What is the “Fourth Age”? This stage of life is often described as the point following the Third Age. If the Third Age includes the earlier years of old age (perhaps 60s and 70s), then the Fourth Age reaches into the later late years (80s and 90s). More crucially however, whilst the Third Age is understood as a time of independence, activity, health and engagement in society, the Fourth Age is one where frailty and dependence increases, withdrawal happens and passivity is inevitable due to disability and decline. All well and good, one might think. But when we consider this term in more detail, it begins to reveal some unsettling truths about what we really think about old age.

The “Fourth Age” concept is one which has been discussed extensively by two gerontologists called Gilleard and Higgs. They suggest that the Fourth Age actually bears little resemblance to the lived experience of older people, but is more akin to the concept of a ‘Social Imaginary’, a phrase borrowed from philosopher Charles Taylor. A ‘Social Imaginary’ describes a society’s expectation of what should be the norm or an accepted truth to which all people should adhere. For our current purposes, in modern European societies, we have come to expect that at some point in life (barring premature death), as we move into old age, we will all have a time of fruitfulness and peace, a rest following a busy middle age filled with responsibilities of children and work. Post-retirement life will be full of activity and enjoyment. But then as frailty increases and death approaches, we all at some point will tip over into an “abyss”, and one which none of us want to enter – the Fourth Age. The Third Age becomes the hope of old age, whilst the Fourth Age becomes the dark reality which none of us want to live through. As Gilleard and Higgs write, “The brighter the lights of the third age, the darker the shadows they cast over this underbelly of aging — the fourth age.” Independence and dependence, success and failure, activity and passivity, health and frailty, ability and disability are contrasted and held at arm’s length from one another.

There are two problems with this concept of the “Fourth Age”. Firstly, it is rarely the experienced reality of individuals in old age. Instead of there being a distinct turning point where we transfer from Third to Fourth Age (on one’s 80th birthday, for example), the reality is more fluid and unfathomable. Loss of capacity happens gradually, and in different ways at different times. If we simply classify someone as being in the “Fourth Age” and therefore expect them to behave or be unable to behave in certain ways, we miss a huge amount of what it means to be a person with a variety of experiences of living each day. But more worryingly, this concept of the “Fourth Age” creates a huge amount of fear surrounding old age. Our society’s primary values exist around the human right for “choice, autonomy, self-expression and pleasure”, and the implicit assumption is that when those elements of living are lost, we simply find ourselves waiting to die. This is what many of us expect the “Fourth Age” to be like. As a result, institutions and attitudes develop in society to define this apparent group of people and in the process many people experience what theologian Josh Hordern describes as a “social death” before biological death. As people who apparently can no longer contribute anything useful or meaningful they can simply be described as a burden. They are ostracised and categorised in a way that creates an unrealistic and unhealthy picture of what it means to live in the later years of old age.

In reality, research shows that for many the reality of increasing frailty is often better than many old people fear. Because we so value all of the things that we find in the “third age” (a functional mind and body, youthfulness and so on), the fourth age is deeply feared. The anticipation of what is to come, or indeed the dissonance between our expectations of who we should be or what society expects from us, and the reality of our experience is too much to bear.  As one old man says in an interview with a researcher, “You have no effect on anything, you know. The ship sets sail and everyone has a job, but you just sail along. (…) I am cargo to them. That’s not easy. Not easy. No, no, no. That’s not me! No, no, no, no, no!… I have no idea in which area someone my age is able to seriously participate.”

If we were able to see individuals for who they are, and the gifts they have to offer, rather than those who fit a pre-determined understanding of what it means to be old, their experience might be better. If we were able to discover means by which those in their final years can and do exist as gifts to those around them rather than just burdens, growing old in society may be easier. Perhaps if we just stop talking about the “Fourth Age” and see the people rather than the label, we may all be better off in our ability to embrace and engage with the realities of all stages of old age, no matter what they bring.

Job Title: Executive Assistant (Part Time)

Hours: 20 hours/week

Salary: £15,080 (£27,898 pro-rata)

Location: Mostly remote, occasional in-person events

Reports to: CEO

About Us:

Faith in Later Life inspires and equips Christians to serve older people through local churches. Our vision is to ensure older people are valued and supported with the gospel. Find out more about us at https://faithinlaterlife.org/.

Job Purpose:

To provide comprehensive administrative and communication support to our charity and CEO. Responsibilities include assisting with events, managing communications, content creation, and general administration.

About you:

The successful applicant will be trustworthy and discrete and be able to evidence proven experience of excellent organisation and communication skills.

Self-motivated with a can-do attitude, they will also be proficient in G-Suite, Microsoft, and willing to learn new tools.

Further Information and Applications

To get started, click the icons below to download the full job specification and an application form. Please submit a completed application form, CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role by Friday, 14th February 2025, to the email address stated in the job specification.

Job specification

Application Form

One of the aims of Faith in Later Life is to enable and mobilise older people to minister meaningfully for the whole of their lives. What does this mean? It’s easy to imagine the kind of ministry that some older people could engage in. We might jump straight to those of us who have just retired, who still have a good degree of physical and mental capacity and suddenly have a lot of spare time on our hands. The likes of these are gold dust to many church ministries; the toddler group struggling to find enough young-mum or dad volunteers who are run off their feet chasing after their two-year-olds will be delighted to have an influx of men and women who can sort logistics, look out for those who are struggling and pray for others without a toddler hanging onto their legs. Or perhaps even those of us who are growing older into our 80s and 90s yet still demonstrate a remarkable ability to continue to “do” things as though we were still young; those of us who still turn up, still offer wisdom, advice, kindness, love and hospitality to the younger generations despite their age. Or those of us who can still make it to the older people’s teas, even if it means just showing up and chatting to people. These people are a gift in their ability to minister to others who may not find church the most comfortable place to be, or who might be looking for hope beyond what this world can offer.

But what happens when older people can’t minister meaningfully in these specific kinds of ways? When dementia sets in and we no longer have physical or mental capacity to offer as we might once have done? Or when we are nearing the end of life and we can do little more than lie in a bed and receive the care of others? Or when we can no longer make it to church in our own capacity to volunteer through providing physical or moral support to others in the way we once did? How do we minister meaningfully then? Or perhaps instead, at that point do we simply become receivers of the ministry of others?

In our society we have a significantly limited understanding of what it means to be a human being who is able to “act” in a meaningful way. We live in a world shaped by the idea that before we exist in community with others, we are individuals with our own inner source of identity and our own internal driver for our ability to “do” things – and that is where our value comes from. As a result, when we get to a stage of life where we can no longer do things on our own, because of age-related decline, and increased incapacity, we are quick to assume that we have little to offer meaningfully. In church circles, you hear it often said that the little old lady who is housebound can only do one thing that is meaningful, and that is to sit at home and pray. Now this is not to limit or question the power of prayer and the legitimacy of that as a fundamental calling. But prayer should not be limited to those who cannot “do” other things, and nor should the limits of old age preclude us from being able to minister meaningfully in other ways. In fact, those of us who display significant limits to their physical and mental capacity, be it through dementia, loss of mobility due to arthritis, or simply being in the stage of life which is approaching death quickly, perhaps in our final days can minister just as meaningfully as those who do not share those same characteristics. Sometimes, because of what our society values, we just need to look a little harder to discover how.

Take one example, in my last church there was a lady in her 90s named Lilian (name changed for privacy purposes). Lilian suffered from crippling anxiety as a result of increasing frailty and struggled to leave the house. She lived alone and was estranged from her only son. She had a deep faith in Jesus and loved to come to church but needed an army of people who would volunteer to pick her up and drive her each Sunday, and during the week for other events. Lilian could do very little on her own and didn’t really spend a lot of time passing on the wisdom she had accumulated throughout her life, nor did she pray very much for us, as far as I could tell. Many would describe Lilian as a burden; she certainly took up a lot of time and effort on my part and others from the church to help her. when sometimes I could have done without the extra trip on the way to church, and when my children wanted my full attention. But what she did offer me, and the others who got to know her, was the chance to be a person who cared. Lilian was always open to being loved, always received our care with great gratitude and whilst not always being in a good mood or a particularly easy person to be around, was always available and welcomed us in when we showed up.

Eventually, Lilian died following a particularly bad fall. And it was only in the days following Lilian’s death, when I realised that she wouldn’t be there any more for me to go and collect and take to church, that I understood that far from me having spent all those months giving to Lilian, actually Lilian had been giving a gift to me. In Matthew 25 Jesus says these words: “For 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.”. In being someone who allowed us to care for them when they were sick, in being someone who was once a stranger who allowed us to invite her in, Lilian let us meet with Jesus, in herself. And what a precious gift this was. In the absence of apparently being able to “do” anything meaningful in the world’s eyes, Lilian was able to give us the most precious gift of all, the gift of being Jesus to us in this way.

So next time you are looking to discover a way for older people to minister in your church, don’t forget those who look as though they have nothing to offer. Perhaps simply by their very presence they might have a huge amount to offer. In the dependence, in the need, in the fragility it is here where we find Jesus. If we only believe it is the young and able who are offering something to them, we will miss something crucial about what it means to be human in interdependence with each other. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, ‘Christians must bear the burden of one another. … Only as a burden is the other really a brother or sister and not just an object to be controlled.’. In a world which struggles to see this, let’s make sure that our churches are not void of those who society might deem to be a burden, but bring them into the centre, so that many more might meet Jesus in this way.

Back in September, our care home Middlefields House in Chippenham was featured on Radio 4’s Sunday Worship programme. “Family members” (as we call those who choose to live with us) gathered for a time of collective worship, listening to a short talk and sharing Bible passages, hymns and reflections on God’s faithfulness over the years. It was a warm and uplifting time, and a lovely glimpse of why it is so precious to worship the Lord in community with others.

Gaie Marshall is Pastoral Lead at the home and her role involves working with local churches to ensure those living at Middlefields House receive ample opportunity for spiritual encouragement. “Going to church, praying and sharing fellowship are seen as vital for the Christian life,” she says. “Nowhere in the Bible does it suggest we put a brake on it just because people are older.”

For those living in care homes getting out to church may no longer be an option for any number of reasons including ill health, lack of mobility or difficulties with transport. What churches can bring to a care home can therefore be a spiritual lifeline.

As well as provision by staff, at Middlefields House there are regular Sunday Services, a monthly Monday Communion Service, events such as ‘Songs of Praise’ and ‘Sing and Share’, and times of open worship, all supported by local churches and volunteers.

“It makes such a difference. I can think of one lady who was anxious before a recent singing time. Afterwards, she was buoyed up and talking about her joy in the Lord,” says Gaie. “The Word of the Lord is so powerful. I remember another gentleman, confused one morning but as the conversation turned to Scripture he brought out gems that were stored in his heart. That same gentleman also shared very appropriately a quote from a Christian song in a time of worship and praise.”

Whether you’re building on an existing partnership with your local care home or starting something from scratch, the below can be useful pointers:

1) Make a connection. This could be to the manager of the home, or it may be that your best contact is the activities coordinator – these are often the people responsible for organising the activities each week and overseeing volunteers.

2) Appeal to an ethos of ‘person-centred’ care. Best practice in social care means putting the individual and their needs and preferences first. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator for health and social in England, says providers should care for a person’s ‘religious and spiritual needs’. By visiting a care home, your church is helping to uphold the duty they have to any Christian residents, or any who are interested in the Christian faith.

3) Be sensitive to red tape. Care homes have a duty to safeguard those who are in their care. Be prepared to go through the process of having a DBS check/ joining their official volunteer programme to make things as easy for the home as possible.

4) Start small. At first, you might go in and simply chat, pray and read the Bible with individuals. From there, you may find the interest of other residents is piqued and they want to join in too and things will grow.

5) Keep it simple. If you are holding a service, a short talk of 10 to 15 minutes is probably enough. Visual aids can help people to engage, especially if they are living with a condition affecting cognition like dementia. Interactive elements, such as a quiz or props to handle, can also help people engage.

6) Make it musical. Music and song can reach deep into the soul and many older people in care homes today may remember old hymns from childhood. If you have someone who can provide instrumental accompaniment, then great. If not, a smart phone with a speaker is a good option, or simply sing unaccompanied. Try familiar choruses with repetition like ‘Wide, Wide As The Ocean’ or ‘Jesus Loves Me This I Know’.

7) Consider coming on a Sunday… but don’t be deterred if you can’t. For many older Christians, church on a Sunday feels right, giving them a boost and perspective to start the week. If you are a minister or pastor looking to lead a service, this may mean fitting the visit around other Sunday commitments and a monthly service might be the realistic option. Or it may be that a Sunday service just doesn’t work at all and a midweek service is better.

8) Celebrate communion. Jesus commands believers to receive communion. Some older people living care homes may only be able to live out this aspect of their faith if someone brings communion to them. Find out what your church denomination believes around the giving of the Lord’s Supper and consider whether this is something that could be made possible.

9) Don’t be put off if another church is already involved. Having people from different church backgrounds visit/ lead services at a home can help support Christians from different backgrounds who are used to different approaches and styles of worship.

10) Pray. Last but by no means least! God can open doors anywhere, so commit your plans to the Lord and see what happens. Ask if prayer for local care homes could be added to your church’s prayer rota, or if you could have a slot at an upcoming prayer meeting to tell others about any plans and pray over them as a church.

If you have other Top Tips to share with us out of your own experience with care home ministry, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]

I’m an older person who’s a member of “The Christian Dance Fellowship of Britain” and I believe that we can use our body in praise.

Christian gentle movement groups for seniors are wonderful.  Colourful pom-pom shakers can be used (like USA cheerleaders use.)   These are safe because they have no stick, and are light and easy to hold as they have a handle.  Many older people appreciate melodic songs such Graham Kendrick’s “Shine Jesus Shine” and “The Servant King”, and Marilyn Baker’s songs such as “Jesus, you are Changing me.”  The light movement can be done standing up or sitting down and I ask people to only do what feels comfortable to their body, with no stress or strain.

There’s no pressure and it’s very gentle – so it’s ideal for older people.  I point out that we’re not dancing to impress other people – as we’re dancing for God.  I think it is important for mature people to have beautiful tuneful songs and not just a repetitive disco beat which seems to have taken over the music industry now!  Using praise songs adds a beautiful Christian dimension.

Movement can improve older people’s fitness and balance – and it should be enjoyable, with nobody barking out orders – as can happen in non-Christian exercise classes!   It could also be used in fellowship groups.  Perhaps Christians could start a small exercise and movement group in their local area or suggest the idea to their church leader. All you need is a comfortable room, chairs, pom-pom shakers and joyful Christian praise songs!

It’s also a way to introduce not-yet-believers to encouraging Christian words sung to praise music.  It could also be used in Christian “Holiday at Home” days and in church groups, sheltered housing and in people’s own home.  Even a small group with just a handful of people could get together in someone’s home to do this.

It’s also Biblical as Psalm 149 & 150 tells people to praise God with music and dance.

Mrs Ann Wills, Middlesex, West London.

Find out more about The Christian Dance Fellowship of Britain.

Love My Neighbour campaign returns for a second year as communities called to save lives this winter.

For Immediate Release – Friday, 1st November 2024

The Christian charity, Faith in Later Life, has launched its life-saving and life-giving Love My Neighbour campaign for the second year running. This winter initiative calls on Christians and churches across the UK to support their older neighbours, with the aim of reducing loneliness and the excess winter deaths that can result from it.

Building on the success of last year’s campaign, Faith in Later Life is once again encouraging intentional acts of kindness, prayer, and practical support for our older neighbours.

Every winter, loneliness is a contributing factor to 25,000-30,000 excess deaths among older people. The Love My Neighbour campaign aims to tackle this crisis head-on, reminding Christians of the simple but powerful ways they can bring life and connection to their older neighbours.

Whether we live in a house, a flat, in a care home, or anywhere else; this is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to share God’s love with people within and beyond the church family.

This campaign, launching today (1st November) will run until March with an intentional focus on encouraging Christians to pray for, offer practical support and bring good news to older people in their neighbourhood.

As the campaign develops, so will social media encouragements and a special resources section on the Faith in Later Life website.

In a special video message, Alexandra Drew, CEO of Faith in Later Life, highlights the urgency of the campaign:

“This winter, as heating bills rise and the cold creeps in, many older people will be forced to stay inside, missing out on the life-giving connection that community brings. But this isn’t how it should be. We all have a God given need for community.”

“Don’t let your older neighbours face winter alone. Whether you’re one person, a family, or a whole church, you can make a difference. Together, let’s shut the door on this dark winter loneliness, and instead open the door to light, life, connection, and God’s incredible love.”

To find out more about Love My Neighbour, please visit https://faithinlaterlife.org/love-my-neighbour/

END

Faith in Later Life exists to inspire and equip Christians to reach, serve and empower older people in every community, through the local Church.

Alexandra is available for media interviews by prior arrangement.

For more information or media requests, please contact Adam May, Communications Consultant for Faith in Later Life on 07736 949 869 or [email protected]

Recently, I co-hosted a discussion with sector leaders (Perspective Conversations: Reaching the Older Generations), where we explored how to better share the good news with older generations. Our discussion highlighted both the challenges and immense outreach potential of those aged 65 and over.

I presented specific data showing the unique opportunities we have in reaching this age bracket. The Talking Jesus research reveals that while 63% of this demographic identify as Christian, almost half (47%) never attend church. While some may be hindered from church attendance due to ill health or disability, the data also reveals that only 29% engage in prayer weekly or daily, and 37% do not pray at all.

This points to a complex spiritual reality: while many in this age group may hold a cultural allegiance to Christianity, of this number the majority remain disconnected from active faith practices. So, how can we connect with a generation that may often identify as Christian but does not engage with it?

What Does The Research Tell Us?

In 2022, as the UK was emerging from a pandemic, I was the author of the Talking Jesus research, backed by a significant partnership of Christian organisations all wanting to understand the landscape of the Uk and the openness to the Christian faith of those outside the church. Within this research we delved into faith practises and preferences among the older generations. It offered some important insights:

1. Cultural Christianity: A significant number of older adults identify as Christian (63%) but do not attend church (47%), highlighting a need for engagement beyond the traditional church setting.
2. Prayer Practices: The research reveals that 37% of older Christians do not pray at all, and only 29% engage in prayer on a weekly or daily basis. This indicates a significant disconnect between identifying as Christian and actively practicing the faith. Notably, prayer serves as a more precise indicator of faith than church attendance, as it can be practiced even by those who are housebound.
3. Beliefs About Jesus: Interestingly, when asked to describe Jesus, 49% identified Him as “spiritual” and 44% as “peaceful.” While a staggering 43% believe in the resurrection, only 14% are fully convinced, leaving 29% an open but questioning mission opportunity. They are nearer faith than we think but need help to understand the full message of the resurrected Jesus.
4. Opportunities for Outreach: With only 6% of older adults actively practicing their faith (reading the Bible, praying, attending church), the potential for outreach is immense. This demographic is culturally warm towards the church, yet many do not have a personal faith in Jesus.

How Do Older Generations Explore Faith?

If we are to consider the best outreach strategies for reaching those aged 65 and over, the research reveals useful insights about preferences for exploring the Christian faith:

• Local Church Visits: Many older adults still see visiting a church as a primary way to engage with the faith.
• Bible Reading: About 28% of non-practicing or non-Christian seniors would turn to the Bible as their starting point for spiritual exploration.
• Christian Leaders: Approximately 18% would seek guidance from a Christian leader, showing an openness to dialogue.

The Need for Genuine Connections

The church urgently needs to build genuine relationships and connections within this age group. A significant finding from the Talking Jesus research shows that only 50% of non-Christian older adults know a practicing Christian—lower than the average for the broader non-Christian population.

So How Do We Engage Older Generations In Faith?

The Talking Jesus research highlights a vital opportunity for the church: while older generations may have a cultural affiliation with Christianity, there is significant potential for deeper engagement. To effectively connect with this demographic, churches must be intentional in their outreach and in starting spiritual dialogue. They need to recognise that many in this age bracket already consider themselves Christian. By understanding their starting point, we can build connections and lead them to go deeper, offering them a transformative relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is a crucial reminder that the church’s role extends beyond its walls to meet older generations where they are—inviting them into a deeper relationship with true faith. Let’s act, pray and unlock the potential of this mission field!

Perspective Conversations: Reaching The Older Generations was an online discussion held on 12 October 2024. Rachel Jordan-Wolf (Hope Together) and Rachael Heffer (Evangelical Alliance) were joined by Alexandra Drew (Faith in Later Life) Pippa Cramer (Hymns We Love) to discuss how we can better share the good news of Jesus with older generations. It offered insights, advice, and creative ways to connect with people in later life, and inlcuded insights from those leading seniors ministries in a local context.

You can watch the recording here.

Tim and I have been taking services at a local care home for many years.

We have seen the Holy Spirit at work during our time with our dear friends.  The lady in a large wheelchair who comes in with her eyes closed and doesn’t seem to take part in any way suddenly starts moving her lips when we say the Lord’s Prayer together; the new gentleman, who we wonder if he wants to be in the service, who in his way joins in with the hymn that touches him or the lady who sits in her usual chair at the back of the room smiles and laughs out loud when something is said or sung that resounds in her innermost being.

What wonderful reactions to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.

During our service, we sing hymns we know that are loved and familiar to our friends. Their response to these familiar words and tunes is amazing.  However, there are occasions when we come across a wonderful children’s song which fits in perfectly with our theme for the service. A fun song, a catchy tune and sometimes shows children using actions representing the words.

We use our mobile phones and have all our songs linked to YouTube.  We then cast the link onto a smart TV.  We have to be aware that there are adverts at the beginning of these links. We use children’s songs from time to time because they are sung clearly, they are cheerful and have a good rhythm. We play it through the first time and suggest we sing it again.  Our friends are always keen to sing it again.

In introducing the song, we always say “Why should the children have all the good music?’ or “We are all children at heart”.  We are certainly aware that they don’t know these songs, they have never heard them before so tunes, words and even actions are not familiar to them.  We have sought God’s guidance in the choices of the hymns we use and certainly have asked Him about using children’s songs for our older friends. Are we being patronizing in our approach?  Is there a better way to help our friends to know the love of Jesus?  Is this what we would want if we were in their shoes?

The answer is actually in our time with them as we play these songs.  The smile that lights up their faces, the actions that they use in reaction to the tune they hear as they clap when the children clap; the response when we say shall we play this one again and above all the sense of the Holy Spirit touching them and telling them “Yes, you are My child, you are safe in the arms of the Lord Jesus”

So this year at our Harvest service we played the ‘Harvest Samba’.

At another service entitled  ‘Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”, we watched and played ‘Jesus You’re the light’.

And yes, we played them twice!

Harvest Samba by Chet Valley Churches

Jesus, You’re the Light by Jana Alayra

We have used these Christmas songs to bring the good news of the Birth of Jesus to our friends:

Child in a Manger Born From Songs for Every Christmas by Mark & Helen Johnson – “Out of the Ark Music”

Midnight from Chet valley Churches**

If you haven’t tried using children’s songs during your services at the care home then why not try it?  If you do, why not let us know what reaction you see as the Holy Spirit moves amongst your senior friends?

** We use Chet Valley Churches for our hymns and song.  Chet Valley Churches added many hymns and songs onto YouTube to help churches during COVID.

There are times I wonder how on earth I would manage life if I were not a Christian. When things go badly wrong or circumstances are particularly trying, I feel the only thing keeping me positive and from ‘going under’ is that I pray and trust the Lord, drawing on the scripture promises that “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength” and “the joy of the Lord is your strength”.

So it’s no wonder that I increasingly long that people should know the joy and peace that comes from being right with God, enjoying the fact that he loves them and they can trust him with their life now and hereafter.

I am greatly privileged that my church recognises the place for ministry to seniors and has given me the responsibility of team leader. As such I feel my role is to encourage and involve other believers in reaching out to as many people as possible. In turn, they are made stronger by exercising their faith. It’s especially rewarding when we see people finding or increasing in their personal faith.

We’ve been very encouraged lately by Annie who was baptised recently. She told us how she and her husband Dave had watched with interest as our church was re-built from the foundations up. They ‘had a faith’ but didn’t go to church. Seeing the door open one day they ventured in, received a very warm welcome and were encouraged to go upstairs and take their time to look around. She said, “It was peaceful in the sanctuary. Dave and I prayed together.”

Annie cared for her husband for a long time through his illness until he passed away peacefully at home. That was in 2008 and she misses him every day. After his passing she became very depressed and one day, walking past a neighbour’s house, she stopped to chat. In conversation Bob told her how faith in Jesus had helped him. She says, “Whilst he was talking, I suddenly felt a lightbulb go on! I wanted to know more about God.” A short while later she was in Tesco and bumped into Sue, Bob’s wife, who invited Annie to a home study group in their house that evening. With a friend, she went regularly for years until it stopped. Now she can say that she truly believes in Jesus as her Lord and Saviour and knows his presence in her life. She says that the time she and Dave prayed together in the sanctuary was a very special day.

Our church building has a foyer looking onto the market square, with huge glass windows like a department store. On Sundays it is set up cafe-style and people who would not want to be upstairs in the main auditorium with around 200 others, are made welcome downstairs. This is another place Annie has felt welcome as due to health issues she needs to be away from crowds.

I see her testimony as illustrating a chain of events that has brought her to a vibrant faith: an initial warm welcome into the building to ‘look around’, a neighbour daring to tell her about his experience of Jesus, the invitation in Tesco to the home group, a weekly ladies’ event in the foyer, and cafe church on Sundays. And this is how it so often is. A small action on our part can be one of the links. We do not have to feel the whole responsibility of leading someone to Christ is ours alone. But we do have to do the small things. I often think that after a lifetime of important responsibilities and opportunities, older age is ‘The Day of Small Things’. Yet they can turn out to be very important in God’s plan and we must do them.

John had been to the church Art Group and it was when he and his wife came to renew their vows at the time of their Golden Wedding anniversary that he began to find a real faith. Alpha and home group have seen him grow spiritually and he’s always willing to help as needed – which is quite often! John knows that the welcome people receive is all important. That’s where we all come in – something we can all do.

Margaret came to the Lord after a dissolute and disappointing life which led to severe depression. She recounts how a ‘friend of a friend’ told her about the difference Jesus would make in her life but she didn’t want to know. Yet this ‘friend’ persisted over a couple of years and in the end Margaret decided to find out for herself what it was all about, and began attending a local Alpha Course. She says, “On the third week, all that person had been saying fell into place.” She gave herself to the Lord and has never looked back.

For many years David occasionally went to church with his wife and daughter who were committed Christians and involved in church life. As he had a scientific mind he was sceptical and questioning, full of doubts but wanting to be part of the spiritual joy he witnessed in others. Eventually our church advertised an Alpha course for anyone who would ‘like to learn more’. Oh yes, he would! This was the turning point and he soon joined the church and become involved, still wanting questions answered but happy in his life with Christ.

No doubt it is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing people and convincing them of the truth, but it is in partnership with those of us who are already his…those of us who recognise that in committing to Jesus Christ, of becoming his modern-day disciples, we are commissioned to spread the gospel. Sometimes this is by silent witness, our lives showing the difference, sometimes it is by a ‘word in season or out of season’, by a small act of kindness or persistent prayer, but the fact is that by whatever means we are meant to be part of the process of winning others for Him.

There’s a verse in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Let us “not grow weary in well-doing” but recognise the privilege of finding and doing the good works – often small things – but all part of growing the Kingdom of God on earth, for eternity.

Judith Spencer (86) was married to journalist Bill Spencer for 63 years before he died in 2020. Together they produced and published ‘Evangelism Today’ newspaper for 30 years. The family has now grown from 2 to 25 across four generations.

For helpful discipleship resources and ideas, please head over to our Resource Hub here.

That’s why loved having Katy Tutt from AtaLoss, and The Bereavement Journey, to our online Church Champions events on Thursday November 14th. Katy has worked for AtaLoss since August 2020 and is based at home in rural mid-Wales.

As General Manager of The Bereavement Journey®, she supports churches in the UK and overseas to offer the programme to their congregations and communities.  At the time of writing, there are over 370 course locations as well as a national, online course which runs three times per year.  Katy enjoys walking her two dogs, and singing in several choirs.

You can now catch up with the session below: