By Gail Marsh
Shut-in. Convalescent. Housebound. No matter what label you assign, there are probably at least a few fellow church members that are unable to leave their homes. Recovering from surgery, convalescing from sickness, or simply fighting the ill effects of aging—any of these can cause a person to become homebound. And whether it’s for a few weeks or a few years, living within the same four walls can be difficult. Needs arise, and the homebound person may not be able to adequately address those needs. That’s when loving servants can come to the rescue.
What does every homebound person need most? To know someone cares! Here are a few service project ideas that will demonstrate to shut-ins that you and your team really care!
- Garden Gals
- Team members love being outside and enjoy helping by:
- Mowing and edging the lawn;
- Caring for a garden—planting, weeding, and harvesting;
- Planting flowers to brighten the home’s exterior.
- Consider delivering one of CTA’s Victory in Jesus plantable seed card.
- Clean-Up Crew
- There isn’t a mess these gals can’t clean! They help by:
- Cleaning up clutter in the home;
- Vacuuming and dusting;
- Washing dirty dishes, clothes, and linens.
- Shut-ins may appreciate a microfiber screen cleaning cloth for eye glasses or tech screens.
- Operation Donation
- Team members help manage an on-going monetary fund. They raise money to help pay for heating and cooling costs, vehicle repair, and emergency household expenses for housebound church families.
- Classy Cookers
- This group of women is all about the food! They can:
- Provide occasional meals for the homebound;
- Bake cookies or a cake for the shut-in or caregiver’s birthday;
- Assist with grocery shopping.
- Operation Visitation
- These gals love to talk, email, post on Facebook, and more! They can help shut-ins feel more connected to the body of believers by:
- Phoning or emailing regularly;
- Delivering a devotional book or other spiritual encouragement;
- Visiting the homebound so the caregiver can have respite time.
Get together with your team of talented women and see if you can come up with even more ways to help the homebound!
Let us know—how to you minister to the shut-ins in your church?
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