and typical of comments from participants was one who wrote: ‘I have been a nurse for 25 years and in all my experience this is the best training day ever!’ In a diocesan church in Derbyshire, the pastoral worker wrote: ‘This day was of immense practical and spiritual value, and has inspired us in our work with older people.’
We look at the practical, psychological and spiritual aspects of supporting older people and their families. We also have a range of booklets available through our website, including one by former old age consultant, Dr Sarah Jones, on Caring for Elderly Parents. Although we have housing and care homes, this sharing is an important part of our ministry to older people.
Warmly in Christ,
