North Carolina Churches Unite to Support Older Adults in the Week of Prayer and Offering
ThriveMore’s charitable work would not be possible without regular people across North Carolina who give generously. And one way that many people get involved is through next week’s Week of Prayer and Offering for Older Adults.
This is an annual initiative from ThriveMore’s Foundation, the Baptist Retirement Homes Foundation, that helps churches across the state learn about the needs of older adults.
“I think a lot of church people know a lot of people who need what ThriveMore or the Foundation can do for them, because they have a heart for people who can’t get the quality care that they need and they like to be a part of something that provides care when people need it the most,” said Keith Dixon, former Foundation team member and present Pastor at Boiling Springs Baptist Church.
The Foundation’s Manager of Chaplaincy and Faith Relations Stephanie M. Shaffer said she’s continuously impressed by the generosity of the churches who partner with ThriveMore.
“Every week I travel around the state sharing about our work to support older adults,” she said. “I meet some of the most caring, compassionate people and invite them to be part of our ministry. We’re able to keep serving because of those partnerships.”
This year’s event kicks off Monday, and runs through February 1. Church groups or individuals can join in by reading the devotionals provided by the Foundation each day, praying for the needs of older adults in the state and giving what they feel led to financially.
The idea is for people to begin to understand how they can be involved, Keith said. Over the years, he’s seen that people love to give to the Foundation because all of the money goes to where it’s needed. The Foundation pays for care at ThriveMore campuses that residents cannot pay, and also covers other programs like Medicine from the Heart that covers the cost of prescriptions for older adults in need.
“The Baptist Retirement Homes started with the dream of a few Baptists who wanted to help older adults, and encouraged their churches to support that dream,” Stephanie said. “After 75 years, support from our churches is just as important in fulfilling our mission.”
To take part in The Week of Prayer and Offering for Older Adults, get in touch with Stephanie at sshaffer@thrivemorenc.org. You can also follow The Baptist Retirement Homes Foundation on Facebook for daily content next week. And if you can’t join in next week, you can still get the materials from Stephanie for your group but then use them during a different week during the year that works for you.