Honoring Dependent Parents: An Opportunity for the Church

Even though the PCA is adding younger people to its ranks, older members are living longer. Physical frailty, social isolation, and altered cognitive powers are among the challenges facing older members. PCA churches today have a growing opportunity to meet the needs of older and younger members who are seeking to honor parents as they deal with the effects of aging. This seminar will focus on practical steps that churches can take to meet this need. Support groups for caregivers, training and rotating family visitation plans for shut-ins, attention to the physical and cognitive needs of older worshipers, and session-level attention to systems of pastoral care for older members and their children (from both teaching elders and other trained leaders) are just some of the steps that will be explained and discussed. Case studies will be used to illustrate how the fifth commandment informs these efforts.