How To Encourage a Senior Loved One’s Faith

Religious faith was an important part of American society for a long time. While our culture is growing more secular, many of our senior loved ones still hold to the faith they were raised in or converted to, such as Christianity. This faith has brought them hope, comfort, peace, and joy daily, and as we help them enjoy their sunset years, we should help them continue in that faith. If you’re not sure how to encourage a senior loved one’s faith, we have some ideas for you below.

Offer Transportation Assistance

One of the biggest problems that elderly believers face is transportation to religious services and events. Some churches and Christian organizations have a bus ministry, which will pick up and drop off seniors and other community members who cannot drive themselves. If a bus ministry isn’t available or your senior loved one doesn’t feel comfortable using it, then you can offer to drive them yourself. This offering will provide quality bonding time in the car and help ensure your loved one gets out of their home, which is good for their mental health.

Help Seniors Connect with a Virtual Religious Group

As important as your loved one is, you’re not a taxi service. If they can’t always get to their desired services or events, help them attend virtually or find a virtual group. Many churches and organizations are streaming services and events online. You can send your loved one a link to these streams so they can easily find what they want to watch. Alternatively, you can write down the steps so they can navigate the internet themselves and find the streams they want to watch.

Watch or Attend Religious Services Together

Fellowship is an important part of the Christian faith. Even if you don’t share this faith with your senior loved one, watching or attending religious services or events together gives them fellowship with you and believing Christians. If you’re driving them to the event anyway, you may as well attend so you can easily drive them home. If you’re helping them watch a service or event online, you may as well stick around to watch and discuss with them. Doing so gives you an activity to do together and, if you are religious, can bolster your own faith.

Play Spiritual Music Together

Music is great for the brain, especially for seniors with memory problems. If you help care for a religious loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s, spiritual music is a great option to help them continue expressing and participating in their faith. Some studies even show that music can help slow cognitive decline. Many caregivers, religious or not, also find the music uplifting, which can help you mentally recharge throughout the day.

Request Religious Visitors

Life, especially spiritual life, does not occur in a vacuum. While you can help your senior loved one connect with their faith in all the ways we listed above, fellow Christian believers should also come alongside you and help. If they’re not sure how or your senior loved one is new to the area they’re now living in, then request religious visitors. Reach out to a local church or religious organization and explain that your senior loved one is home throughout the day and would appreciate occasional encouraging visits. Many of these churches and organizations have assigned visiting pastors and encouraging Christians who will come visit your loved one, reading the Bible, praying, and singing with them. Hosting someone and making friends outside of the family will give your loved one a bright spot in their day and ease some of the religious caretaking off your shoulders.

Share Prayer Requests with Them

Many senior Christian believers have held to their faith for a long time. They have learned a lot of spiritual wisdom, including how to pray. Since they have more free time throughout the day, asking them to pray both encourages their faith and can benefit others. Share your personal prayer requests with them and help them connect with others who need prayer. For example, if the church you attend together lists prayer requests in the church bulletin, you could put the bulletin on your loved one’s fridge so they can easily see it and pray over the requests during the week.

Find Volunteer Opportunities for Them

Churches and Christian organizations need help throughout the week but often struggle to get enough volunteers. If your senior loved one is able, then volunteering is a great way for them to express their faith and get active in the community. You can look up senior religious volunteer opportunities in your area and help your loved one find the perfect fit. If transportation is an issue, then limit the volunteer opportunities to times and dates you’re available. For example, many churches need childcare volunteers during Sunday morning services. Since you’re driving your loved one anyway, you can help them sign up to care for babies during one of the services.

Buy Them Religious Media

Religious faith finds inspiration everywhere, including in different forms of media. Books, movies, and TV shows are common ways for senior citizens to pass the time. Buy them religious books, movies, TV shows, and other forms of media so that this common pastime can also inspire and encourage their faith. If you don’t have the funds to buy this media, you can find options in the inspirational section of your local library. Take your senior loved one to the library so they can pick out what they want to watch or pick up surprises for them when you have the time. Some churches and religious organizations have their own libraries with spiritual media to pick from, so you can also borrow from them. Just make sure you know what media comes from where so you can help them return it properly.

Give Them a Large Print Bible

The most important part of religious media is the Bible. As our senior loved ones age, they may struggle to read the Bible they’ve been reading for years because the print is small and fading. If they’re too stubborn to pick out a new Bible for themselves, gift them a giant print KJV Bible.

You can encourage a senior loved one’s faith in many ways. Helping our loved ones continue to celebrate and express the faith that means so much to them is important, regardless of whether you’re religious. They have helped us through many important parts of our life, so it’s only fair to return the favor.