Church Champion Articles
The Lowdown on Loneliness
“It has been so long since I saw anyone I knew in the flesh. Seeing her face has literally made my year! I almost cried.” (‘Time to Talk Befriending’ scheme…
Easter Postcards
The coronavirus pandemic has caused significant disruption to our everyday lives. According to Age UK, loneliness affects well over one million people over the age of 65 in normal life,…
Ministries amongst older people: what COVID has taught us
With the ageing population changing the demographics of our communities and our churches, it is important that Christian faith organisations focus now on those people living in the fourth age;…
For Such a Time as This
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with another one of our wonderful Church Champions, Debbie. She had so many wonderful stories to share and we have done our best…
Cherish the Person, Change the Community
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Debs from Hope Community Church in East Manchester. Debs shared with us her heart for older people and how she is doing…
Continuing during COVID
A blog post by Church Champion, Ruth Ranger. My work as a Community Engagement Officer for the Christian charity Pilgrims’ Friend Society (PFS) means that I am able…
What is the Fourth Age?
Celebrating the Fourth Age and Valuing the Contributions of Older People Those in the fourth age are in their eighties, nineties and centenarians. Many commentators refer to the…
Reaching Out to Care Homes
Jenny is in her eighties and lives in a sheltered housing residential home. She has a strong faith in Jesus and has always attended church, but always felt shy about…
Does My Church Value Older People?
In 2019, almost one in five of the UK population (18%) were aged over 65. This is likely to increase over the next 40 years to one in four. The…
Care Home Placements: Advice for Individuals and Churches
With the average age of church members increasing in most churches and the numbers of those in the fourth age rising, the likelihood of members needing to find an appropriate…