“Come! Visit Us in Nursing Home” — CCMA Elderly Home Ministry

By: William Wan

“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:35–36)

… “Come! Visit Us in Nursing Home” …

Is nursing home ministry Jesus’ teaching?

Before the COVID pandemic, our visitation team consisted of just two members. We regularly visited residents at Nursing Homes in Burwood and Earlwood (陳秉達療養院和周藻畔療養院). However, during the pandemic, both homes were under strict lockdown and visitation was not allowed. Now, more than two years after the pandemic, these facilities have reopened, and our ministry has resumed with a larger team of six members.

Since August, we’ve begun monthly visits to the Indochinese Aged Care Services in Bonnyrigg.  From September 2024, we’ve added visits to Lucy Chin Aged Care in Hurstville.

Each visit lasts about an hour and includes a range of activities: singing hymns, playing games, gentle exercises, sharing Bible messages, and offering individual care and encouragement. During our scheduled visits, the nursing home staff kindly gather residents in the activity room, where we can use a TV or laptop to play song videos  and PowerPoint slides.

We aim to be flexible and sensitive to the residents’ needs. For example, physical games must be suitable for the elderly, and Bible messages should be simple and easy to understand for those experiencing cognitive decline.

Each nursing home has its own policies. One facility, for instance, only permits Christians and Catholics residents to attend our gatherings. Even so, some participants have no religious background join us. After two visits to this particular nursing home, we’ve found about eight Christians and two Catholics among the attendees. Many are no longer able to attend church, so our visits bring the Word of God to them and give them an opportunity to worship through song.

Of course, some residents are so elderly or frail that they close their eyes throughout the meeting — but we trust that God’s Word still reaches their hearts. Before we leave, we always pray with them, asking the Holy Spirit to work in their lives and strengthen their faith.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

When we say our goodbyes and shake hands, some residents are reluctant to let go — you can feel their deep gratitude and emotional connection. One resident, whom we’ll call “Ah Gor,” is not yet a believer and has only been in the nursing home for a few months. When asked how he felt about the gathering, he replied, “It was pretty good.” Then he added, “Please come more often.” That simple request told us everything — he enjoyed it and eager for our return.

… “Come! Visit Us in Nursing Home” …

The elderly home ministry is one that pleases the Lord. I truly believe the residents and staff alike can feel the love and hope we bring.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

And what is that hope? As 1 Peter 3:18–22 explains:

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. Through that same Spirit, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits… This water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him.”

For Christian residents, hearing the gospel again helps strengthen their faith. And for those who have not yet believed, our visits may open the door to salvation and the eternal hope found in Christ.